Types of Content Marketing You Should Be Using

Do you currently have a content marketing strategy? If not, make it a priority to create one. If you do have one, is it working how you want it to? Could you be doing something differently? Maintaining high-quality content that is relevant to your business not only helps you stand out as an industry expert, but it can also help convert leads, gain more leads, retain customers, and help your other marketing channels such as Social Media and SEO. Here, we will discuss a range of content ideas for you to try.

Blogs

If you are new to content marketing, a blog is an ideal place to start as they are a solid foundation for any content marketing strategy. Blogs are great for driving organic traffic to your website and can help combat potential customer pain points or barriers to purchase by answering common questions. Blogs are best when they are created and updated regularly. To start with, write down a list of key questions you get asked by your customers. Sort this list into categories and then form a plan of articles from there and start working your way through. You could include detailed how-to guides, lists, case studies, or business news.

Infographics

Why not take a topic you have covered in a blog and turn it into an infographic? By taking the key points you can repurpose a blog that can resonate with people who are more visual and don’t like to read lengthy blog articles. Infographics are also perfect to share on social media. Statistics show that people are more likely to share an infographic than other types of content.

Ebooks and whitepapers

If you have a key topic you want to explore further than just a blog consider writing a whitepaper or ebook. Provide more value in these pieces as you would a blog and delve a bit deeper into the topic. You might want to also provide a checklist or other supporting content. The great thing about ebooks and whitepapers is that you can use them for lead generation. Create an online form that they need to fill in and make sure they provide their email address in order for you to send them the ebook via email. You can use this capture form to also find out other information about them and their business and can give them the option to sign up for your newsletter.

Video Content

Over the past few years, video content has gone from strength to strength. Predominately starting on YouTube, other social media channels have embraced video and it is something businesses will have to embrace if they want their content marketing and social media efforts to remain relevant. These platforms make creating video content the easiest it has ever been so embrace it and start creating. Users often prefer video as it is easy to consume and find it highly engaging.

Whilst highly edited and produced content used to be preferred, users are now used to a more casual approach of just using a mobile phone so don’t feel like you need to create anything fancy. Simply talking about your products and services, demonstrating the benefits, hosting a live Q&A, and showing people behind the scenes are great ways to start.

Case Studies

Case Studies are a great way of delving into key projects your business has worked on and sharing customer success stories in a genuine and powerful way. State what the customer’s pain point was, what the business’ service or product did to help overcome this pain point and how the customer felt at the end. Whilst statistics are great to include as they validate what you are saying, tell the case study like a story. This can help make it resonate with others easier.

Instead of creating full case studies, you can share before and after pictures (for example if you work in interior design, hairdressing, etc)

Interactive content

Content that is fun, quick to complete, and provides value is perfect for your overall content marketing strategy. Creating quizzes and surveys are perfect examples of interactive content that can be highly effective. When used well you can use quizzes to discover a lot more about your potential customers and can even use them as a selling tool.

User Generated Content

You don’t even have to create all the content yourself, you can get your customers involved. Encourage them to tag you in social media posts where they are using your product or service. People love social proof, seeing other people using the product and showing how good it is. Just like reviews, this content is deemed more trustworthy than if the brand itself with saying how good the product is. The customers sharing this content end up becoming brand advocates for your company which is invaluable.

If your product is not tangible, focus instead on sharing reviews and testimonials from your customers.

Why should my business use different types of content marketing?

The main aim of content marketing is to attract traffic to your website and provide quality information that is high-value and engaging. Mixing up how you deliver content will reach different people and different types of buyer journeys. People consume information and content differently, so by ensuring you are offering a range of content, there will be something to resonate with a wider proportion of your target market.

Different social media channels will also lend themselves to different content. Whilst whitepapers are great for LinkedIn and Facebook, lookbooks will suit Pinterest better and webinars would be great for LinkedIn or Facebook.

There are so many content marketing options to choose from, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only one or two. Some types of content may work best for your company, however, you should experiment with different types to find out what truly works. Use data to analyse which content is working best and don’t be afraid to try new types of content. Just try and have fun whilst creating it and help provide value to your customers.

At DBS Digital, we specialise in Digital Marketing Services such as Content Marketing. Our team of specialists are here to assist you in creating compelling content to amplify your online presence. To learn more about our services, get in touch with our team.