Blogging is essential for any company that wants to connect with consumers online. 70% of buyers learn about a company through posts rather than ads. But while it’s easy to start a blog, it’s not always easy to publish valuable, engaging posts on a regular basis.
The best way to learn? By example.
In no particular order, the ten corporate blogs listed below consistently provide valuable, pertinent, and engaging content while demonstrating a distinct business strategy with a high conversion potential.
From social networking to global publishing, the successful rollout of LinkedIn’s crowdsourced content generation platform piqued the curiosity of the opportunistic blogger in us all. What could have been a potentially cacophonous endeavor has instead enabled 330+ million users to adequately show and tell in a professional setting, with their professional network, on an aesthetic interface. A content aggregation platform, appropriately dubbed The Pulse, curates the posts to provide a user-centric and relevant experience and encourage engagement. The official blog of the company provides consistent industry insights and direction to employees, recruiters, employers, and job seekers alike. Some examples of what LinkedIn’s now-burgeoning blogosphere has to offer include helpful hints for using and navigating the platform, conventional career advice, and data specific to an industry.
Buffer
Buffer’s simply-designed blog, Buffer Social, is a pleasant call to action to the uninitiated and a valuable, consistent resource for social media marketers of all levels of experience.
A header, sort of, can be found on the blog itself. It tells readers about the company’s ability to save them time and includes a random testimonial from a few big companies. The posts themselves, which are full of social media wisdom, follow the digital conversion nudge. Not to mention: undoubtedly engaging as each post hosts a significant number of comments and social shares.
HubSpot
HubSpot clearly understands how to offer marketers, salespeople, and agencies around the world value by publishing roughly ten posts per day. The well-written, visually appealing blog of the inbound marketing mecca has established itself as an industry resource for individuals and businesses of all sizes. It has a sophisticated layout, is well-organized, and is full of pertinent content.
IBM
IBM has established a robust nerve center for their content marketing efforts with their A Smarter Planet campaign. Peripherally, they have developed an impressive arsenal of blogs committed to a number of seemingly disparate communities. From software to social, connections to cloud, big data to business, the global tech giant seems to cover an encyclopedic list of topics over a myriad of industries.
IBM would be your dragon slayer if blogging were a real dragon. Bravo, IBM. Bravo.
Marketo
Marketo consistently provides relevant and engaging information to a large number of content-hungry marketers. Its offerings range from infographics on the psychology of impulse buying to interviews with Seth Godin about the future of marketing. Since Marketo is regarded as a pioneer in the field of software for digital marketing, it stands to reason that their blog is overflowing with high-quality, well-written, well-organized gems.
Hootsuite
The social media management company’s blog offers an intangible value that is difficult to put into words.
Accessible. Let’s just say that it can be reached. Although it contains a wealth of information on the evolving social media horizon and in-depth discussions on engagement techniques, it offers value to social media newbies and pros alike. It’s not overtly technical or narrowly targeted, and it exhibits a minimalistic, yet aesthetically appealing design.
Etsy
The peer-to-peer e-commerce sensation, Etsy, offers a whopping 8 unique blogs aimed to attract a global audience. The octo-blog on Etsy has something for everyone, from the history of the gingerbread house to featured shops, the Seller’s Handbook, and company news. The posts typically receive a high level of engagement, with many receiving hundreds of comments, and they are frequently accompanied by captivating artwork and photographs; it should come as no surprise that nothing on Etsy falls short in the category of visual design.
The Creators Project
Intel partnered with Vice to create what has now become a focal point for the multinational chip-maker’s content marketing strategy, entitled The Creators project. This blog features “visionary artists across multiple disciplines using technology in innovative ways to push the boundaries of creative expression,” as their mission statement suggests. As a result, the blog is overflowing with posts about everything from mind-controlled robotic arms to a retirement community that was on the cover of the most recent Modest Mouse album. Even the most ardent art snob can find something new, entertaining, and engaging in the numerous daily posts.
Salesforce
Sales and marketing advice, useful data, and new developments in the technologically intertwined business world of today can all be found on the Salesforce blog, which is an admirable resource. A constant feed of engaging posts full of advisements, anecdotes, and announcements analyzing acronyms with little to no advertisements or alliteration makes the Salesforce blog one of our favs.
KISSmetrics
It should not come as a surprise that a sophisticated organization in web analytics has an impressive blog. The KISSmetrics blog provides a comprehensive list of posts that are jam-packed with advice on analytics, marketing, and testing despite the fact that it may lack visual art, which is unquestionably intentional. By demonstrating the company’s in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, the blog also strengthens the company’s position with customers. Every post is a worthwhile read for a marketer, hosts conversion tactics like the standard email signup, and has significant engagement—namely in the form of social shares.
It has become increasingly difficult for even corporations to effectively cut through the saturated barrage of information users and consumers experience every waking minute, which is why a solid content strategy is essential in order to stay competitive and effectively position your brand. Despite the fact that blogging is merely a cog in the content strategy machine, it remains one of the most straightforward yet efficient methods for driving engagement and increasing brand awareness. Therefore, carry on blogging!
