Content Marketing Examples: Content marketing, done right, can be one of the most powerful and cost-effective drivers of traffic and business growth online. With a solid strategy, well-executed content can build your brand, set you apart from your competitors and attract highly qualified customers.
However, there’s nothing easy about creating world-class content. We researched the Internet to find some of the best, most effective and creative examples of content marketing.
We chose these 26 examples for their originality, effectiveness and ability to inspire. We are confident that they will help you develop your own voice and strategy and lead you to continued business success.
Read on and explore examples of content marketing in the following areas:
- Interactive content marketing.
- Video content marketing
- Social media content marketing
- Content marketing for B2B
- B2C content marketing
- Creative content marketing
- Content marketing in blogging
Examples of content marketing for 2021
Interactive content engages people and creates hype, which is why it’s so effective in our eyes.
Examples of interactive content marketing
1.The Canva School of Design
We’ll start with Canva. It’s an online graphic design platform that allows anyone to create professional images and animations for social media and blogs.
Canva has created its own design school aimed at people who want to improve their graphic design skills – without having to pay for a college degree.
Why we like it
Canva’s design school is a great example of educational and interactive content marketing. Not only does it teach future users useful design skills, but it also highlights how practical and useful the platform is. What’s more, it’s popular: Some of the courses on the platform boast more than 100,000 students.
Our main conclusion.
Canva educates the market with practical, transferable skills. There are many courses that appeal to those who want to continue learning, and this positions the platform as a leader in design.
2. L’Oréal Paris Signature Faces Virtual Makeup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO8iDQjaQl8&feature=emb_imp_woyt
L’Oréal Paris has long been an innovator in the makeup industry: bright lipsticks, subtle foundations and its famous skincare line. But this time, our attention was drawn to the brand’s interactive content marketing, Signature Faces.
Signature Faces uses artificially created filters that let you check out how different lipstick shades would look on you from the comfort of your own home.
Why we love it.
It’s fun, easy to use and very practical at a time when people have fewer opportunities to go out to the store.
Our number one benefit
L’Oréal puts its customers’ needs first. The brand understands the challenges of not being able to go to a boutique or store to test samples during a pandemic. Its elegant solution is wonderful to share, and it encourages people to buy a luxury product that they might otherwise leave for another time.
3. Bernie’s hilarious image of IKEA’s chair
Senator Bernie Sanders became a viral moment after he was decked out in an anorak and mittens during President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony. His appearance was shared millions of times on social media, often photoshopped to appear in increasingly ridiculous situations.
A quick-thinking Greek company, Ogilvy, created a promotion for Ikea, offering Bernie’s chair, giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase his full image.
Why we like it
The idea is creative and went viral and was shared on social media and mainstream media, drawing a lot of positive attention to the brand.
Our main conclusion
Ikea is creative and able to act fast. Remember, speed is more important than perfection when it comes to newsgrabbing opportunities. Pay attention to viral moments and see if you can take advantage of them.
4. Starbucks Interactive Artwork
Great coffee, a good time and augmented reality. Starbucks commissioned Accurat to create this incredible wall art piece for their flagship store in Milan. Engraved in brass, it takes up an entire wall and works in tandem with an augmented reality app. It serves as an interactive map that tells the whole story of the brand. Remarkable and unique, it’s not just marketing – it inspires customers to create their own content.
Why we like it
The eye-catching installation uses augmented reality and helps customers feel more connected to the brand. It’s a really amazing experimental installation and – most importantly – completely unique.
Our main takeaway.
Starbucks has done something extraordinary with Accurat. And it gets people to take pictures and tell their friends. It’s perfect Instagram material, but it’s also something that will generate excitement for years to come – especially as we hopefully start to get back to the physical experience.
5. MyHeritage: animated relatives
MyHeritage is an online service that allows you to make your own family tree and perform DNA analysis to find out your roots. It’s thinking outside the box and solving a problem we didn’t even know we had: What did our ancestors look like when they talked?
