Are you stuck for something to write about for your next blog or content marketing story? How about a case study about one of your rivals? No, I have not succumbed to the silliness of the season … I do it all the time, and I will tell you why.

Whatever your area, your job as a content marketer is to inform and entertain your readers (customers and prospects) with relevant, timely and trusted information. Recently, for example, King Content, a Sydney content marketing agency, opened its doors in Melbourne. Since I write about content marketing, of course, I needed to report on this important event. If I did not, how could my readers trust me? I’d be purposely excluding some vital information from my coverage.

Case studies, by the way, are a fantastic way to keep your blog lively and interesting. I recently held a workshop at the Hub Melbourne, called How to write a kick-arse blog – week after week, where I looked at the art of writing a case study, and recommended this as a great place to start for all those who are new to content marketing and blogging.

(My second story today looks at the four questions you need to ask the person you interview for your case study, by the way.)

Back to King Content. You could argue that King Content is not strictly a rival; their operation is on a larger scale to mine as a sole practitioner. However, the point I am making is that many content marketers would simply rule out writing about the activities of their rivals without a second thought.

Content marketing is media first, marketing second. I believe that my readers will value me more for my independence; it is absolutely one of my core values. It defines my approach to content marketing, and is the result of all my research into this field.

Mind you, your customers, suppliers and allies are also marvellous subjects for a case study. So why not give a rival or a peer a call and for a chat about what they are doing and why.