8 Content Marketing Examples to Inspire Your 2023 Strategy

Social media

1. Netflix Canada engages the Twitter World

Netflix, the streaming service, knows exactly how to engage an audience.

Most people are generally avoiding something in their day, beit doing the dishes, folding the laundry, you name it. One simple question garnered so much attention and engagement from the Twitter world, while giving Netflix the opportunity to talk to their customers and give them a reason to go back into their app and stream something.

What we like:

• It’s engaging and conversational
• Whether you’re a Netflix user or not, this is a fun thread to follow along
• They’re able to promote their app without being overly promotional
• Netflix is engaging back with people, which is what every business should be doing on social media

2. Doug the Pug Dominates Instagram

With 3.9 million followers on Instagram, Doug the Pug has taken social media by storm. Doug’s owners and the people behind the Instagram account continue to find new and fun ways to engage with their audience.

What we like:

• Using images with animals is a sure way to make people pause their scrolling frenzy
• Their caption comes from a popular trend off of the social media platform TikTok (original video here), which is a great way to engage users who are one both platforms
• They’re posting for the sake of engaging with their audience, using social media as a vessel to build a community rather than JUST “sell, sell, sell”
• He’s a dog and we love dogs

Blog and written content marketing examples

3. Animalz leads with value, every time

For many content marketers, the Animalz blog is a place we find ourselves frequently. One post in particular that’s resonated well with us lately is their article: This Is What Content Marketing Looks Like in a Crisis.

What we like:

• It leads with value
• There is no fluff in the article
• The blog includes multiple different types of content within the piece including copy, images, video and more

We recommend subscribing to the Animalz content marketing newsletter to gain some valuable content insights.

4. Soapbox makes report reading fun

Another great example of written content is Soapbox’s State of One-on-ones landing page because it’s a cool and interactive experience for people looking to get the main takeaways from a report. Remember: Data doesn’t have to be boring!

What we like:

• The movement makes it more intriguing for the reader as they scroll through the page
• There’s a Twitter icon, making it simple for the audience to share the report on social media
• The design is clean, making it easy for viewers to read through the copy on the page

To reduce chaos and increase ROI from your content, get our guide on Content Operations where we break down the people, processes, and tools you need to prove the value of content to leadership.

5. Beautifully designed eBook by Superside

The design component of any content piece is crucial because it’s able to communicate your message in an entirely different way. As experts in design, we hold ourselves to a high standard here at Superside when it comes to how our content looks. So, if you’re looking for a great eBook example, check out our eBook,  The Future of Design Operations, for inspiration.

What we like:

• It screams the Superside brand, from the color scheme to the different design elements used
• We heighten the value and credibility of the information by including quotes and advice from experts in the design space
• The landing page does a great job of letting you know what to expect should you choose to download the eBook

Video content examples

6. You Suck At Cooking tutorials

There are so many amazing high-production value video content pieces out there. However, as we mentioned earlier, you don’t need to invest a crazy amount of money to make video content succeed. You Suck at Cooking might be one of my personal favorite YouTube channels to date. It’s hilarious, while teaching you how to cook easy recipes at home (without breaking the bank to create the videos).

What we like:

• Entertaining through and through while giving the audience something new to take away and try at home
• Follows the same tone, brand and theme across every video
• Relays information in a simple yet memorable manor

Email marketing content examples

7. Warby Parker rules email marketing

If you’re wondering what makes a good content marketing campaign, the better question is who. The answer to that is Warby Parker.

At their peak, they were one of the most exciting ecommerce stores to come along and a big part of that is their awesome email marketing campaigns. When you think about it, email is such an important channel for a business like theirs to engage their audience. That’s because the majority of their sales and the buying habits of their consumers have shifted to the digital world. Email offers a great transactional experience while strengthening the Warby Parker brand.

Source: Reallygoodemails

What we like:

• Dogs, of course
• The CTAs are clear and easy to see
• The design of this email is spot on, making it easy for the viewer to easily skim through the email while understanding the main message of the email
• It's personable and stays true to their brand voice

Podcast and audio content examples

8. The B2B Marketing Podcast slays content

As a B2B marketer, my favorite podcast (for professional reasons) is The B2B Marketing Podcast. They do a great job with the content they create, which usually gives the audience one or two actionable takeaways after each episode. They’re also jam-packed with B2B content marketing examples. The only thing we would change about this podcast is that we would love to see the faces of all of the experts they interview as the preview image of each episode.