My Heritage has created an amazing artificial intelligence app that is now used by the public to create more than 80 million animations.
Why we like it
This app has captured the public’s imagination and created a buzz around the service. It also uses cutting-edge technology, which gives it novelty and makes it even more popular – coffee shop visitors have downloaded the app more than a thousand times.
Our main conclusion.
MyHeritage used the latest technology to pique people’s curiosity. They asked themselves the question: How can photo animation with artificial intelligence add value to our customers? And they won.
Examples of video content marketing
Brands that invest in video content marketing are getting amazing results in organic traffic, as evidenced by these examples.
6. Red Bull and skier Valentin Delluk
Valentin Delluk gives his viewers a master class in skiing in a short but breathtaking video from Redbull.
In the video, you’ll see the athlete flying over a desert resort in the French Alps. Great video footage and stunning stunts are hero-level content marketing in our books.
Why we love it
It’s spectacular, garnering more than 700,000 views, lots of comments from the audience – and totally in line with the brand. Redbull, after all, gives you wings.
Our main takeaway.
Red Bull has taken the broadest concept of its brand and associated itself with a bold athlete. The question is, can your brand tie its slogan to an appropriate but inspiring gimmick?
7. Publicis Sapient’s HOW Channel.
This well-made, informative, engaging marketing video content from Publicis Sapient targets B2B audiences and brands.
During the pandemic, the company set out to “understand the world and the moment” and began creating top-tier video content. The site offers both short pieces and more in-depth documentaries – full of tips, ideas and practical advice for companies. It’s a real information hub, and a successful one at that.
Why we like it
The high level of product and breadth of topics is impressive – according to our data, the site gets more than 160,000 hits a month. The company’s mission is to be a partner with organizations in digital transformation – and this marketing video content aligns perfectly with its primary mission.
Our main takeaway.
Make sure your video content marketing efforts align with your brand strategy. Combine this with high quality production and great themes, and you’ll be a winner.
8. Adobe: Honor your heroes
In just one minute, Adobe uses its YouTube channel to honor key workers during the pandemic. At the same time, it demonstrates what can be done with its powerful creative suite.
Why we like it
Adobe is running a campaign that not only talks about key workers, but also demonstrates the capabilities of its suite of tools. In doing so, the campaign doesn’t seem cynical or contrived. As a result, this video alone garnered more than 3.4 million views.
Our main conclusion
Adobe puts other people at the center of the action by celebrating the heroic deeds of others. It succeeds because it’s sincere and from the heart. Can you create videos that do the same for your audience?
Social Media Content Marketing examples
Social media platforms are the perfect place to be creative, have fun, connect with your audience and spread your values and your product or service. Here are some of the best examples of social media marketing from various big and small brands.
9. Burger King’s social media movement
Burger King may not always use its social media properly, but this emotional appeal is aimed at supporting other restaurant chains and independent businesses during pandemic and lockdown times. It is appealing in its unexpectedness, especially when you are asked to order from McDonald’s:
Why We Like It
It’s a little shocking – and for that reason, it’s sparked a strong reaction. This Instagram post alone garnered over 40,000 likes, which clearly resonated with the public.
Our main conclusion
Burger King showed its human side and put solidarity above brand pride. It’s an interesting approach that can inspire some ideas. Can your brand bring emotion to its content marketing on social media?
10. Seed Probiotics – a new way to spread the word about science
Seed Probiotics is a microbial research company that aims to improve human and planetary health through probiotics.
The brand’s content marketing strategy uses Instagram and offers a master class in connecting with interested followers and providing valuable information.
Why we like it
Microbial science isn’t the most common topic for Instagram, but Seed has more than 130,000 followers on its Instagram page. What Seed does just great is their way of engaging communities – whether it’s brand influencers or real customers. We also love the fact that Seed has a “university for influencers” – To become their promoter, you have to show your willingness to learn.
Our main takeaway.
Even bacteria look good in selfies. More seriously, the educational nature of the content appealed to a health-conscious audience. How can your brand successfully combine education with social media content?
