With brands getting more familiar with the concept of Paid, Owned and Earned Media, and platforms like Posterous and making it easier for even the greatest technophobe to get blogging, we’re seeing a resurgence in Business Blogs being created.
Get some inspiration from these great blogs (and I promise there’s not a CEO or meerkat in sight).
FreshNetworks
A great example of why giving a little knowledge away can come back to reward you in spades. FreshNetworks has always taken good editorial content seriously, posts regularly, has a dedicated writing team, and is consistently first with news and opinion. It’s no surprise why this blog is consistently ranked as one of the top Marketing/Social Media blogs in Europe.
Why it works? Knowledge sharing, feels independent, truly thought leading
37Signals
What do you do when you have a small but loyal group of product fans who are keen to follow all the latest updates but you also want to be blogging about the industry and attracting new fans and customers?
37Signals created two blogs; The Product Blog focuses purely on news, tips, and updates around the company’s product range while Signal Vs Noise allows the team to write about wider issues in their sector without cluttering up the blog with branded product announcements.
Why it works? Caters to two different audiences, allows more branded product promotion
Jorg&Olif
When bicycle company Jorg&Olif launched in 2006 they had an aim that their bikes become “the ultimate symbol for the Slow Life” movement. Using a canny marketing approach, and a blog/lifestyle magazine, they promote the Slow Life philosophy as much as the bikes and cycling in itself with articles like ‘Why laughing is good for you‘ and ‘Home curing meats‘.
Why it works? Supports a unique brand proposition, lifestyle content
Nokia Conversations
Before there was iPhone, Nokia was the darling of the handset world for mobile geeks. Nokia Conversations is the Official Nokia blog and is self-described as being about “the people, products and services, thoughts, interests, business and beyond” which make up the Nokia world. What’s smart is that it’s not just boring product announcements and corporate news – probably helped by their wise move to get experienced professional Editorial support in the form of Republic Publishing.
Still not convinced a company blog about handsets could be interesting? Check out the average number of tweets and comments each post gets.
Why it works? Dynamic, professional editorial, for the fans
1000heads
Many agencies have tried, and failed, to walk the walk when it comes to talking about Social Media via Social Media. It would be hard to fail with and driving the content machine but kudos to an agency which allows it’s employees to blog often and about the industry – not just about clients. It can be hard to justify to a boss what “faffing about on the internet all day” can mean for a business but it’s visible here how great it can be as a store front for the brand.
Why it works? Smart people, smart topics = smart agency
Woodlands.co.uk
Buying a woodland, it’s not for everyone and it’s a significant purchase, what better way to promote the idea and answer the (naturally occurring) questions but with a blog? This blog is, astonishingly, entering into it’s sixth year. If you’ve ever wondered if you’d run out of something to say on a corporate blog, check out these guys who cover everything from Badger Watching for Beginners to the latest analysis of what the Forestry Commision’s up to.
Why it works? Quirky, niche, and longevity (I bet it pulls in decent traffic to compete with AdWords)
LVMH – Nowness
Launching a luxury brand blog in times of austerity is never easy but Nowness promised to blur the lines between editorial and promotional content in a ‘beautiful’ way and hasn’t failed. Selling luxury goods is all about selling a lifestyle and Nowness gives the LVMH conglomerate a powerful ‘owned media’ channel to tell their luxury story (they call it luxury storytelling, that’s not just me being pretentious) in a way that they control without being reliant on third party media.
I find it a little bit tough to navigate and it feels like it gives a healthy nod to The Sartorialist but it’s great to see more traditional brands making themost of online media.
Why it works? Looks beautiful, sells lifestyle not brand
Greenpeace
‘It’s not easy being green’ sang Kermit the frog. As strange as it sounds the charity/NGO/not-for-profit/third-sector (whatever you call it) is a competitive sector. Greenpeace runs a slick looking blog, worthy of the most powerful Fortune 100 company, and keeps supporters directly engaged with a variety of causes. It explains the issues, isn’t afraid to get opinionated, and makes for a rousing read.
Think you could do better? Greenpeace knows their brand and campaigns get people talking, so they have a community section where you can set up your own group blog. Posts are collated as part of a Group Updates section of the site. It’s a real world example of what it geniunely looks like when you enable fans to become advocates – not just saying the words.
Why it works? Doesn’t shy from opinion, looks professional, collates contributions
Cree: Lighting the LED Revolution
Huh, what’s that you say? It’s not possible to write a blog about lightbulbs? I beg to differ. Cree takes all your pre-concieved ideas that some products are just inherently boring and… starts a revolution. Grounded in the Marketing 101 idea that you promote the category and not the product ‘Lighthing the LED Revolution’ teaches business about the benefits of LED lighting solutions and covers news, stories, and case studies in a genuinely engaging way. If you’re still not hooked that’s OK – it’s probably not for you, this is pure B2B, lighting contractors and organisations interested in sustainability are the target audience here.
Just when it couldn’t get any cuter I noticed that Cree has also launched LED City to help municipal cities in the United States achieve their goals to reduce carbon emissions by switching to LED lighting.
Why it works? Demonstrates passion for the product, picks up a niche (lighting) and joins a wider conversation (sustainability)
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