IINFLUENCER MARKETING: 7th January 2026

How to improve your influencer marketing ROI

by Hayley Hayes
@BlogstarUK

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How do marketers measure content marketing success? 85% said..

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Measurement

Editor’s note:This article is based on industry research published in 2017. While the data reflects content marketing measurement practices at that time, the principles discussed remain useful as a reference point. For a modern perspective on measuring content...

read more

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Developing a Content Marketing Strategy

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content, Strategy

Content marketing strategy hasn’t become more complicated — it’s become more connected. This article was first published when content marketing strategies were largely built around blogs, social posts and editorial calendars. In 2026, those fundamentals still matter,...

read more

The post How to improve your influencer marketing ROI appeared first on BlogStar.

Traffic Increase = content marketing success

Yes traffic increase is seen as the main measurement of content marketing success – according to Zazzle’s April 2017 survey of UK marketers.

85% of UK marketers voted increasing traffic as the chief measurement of success in content marketing activities, well ahead of what you could call lower sales funnel measures like subscriber growth and sales.

Content marketing budgets 23% and growing

Despite content marketing measurement not being directly attached to sales revenue,  budgets are growing fast – up to 23% of the overall budget, proof of its growing importance. In fact 79% said that content ‘works’ and only 9% said it wasn’t effective.

Twitter tops Facebook for distribution

No suprises that Twitter and Facebook were voted the favourite social channels to distribute content – though the order – Twitter 91%, Facebook 83% may raise an eyebrow or two.

Content creation the biggest challenge

The biggest challenge – faced by 65% of those surveyed – is producing engaging content. The second most challenging aspect is seen as measuring the ROI of campaigns and third is to produce content consistently.

Houston we have a problem

As Zazzle rightly points out in their survey conclusion – lack of resources and a crystal clear idea of what a great content strategy looks like is threatening to leave leave content marketing stuck on the launch pad due to lack of investment.

The answer is to return to the drawing board and create a solid content strategy that includes a plan for delivery and measurement.

Download our free eGuide – 7 steps to a content strategy

or

Get in touch

The post How do marketers measure content marketing success? 85% said.. appeared first on BlogStar.

In 2026, publishing content has never been easier. AI tools can generate drafts in seconds, platforms are frictionless, and distribution is only a click away. And yet, blogs still fail for the same reason they always have: they’re under-resourced.

Our view hasn’t changed since the article below was written almost a decade ago. A blog needs its own dedicated budget and ownership. If not for every piece of content, then at least part of it. But if your FD is playing Scrooge and you’re having to bootstrap with existing resources, here are three practical ways to keep your blog alive — and useful — all year round.

1. Plan, plan and plan some more

Taking on a blog is a significant undertaking. It is unrealistic to simply start bashing out content and expect instant success. Consider all factors including cost, time commitments, availability of resources and blog measurement well before thinking about your first post.

Read more about editorial calendar essentials.

2. Harness existing resources

While the overall responsibility of the blog may rest on the shoulders of an individual or department, why not tap into your wider network? Contributors from different departments can position themselves as experts on different subjects, while the variety of content and voice will keep things fresh. Also, consider any content that you have already created such as white papers or videos, pulling out or repackaging relevant sections as blog posts.

3. Do more with less

Once you have established what type of content works well with your audience, it is fairly easy to play around with different types of posts to keep them engaged. Keep an eye on breaking news and research from your sector to create up-to-the-minute posts. If you’re meeting up with an important client or industry expert, ask for an interview or guest blog. Keep your ears and eyes open at any events you attend too.

Of course, if this all sounds like too much work for one overstretched person with a day job already, give drop us an email at our new agency brand – Furlong Marketing.

Image: Deb/flickr cc

The post A blog is not just for Christmas appeared first on BlogStar.

This article was first published when content marketing strategies were largely built around blogs, social posts and editorial calendars. In 2026, those fundamentals still matter, but they now sit within a much broader ecosystem shaped by AI, creator-led distribution, fragmented attention and increased commercial scrutiny.

A content marketing strategy today is no longer just a plan for what to publish. It’s a framework for how content supports visibility, credibility and business outcomes across multiple channels over time.