What we like:

• They lean on industry experts to share best practices within a certain domain of marketing: content, sales enablement, design, you name it!
• There’s always at least one actionable piece of information for listeners to try out themselves
• The topics that they cover are very diverse, allowing them to branch out their audience to all types of marketers alike

The 5 Main Types of Content Marketing

If you’re asking yourself: Is content marketing effective? The answer is yes. However, you’ll need to pick the right types of content that fit your audience best. You'll also want to leverage the power of great marketing design to make your content stand out.

And, what is included in content marketing? Well, a lot of things. But we're here to help.

As you read through the types of content marketing below, always keep your audience in mind, because ultimately they’re going to help influence what content you produce (and how you share it).

Social Media Content

From TikTok to Reddit, social media content is created and shared across all types of social media platforms. By leveraging things like Instagram polls, LinkedIn live, or Pinterest marketing, you can drive more leads, increase brand awareness and so much more. Whether you’re promoting content like blogs, or creating unqiue visuals specifically for social media, there’s a lot you can do to engage your audience.

What’s the goal?

Before you dive into the platforms you want to use and the type of content you’ll share, you need to determine what your goal is. If you’re not sure, here are a few to consider:

• Audience engagement
• Drive users to your website
• Have people click through your product or service offering
• Brand awareness

With all social platforms offering some form of data tracking, and using a tool like Google Analytics, you’ll be able to monitor and report on your performance.

What type of content should I share on social?

When you’re looking to create social media content, here are a few types to consider:

• Photos
• Videos
• Illustrations
• Gifs
• Written posts
• Stories
• Polls
• Or even reposts of other people's content

We suggest trying out many types of content on social media in order to find out what works best for your audience. It could be an even mix of content, or maybe skewed more towards video and polls. There’s no right or wrong mix, just let the data help guide your strategy.

What are some best practices for social media content?

Although every platform is different, there are a few golden rules that you should follow when creating content for social media:

• Aim to capture people’s attention within 3 seconds or less. Visual content is great for this! (For example, Facebook, posts with images earn 2.3x more engagement than text-only posts)
• Create everything with your target audience in mind
• Always, always, always engage. These are social media platforms, so be social. Brands who do this best succeed at social marketing.

Blog and written content

Blogging and other forms of written content are an effective way to drive leads through your funnel. Without getting too technical, Hubspot has a great and simple buyer’s journey document that can help you map out a journey phase for each piece of content you create.

What’s the goal?

For many content marketers, the main goal of the content they produce is to drive leads through the funnel, ultimately resulting in revenue for the company. When it comes to content, here are some common goals:

• SEO pages to rank in Google searches and drive website traffic
• Sales enablement (think case studies and pitch decks)
• Thought leadership — you’re the expert and people know it

What type of content can I create?

There is a long, long list of content that you can create that would fall under this bucket, including:

• eBooks
• Infographics
• Case studies
• Customer stories
• Whitepapers
• How-to’s
• Listicles (like this one!)

If you’re just starting out, try creating at least one of all of these. Over time, you’ll have a better understanding of the blog and written content that resonates best with your audience (and double down on those).

What are some best practices for blog and written content?

• Less fluff is better. When you write, always lead with value. This will also encourage them to come back to your website time and time again.
• If you make claims, back them up with data. People on the internet today are smart and savvy and will probably do a quick Google search of any unbacked claims you make.
• Continue to refer to the buyer’s journey and funnel stages when creating your content. This will act as a measure for how promotional you should be about your business within each content piece.
• Use design to help give the reader’s eyes a break. Design is also a great way to visualize the message you’re trying to convey in your writing in a new way.

Video content

A Cisco study found that online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022 — 15x higher than it was in 2017. Whether this content is shared on social, embedded into a blog, or both, video is a great medium to engage an audience.

What’s the goal?

Just like written content, the goal really hinges on what you’re hoping to accomplish on a video-by-video basis. When it comes to video content, some goals can include:

• Driving brand awareness with an explainer video
• Improving engagement with an interview series
• Increasing sales with product walkthrough videos
• Minimizing incoming support tickets with how-to videos about product features

What type of content can I create?

The list is truly endless, but here are a few ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:

• Recorded interviews with experts in your space
• Product demos
• How-to videos (anyone else loves cooking tutorials!?)
• Explainer videos
• Case studies
• Tutorials

What are some best practices for video content?

