When I’m not in the Qualifio environment, a lot of people are asking me: ”What’s Content Marketing?”

You’ll find thousands of blog articles on Content Marketing with a quick search in Google. The goals here is not to explain how and why it became vital for so many companies but more to highlight a few Belgian Brands who are mastering Content Marketing. At least in the front office, having no clue on how they track, test, convert with this content.

Today 5 examples 100% Made in Belgium are coming from @STIBMIVB, @EA_BEL, @OrangeBEFR, @recordbank (yet not active on Twitter) and @LotNat_Belgique

Europ Assistance

With their active blog, Europ assistance is creating stories around its product, speaking of the following themes: trafic, holidays, but also reacting on the news and linking it with its core business: The Dangers of Pokemon Go on the streets, speaking of Slow Food, Brexit etc.

Interesting facts :

blog europ assistance

Record Bank

Once again with a blog, Record Bank is innovating in the Banking Sector.

Interesting facts :

  • It is very hard to find a direct link to the content from their homepage.
  • Great interactions with surveys and polls
  • Some article doesn’t have any link with their core business (Most beautiful parks to visit)
  • Yet most of them have a direct and technical link to the banking world. Those technical points are explained with a very simple vocabulary, making it understandable for everyone (a good example).
  • A lot of content: the 10 articles on the homepage of the blog were all released in July 2016
  • No comments options
  • The opt-in form is a quite hidden bottom right.
  • Visitors can ask their own questions
  • Not found in Feedly

recordbankblog

Orange Belgium

Nothing new, a blog once again! We’re of course changing of core business getting into the Telecom world.

Interesting facts :

  • Guess what? Content is linked to phone & apps, very often over Product Testing but not always. (Article on their rebranding)
  • The blog is divided into 4 categories: Fun, Home, Moving, Service, exactly like their Discover section linked to products & services
  • Orange uses a lot of Youtube embed & videos in their content
  • Bloggers are personalized with their picture and bio
  • Corporate communication is included in the blog
  • No comment possibilities
  • No poll, surveys or quiz embedded in their content

orangeblog

Belgian National Lottery

Compared to the 3 previous examples, The National Lottery doesn’t have a blog as it is. Their content is directly available from their homepage or their Win & Share section.

Interesting facts :

  • The content section is yet organised under different categories
    • Loterie Nationale: Corporate communication, subsidies, partnerships,…
    • Lifestyle: Horoscope, Luck or even 10 tips to pack your luggage when leaving on holidays
    • Art & Culture: The famous Brussels flower carpet, theater…
    • Sport: Football with major events like Euro 2016, cycling as they are a major sponsor and a lot of interactivities like a quiz: “Are you ready for the Olympics?”, or before the Tour de France: “What kind of cyclist are you?”
    • Games & Actions: What kind of Multimillionaire would you be?, contests to win tickets for festivals, etc.
    • Music & Fun: Each big events sponsored by the Lottery is covered, included big popular events as the “Gentse Feesten”
  • Smart Tagging: Nearly all pieces of content are tagged with one of their product: Win for Life, Joker + etc.
  • Call 2 actions to their online hub are smartly included in order to play online.
  • Visitors are able to rate all content giving them appropriate feedback if ratings are enough to provide insights.

blog loterie nationale quiz blog

STIB

The STIB is the public transport company in Brussels. Their content marketing is on an independent website with its own URL : http://stibstories.be/
Interesting facts :

  • Maybe the most creative portal of all examples in this articles, the STIB has a real tone of voice playing with humor, information, love or even nostalgia.
  • The quote is easy to understand: stib.brussels, it’s all of us. The sense of belonging to the city is huge on this portal.
  • The STIB is posting less than the other examples, with last articles in July 2016 (1), then February 2016.
  • The authors are creating a real link with their customers with A LOT of creativity, check this (unfortunately static) quiz: Discover your metro station in emojis.
  • We notice a change in formats with Instagram and Youtube embed, pictures & gifs, or even time frames: it facilitates the consumption of content in a BuzzFeed style of communication.

While the frequency of posting is getting low, let’s hope it’s not a willingness of the Marketing Strategy of the STIB – as this portal is until now one of the best content marketing initiative 100% Belgian.
blog pokemon stibconcours stibblog stib content marketing

The best success of this content is the teams of passionate & innovative communicators that are behind. Those teams are experimenting in a playground where Brand Communication is completely changing, pushing further all boundaries we had seen before.

Yet, never forget that content marketing is always about data and visits, funnel, and conversions. Isn’t it?