Content Marketing

6 Types of Content Marketing You Need

By Denise DeSimone| 5 Min Read | January 16, 2020
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Content marketing is quite possibly the most potent modern-day digital marketing strategy. And that’s not just our bias talking! 91% of B2B digital marketers deploy content marketing strategies to reach prospects and customers, and 86% of B2C marketers believe content marketing is a critical strategy in increasing sales. 

But even though it’s such a successful marketing strategy, many businesses don’t understand the full extent of content marketing. As many as 63% do not have a documented plan or approach that leverages every advantage in the different types of high-performing content formats.

There are six specific types of content marketing that you can deploy to engage your audiences, boost leads, and provide your customers with the information they are searching for, and in the ways that they want to see, hear, and experience it. 

1. Blogs

About 47% of internet users read blogs every single day, and 43% at least ‘skim’ through blog posts. That’s why blogging is one of the most effective types of content marketing, especially for small businesses.

Blogs also play a role in improving SEO and driving organic traffic from the search pages straight to your website. They can effectively supplement your outbound advertising and marketing tactics. Search engines naturally favor websites with blogs, resulting in 434% more indexed pages as compared to those without a dedicated blog.

When businesses effectively implement blogging that combines the right keywords, with the right content (that incorporates what audiences are looking for in search engines and online), and the solution to their audiences’ pain points, they can expect to generate up to 9x more leads.

2. Videos

Videos are a great way to generate attention and engage with your target audiences. 87% of consumers want more video content from online businesses and brands, and people are already receptive to receiving and actively engaging with this form of marketing. 

An effective video content strategy can tremendously increase organic traffic and compel visitors to spend significantly more time on your website and social media channels.

3. Infographics

Infographics are one of the most used forms of visual content, providing useful statistics and value-added information to your audience. Infographics make it easier for companies to present and break down complex data, financial information, stats, and more, in visually compelling and engaging ways. 

4. eBooks

When done right, eBooks work incredibly well as lead magnets. Hubspot disclosed that their top eBooks in 2017 were downloaded and shared more than 12,000 times.

The important thing here is value, and whether your eBook is providing enough of it. eBooks are not another form of advertising, although you can use digital advertising tactics to support and drive traffic to them. 

Instead, eBooks offer up your expertise in a way that helps your audience make sense of their needs and challenges, and either empowers them to apply your insights directly or drives them to you for guidance in the execution.

eBooks are about building relationships with your prospects and customers, so they trust your expertise and appreciate everything that your brand offers them.

5. Checklists

Call them cheat sheets, checklists or worksheets; these are all types of to-do lists that can simplify a process for the desired outcome, making lives easier for your target audience. 

Checklists can help small businesses provide real value to their audience for little to no expense. Condensing a process down to a checklist and creating downloadable PDF documents is free and easy. You can promote them throughout your site, inviting your visitors to download them in exchange for basic information and email addresses. You can even share these docs on social media or incorporate them into blog posts for extra effect.

6. Video, Podcast and Written Interviews

You can interview industry experts, employees, and even your customers to create high-performing content that generates interest and engagement.

This is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your niche while also providing your target audience with valuable insights that can help them better understand their problems and find relevant solutions.

It’s interesting to note that interviews can also augment other forms of content marketing. For example, you could host a live discussion as a webinar or a Facebook Live feature. This video could be broken down in chunks and posted on Instagram, along with other video-powered social media.

You could also write a blog about the interview content and make it available on industry-leading sites to direct traffic to your site.

Make sure you choose your interview subjects wisely, so your audience can gain worthwhile insights and information. 

Diversifying across the different types of content is key to your success. Specific types of content can typically perform well on their own. When they are augmented and supported with additional content, as well as inbound and outbound marketing tactics, you will see significant gains and ROI–increases in web traffic, engagement with audiences, driving more qualified leads, and ultimately, driving more sales.

What type of content works best for your business? How responsive are your potential customers to new content ideas? Please share your thoughts with us and let us know!

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