Types of content marketing
The main types of Content marketing are:
- Blogs
- Videos
- Social media posts
- Webinars
- Email marketing
- Infographics
- SlideShare presentations.
- Podcasts
- Visual content (photos, memes).
Blogs
Blogs are a popular method of content marketing, and with good reason. Blogs can be written about anything and can be used to discuss topics that aren't necessarily related to your business. As such, they can help you reach new audiences who are interested in the subject matter you're writing about.
Blogs should always have a clear purpose and goal, but they don't have to be limited by those goals. If your blog is meant to generate leads or promote your products or services, then the posts must support these goals—but if you want readership for other reasons (e.g., exposure), then no problem! The key is that each post has an underlying benefit for readers and should build trust with them over time by providing useful information and any product/service promotion activities you want to include (and yes, this includes sponsored content).
Interactive content
Interactive content is a great way to promote engagement with your brand, help people learn, and make even the dullest subjects interesting. Interactive content can be as simple as a poll or survey, or it can be something more complex like an interactive game that users can play on their phones.
Interactive content often uses call-to-action buttons to prompt people to take action—for example, by clicking on an email signup button or downloading an app. This type of content also works well when you promote live events like conferences or webinars because it lets your audience know whether they should attend in person or remotely.
Videos
Your message can be delivered through video.
Video is a great way to explain your product, service, or idea in depth. You can use videos for tutorials, or you can use them to share events or even as testimonials from your customers.
Videos are also a great way to engage with your audience and add personality to your brand. When you create original and meaningful content, people will want more of it - including other types of content such as infographics!
Social media posts
Social media is a great way to drive traffic to your website and can be an excellent way of creating awareness of your brand. In the same way that you would create content for other types of marketing, you should make sure that everything you post is clear, relevant, and engaging.
- Give people a reason to engage with you through your social media channels by providing useful tips or special deals.
- Remember that social media posts are also an opportunity for direct sales, so don't forget about this aspect!
Webinars
A webinar is an online conference. Webinars are different from other types of content marketing because they're interactive and can be recorded for later viewing. They can also be used for live training or interviews, though this isn't common because of the cost involved in producing the event.
Webinars are often hosted by software companies that offer web conferencing tools, such as Adobe Connect, Zoom, or Google Hangouts On Air. These services will provide their own recording system, which makes it easy to record and share your webinar with others after it finishes running.
Copy on a landing page
Landing page copy is the first thing that a visitor to your website sees. It's an important part of the sales funnel, and it has the power to persuade potential customers to take action.
As you write landing page copy, keep these tips in mind:
- Your copy should be persuasive. A landing page is an opportunity for you to make a case for why someone should sign up or buy your product or service right now. You want them to feel convinced that this is something they need—and only you can provide it. So don't hold back! Get excited about what you do, and show how it will benefit your readers' lives by making the process as easy as possible (ease of use helps facilitate trust).
- Your copy should be clear and concise. In addition to being persuasive, good landing page copy must effectively communicate what your company does in simple language without any jargon or confusing terminology; otherwise, people won't understand what they're getting when they give up their email addresses for more information about whatever it is that you sell/provide/promise on said page...or worse yet: will get scared off by feeling confused or underwhelmed from reading something too complicated!
Content in ads
Content marketing is any form of advertising that involves creating and sharing media and publishing content to acquire and retain customers. Content marketing includes traditional print ads, radio commercials, billboards, TV spots, and any other form of advertising that involves an editorial component.
Content marketing can be used to attract attention and generate leads with the ultimate goal of getting customers to make a purchase. A successful content campaign will also increase brand awareness while lowering costs per customer acquisition (CPA).
Email marketing
Email marketing is one of the most profitable forms of marketing. It's also a cost-effective strategy as compared to other forms of marketing, such as search engine optimization and social media advertising.
Email marketing is the best way to communicate with your customers because it's personal and direct. You can build relationships with your customers by sending them relevant emails that are useful to them or sending them promotions on products they might like.