The principles below remain relevant — but they now work best when content is treated as a system rather than a standalone tactic.

The Importance of a Content Strategy    

Think of it this way. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are using low-cost and potentially high impact channels such as Facebook or YouTube to communicate with customers on a daily basis. On the face of it, this communication strategy may appear to be hugely successful. Hundreds of fans or subscribers, high viewing figures, plenty of likes and shares.

But unless you have a clear “marketing strategy” that could be where your communications begin and end. A popular blog – to take an example – may not drive customer behaviour in a way that is profitable to you. A strategy will help you join up the dots and chart a relationship between the content you produce and the behaviour you’re seeking to affect.

Download our free eBook here to learn how to develop a content marketing strategy.

As with any strategy, the first step is to understand what you are trying to achieve and the role that you expect content marketing to play.

The objective may be simply greater awareness of the business in the short term, leading to higher sales over time. On the other hand, you might want a quicker response from your audience – for instance a significant increase in calls to the sales department in a matter of days or weeks rather than months.   

From there you can begin to look the options you have to create content and how your collateral can be used to drive the desired outcome. To take some examples – a regular blog looking at industry issues should help your business establish itself as an authoritative voice within its chosen sector. This is particularly useful for business working in complex areas such as IT or financial services where customers are often wrestling with concepts that need to be explained. By providing that explanation, you build trust over time.

But a blog can also be immediate. For instance, an accountancy firm explaining a quirk of the tax system a week or so before the end of the tax year might drive instant business by inviting readers to click on a link or call a number for further information. This isn’t a hard sell – you’ve already provided lots of useful information – but it does include a call to action.

There are a huge number of options, both in terms of the formats and channels you can use and the goals your aiming for. So it’s vital to look at those options and construct a clear plan.

Costs and Timescales

It’s equally important to build a business case, looking at the costs, the resources required, the desired outcome and the expected ROI. In the short term, a robust business plan will help you achieve the buy-in necessary to ensure your content marketing is properly resourced. In the longer-term, it furnishes the road-map that will let you know if the strategy is succeeding or failing.

The Audience

Any content marketing strategy – indeed any business plan – must take into the account the audience you’re aiming to reach. Who are your readers and viewers? Where do they live online? What media do they consume online?

From there you can begin to look at the issue of how best to address your readers. It often helps to think of them in terms of character types – Isabel the IT Guru,  Mike the Mondeo Man. From there you can forge a language.

The Channels

Then you can think about the channels – blogs, vlogs, social media posts – that are best suited to your audience, and the distribution strategies that will maximise your reach. At this stage you should be also thinking of subject matter and an editorial schedule to ensure that publication is regular.   

Crucially, it’s also important to consider how to move beyond publishing into marketing. For instance, you need to look at how you drive behaviour from a blog or post in terms of contact numbers,  links and calls to action.    

Once you’ve done all that you’ll not only have a plan but also a working framework within which customer behaviour can be tracked and measured. And through regular analysis you can ensure that your content marketing plan is on track.   

From strategy on paper to strategy in practice

Developing a content marketing strategy is one thing. Making it work commercially — across teams, channels and budgets — is another.

For brands looking to turn content strategy into measurable business impact in 2026, we explore how this works in practice at Furlong Marketing, where content, influencer marketing and PR operate as a single integrated system.

The post Developing a Content Marketing Strategy appeared first on BlogStar.

Content marketing is no longer simply about publishing articles or producing social posts. It’s about building a system that earns attention, builds trust and supports commercial outcomes over time — across owned, earned and creator-driven channels.

The definition below still holds, but it’s now best understood as part of a wider growth engine rather than a standalone tactic.

 True content marketing is not simply about posting content online – or on the channel of your choice. In essence, content marketing is a strategy which leverages aspects of a company’s brand, its expertise and its story to create material that is not only engaging but also demonstrably serves a commercial purpose. 

But what does that mean in practice?    

The Clue is in the Word

The clue is in the word “strategy.” Let’s take it as read for a moment that the content you produce genuinely interests your target customer.   

That is half the battle. Without engaging content, you won’t attract readers or viewers. However, it’s important to remember that content on its own is not necessarily a marketing tool.    