This is less of a best practice and more of a consideration. Although video can be more expensive, it doesn’t have to be. When you’re creating video content you don’t need a full production with all of the bells and whistles to be truly successful. The content within that video is what matters most.

Here’s what you WILL need:

1. Something that can record video (like a phone or DSLR)
2. Basic editing software (like Vimeo’s Create)
3. Time and patience, because if you're just starting out, there will be a learning curve

Email marketing content

Roughly 281 billion emails were sent and received each day in 2018. That number is expected to increase to over 347 billion daily mails in 2022. There is a lot of value in email marketing because people have already opted into receiving communications from you; they want to hear from you. So, how do you make the most out of email marketing?

Determine your email marketing goals

What are you hoping to achieve with each campaign?

• Stay top of mind with users
• Convert leads into sales
• Share company updates
• Build thought leadership

What type of email marketing content can I create?

If you haven’t noticed a theme yet, the type of content you create will depend on the goal you’ve determined for each campaign that you run. To name a few email marketing content ideas:

• Drip or nurture campaign
• Blog newsletter
• Seasonal (like a Black Friday campaign)
• Post-purchase campaign

What are some best practices for email content?

Some general guidelines that we personally like to follow include:

• A/B test, always. This will give you an opportunity to learn about what resonates best with your audience. This can be as simple as testing between using an avocado emoji or a smiley face in your subject line.
• Take advantage of design in email marketing. The average professional receives 120 new emails each day. When people are sifting through their inbox, they’re usually skimming marketing emails (if they open it). Use visuals to stand out and get your message across, faster.

Podcast and audio content

The podcast world is so diverse. On one end, you’ve got the New York Times’ podcast: The Daily. On the other, you’ve got The Bachelor Happy Hour. People love podcasts. Many people listen to them while running, working and most commonly, while commuting.

What’s the goal?

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, here are a few common goals people may have:

• Thought leadership
• Build a following
• Connect with leaders in the space (in hopes they talk about you!)

What type of content can I create?

The type of podcast that a boutique beauty brand creates will differ from that of a large enterprise B2B company. Here are some ideas to help you start planning your own podcast:

• Commentary on a topic or trend
• Interview series with experts
• Tutorial/lessons

What are some best practices for a podcast?

• Invest in a decent microphone. Check out these Yeti or Rode models.
• Post your podcast on all available platforms, like Spotify, Apple podcasts, Stitcher and more.
• Add images to each episode. When you listen to music, the album art is usually the thumbnail that shows up when you listen and share that track. Consider design principles when you create this image so that you’re better able to capture new listeners more easily!

TIP: With any single type of content, you can often repurpose it into something new. For podcasts, maybe that's a blog, or quote images to share on social media. Repurpose your content to maximize your efforts!

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Getting Started with a Content Marketing Strategy

If you’re just dipping your toes into content, it might feel like there’s a lot to learn (because there is). If you're just starting out in content, focus on simply trying a lot of things and seeing what sticks. You’ll continue to build on your content marketing knowledge as time goes on.

If you’re wondering, what are the best ways to do content marketing, here’s a basic list of things to help get you started:

1. Decide on your brand voice and tone. Are you going to be super casual, very serious or somewhere in the middle?
2. Determine your goals. What are you hoping to achieve through content marketing?
3. Based on your goals, determine KPIs (key performance indicators). What numbers do you need to hit in order to achieve your goals?
4. Know your audience. If you haven’t already, try doing a buyer persona exercise. Better yet, get on the phone and TALK to your customers.
5. Outline the types of content you want to produce, and where you’ll promote it. With buyer personas, you’ll have a better understanding of where your audience spends their time. That’s where you’ll want to focus your content efforts.
6. Start creating content. The channels you decide on will have some impact on the overall content mix you create.
7. Remember the importance of great design. When done right, design can make your content more interesting to the audience, while building up your brand.
8. Measure the results. How did your content fair? What channels were performing better than others? Make data-driven decisions from your findings.

Wrapping up

While these are our must-haves for content marketing, this isn’t a definitive list of content types — there's just way too many to list! When it comes to content, it all boils down to your audience. They will ultimately determine what channels you market in and what types of content you create.

We hope you found these content marketing campaign examples and tips helpful! If you've got any questions or are looking for additional help, shoot us a message at social@superside.com.

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