Variety is the spice of life. The same holds true for your company’s content marketing strategy. When you implement different types of content marketing to promote your business, you increase your chances of grabbing the attention of potential customers — and keeping them interested in your brand.
In fact, a 2023 survey from the SEO experts at Semrush found that more than half (55%) of responding business owners and marketers said that creating more content — and posting it more frequently — was the best tactic for success.
The thing is, coming up with fresh ideas and creating quality content on a regular basis can be challenging — especially if you're not a niche writer with subject matter expertise. Thankfully, this list of different types of content marketing will help you generate great content and break through the noise of your competitors.
Grow Your Brand With These 15 Types of Content Marketing
Whether you have a brick-and-mortar location or are strictly online, these content creation ideas can boost your brand — and your bottom line. Best of all, most (if not all) of these content types are easy to repurpose for a different platform or format. That means you can recycle your pieces of content to reach more people while saving time, money, and energy. Let’s go!
1. Social Media Posts
Posting to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn is a key way to increase engagement and build brand awareness. Depending on your target audience, you may want to narrow your focus on a couple of them rather than spreading yourself too thin.
For instance, TikTok might be your best bet if you want to reach those under 35 while Facebook is better for older demographics. Likewise, GIFs and memes might work for some brands but not for others.
Social networks are also an effective way to connect with bloggers and influencers to promote your brand and content. Social shares can help boost your conversion rates, drive traffic to your site, and encourage user-generated content (UGC).
2. Testimonials
When you consider that most people read online reviews before making a purchase, it becomes clear that having testimonials on your site’s web pages isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a must. Testimonials come straight from the customer, so these messages build trust by showing how your product or service impacted their life in a positive way. Even better, you can repurpose testimonials as part of your social media posts to build social proof.
3. Case Studies
Case studies are essentially success stories. These in-depth reports describe how your product or service helped a customer. As such, this form of content builds credibility with potential customers and can highlight your business as a thought leader in its particular industry. You can also hire technical writers to write case studies depending on your needs.
4. Landing Pages
Unlike traditional web pages like About, Product/Services, and Contact, landing pages are web pages designed specifically for marketing or advertising. They aim to capture potential customers’ interest and convince them to make a purchase. This kind of content should have a clear call to action (CTA) to boost conversions.
5. Blog Posts
Blog posts tailored for SEO (search engine optimization) are among the best content strategies to boost your website ranking. Whether you’re writing listicles, how-to guides, checklists, informational articles, or a mix, this long-form content should inform, educate, and engage your readers, thereby building trust.
Be sure to do keyword research beforehand to find out what types of things your potential customers are searching for. There are plenty of free keyword research tools to help you out.
6. Email Newsletters
Newsletters are excellent email marketing tools that offer two-fold benefits: they make loyal customers feel appreciated and “in the know” and they give you a direct connection to new subscribers.
Use your digital newsletter to share just about any piece of content that’s relevant to your target audience. Send updates about exciting new offerings, share your latest blog content, promote giveaways or deals, highlight your latest testimonials, invite readers to an online demo of your product or service, or let them know about changes in your industry that might impact them.
7. Infographics
Infographics make complex ideas easy to understand in a visually pleasing format. They’re often vibrantly colored to catch (and hold) the reader's attention and effectively break up long blocks of text. Infographics are also ideal for sharing on social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to drive traffic to your site. You can use tools like Canva to create stunning visuals using stock photos, screenshots, or your own images.
8. White Papers
White papers are in-depth reports that highlight a problem and offer a solution. These documents are an opportunity to showcase your company’s expertise and position you as a thought leader in your industry. White papers also help your target audience better understand what they can gain from your solution.
9. Video Content
Video content is king. A recent study found that 91% of consumers want more video content from brands and the same percentage of marketers said video content marketing increased traffic.
Even if you’re not highly skilled in video production or editing, you can find ways to generate high-quality visual content that speaks to your target audience. All you really need is a smartphone with a decent camera.
Create vlog tutorials; host webinars and interactive live streams to answer FAQs; or record step-by-step instructionals on your product or service. You can then embed these videos into your next newsletter, blog article, or social media post.
10. Guest Posts
When it comes to content creation, share the love. Guest posts (also called guest blogs or guest blogging) are pieces of content that you publish on someone else’s site. Guest posting can be mutually beneficial. It gives the other site free content and helps you reach a broader audience. It can also help you build backlinks, which are important in improving search engine ranking and authority. (Just make sure you approach link-building the right way.)
11. Podcasts
Creating a podcast is often easier said than done. But with projections for over 100 million podcast listeners in 2024 (in the U.S. alone), it might be well worth the time and energy.
Podcasts can add a new dimension to your digital marketing efforts as this type of content creates a deeper connection between your business and your listeners. Potential customers can take your ideas on the go all while feeling more connected to your brand. Podcasts are also a great way to repurpose written content into audio and vice versa.
12. Q&A Content
The “question and answer” content format is a tried-and-true way to engage audiences. While you might associate it mostly with celebrity interviews, it’s actually a fantastic form of interactive content that allows you to share valuable information about your product or service.
It’s also a relatively easy and versatile type of content to create. Basically, it’s a template you can’t mess up. You can turn your Q&A into a fun video format by running a monthly "Ask Me Anything" event (which are popular on social media). Potential customers can ask you questions about your business, values, and products — and you can build trust and confidence by engaging one-on-one with them.
13. Contests and Promotions
What’s everyone’s four-letter word? Free! No matter who or where they are, people can’t resist a freebie. So why not capitalize on that basic human instinct and run a contest or promotion with an enticing giveaway?
While this type of content marketing might not be something you can do every day, you can certainly boost engagement with occasional incentives. It doesn’t have to be a weeklong trip to the Bahamas, either. Reward returning customers with free swag, give new clients a discount on their first purchase, or run quizzes and reward the top performers with special insider access or prizes.
14. Quotes
Quotes are a great way to inspire your readers. Forbes is famed for its "Quote of the Day" encouraging readers to think in new ways and feel inspired. This spirited content adds a light-hearted touch to classic digital marketing methods. Think about adding a few quotes from thought leaders in your industry or others. After all, inspiration can come from anyone, anywhere.
15. Press Releases
Keep your customers up-to-date on your business happenings with regular press releases. Share upcoming events and notify customers of new product offerings before they hit the market. This content helps to increase anticipation and excitement for when you launch your product or service. Plus, you can use this type of content to build buzz and reach out to local press and other media outlets.
Diversify the Types of Content You Create and Expand Your Reach
No matter how big or small your business is, creating different types of content is crucial for elevating brand awareness, extending your reach, and boosting sales.
From short social media posts, video clips, and client testimonials to long-form informational guides, listicles, and thought leadership articles, every piece of content adds value to your overall marketing efforts. Track your stats and keep an eye on which forms of content perform best.
If you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, the Writer Finder can help. We’ll find the best freelance writers for your niche within three business days.
And if you’re ready for a more robust content marketing strategy, contact the SEO experts at Growth Machine who can build (and manage) your blog, get you high-quality backlinks, and drive traffic to your site.