The added extra ingredient is a strategy that marries the content you produce to set of commercial objectives. Or to put it another way, the role of your lovingly produced videos or blogs is not simply to entertain or engage the reader. It is to improve performance.   

A Fine Balance  

And here’s the trick. Content marketing is not about direct selling. What you are not doing – for the most part – is saying ‘here is a great product buy it’. What you are doing is using the knowledge and expertise that you have at your disposal to provide information that your audience will find useful. And while there won’t necessarily be a direct sales pitch, you will be enhancing the reputation and brand of your business. This in turn will make it more likely that the customer will think of you when a purchasing decision is made. 

It’s a fine balance. If it’s a sales pitch, it’s an ad. If the collateral simply informs but doesn’t drive behaviour it’s simply content. Good content marketing engages and affects behaviour. 

Get With The System

You shouldn’t expect even the most scintillating blog or Facebook post to change behaviour on the first outing. The real value of content led marketing is that the relationship with the customer is cumulative. It builds over time, along with trust in the source.

So as is the case with any publishing programme a content marketing initiative requires an editorial schedule, a content plan and a commitment to producing useful material for a defined audience. In an ideal world, you’ll build an audience who will either look forward to updates on a certain date or “dip in” occasionally, while expecting new material every time they point their browsers or smart phones in your direction.   

In other words, a content marketing programme requires material that is not only consistently good but that also meets the expectations of the audience in terms of schedule as well as quality. 

Content marketing definition

So what is content marketing?

Content marketing is the strategic creation and distribution of valuable, relevant and consistent content designed to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and ultimately drive profitable customer action.

In practice, that means content designed to:

• Answer real audience questions

• Build credibility before a sales conversation happens

• Support marketing, PR and sales activity over the long term

In 2025, effective content marketing extends beyond blogs to include video, social-first formats, creator collaborations, search-led content and AI-assisted production — but the principle remains the same: value first, transaction second.

From definition to execution

Understanding what content marketing is and making it work commercially are two very different things.

If you’re a brand looking to implement content marketing as a growth channel — not just a publishing exercise — we explore how this works in practice at Furlong Marketing, where content strategy is integrated with influencer marketing, PR and AI-led distribution.

The post Content marketing – a definition appeared first on BlogStar.

When this article was first published, content marketing was still emerging as a discipline. In 2025, it’s firmly established — but that doesn’t mean brands find it easy to get right.

Tools are cheaper. Publishing is frictionless. AI can generate content in seconds. And yet many organisations still struggle to build momentum or see meaningful results.

The steps below outline how to get started with content marketing in a practical, sustainable way — while avoiding some of the most common early mistakes.

The 4 questions to ask before you start content marketing

To better understand how to join those already engaging their audience with regular engaging, informative content, it is vital to first consider four basics of a good content strategy, namely:

1. Who am I writing for?

Too many businesses fall into the trap of creating content with their peers in mind, as opposed to their target audience. Say yours is a graphic design business that has recently created a highly technical piece on user experience design. This might appeal directly to other professional graphic designers, but less so to potential customers. Drawing as one does from industry blogs and journals, our thought processes are naturally influenced by our daily reading material. Take a step back and evaluate whether you are writing for the right audience. This needn’t mean never writing a technical piece again, but reconsider where this might best be pitched.

2. What common problem can I solve for them?

Having made the decision to create content with your potential customers in mind, it pays to know exactly who your customer is with pinpoint precision. So if yours is a legal business, rather than creating content on finding legal representation in general, think about the specific services individuals might be seeking out online. Perhaps they will be looking for legal representation relating to divorce, employment issues or bankruptcy. Once you’ve identified your target customers’ precise needs, the leap to creating content that serves their need is greatly lessened.

3. How can I engage this audience?

Once you’re established who you’re writing for and the topics they are interested in hearing about, the next challenge is to capture attention and pique sufficient interest to entice all-important clicks. And more often than not, this boils down to working out your story (every company has one) and writing compelling pieces that convey it. Always strive to relay the story behind the product or service rather than details of the product or service itself.