11. Cat Person – using user-generated content
Cat Person has a clear value proposition – “Better food, better beds, better bowls. With delivery.” But it’s the user-generated content on Instagram that really gets the attention.
Why we like it.
We all know that the Internet is made for sharing pictures of cats. In this case, Cat Person encourages people to send in photos of their cats – in many cases enjoying Cat Person products. The brand feed is active, but also notice how often the brand is tagged.
Our main takeaway.
If your B2C business is photo-friendly, running a social media marketing campaign that encourages people to tag your product on Instagram is a great way to increase your reach and brand awareness.
12. Linkedin International Women’s Day
According to LinkedIn, women lost nearly twice as many jobs as men during the pandemic. The social media platform not only brought this to our attention, but encouraged its community to support and “celebrate women in their careers on International Women’s Day” by sharing this video.
Why we like it
It’s not just the 1.5 million views of this video – LinkedIn is highlighting the community, supporting the cause and sharing real opinions. In our opinion, this is a perfect example of content marketing on social media.
Our main conclusion.
Social media is the perfect place for a brand to share and showcase its values. They can also be used to emphasize diversity and bring attention to a cause that is important to you. While it may not immediately attract potential customers, a great video like this can have a positive impact on your brand in the long run.
Examples of content marketing for B2B
B2B brands often have a clear value proposition, content strategy and mission statement – and when this shows up in content marketing, it can have a huge impact on lead generation. Here are some brands that take B2B content marketing very seriously.
13. Lattice is the center of the HR community
Lattice’s slogan, “Resources for People,” is appropriate. The human resources-focused service offers HR teams the people management tools they need to get the job done. Their blog and webinars take center stage on the site, along with a rich library of resources.
Why we like it
According to Semrush, Lattice has over 278,000 backlinks and over 130,000 organic site visits, indicating that the company produces content that resonates with its target audience.
Our top takeaways.
Practical advice, diverse blog categories, clear design and a community focus have given Lattice a huge advantage over its competitors.
14. Wistia – marketing software and content factory
Wistia creates marketing software, educational video series and content to help people grow their businesses. Her B2B video content marketing dives deep into engaging topics, capturing the attention of her target audience and succeeding in creating an authentic video content hub that keeps people coming back time and time again. That’s no small feat.
Why we love it
Wistia has created an evergreen video content center with several regular shows while staying true to the essence of the company’s brand. By using what they do best – video marketing – the company is gaining credibility and trust with a wide audience.
Our main conclusion.
Wistia owes its impressive market presence to quality video and engaging educational content. How can you help your audience reach their goals with quality video content marketing?
15. Microsoft and Spirion
The Spirion white paper with Microsoft demonstrates “The Ultimate Combination for End-to-end Data Security and Privacy.” It offers a deep dive into the topic with illustrative statistics for anyone working in data security. The report goes on to make an excellent case for why existing data security solutions are currently underperforming.
Why we liked it
The report clearly accomplished its goal of resonating with the target audience and prompting them to take action. According to the company, the campaign generated more than $3.4 million in sales.
Our key takeaway.
Original research combined with valuable insights can be a goldmine for your B2B clients. If you’re solving a real problem for them at the same time, these marketing tactics can get you good results.
16. Unbounce Landing Page Analyzer
Unbounce has created a valuable resource for B2B that helps companies analyze, get recommendations and optimize their landing pages. The Landing Page Analyzer is something you can use many times and always offer value.
Why we like it
This tool is a great utility for B2B and shows potential customers in an interactive way what Unbounce can do for them. According to Semrush, the tool has generated 980 backlinks as of May 2021.
Our main takeaway.
Offering your audience a practical tool that solves a real problem generates interest, shares and repeat traffic. It can become an evergreen customer engagement magnet and a link magnet for your brand.
Examples of content marketing for B2C
These brands know their market from the inside out. Explore these examples and get inspiration for your own B2C content marketing.
17. Parsley Health Guides
Parsley Health Guides helps people address a variety of health and wellness issues with informative and visual content. This is a great example of how B2C brands can use content marketing to engage users at all stages of the funnel.