Infographics
An infographic is a visual representation of information, typically in the form of a chart or diagram. The purpose of an infographic is to quickly convey complex information through an image and make it easy for readers to understand the message being conveyed. Infographics can help businesses explain their products, services, or ideas in a simple and engaging way for readers.
Infographics are usually created using vector graphics software like Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape, making them easy to scale up or down depending on how big you want your infographic to be displayed on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
White papers and ebooks
White papers and ebooks are two types of content marketing that work very well in the B2B world. The biggest difference between these two content types is length: White papers, which can be quite lengthy (usually over 5,000 words), tend to be much more research-oriented. They're often used to promote a service or product but can also be an informational resource for your target audience. Ebooks are shorter (1,000–5,000 words) and usually provide tips or recapping past experiences with your business or industry. Since they're meant to be read quickly and digested rather than studied in detail like white papers, ebooks tend to have a more visual feel—they typically include charts or graphs that help readers understand your message quickly without having to wade through dense text.
Guides and how-tos
Guides and how-tos are long-form content that teaches readers about a specific topic.
A guide is usually a blog post, video, or ebook. It's often written by an expert in the field, who shares their knowledge with readers as they walk them through a process or teach them something new.
How-tos are short-form content (like blog posts, videos, and social media posts) that typically teach readers how quickly and easily.
Checklists, templates, and worksheets
Checklists, templates, and worksheets make it easier to get things done. They're designed to help you stay focused on your goals and strategies by ensuring you don't forget any important actions. Checklists can be used for both personal and professional use and short-term projects or long-term ones. Templates are used in various industries:
- In the software industry, they are often used when creating computer programs.
- In marketing, they can be used to create ad campaigns.
- In education, they can be helpful for students while completing their homework assignments.
Worksheets are similar to checklists but more specific — they provide detailed instructions on how something should be done rather than just reminding you of what needs doing (for example, if I tell my daughter she needs to clean her room today).
SlideShare presentations
SlideShare is a content marketing platform that allows users to upload presentations, documents, and videos. The site is owned by LinkedIn, which purchased SlideShare in May 2012.
The company's mission is to help professionals share knowledge and ideas by publishing their work online as slideshows. Users can also comment on others' presentations and rate them according to their usefulness.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to communicate with your audience and provide them with valuable content. You can use interviews and solo episodes to share information on your podcast, but it's important that you focus on providing value for your listeners. Your goal should be to inform, educate or entertain—not simply promote yourself or your products.
If done correctly, podcasts can drive traffic back to your website by increasing search engine visibility and leading new people right back into the sales funnel as they listen in their car (or wherever else they listen). A good way to use podcasts is by doing an interview-style episode where you have a guest who talks about a topic related to yours; this allows you more time than if you do an interview-style episode alone because there's someone else involved!
Podcasts are also great ways of building email lists because they allow listeners access to something more than just audio files; they give them access into behind the scenes content such as transcripts from interviews and discussions among hosts about future episodes so that listeners can get excited about upcoming shows before listening live each week!
Microsites or microcontent (think Twitter)
In the past, microsites were used mainly for product or service information. Now, with the rise of microcontent and the need for shorter forms of content, microsites are much more flexible. They can be used to provide more in-depth information about products and services as well as to offer quick tips on how to do things better.
Microsites also work well when used in conjunction with other types of content—for example, a blog post might link out to a site that explains something more in-depth related to what was mentioned in the blog post. Microsites can also be part of an overall strategy where social media platforms are utilized heavily (think Twitter): one piece of content could easily be shared across several platforms at once by creating multiple versions (e.g., one version optimized for Facebook).
Visual content (photos, memes)
Visual content is one of the most effective ways to engage your audience. It's easier to consume than written content, and it can catch people's attention instantly. Visual content is so compelling that memes are one of the most popular forms of social media sharing.
Memes are a great way to engage with your audience on social media platforms—they're shareable and help you connect with others in your community. Not only do they allow you to connect with other members of your industry, but they also showcase how funny or relatable you can be when posting on social media!