4. How can I compel them to take appropriate action?

Even the most compelling, tightly-crafted stories amount to nothing unless they prompt their reader to take some form of action. Ensuring that every piece you publish offers a clear message to customers should increase conversions and in so doing increase the ROI on content creation. As well as the obvious appeal of conversions, bear in mind that there will be a desired outcome for the audience, that is something positive your reader will be able to do having consumed your content.

With everybody and their dog now self-appointed publishers of content, it is easy to felt left behind in the race to make one’s company a respected online destination. Let’s not underestimate the importance of getting back to basics, first creating a clear mission statement that clarifies your company’s reason for existing, and working from there to determine how content can form part of a more successful overall marketing endeavour.

f you’re a brand looking to move beyond experimentation and build a content marketing approach that supports wider business goals, we explore what this looks like in practice at Furlong Marketing — where content strategy, influencer activity and PR are designed to work together.

Photo: Winston Hearn

The post The 4 questions to ask before you start content marketing appeared first on BlogStar.

CONTENT MARKETING: 17th October 2018:

What can an ebook do that your corporate blog can’t?

by Hayley Hayes
@BlogstarUK

It is a challenge to create marketing strategies that audiences not only accept, but actively seek out. Let’s assume that your business blog is up and running, garnering views and some healthy engagement. Why then consider investing in producing an ebook? What can it achieve that your blog isn’t already?

Cement credibility

A smartly written and well-presented corporate blog positions its creator as a voice of authority in its sector. With a respectable archive of posts and a healthy readership in place, an ebook is the next evolutionary stage of your content marketing. Creating an ebook demonstrates to your site visitors, subscribers and early prospects that you have been in the game long enough to create such a thing. An ebook can cement your role as the expert on your subject matter. And if it includes first-hand case studies and new, exclusive information, so much the better.

Generate referrals

Offering an ebook free of charge gives readers a high perception of content value. It is perfectly acceptable to encourage readers to share it on with anyone who might be interested. When your ebook includes links back to your business blog or website, there’s even more scope to entice new viewers to your brand.

Offline content

Your audience members like to enjoy content in different forms, and at different times. For some, this may be when or where they don’t have internet access. Encouraging people to download an ebook is also an invitation for them to browse in more depth at leisure, away from the snackable, competitive blogosphere.

Marketing campaign fuel

A good ebook is a gift. It may contain interesting and insightful analysis that people can’t find elsewhere; reveal unseen research; summarise vast amounts of information; offer problem resolution, and packages it up in a thoughtfully designed way. All this…and for nothing? Using your ebook as a free giveaway in exchange for people’s email address is a small ask – and a massive lead magnet. And as any email marketer knows, an established email list is one of the most valuable assets in their toolkit.

The perfect combination

Finally, while long-form content generally helps to establish credibility and expertise beyond shorter blogs, the two formats aren’t mutually exclusive. Quite the contrary. An anthology of your most popular archived blog posts on a certain topic is a good way to bring older content back into view.
Many businesses are concerned about duplicating content, when in fact most people who follow you aren’t likely to have done so from day one. You may harbour hidden gems in blog posts from several years ago that more recent followers missed out on – an ebook is the ideal way to deliver them.

More from the blog

How do marketers measure content marketing success? 85% said..

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Editor’s note:This article is based on industry research published in 2017. While the data reflects content marketing measurement practices at that time, the principles discussed remain useful as a reference point. For a modern perspective on measuring content...

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It’s a story almost as old as content marketing itself: the well-intentioned company blog that slowly dries up through lack of time, resources, ideas — or all three. In 2026, publishing content has never been easier. AI tools can generate drafts in seconds, platforms...

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The post What can an ebook do that your corporate blog can’t? appeared first on BlogStar.

CONTENT MARKETING: 2nd October 2018:

How to create ebooks that stand out from the crowd

by Hayley Hayes
@BlogstarUK

To reach, convince and convert B2B buyers, marketing efforts must achieve several goals. Firstly, they need to be active and searchable on as many online channels as possible. (B2B researchers start their research, much like the average consumer, with a generic search.) A significant 90% of B2B researchers who are online use search specifically for business purchases, according to Google.