Why we like it
Among other content guides include eBooks, tutorials, videos, and tips from professionals. Parsley Health positions itself as a trusted expert and clearly describes what you’ll get if you download their content. Another important feature is the short (email-only) forms, which can increase conversions.
Our main takeaway.
Combine different media to appeal to different audience segments, and create a balanced combination of gated and closed-access content offerings.
18. Tomorrowland Around the World
Tomorrowland is a live music festival that went digital in 2020 after the pandemic hit. The previous year, 400,000 people attended. After Covid-19 forced organizers to cancel the regular in-person event, a special Tomorrowland Around the World festival was held. Music fans around the world were able to attend the event online and watch from the comfort of their own homes.
Why we love it
The event more than doubled its normal attendance, attracting more than 1 million virtual viewers who enjoyed a two-day digital festival with eight stages and more than 60 artists. While Tomorrowland is traditionally a live event, it has undergone a 360-degree transformation while remaining true to its essence.
Our key takeaways.
Tomorrowland provides its audience with plenty of entertainment and, in turn, is rewarded with great engagement. It’s a great example of how brands can adapt to a changing environment and continue to provide a great experience for their customers no matter what.
19. Lemonade Insurance
Lemonade Insurance has a complete content marketing plan covering social media channels and blogging. According to Semrush, as of May 2021, its website is ranked for more than 30,400 keywords in the United States. That’s not what we’re most interested in, however. The company stands out among other insurance firms for its self-proclaimed obsession with art.
Why we like it
To support its art insurance business line, Lemonade has created content centers with the work of contemporary artists, including an Instagram account and a page on Medium. The #ConnectedByLemonade campaign commissions international artists to create art using the brand’s signature pink color scheme. Describing the initiative as “an opportunity to explore and celebrate creativity in all its forms,” it certainly strikes a chord.
Our main takeaway.
On its homepage, Lemonade asks you to “forget everything you know about insurance.” This campaign certainly embodies the brand’s core value of being different. It creates content that is inspiring, invigorating and, in doing so, presents a whole new vision for the insurance company. How can your content show your values and creative side?
Examples of creative content marketing
These out-of-the-box and fun examples of content marketing will get you thinking about what you can create for your website visitors. Just remember: it’s all fun and games until you accidentally destroy the planet.
20. Eaton – My IT Galaxy
Who has not secretly dreamed of building their own planet? Or control your own galaxy? That’s exactly what Eaton lets you do. This creative and interactive interface is one of the clearest examples of content marketing on our list and lets you play and become a creator of the world.
Why we like it
The company has gone to great lengths to create a great user experience with this tool, and the whole concept is creative and unusual. What’s more, it’s designed for IT professionals, and this brand knows its audience well. Next time you think a serious B2B brand can’t go above and beyond, think about this example!
Our main takeaway.
Sometimes your users just want to have fun – and this kind of shareable content gives your site a viral quality.
21. Canva gets creative (again)
Yes, it’s Canva again – this time with a creative example of content marketing. We loved this feature that allows you to create a color palette based on your own photos.
Why we like it.
Color theory is not for the faint of heart – and most of us aren’t designers. The generator makes Canva even easier to use – and distracts people from competing options that don’t offer such useful tools. What’s more, according to Semrush, as of May 2021, the page had 3,500 backlinks and generated more than 196,000 organic page views per month.
Our main takeaway.
Marketing isn’t just about showing the benefits of your product or educating people. It can also be about reducing friction and making their lives easier. It generates interest, backlinks and returns. Listen to your customers-what are their major pain points? Can you solve them with a tool like yours?
22. Drift RevGrowth Summit
Drift’s virtual RevGrowth Summit is full of big names in the industry. It builds experience, credibility and trust in the site. Not only is it good for the brand, but it’s great for SEO.
Why we like it
In 2020, Drift showed how adaptable it is in the face of Covid-19. Unable to host a regular HYPERGROWTH live event, the company moved the conference online, inviting 19 other companies to speak with them. The conference was a great success, with more than 8,500 attendees.
