What should content marketing look like for your business?
We’ll let you in on a secret: As much as we believe in the importance of having some general standards, guidelines, and strategies in place, the reality is that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all content marketing approach. All companies are different, and as such, all companies should invest in content campaigns that are unique to them.
In many cases, then, the best approach for your business is a content marketing campaign that’s truly out of the box and off the beaten path. Sure, it needs to offer value, and it needs to closely relate to your actual products and services—but beyond that, taking an unorthodox approach is often the best way to make your business stand out.
Don’t believe us? Check out the four examples we’ve listed below—which show just how many options there are for creative content development, and how far you can take content marketing when you combine strategy with imagination!
HootSuite Parodies Game of Thrones
The Grammar Chic team has previously blogged about what HBO can teach us about content marketing—and apparently, HootSuite has really taken that concept literally! In a widely shared online video, HootSuite parodied the popular show Game of Thrones, offering a humorous and timely look at the social media industry and positioning HootSuite as a major mover and shaker within it. The video is filled with little in-jokes concerning social media sites—watch it and see how many you can spot—which proves just how well HootSuite knows its audience. The video reveals a great grasp of the target audience—i.e., social marketing nerds!—and it also incorporates HootSuite itself in a way that is organic and clever.
Net-a-Porter Hits Newsstands
Net-a-Porter is a popular online fashion store—but did you know that it’s also a magazine? The company launched a high-profile, glossy fashion mag—yes, in actual print!—earlier this year, and it already has a wider circulation than Newsweek. Not all companies can afford to go quite this far, of course, but creating your own publication is a great way to showcase your industry influence. In this case, it shows that Net-a-Porter is more than just a store; it’s a key influencer in fashion and lifestyle.
Buffer Blogs
Buffer is a social media-related service, so you might assume that the company has a killer blog—but really, it’s more than killer. It’s exemplary. It’s updated routinely, and the updates all offer practical, actionable advice—ranging from compendiums of keyboard shortcuts to crowd-sourced Twitter campaign ideas—that generate copious social shares. This is what it looks like to provide real value, and reap a huge social reward.
Microsoft Tells Stories
Finally, we always like to say that content marketing is a form of brand storytelling, and Microsoft has really taken that concept to heart. The company has launched a section on its website called Microsoft Stories, in which it shares rich narratives—well-written and journalistic, not overtly promotional—about different projects that Microsoft has been involved with. It’s a creative and appealing way for the company to showcase its work.
Has your brand taken a creative approach to content marketing? If not, there’s no time like now to contact Grammar Chic for a free consultation. Reach out to us at www.grammarchic.net or 831-804-7444.
The Red Ink 
This list is entertaining in its own way. Who would have thought that some companies would be this creative and wacky enough to push the boundaries. The current state of content marketing is constantly evolving and with a seemingly vast source of inspiration that is the internet, content experts will look to keep exploring and exploiting that.