Once first contact has been established, brands’ next effort is to offer the right blend of content at different points across the buying journey. Content needs to be useful throughout the entire purchasing process, and better still, served up in appropriate formats at the right points.

In essence, B2B marketing needs to build an emotional connection with prospects. An increasingly popular way to do this, and a way that effectively persuades around 63% of buyers to share their information, is with eBooks (DemandGen Report 2017).

What is an ebook and how does it work?

Essentially, an e-book is an economical and effective way to reuse existing content or deliver new research in a slick, engaging format. Any business that has invested time and effort in corporate content such as email newsletters, presentations, a blog or white papers is already sitting on a great opportunity to produce e-books. And so with increasing numbers of marketers using ebooks to reach potential buyers, particularly in the consideration stages of the marketing funnel, how can brands ensure theirs cut through the clutter?

The benchmark of a good eBook – and the key to establishing that all important emotional connection – is how well it speaks to its audience. As with all great B2B content, an ebook needs to understand who its audience is, what matters to them, and what their needs are.

Persona research

As a top of funnel marketing effort, audience insight is especially important. The goal here is to make potential buyers aware of a problem or opportunity that they may not realise exists…yet. Careful research into subject matter and a clear understanding of your buyer persona will be critical.

Ebook content

Returning to the point of usefulness: don’t be shy to offer information. Buyers are hungry for it, with 96% actively seeking more input from industry thought leaders (DemandGen Report 2017). A great ebook brings useful, practical and unique information that they can’t get elsewhere. It genuinely helps them to do something they need to do. It’s not easy to achieve that level of usefulness and uniqueness, so expect to invest beforehand in finding what may be termed your ‘sweet spot’: the intersection of ‘information you have’ and ‘information your audience needs’. As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t find stats or quotes to support your argument, it probably isn’t a convincing one. Clearly, it’s best to find this out before embarking on the write up. Once the outline is approved, stick firmly to it – if an interesting new thought or idea comes up, shelve it for another future piece of content.

Hire a copywriter

Also, hire a great copywriter who will make reading your ebook an inviting, enjoyable and hopefully inspiring experience, rather than a slog. This begins – unsurprisingly – with the introduction. A stellar introduction defines who will get value from the book, frames the buyer’s problem/opportunity and builds an instant rapport with them – selling why they should invest their time in reading it – whilst setting out the brand’s credentials to deliver all this.

Ebook production

A thoroughly researched and well-produced ebook is a proven effective way to reach potential buyers early on their purchase journey. Design and branding is another critical part of the ebook package to attract and engage, rather than interrupt, the end user. Done well, it builds brand consideration and creates goodwill.

Include a clear call to action, and your audience should be compelled to download and click through. And on that note, if you need help with producing an ebook, please do get in touch and we can talk through the best approach for your business.

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by | Dec 30, 2025 | Measurement

Editor’s note:This article is based on industry research published in 2017. While the data reflects content marketing measurement practices at that time, the principles discussed remain useful as a reference point. For a modern perspective on measuring content...

read more

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by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content

It’s a story almost as old as content marketing itself: the well-intentioned company blog that slowly dries up through lack of time, resources, ideas — or all three. In 2026, publishing content has never been easier. AI tools can generate drafts in seconds, platforms...

read more

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by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content, Strategy

Content marketing strategy hasn’t become more complicated — it’s become more connected. This article was first published when content marketing strategies were largely built around blogs, social posts and editorial calendars. In 2026, those fundamentals still matter,...

read more

The post How to create ebooks that stand out from the crowd appeared first on BlogStar.

CONTENT MARKETING: 14 June 2018:

4 content promotion tips to boost content discovery

by Hayley Hayes
@BlogstarUK

“Create content 20% of the time. Spend the other 80% of the time promoting what you create.”

This advice from social media marketing thought leader Derek Halpern may go against the grain of your preconceived content marketing strategy. The quality of content that your brand distributes across social media, email and so on must be top notch above all…right?

Truth is that yes, any content that you are willing to put your brand’s name to needs to be at best epic, at a minimum thoughtfully developed, well-crafted and designed. But even the most masterful piece of content that seemed certain to get traffic and leads gushing in can can prove a marketing dead end. This is where expanding and promoting content can help to push it through the bottleneck.

