I hate to break it to you, but content marketing is not just about blogging. In fact, there are all sorts of content marketing types out there—and each one can be just as effective (if not more so) than a blog post.
Google recently announced a new update focusing on user-first content—Helpful Content Update. According to the SEO community, this update is almost similar to the Penguin Update 10 years ago, which had a major focus on weeding out low-quality sites with manipulative link-building tactics.
So what does this mean for content marketing? It means that your content needs to be helpful and user-centric if you want it to rank well in search results.
And while a blog post can certainly be helpful, there are other content marketing types that can be just as effective—if not more so.
Content marketing comes in all shapes and sizes, with each one having the potential to reach a different audience and achieve different goals. So, if you feel your content marketing could use little mixing things up, check out these 15 types of content marketing that just might be the perfect addition to your strategy.
Why Use Different Types of Content Marketing?
If you’re only using one type of content marketing, you’re missing out on many potentials. By diversifying your content types, you can reach a wider audience, achieve different goals, and even rank for different keywords. Not to mention, it can also make your content strategy a lot more interesting—for both you and your audience.
Apart from your website, there are many other touchpoints where you can reach your audience. So why limit yourself to just one? You have your social media pages, email newsletters, and even paid ads. All of these are opportunities and require a specific type of content to be effective.
What Are The Different Types Of Content Marketing?
Now that we’ve established why you should use different types of content marketing, let’s take a look at the different content marketing types you can use to reach your target audience:
1. Blog Posts
This is probably the most common type of content and what most people think of when they hear “content marketing”. A blog post is simply an article published on your website. The main purpose of a blog post is to educate, inform, or entertain your audience.
The best blog posts are usually long-form, around 1,000 – 2,000 words, and provide in-depth information on a specific topic. But don’t feel you have to write an essay every time you sit down to create a blog post—shorter posts can be just as effective. The key is to make sure that whatever length you choose, your content is still helpful and informative.
What makes blogs a great asset is that they can be repurposed into other content marketing types (more on that later). So, if you have a great blog post that’s getting a lot of traction, you can easily turn it into an infographic, video, or even an ebook.
2. Ebooks
An ebook is a digital book that covers a specific topic in depth. It’s usually a PDF format and can be anywhere from 20 – 100 pages long. Ebooks are generally more comprehensive than blog posts and are meant to serve as an in-depth guide on a particular subject.
One thing to keep in mind with ebooks is that they need to be well-designed and easy to read. No one wants to read a 100-page ebook that looks like it was put together in a hurry. So, if you’re going to create an ebook, make sure you have the time and resources to do it right.
ebooks are great marketing collateral as it encourages your audience to sign up for your email list to get access to it. This way, you can not only generate leads but also build your email list at the same time.
3. Whitepapers
A whitepaper is similar to an ebook in that it’s a long-form piece of content that covers a specific topic in depth. However, whitepapers are generally more technical in nature and are meant to serve as an authoritative guide on a particular subject.
Like ebooks, whitepapers need to be well-researched and well-written. But because they’re usually more technical in nature, it’s also important that they’re designed in a way that makes them easy to read and understand.
Whitepapers are generally used in marketing as a lead generation tool. They’re often gated, meaning you must fill out a form to download them. This way, you can collect leads who are interested in what you have to say and are more likely to convert into customers.
4. Case studies
A case study is an in-depth look at how a particular company or organization was able to solve a problem or achieve success. It’s usually research-based and can be between 2 and 10 pages long.
Case studies are an excellent way to showcase your company’s successes and show potential clients how you can help them achieve similar results. They’re also a great opportunity to highlight your company’s unique selling points and differentiators.
This type of content is also used in lead generation. Like whitepapers, case studies are often gated so that you can collect leads in exchange for access to the content.
5. Infographics
An infographic is a visual representation of data or information. It’s an excellent way to communicate complex information in a way that’s easy to understand and digest.
The best infographics are well-designed, informative, and visually appealing. They’re also usually on the shorter side, around 600 – 800 pixels wide. This is because infographics are meant to be shared across social media and other channels—and you want people to be able to see them without having to scroll too much.
In terms of marketing, you can use infographics to drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or even build brand awareness. They’re also a great way to get people to share your content and help it go viral.
6. Videos
Videos are a great way to capture attention and engage your audience. They’re also an excellent way to showcase your company’s products, services, or even company culture.
The best videos are usually around 2 minutes long and offer helpful information or entertainment value. They’re also well-produced, with clear audio and visuals. According to studies, video content is also more likely to be shared and remembered than other types of content. In fact, 94% of marketers say video has helped them increase their understanding of products or services.
In terms of marketing, videos can be used in a variety of ways. You can use them to generate leads, build brand awareness, or drive sales. You can embed them on your website or blog or share them across social media and other channels.
7. Podcasts
Podcasts are audio files that can be downloaded and played on a computer or mobile device. They’re similar to radio shows, but they’re usually shorter—around 20 to 30 minutes long—and cover a specific topic.
Podcasts are a great way to reach a wide audience. In the US, 28% of the population listens to podcasts weekly, and 41% listen monthly. And because they can be listened to while people are doing other things, like commuting or working out, they’re a great way to capture attention and keep people engaged.
