Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business

Chapter 24. HubSpot: Cambridge, Massachusetts

HubSpot is the poster child for producing compelling content in the business-to-business world, for two reasons: One, it generates a ton of it, of a broad variety. And second, it manages its well-read blog less like a corporate marketing mouthpiece, and more like a trade publication, or a business magazine.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, HubSpot sells marketing software to small and medium-size businesses. Its Inbound Internet Marketing blog (http://blog.hubspot.com) is the cornerstone of its marketing strategy, says Vice President of Marketing Mike Volpe, because blogs, with their keyword-rich content, are vital in driving traffic from search engines. They are also great vehicles through which to establish thought leadership and build trust and credibility with potential customers. What's more, they are the lifeblood of a social media strategy.

Inbound marketing—an approach to marketing that focuses on getting found by customers through blogs, search, and social media—is critical, Mike says, adding that a blog is "one of the most important things any company can do." Companies that blog generate 55 percent more web site traffic than companies that don't, and they get 97 percent more links coming in to their sites, Mike says, citing HubSpot's own research.

"We've built a brand around having really good content," Mike says, which has "almost nothing to do with our software, but positions us as leaders in our space."

Content That Ignites ...