1. Re-purposing content

Any business taking content marketing seriously is already likely to have a stack of white papers, ebooks, blog posts, even videos within its armoury. Getting these seen and consumed by the right people, at the right time can however, be a challenge. There is little more frustrating than having a series of brilliant content that just isn’t getting downloaded.

In a recent post for the Content Marketing Institute, Patrick Whatman of Mention discusses (in detail) the process of repurposing content and working with other brands and/or influencer partners to push it out. Content promotion is one element that people don’t talk about very much and when it is mentioned, it’s even rarer to hear how to actually do it effectively – so I’d encourage you to read Whatman’s post.

2. Pushing content further

Content marketing vanilla-style involves publishing a blog post, say, seeding it on a couple of social channels, and perhaps following up with an e-mail round robin.

What a waste when it has SO much more potential to travel. For example if it’s a podcast you create, push this out on to Apple iTunes or even YouTube. Soundcloud is also growing fast for audio distribution.

LinkedIn is another viable publishing platform and with 250 million monthly active users (as of January 2018), it’s a useful tool for stirring up interaction, with LinkedIn Groups proving particularly valuable for engagement.

With a little outreach, guest posts on other sites with relevant audiences can be an excellent way to maximise your content and build brand awareness; just be sure to create/tweak for original content if so required.

3. The promotion toolkit

In passing, every marketer has a favourite set of tools for expanding content – Majestic SEO, Buffer and Moz are amongst our favourites. When choosing an SEO tool, look for one that rates sites in terms of link acquisition and what specific pages are popular. Most SEO tools produce simple weekly reports on site growth and most also have a YouTube tutorial video to get you up and running.

4. Tried and tested formats

Assuming your basic content is in place, there are several classic format options that will have your original investment working harder for you. This is where marketing turns curation; round-up blog posts (with links to partner’s blogs if you’re short on supply) or a mash up of the pick of your collected e-books as a “best of’ compendium are popular for a reason.

Infographics are another excellent way to repackage information and, thankfully, there are several cost effective options to produce infographics in a short time. Slideshare has been called content marketing’s ‘sleeping giant’, and with 70 million monthly users hungry for easily digestible content, it’s an as-yet under-tapped channel for generating traffic and leads.

There will obviously be some degree of investment in design and copywriting involved in repackaging content in any of these ways.

In his recent article, Whatman suggests aiming higher still, partnering with others in a ‘you share my content, I’ll share yours’ relationship. If you also throw in links to each others’ reciprocal sites in exchange for pre-existing content, there could be much to gain for minimal effort.

If you’ve already spent valuable time and effort on creating stellar content, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t repurpose it, refresh it and maximise its impact.

Are you sitting on dormant content that could be repackaged to effectively attract new leads?

More from the blog

How do marketers measure content marketing success? 85% said..

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Measurement

Editor’s note:This article is based on industry research published in 2017. While the data reflects content marketing measurement practices at that time, the principles discussed remain useful as a reference point. For a modern perspective on measuring content...

read more

A blog is not just for Christmas

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content

It’s a story almost as old as content marketing itself: the well-intentioned company blog that slowly dries up through lack of time, resources, ideas — or all three. In 2026, publishing content has never been easier. AI tools can generate drafts in seconds, platforms...

read more

Developing a Content Marketing Strategy

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content, Strategy

Content marketing strategy hasn’t become more complicated — it’s become more connected. This article was first published when content marketing strategies were largely built around blogs, social posts and editorial calendars. In 2026, those fundamentals still matter,...

read more

The post 4 content promotion tips to boost content discovery appeared first on BlogStar.

CONTENT MARKETING: 17th MAY 2018:

5 features of the best hotel content marketing campaigns

by Hayley Hayes
@BlogstarUK

As thoughts turn to summer escapes and people flock online for holiday inspiration, this is the travel industry’s peak moment to engage. In an already crowded marketplace, where AirB&B now adds extra choice, hotel brands need to work harder than ever to lure users away from competitive pricing. So what can marketers borrow from the cream of content marketing campaigns in the sector (according to Econsultancy) to grab attention in their own?

