Quick Takeaways:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A perfect example of a brand\u2019s messaging aligning with its product offerings,\u00a0IKEA Ideas<\/a>\u00a0places its products in supporting roles as it solves common challenges homeowners face. Its \u201cOutdoor Furniture Maintenance Guide<\/a>,\u201d for instance, offers valuable advice about how to choose durable furniture and protect it from the elements once it is in your home.<\/p>\n Subtle product suggestions<\/a>\u00a0for each maintenance problem they solve never intrude on the readers\u2019 experience. Rather, they simply illustrate each maintenance tip with vivid visuals that make the tips stick out in readers\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd2b<\/strong> PS \u2013 I put together these 10 tips for optimizing your content marketing. Watch Now!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The blog that brought content marketing to the fore,\u00a0HubSpot<\/a>\u00a0rose to fame in the marketing world with its lengthy,\u00a0detailed guides<\/a>\u00a0on a variety of marketing topics. It remains one of the foremost authorities on content production and publication by expanding into research and maintaining its focus on top-quality, problem-solving content.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve long been advocates of in-depth customer research and content that\u00a0focuses on customers\u2019 needs<\/a>. Home Depot hits a home run with its customer-focused collection of blogs, \u201cDIY Projects and Ideas<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instead of a single blog, Home Depot segments its blog posts according to customer interests. It groups its blogs in three general categories: DIY projects, outdoor living, and home d\u00e9cor. Then, it breaks down each of these categories into smaller ones, each laser-focused on specific customer segments.<\/p>\n Take its outdoor living category, for instance. Home Depot\u2019s content team segmented this content into three groups: garden ideas and projects, lawn and landscaping, and outdoor recreation. When a gardener\u00a0looks for the latest news<\/a>\u00a0on her hobby, she doesn\u2019t have to leaf through camping checklists, pool cleaning tips, or guides on how to build a playhouse. She can quickly find a wealth of ideas specifically targeted to her needs.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude1c PS \u2013 Check out our\u00a0weekly blog content service<\/a>\u00a0to grow your website traffic and leads!<\/strong><\/p>\n IBM<\/a>\u00a0dominates the business technology space with its innovative products. But what you might not know is that IBM has taken the industry lead in content marketing as well.<\/p>\n It, like Home Depot, segments its blog categories by reader interests. What makes IBM stand head and shoulders above the rest of the content in its sector is that it empowers employees\u00a0outside its content team<\/a>\u00a0to contribute blog posts.<\/p>\n Not only does this move create way\u00a0more engagement and more conversions<\/a>, but it also positions each of those employees as thought leaders in their respective fields. It\u2019s innovation at its best, elevating IBM\u2019s sterling reputation even higher.<\/p>\n In contrast to IBM, which aims its content to large enterprises, Fiverr caters to small businesses and startups. Its blog posts include a large collection of how-tos, which they call\u00a0Fiverr Guides<\/a>.<\/p>\n Newbies to the business world can learn how to build their business, create a website, build their brand, and many more tasks larger businesses usually delegate to internal teams. Knowing its customer base, again, is the secret to this freelancer portal\u2019s success.<\/p>\n Links to various categories of freelancers are subtle, usually only\u00a0anchor text<\/a>, keeping the reader focused on the information they are learning. These easy-to-read posts take readers through each process step-by-step, making them invaluable for time-strapped small business owners.<\/p>\n Farm equipment giant John Deere did content marketing before content marketing was cool. From its\u00a0founding in 1895<\/a>\u00a0as a print magazine to its current incarnation as a blog,\u00a0The Furrow<\/a><\/em>\u00a0continues to produce informative content that keeps farmers and other agriculture stakeholders on the cutting edge of the agriculture industry.<\/p>\n No, we\u2019re not talking about Progressive\u2019s TV commercials. Though the discount insurer is best known for its quirky TV ads about its wacky crew of employees and motorcycle centaurs, its commercial division publishes a\u00a0superb blog<\/a>\u00a0aimed at small- to medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n With advice on everything from data loss prevention to HR faux pas, it provides an excellent source of valuable information that can help businesses overcome many of the problems they face as they grow. Progressive\u2019s non-commercial division, too, publishes an informative blog called \u201cAnswers<\/a>,\u201d that bills itself as an \u201ceasy guide to everything insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n Once Flo et al. rope them in, Progressive\u2019s content team nurtures auto and home customers down the sales funnel with well-researched, yet easy-to-understand content that builds trust in its brand.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd25 PS \u2013 Check out our latest case study<\/a>\u00a0that shows how we helped one company double their leads!<\/strong><\/p>\n You might think that a blog from a language learning course would be stuffy, full of obscure tenses and verb conjugations. In\u00a0Rosetta Stone\u2019s blog<\/a>, there are a few conjugations, but it\u2019s anything but musings from the ivory tower.<\/p>\n Its content delves into a cornucopia of topics, from how various languages tackle inclusive language to fascinating glimpses into the world\u2019s tapestry of cultures. It\u2019s well worth checking out, even if you aren\u2019t a foreign language buff.<\/p>\n Its subtle siren song lures customers into signing up for a course simply for the delight of immersing themselves more in the cultures they read about here. Just a little \u201cGet the App\u201d call-to-action button to the right of the new article choices is all they need to hook in the curious.<\/p>\n After the coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to work remotely, collaboration has taken on a whole new meaning. Slack, who make software for collaboration and productivity, upped its\u00a0content production<\/a>\u00a0to provide guides and other articles to teach business leaders and employees alike to adapt to the \u201cnew normal.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier content, too, is well worth reading, particularly their tips on upping your business\u2019s productivity through collaboration. Building its reputation as a thought leader through timely, actionable content, Slack has positioned itself to grow at a time when other businesses have shut their doors.<\/p>\n Once in the capable hands of Content Marketing World\u2019s 2016 Content Marketer of the Year, Amanda Todorovich,\u00a0Health Essentials<\/a>\u00a0grew its audience from 250,000 views per month to six million per month in only\u00a0five years<\/a>.<\/p>\n Its secret? A laser focus on its readers and their health needs. Combining user data analysis with customer personas<\/a> to put a face on those numbers, Todorovich steered the blog to become one of the world\u2019s foremost sources of health-related information.<\/p>\n Take the time to study these successful large company blogs in depth to draw inspiration for your own.<\/p>\n If you are ready to get more traffic to your site with quality blog content published consistently, check out our\u00a0Content Builder Service<\/a>.\u00a0Set up a\u00a0quick consultation<\/a>, and I’ll send you a free PDF version of my books. Get started today \u2013 and generate more traffic and leads for your business.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
IKEA Ideas<\/h2>\n
HubSpot<\/h2>\n
Home Depot\u2019s DIY Projects Done Right<\/h2>\n
![\"the](\"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/diy-projects-and-ideas.png\")
<\/p>\nIBM Blogs<\/h2>\n
Fiverr Guides<\/h2>\n
John Deere\u2019s\u00a0The Furrow<\/h2>\n
![\"john](\"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/the-furrow.png\")
<\/p>\nProgressive Insurance\u2019s Commercial Blog<\/h2>\n
Rosetta Stone<\/h2>\n
Slack\u2019s Several People Are Typing<\/h2>\n
![\"slack](\"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/several-people-are-typing.png\")
<\/p>\nCleveland Clinic Health Essentials<\/h2>\n