When it comes to content marketing, it’s so easy to settle into simple formats that you are familiar with and easy to make.
Blogs, for example, are a standard in any content marketing strategy. However, focusing solely on just blog posts means you’re missing out on other content marketing types that could engage your audience better or communicate your message more efficiently.
Remember, effective content marketing relies on various formats—whichever ones can promote your business or service most efficiently. There are actually many effective formats that can complement your efforts. Here are some that should be part of your content marketing arsenal.
1. Blogs
A blog can inform, educate, engage, and attract potential customers. It can also improve SEO and be a cost-effective way to boost your organic traffic.
When writing your blog posts, always keep the following in mind:
- Optimize your content for SEO and incorporate relevant keywords into your post.
- Keep your content focused on your core messaging.
- Remember to communicate to your audience to underscore your relevance.
2. Videos
According to Hubspot, 54% of audiences want to see videos more than any other type of content from brands that they’re interested in and want to support.
This shouldn’t surprise you.
Videos have long been recognized for being the most engaging medium by which you can communicate your brand message. The trouble with videos, however, is that they used to be very complicated to make.
Between shooting, editing, and getting the message right, the ROI of your video investment just couldn’t compare to something as simple and easy as a blog post.
As of 2020, 83.3% of internet users in the US accessed digital video content.
Thankfully, technology has since evolved to make creating videos incredibly easy for content marketers today. Some platforms you can try:
- Animoto – Features an easy drag-and-drop interface that makes it so easy to create videos.
- Canva – Offers thousands of templates to choose from, simplifying the video creation process.
- Rocketium – Provides plenty of templates, royalty-free images and music, and an intuitive editing interface that makes creating videos a snap.
3. Infographics
Infographics are another engaging way to communicate your message, especially when you’re presenting numbers, statistics, or processes.
A well-designed infographic should be visually captivating and present critical information in bite-sized, easily digestible ways that are easy to share.
To maximize the reach of your infographic, be sure to try the following:
- Diversify where you share your infographic to maximize reach. For example, if your Facebook post doesn’t gain as much traction as you’d like, be sure to share it on other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
- Take a look at old blog posts and see what you can convert into an infographic. Chances are, you will have old posts you can repurpose to create something new and engaging.
- If you don’t have an artist who can help create an infographic for you, check out Canva, which features numerous templates that simplify the creation process.
4. Case Studies
Case studies can help businesses establish better credibility and instill trust among their audience. They’re designed to take readers through the customer journey—beginning with their problem and ending with how you were able to solve it.
As much as you’d like to go into exhaustive detail about the processes you used to solve your customer or client’s problem, remember to focus on the critical and salient points. Here are some important tips to keep in mind:
- Write about a customer or a client that your target customer will relate to. This is why it’s important to know who your ideal customer is.
- Be sure to tell the story from start to finish. What were your customer’s goals? What were their needs? What steps did you take to help them achieve their objectives? Structure your case study this way to craft an easy-to-follow storytelling flow.
- Make your case studies easy to read. Use headers, include real numbers and statistics, break up text using images, use bulleted lists, and add relevant media.
5. Influencers
Influencers are a fairly recent addition to most content marketers’ arsenal.
It wasn’t too long ago that influencer marketing was expensive or complicated to execute. You not only needed to be well connected but also needed enough budget to accommodate their rates for promotions.
These days, however, finding an influencer in your industry is more accessible, which makes having influencers promoting your content and attracting a new audience easier.
Typically, connecting with influencers in your industry involves emailing their representation or getting directly in touch and pitching your brand. These days there is a lot of competition to win them over and it can be quite tough. If you want to maximize ROI, be sure to keep the following in mind:
- Choose influencers that share the same values and are passionate about the same things as your brand.
- Explore different platforms that can help you connect with influencers. For example, Collabor8 connects brands with influencers via an app, while Heepsy can connect you with millions of influencers worldwide.
- Be prepared to pitch what’s in it for them. Some influencers are willing to help promote your message with a trade as long as it’s beneficial for them as well.
This list is by no means a definitive rundown of all the content marketing formats you can use for your business. As a standard, we strongly encourage content marketers to focus on developing their blog and to build up their arsenal from there.
Give your business the option and flexibility to try different methods and platforms because different content marketing formats can deliver different results. Experimenting can help you find the best type of content that fits your business and resonates well with your core audience.
At the end of the day, a diverse content marketing arsenal will always be best—helping you achieve long-term, sustainable, and measurable results.
If you’re wondering how Leadspanda can help boost your content marketing efforts, reach out to us today.
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