Our main conclusion
Conferences and events are an effective way to attract press, industry capital and credibility. Drift did an impressive job of teaming up with other companies to host a new conference in a challenging environment and getting everything together in just one month.
In an in-depth guide to successful virtual events, Drift’s director of event management, Janna Erickson, recommends making sure you offer content and value to the audience. She also explains that it’s important to have a good rapport with your partners and that you have a similar audience or ideal customer profile. At the same time, you need robust lead sharing agreements and strong data protection policies.
23. Lenovo’s customer stories
Lenovo does a great job of showcasing Beam Suntory customer stories – highlighting how it serves them in the process; highlighting the company’s goals of staying true to tradition while transforming its technology by replacing outdated infrastructure.
Why we like it
Instead of opting for a more traditional example, Lenovo uses video and sound to engage you in the story. Rather unusually, you also hear the customer’s speech as you scroll. This certainly draws interest and keeps you on the page.
Our main takeaway.
By telling your customers’ stories in an authentic way and harnessing the power of sound, video and compelling images, you engage your audience.
Examples of content marketing in blogging
These examples of content marketing articles for blogging will inspire you to sit down and start writing – we’re sure you will!
24. REI Cooperative Magazine – capturing the top of the funnel
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) is a co-op and e-commerce store for people who enjoy living their lives and the outdoors. Going beyond product pages, their blog has high organic search traffic, reaching 347,400 per blog monthly, according to our analysis.
Why we like it
This is one of our favorite examples of e-commerce content marketing. It’s a content-rich site, with more than 167,500 backlinks pointing to the blog as of May 2021, according to Semrush. It offers value and captures the top of the audience funnel with high volume searches and offers in-depth information.
Our key takeaway.
Keyword research and a good understanding of the topic areas your audience is interested in will help you attract organic visitors.
25. Typeform is a great brand voice
Typeform is a SaaS online form builder. The Typeform blog offers strong examples of content writing for digital marketing, covering startups, business, technology and other interesting topics. Especially appealing is its tone, which manages to be easy to understand, friendly and helpful – making it stand out in a world of B2B companies overloaded with jargon.
Why we like it
Typeform offers valuable B2B content, uses multimedia and has an attractive design. The blog alone has over 52,000 monthly organic visits as of May 2021, indicating that the company is well known.
Our main takeaway.
The sheer variety of content for the top end of the tunnel ensures that Typeform attracts both a loyal audience and new organic visitors.
26. Zendesk is an impressive content hub
Zendesk’s mission is to make customer service better – an attractive proposition for many brands. The company’s blog boasts an abundance of guides, tutorials and how-to articles.
Why we like it
We like it. Zendesk’s wide variety of formats cater to a wide variety of audience needs, and as a result, it generates more than 178,000 monthly organic traffic, according to Semrush.
Our key takeaway.
Zendesk’s content is in-depth, structured for easy reading, and contains plenty of visual infographics, call-to-action quotes, and social media attachments. Can you follow their lead and structure your blogs and incorporate visuals to keep people reading to the end?
Recommended platforms for finding examples of content marketing
We’ve looked at some fantastic examples of successful content marketing, but new examples of content marketing are constantly emerging. When it comes to keeping up with what others are doing, you need to know where to look for inspiration.
We’ve listed a few recommended sources that we like and regularly share different types of content. Among other things, these are great places to find inspiration:
- The Content Marketing Institute
- Famous Campaigns.
- Information is Beautiful
- Visual Capitalist
- Examples of Digital PR
- The Drum Content Awards
- UK Content Awards
- Content Marketing Awards
Taking your content marketing to the next level
A great content marketing strategy requires a deep understanding of your customers, search engine optimization strategies, great writing and production, and reliable distribution.
But if you invest the time, energy and resources into building an effective content marketing machine, you’ll reap the rewards in the long run. So will many of the brands we’ve included on this list of the 26 best examples of content marketing for 2021.
