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From compelling articles to in-depth studies, here’s why these companies have mastered thought leadership

Question: Name one company (not your own) that does top-notch content marketing. What makes it so stellar?

Virgin Group

“The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, is the entrepreneur that most entrepreneurs aspire to be. It’s not just because of his net worth. Branson makes it look like he is having a lot of fun. He makes the effort to write stories about previous and current struggles he has with the Virgin companies, and he offers true insight into what’s working and not working for the brand.”

– Tim Maliyil (@tim_maliyil), AlertBoot

KISSmetrics

“KISSmetrics does an amazing job with ‘evergreen’ content marketing on how to build your online presence and measure the impact of your campaigns. The articles are in-depth, useful across industries, and stand the test of time. As a result, it has built a consistent stream of inbound leads to their paid software products.”

– Sathvik Tantry (@viktantry), FormSwift

Searchmetrics

“Searchmetrics is awesome at content marketing. It does in-depth studies of things that are of interest to most business owners. It show you exactly what’s going on with website rankings. It’s pretty amazing stuff and really has helped me with my current business to know in detail what’s going on.”

– John Rampton (@johnrampton), Due

Also Read: Infographic: 8 content marketing tools you should use

Intuit Quickbase

“Intuit Quickbase is one of those rare brands that prioritises compelling content that solves customer problems over constant sales pitches. The company’s Fast Track blog has become one of the most respected project management and leadership online publications out there today because Intuit understands that it will, in the end, ‘catch more flies’ with quality thought leadership.”

– Alexandra Levit (@alevit), Inspiration at Work

Buffer

“The social media tool company Buffer is providing great content on their blog. They regularly post in-depth pieces that are relevant to their audience, and are optimised for web consumption and sharing on social networks. You can even read about how they’re doing it — they openly share their strategies (and even results like revenue, how many customers they have, etcetera) on their website.”

– Steli Efti (@steli), Close.io

The Muse

“The Muse is a career website that has done a great job of providing top quality career and job interview advice. Even as a business owner, I find their advice relevant and helpful when hiring for our team!”

– Brooke Bergman (@abnsave), Allied Business Network Inc.

Also Read: 3 content marketing tactics for startups that convert fans into customers

Shopify

“Shopify has one of the most popular e-commerce blogs, sharing valuable and detailed information about the tech space. By partnering with authorities such as Daymond John from Shark Tank and holding contests, they have moved beyond simple content marketing. Shopify makes it easy for entrepreneurs to learn and grow their visibility by sharing guides, tutorials, and videos.”

– Marcela de Vivo (@marceladevivo), Brilliance

Best Made Co.

“I love Best Made Co. and their use of story. Its team travels to awesome locales to source and test products, taking pictures and capturing stories along the way. Its website and catalog are better for it.”

– Sam Davidson (@samdavidson), Batch

Mitchell & Ness

“Mitchell & Ness is getting attention for its latest content marketing campaign and rightfully so. The company used sales data to create a map of best-selling retro jerseys, along with a guide. The result was a lot of funny and nostalgic conversations. This is an example of an entertaining campaign that built a relationship between a brand and its target audience without pushing a sales message.”

– Shane Now (@shanesnow), Contently

Also Read: How to set up a content marketing plan for your new business

Harry’s

“An online purveyor of men’s shaving products, Harry’s realises its content shouldn’t always be about it. Its online magazine helps draw audiences by covering everything from beef broth recipes to avalanche survival.”

– Sam Saxton (@MylenStairs), Mylen Stairs

Aloha

“Aloha offers high-quality natural foods and supplements. Not only do they have great products, they also have amazing content, including beautiful photos and videos throughout their website and an online magazine. With helpful articles about everything from exercise and meditation to travel and tips for sustainable living, it’s clear that Aloha both understands and cares about its customer base.”

– Robert De Los Santos (@robsetsail), Sky High Party Rentals

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The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organisation comprising the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship programme that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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