Rashida
John Deere is one of the content marketing OG’s.
Don’t believe that this farm brand is up-to-date with the power of content marketing?
Then how do you recognize their green and yellow deer-outline logo regardless of the industry you’re in?
That’s right, this agricultural construction company knows a thing or two about content marketing.
Let’s take a closer look at how they’ve leveraged content marketing for well over 100 years and why it still works.
It All Started with The Furrow
Content marketing is not a new concept.
While it’s taken off as a huge part of digital marketing, it’s been around for quite a while.
One of the John Deere content marketing goldmines is The Furrow. The company started The Furrow back in 1865 as a printed magazine for farmers. This wasn’t a catalog, but rather tips and information on how new technology could help farmers become more successful.
It was really cutting-edge for the concept of content marketing. At the beginning of the next century, Michelin followed a similar process with The Michelin Guide. In both cases, the brands were not just writing about their products and/or trying to get people to buy them. They created a helpful resource for their target audience that was related to their business offering.
The magazine quickly grew in popularity. By 1912, they had over 4 million readers. That same year, the company bought an electric printing press so they could publish the magazine even quicker.
What Did It Accomplish?
The Furrow was (and is) a highly successful content tool for John Deere. It helped the brand in a number of ways including:
- Increase their authority in their industry.
- Connect with the relevant target audience.
- Strengthen customer relationships, fostering loyal long-term customers.
- Build a long-standing community around its brand.
Why Did It Work?
Believe it or not, The Furrow still exists. Of course, it’s adapted to the modern digital age. Now, it’s their blog on John Deere’s website.
And yes, it works.
The Furrow has over one-half of a million readers throughout North America. In readership studies, John Deere found that 40% read every word of an issue! In the realm of content marketing, that’s incredibly rare.
So, what’s the secret.
Dominate the Niche
Well, one of the reasons John Deere thinks its content marketing has stood the test of time is because the employees understand the target audience very well. Many of the employees are related to farmers, they’re knowledgeable about the industry and the target market. The entire content marketing team, including writers, have relevant real-world experience.
Focus on Value First
Aside from a great understanding of the industry and market, The Furrow doesn’t talk much about the brand John Deere. In fact, they state that the brand name is mentioned very rarely throughout the content.
This is a great example of powerful content marketing. It’s not a sales pitch, and it shouldn’t be. Sometimes, companies have a difficult time separating their corporate messaging from their content. Always address creating value first, as John Deere did.
Create a Community
With their content, John Deere created a community. They build a loyal farming audience, as people tuned in to get helpful information. Then, those people likely recommended the magazine to peers, etc. Building a community with content is a great long-term strategy that ultimately helps make your brand more recognizable and your customers even more loyal.
Informative Content Wins
John Deere content marketing is an excellent example of the most effective content marketing. Effective content is informative, entertaining, and educational. This is the kind of content that resonates with your target audience and helps foster a long-term relationship. With The Furrow, John Deere positioned itself as an industry expert. For over a hundred years, people have turned to the company for helpful and inspiring content in their industry.
John Deere is a great example of what a successful content marketing strategy can do. They’ve been in the game since far before the modern digital tools we use now, and ultimately we can learn a lot from their success. Use the lessons above to create a winning content marketing strategy of your own.
