Virgin Mobile partnered with Buzzfeed to create a unique content marketing campaign focused on user engagement rather than follower metrics. Toshiba used SEO techniques like keyword research, optimized content, and backlinks to boost the ROI of their renewable energy solutions campaign. IBM invested in various forms of content like videos, blogs, and guides to generate leads and awareness across their different technology products. LinkedIn offered useful tools like influencer partnerships and niche content targeting a small audience to please. WyseTrade produced practical trading strategy videos that went viral on YouTube to educate their audience rather than spending on ads.

1. 8 Incredible
Content
Marketing Case
Studies With Main
Takeaways

2. Virgin Mobile's campaign with Buzzfeed
Virgin Mobile was one of the initial mobile
communication companies to use content
marketing via social media. Their goal wasn't just
to use content for growing their brand equity,
but also for providing enhanced customer
service.
So, what did they do? Well, Virgin teamed up with
Buzzfeed, an online media company, to create
one of the most unique content marketing
campaigns in the world.
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3. Main takeaways
The most important thing to take away from this content marketing case study is that brands should
focus on user engagement rather than more effort into gaining vanity metrics like followers on
social media.
In the end, it is all about impressing your customers with your offers and services rather than fish
baiting them into following the brand page. Investing your time and other resources in interacting
with followers will definitely pay off in the long run.
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4. Toshiba's smart community
Toshiba smashed the conservative beliefs of
content marketing only being effective for B2C
markets, as they were able to use it effectively
in a B2B campaign.
Toshiba started a "smart community" campaign
in the year 2011; a campaign focused on
renewable energy solutions offered by the
company.
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5. Main takeaways
The major takeaway from this case is that SEO techniques, when used wisely, can drastically boost
the ROI of your content marketing plan.
The first step is to use keyword research tools to find phrases you can center the campaign on.
From there, you need to build exceptional content and execute backlink build campaigns. These
include guest posting, broken link building, and general outreach.
I've published a guide you should read on backlink building to how to do it at scale.
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6. IBM
IBM is a pioneer in the B2B and technology
industries. With many different products and
services, they needed a way to stand out and
attract more customers.
Also, IBM is known to have a different strategy
and a unique campaign every year. This is why
they began investing in various forms of content
marketing, as it helped them generate leads and
increase brand awareness.
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7. Main takeaways
Ensure that you take advantage of influencers in your industry to have them promote your content.
Working together with related brands will place your content in front of a much larger audience. As a
result, you gain referral traffic, leads, backlinks, and other benefits.
I wrote an article recently on partnership marketing that touches on this topic in-depth if you'd like
to learn more.
Secondly, not how IBM published various types of content, from videos to blog posts and guides. You
should, too.
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8. LinkedIn
Do you use Linkedin? Of course, you do! It is the
most used marketing channel in the B2B market,
as you can see from this infographic.
It has become one of the top media networks in
the world among professionals and business
owners.
But Linkedin didn't go the standard route of
producing blog posts, podcast episodes, or
YouTube videos. They did something much, much
different.
What do you ask?
Offering tools.
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9. Main takeaways
The major takeaway from this content marketing case study is that offering useful tools can be one
of the greatest things you implement into your content plan.
What do your customers, clients, or users enjoy or want? This information should reflect the type of
tool you make. For example, Neil Patel acquired the keyword research tool Ubersuggest and has made
it an integral part of his inbound strategy.
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10. Microsoft’s Channel 9
Channel 9 is one of Microsoft's best content
marketing campaigns.
It's a platform run by developers and technicians
who work for Microsoft and want to share
information about development.
You can see on the front page that content
focuses on API, machine learning, and computer
security. They've niched down and found a small
audience to please.
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11. Main takeaways
Finding a small audience to target is crucial for content marketing. You don't want to cast too wide of
a net or you risk attracting lots of irrelevant users to a website.
That's where a buyers persona comes in. Brainstorm the demographics, interests, values, and
problems of your customers. Reference it every time you produce content to ensure it aligns.
Additionally, companies need to consider hosting live events as they are becoming much more
popular in modern marketing.
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12. WyseTrade
WyseTrade is a company that offers a course on
how to trade the Forex markets effectively.
They teache day and swing traders how to
improve their trading strategies, risk
management, and more.
While WyseTrade could've spent heaps of money
on PPC ads or other forms of native advertising,
they decided to educate instead.
They were able to go viral on YouTube by
producing actionable and simple trading videos.
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13. Main takeaways
Some times simplicity is best. If you don't want to do something out of the box, just publish
extremely great content for a niche audience.
Make it practical by showing users how to perform strategies and techniques step-by-step, as well.
With so much fluff on the market, you'll stand out like a sore thumb this way.
Another lesson to learn from this content marketing study is capturing users.
Don't let viewers and website visitors leave without taking some form of action to stay in touch with
you. In the case of WyseTrade, they built a massive email list with a simple optin form.
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14. Learn more about content marketing
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