Example: Thomasnet’s The Industrial Marketer Newsletter

Content Marketing, Examples and Case Studies, Newsletters

by Mark Nagurski, October 4th, 2008

Newt Barrett has a great (short) case study / example over on his Content Marketing Today blog. Thomasnet is a site for all things industrial and amongst their own content marketing initiatives you’ll find white papers, online tools, news alerts, case studies, a comprehensive directory and their newsletter, The Industrial Marketer.

Thomasnet featured heavily in Barrett’s recent book Get Content. Get Customers. (co-authored with Joe Pulizzi) and Newt’s recent post points to a few of the reasons.

What’s most useful though are the key take away points; that a monthly newsletter can be a key component of a small business marketing strategy, that useful content can be sourced from outside your business and most importantly, that newsletters are not about selling your products and services but rather …

“to sell your ability to solve your customers’ problems and to establish your expertise”

Personally the most compelling point for me is Thomasnet’s clear focus on who their customers are and what information they need and want. Ultimately great marketing is about positioning your business as a solution to prospective customers’ problems. Thomasnet is a great example of how good content does just that.

Head over to Newt’s blog for the Thomasnet case study and then spend a little time on Thomasnet to see what they’re doing.