Having a dedicated content marketing strategy is necessary in today’s fast-paced, content consuming world. Quality content attracts the right kind of customers you need and boosts your bottom line.
Here are eight different content marketing types that can assist in designing a plan and creating a strategy that will help your business to grow:
One: Blogs
Yes, blog posts are just as important today as they were when they first were introduced. Somehow, along the way, many businesses decided that regular blogging wasn’t worth the effort, money, or time. Here are the rewards they are missing:
- A blog will get your website 97% more links compared to companies that don’t blog
- Companies that are blogging have over 400% higher chance of ranking higher on Google than companies that don’t blog
- 10% of blog posts are heightening and attract an increasing amount of traffic over time
Blogs should have a tight focus and be optimized for local and voice searches. Provide clear and easy structure with every blog post.
Two: Infographics
If you’re not using infographics, you are missing out on a way to present easy-to-understand data. Infographics are becoming increasingly popular for just that purpose, and you don’t need a professional graphic designer to design your infographics. Several online tools make it easy and simple, resulting in beautiful infographics, like Canva and Venngage, to name two.
Infographics give your company an image of authority and seriousness. They can be shared on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Take those blogs that are data heavy and create an infographic that can be shared on these popular social platforms.
Three: Testimonials
Every business owner knows that word-of-mouth is the best advertisement. A customer review or testimonial can be essential social proof for doing business with you. Utilize these in your online marketing plans properly as part of your content marketing strategy.
A video testimony that tells a captivating story gives people an incentive to buy your product and use your services. A video testimony posted to your website or emailed to selected clients can do wonders even when sharing it on different social media platforms.
Four: Studies
Think of case studies as helpers in your marketing. The term “case study” can sound ominous and intimidating, but they are so much more. They are like an in-depth customer testimony that focuses on how your customer feels about your business, products, and services. Your case studies should include:
- A captivating story that engages the reader with emotions and suspense, keeping them interested until they have completed reading them.
- Be as precise as possible by providing metrics and numbers that show how you helped your clients grow their businesses.
- Show your customer’s journey from the beginning to the end, detailing where they started and why they were searching when they found you. Talk about how their business has done after working with you.
Feature case studies should be posted on your website and shared on your social media pages.
Five: Memes
Memes are enduringly popular as a form of content marketing and helpful if you’re careful of the pitfalls.
For example, don’t share a random meme that has nothing to do with your business. Only use a popular meme that can be made relevant to your product or service. Hulu’s social media pages offer suggestions for how memes should be used or see what your competitors are using.
Six: Videos
Still, a popular option is video marketing. Using your cell phone or any number of free online tools is easy. Go beyond the traditional marketing videos with any of these:
- Create a 3-second to 1-minute video and share it on Instagram
- String several images together with the Boomerang app to create a short video
- Use free tools like EZGif or Giphy to create a GIF
- Create an animated or whiteboard video
There are several video formats; experiment with several to find what works best and easiest for you to echo with your target audience.
Seven: Cheat Sheets & Checklists
Often, common problems are resolved through content marketing. Yes, you can get solutions by posting your dislike or problem on Facebook or Twitter. Which is why consumers follow their favorite brands and companies. They are there for fun, but they hope to get something back in return.
Which is why you should create a cheat sheet or checklist for your followers to use. For example, if you own a sandwich shop, you could create and post a cheat sheet on how to make the best chicken salad sandwich!
Keep it simple, and post it so that it can be downloaded, printed, and used. This is one way to give your followers something of value.
Eight: eBooks
Writing an eBook! This is one thing that most business owners will avoid because of what they see to be an intimidating task. However, this will attract new subscribers as you appear to be an authority on your product or service.
It doesn’t have to be the length of a novel. 10,000 words or less works, which equals approximately 40 pages. You can write your eBook or hire a professional writer. Make sure it is relevant to your business and something of value for the audience you hope to attract. An eBook is a great lead magnet, and by advertising it on your social media pages, you’ll get more people to download them and subscribe to your list.
In Closing
Content marketing isn’t going anywhere. The eight types of content marketing we’ve discussed here can assist you in building up a following and increasing your profits.