What’s great about being active in doing podcasts is that it helps establish your authority in the subject matter. This is since you are educating your listeners about a topic for around 20-30 minutes per episode. In turn, this will help increase brand awareness for your company as well.
8. Checklists
A checklist is a list of items you need to complete or check off, usually in a specific order. They’re often used in task management and can help you stay organized and on track.
Checklists are usually short—around 500 words or less—and easy to scan. They’re also often accompanied by images or other visuals.
Checklists are also an excellent way to provide helpful information to your audience. For example, you could create a checklist of what you need to do to start a business or the steps you need to take to plan a wedding.
This type of content is share-worthy since it’s helpful and solves a problem your audience may have. As a result, this will help increase brand awareness for your company.
9. Memes
A meme is a piece of content—usually an image or video—that’s been shared and modified by people across the internet. Memes often have captions or text overlays that make them funny or relatable.
There is a certain homespun charm to internet memes which is helpful in building that engagement with your audience. But because they’re often unoriginal and low-quality, they might not be the best way to build your brand. That’s why you need to be very strategic about it. The good news is that this type of graphic is very cheap to make. So if you’re on a tight budget, memes could be a viable option and worth testing.
10. User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is any content—text, images, videos, etc.—that’s been created by people who are not affiliated with your company.
UGC is a great way to get free content for your website or blog. It’s also great to engage your audience and get them to share your content. In fact, UGC is 50% more likely to be shared than other types of content.
11. How-to Guides
A how-to guide is a tutorial or step-by-step instructions on how to do something. They’re usually long—around 1,000 words or more—and explain the process in detail.
How-to guides are probably the most popular type of content on the internet. People search for them all the time to learn how to do things like changing a tire or making a cake.
How-to guides are an excellent way to show your audience that you’re an expert in your field. It’s also a share-worthy type of content since it’s helpful and solves a problem your audience may have. When publishing a how-to guide, make sure you add a graphic of some sort to make it more shareable.
12. Influencers/Collaboration
Collaborating with influencers is a great way to reach a new audience and grow your business. An influencer is somebody with a large following on social media or another platform who can promote your product or service to their audience.
Influencer marketing has recently been on the rise. In 2016, the market was worth $1.7 billion; by 2020, it had ballooned to nearly $9.7 billion. By 2021, it expanded to $13.8 billion and is expected to reach $15 billion in 2022.
Aside from growing your network, collaborating with influencers can also help establish trust and credibility for your brand. If your target customers see their favorite influencer as your brand ambassador, their interest in your product or service will likely increase.
13. Newsletters and Email Lists
A newsletter is a piece of content—usually an email—that’s sent out regularly to subscribers. Newsletters usually contain a mix of articles, tips, and other information.
Newsletters are also effective customer aftercare. You can use email lists to send out follow-up emails after someone buys your product or uses your service. This is a great way to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
One of the things businesses tend to overlook is customer retention. It’s more important (and cheaper) to keep your existing customers happy than it is to find new ones. Newsletters are an excellent way to do that since they help you stay top-of-mind.
14. Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Customer reviews and testimonials are a type of user-generated content (UGC). They’re written or recorded by people who have used your product or service.
Customer reviews and testimonials are some of the most powerful forms of marketing. They’re credible because they come from real people, and they can help increase conversions by up to 34%.
If you don’t have any customer reviews or testimonials, reach out to your happiest customers and ask them to write a review or record a testimonial. You can also offer them an incentive, like a discount on their next purchase.
15. Social Media Polls and Quizzes
Social media polls and quizzes are a great way to engage your audience and get them talking about your brand. They’re also easy to create and share.
Polls are a simple way to get people to give their opinion on something. You can use polls to determine what your audience thinks about your brand, products, or content. Quizzes are a bit more interactive and can be used to generate leads. You can create quizzes that are related to your industry, and people who take them can opt-in to your email list.
Both polls and quizzes are excellent types of content for social media since they’re easy to consume and share.
Repurpose Different Content Marketing Types for Greater ROI
Great content isn’t only about coming up with new ideas and writing new content all the time. You can also get more mileage from your existing content by repurposing it.
Repurposing content is the practice of taking material you’ve previously used for one goal and reusing it for another. You can repurpose an old shoe into a flower vase, just as you can a blog post into an infographic or an interview into a blog post. Repurposing content is a form of marketing that may be useful in various ways. It may help you save time, improve your online visibility, and more.
For example, let’s say you’ve written a blog post about the top 10 types of content marketing. You can then take that blog post and turn it into an infographic, a podcast episode, or even a video. By doing so, you’ll be able to reach different people with your message—and you’ll get more mileage out of your content.
Businesses with limited resources can also benefit from repurposing content. If you don’t have the time or budget to produce new material, you can still get value from your old content by giving it a new lease on life.
In a Nutshell
Content marketing is a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
The key to content marketing success is to produce valuable and relevant material for your audience. It should also be consistent so that your audience knows what to expect from you. When done right, content marketing can help you attract and retain customers, establish trust and credibility, and boost your bottom line.
If you want to get started with content marketing, remember to focus on creating valuable and relevant material for your audience. You can also repurpose old content to save time and reach a wider audience. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to content marketing success.
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