1. Invest in a high quality blog to build authority

With their ability to inform, inspire and convert, online blogs remain the cornerstone of any content marketing strategy. One of the best in the hotel sector reportedly comes from the Four Seasons brand, whose luxury travel mag-style blog showcases a temptingly stylish glimpse at its destinations. Opportunities to click through from city guides directly to specific hotel websites are an effective means to encourage further action.

 

 

The most successful corporate blogs similarly prioritise quality of content. They are interesting, creative, well-written and slickly designed. The challenge is to sustain delivery of high quality content with a consistent publishing schedule that readers come to trust in. As well as being engaging, a blog should also encourage social sharing where appropriate and align with the business’ corporate objectives.

2. Offer sparkling niche content

While destination guides are an appealingly obvious tool in the hotel industry, some brands think farther outside the box. Morgan’s Hotel Group, for instance, uses its blog ‘Back of House’ to target creative types with non-travel based arty content, intended to appeal to its core audience.

B2B brands should take heed and avoid falling into a blinkered content trap. The only limit to a business blog is imagination. Some of the best offer rock solid industry insights while also thinking more creatively around their core area.

 

 

3. Broach VR only if it adds value

Virtual reality, previously the preserve of gamers and ultra-early adopters, is moving from niche case study to compelling marketing tool. And consumers may be coming round too, glancing at Greenlight’s finding that 71% of consumers describe brands using VR as ‘forward-thinking’.

But VR will only be received well where it adds real value. For the travel sector there are obvious opportunities. The technology enables people (at least, those with appropriate VR headsets) to visualise a place without setting foot there, a powerful tool in the research process. So thought Best Western Hotels, which incorporated 360-degree VR tours of its suites to give prospective guests a feel for the size, scale and feel of its rooms.

VR also sits well in automotive (Audi now offers VR experiences in dealerships globally) and property – where so-called ‘room-scale VR’ facilitates house tours without the travel time.

Where a brand has a compelling, immersive experience that could complement its product or offer, VR is becoming a viable tool. But for now, with headset ownership still limited, VR experiences need to sit alongside a YouTube 360 or equivalent campaign.

4. Tap into the power of the crowd

Tapping into the insight that up to 93% of consumers turn to user-generated content to help with purchase decisions, Loews Hotels and Resorts delivered a social-first, Instagram-powered advertising campaign, sharing guest’s own images.

Alongside online reviews, user-generated content is a powerful way to involve audiences and enable them to build trust in a brand. Consumers are more interested in hearing the views of their peers than a thinly veiled sales message. Moreover, millennials and baby boomers actively seek out opportunities to share their own opinions about brands, according to a white paper from Bazaar Voice.

One word of caution, however – avoid turning content creation entirely over to your customers. Creating regular, high quality content is a challenge, but is critical to maintain control of your brand and tone of voice.

5. Focus on narrative over promotion

Nothing irritates users more than a brand that likes to talk about itself. Content, in whatever form, should tap into human needs and/or emotions first and foremost.

InterContinental has joined the growing number of brands using podcasting to reach its audience. Econsultancy bestows its ‘Stories of InterContinental Life’ with a special mention for exploring people’s emotions around travel, while only mentioning its own brand in passing.

To truly connect with people, we need to believe in our brands, whilst exercising restraint. It’s a fine balance.

 

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How do marketers measure content marketing success? 85% said..

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Measurement

Editor’s note:This article is based on industry research published in 2017. While the data reflects content marketing measurement practices at that time, the principles discussed remain useful as a reference point. For a modern perspective on measuring content...

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A blog is not just for Christmas

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content

It’s a story almost as old as content marketing itself: the well-intentioned company blog that slowly dries up through lack of time, resources, ideas — or all three. In 2026, publishing content has never been easier. AI tools can generate drafts in seconds, platforms...

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Developing a Content Marketing Strategy

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Content, Strategy

Content marketing strategy hasn’t become more complicated — it’s become more connected. This article was first published when content marketing strategies were largely built around blogs, social posts and editorial calendars. In 2026, those fundamentals still matter,...

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