Variation is the spice of life. That’s also true when it comes to keeping potential customers interested in your offerings. Any successful business content marketing strategy should include an array of different content types to keep readers engaged and informed.
The days of churning out endless blog posts are over. In today's ever-connected world, you need to create both written and visual content to make your business stand out. Figuring out what you should include in your content calendar can take some effort. Each piece of content should be thought about carefully and strategized to get the most out of your marketing plan.
Fortunately, we've put together a post of the best types of content every business should produce. Read on to discover new content creation ideas and start increasing traffic to your site.
The 18 Content Types Your Business Should Use
1. Social Media Posts
Posting to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter is a great way to increase engagement and brand awareness. These sites are informal so you can be playful and show a different side of your brand than you can on your landing pages. These networks are also a great way to connect with other bloggers and influencers that can promote your business and different pieces of content. Social shares can help boost your conversion rates and drive more traffic to your site. You can also use your social media channels to promote user-generated content that makes your brand authoritative.
2. Testimonials
Testimonials and case studies are a great way to show how your products or services made an impact in a customer's life. Today, many people read product reviews before making a purchase. Case studies are an effective way of sharing real customers’ stories. These types of content help build trust and transparency.
3. Landing Pages
Traditional website pages often get forgotten among the flashier content types such as videos and social media posts. However, landing pages are essential to catching a potential customer's interest and hooking them into purchasing your product. Landing pages should be concise and to the point while demonstrating your company's values and branding voice.
You want the consumer to know exactly who you are and what you offer the minute they reach your landing pages. Make sure to include things like an online shop, your blog, and frequently asked questions when drafting landing pages.
4. Newsletters
Customers like to feel like they have up-to-date information when it comes to buying products and services from businesses. Newsletters help inform your customers of any new changes or exciting offerings. You can also keep consumers abreast of any changes in the industry that are likely to affect their interests.
5. Blog Posts
Blog posts are typically longer articles that serve the purpose of informing and educating the reader. Your articles can include updates to the company products and services as well as information on trends in the industry.
One of the best ways to increase blog traffic is to create long-form content that is tailored for SEO or search engine optimization. You should do some keyword research to find out what types of things your potential customers are searching for. Create blog posts that answer consumer questions and offer insight into your industry.
Tailoring your blog posts to SEO practices helps your company rank better in search engines such as Google and Bing. That means consumers have a higher likelihood of finding your company and purchasing your products.
6. Infographics
Infographics make complex ideas easy to understand in a visual format. They are often vibrantly colored and catch the reader's attention, holding it longer than long articles might. Use infographics in long-form articles to break up topics and share the images on social media sites such as 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.
7. White Papers
White papers and other technical content such as manuals and assembly instructions are essential for consumers. These types of content help them understand how natural your product is to use and what they can gain from it. These are great resources for people looking to understand the inner workings of your products. Market type of content to serious buyers as opposed to casual browsers.
8. Video Content
Video material is a form of content that is increasingly crucial for businesses and projected to be among the most popular content types. Video helps display products and services in a way that writing just cannot. High-quality videos are a great way to make your brand seem informational and fun. Some people also process visual content more effectively and find it more entertaining than reading endless paragraphs.
9. Step-By-Step Instructions
If you sell products and don't offer step-by-step instructions, you're likely missing out on great content. Guidelines help consumers understand how to use your products to their maximum potential. They can also help answer common questions and build your expertise and authority in the industry.
10. Ultimate Guides
One of the best types of content to include on your editorial calendar is ultimate guides or similar types of lead magnet content like e-books. These guides can cover everything from the ultimate travel destinations to the best tech products on the market. Ultimate guides don't need to only highlight your product offerings. This is a great way to highlight other companies' products right alongside your own.
11. Guest Posts
Not all of the content you produce needs to be new content written in-house or by a freelancer. Guests posts are curated pieces that are a testament to your products. Guest posts typically involve a previous customer writing a post on how they used your products. This helps potential customers understand the range of your products while also building trust and can be a great way to build backlinks.
12. Podcasts or Vlogs
Creating a podcast adds a new dimension to your digital marketing. Podcasts create a deeper connection between your business and potential customers. They are also a great way to transform written content into audio that is easy to digest during commutes and while at the gym. Potential customers can take your ideas on the go all while feeling more connected to your brand.
13. Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the best ways to make loyal customers feel appreciated and to target new subscribers. You can create several different email lists and create blog content tailored for your target audience. For example, you can create exclusive insider newsletters for your top customers or educational and informative guides for new customers. Email marketing can take on many content formats so be creative.
14. Q&A Content
FAQ posts are a fantastic way to share valuable information on your products with consumers. You should anticipate their concerns and questions and provide detailed answers that help them understand whether your product is right for them. You can also turn Q&A into a fun video format by running an "Ask Me Anything" event. These events are popular on social media. Potential customers can ask you questions on your business, values, and products and you can build confidence and trust by engaging one-on-one with them.
15. Turn Conferences Into Content
Industry conferences are incredible resources of information that can be converted into content. You can use this information to keep customers updated on the latest trends. Use a tool like SlideShare from LinkedIn to embed presentation images from industry conferences in blog posts using Wordpress or another website platform. These add a visual dimension to topics that readers may find interesting.
16. Contests and Promotions
Some of the best types of content are those that are fun and engaging. Everyone loves a contest or promotion so make sure to share these with your website visitors now and then. Reward returning customers and potential new ones with promotions such as discounts or rewards. You can also run quizzes and reward the top performers with special insider access or prizes.
17. Quotes
Quotes are a great way to inspire your readers. Forbes is notorious for their "Quote of the Day" that encourages readers to think in new ways and feel inspired. This spirited content adds a light-hearted touch to classic marketing methods. Think about adding a few quotes from thought leadership in your industry.
18. Press Releases
Keep your customers up-to-date on the happenings at your business with regular press releases. Share exciting 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 products.
Create Varied Content
Whether you are a small business or an international company, creating content is crucial to encourage consumers to purchase your products or services. Creating valuable content for consumers can and should take on many different forms. From a clever tweet to informational webinars designed to attract a new audience, content is king in the world of digital marketing. You'll need to create different types of content to be successful.
The best content is content that is engaging and interesting to read—regardless of if it's a short post or a long-form informational guide. Create forms of content that shows off your branding and focuses on building trust and a working relationship with your potential customers. The more relatable you are, the more successful your content strategy will be. Remember that each success story, roundup feature, and social share adds value to your overall marketing campaigns. Track your stats and keep an eye on what type of content does well and what doesn't to inform your future content strategy.
Businesses need to find multiple ways to share content to drive conversions and make sales. With these content ideas, you're sure to help your business reach its full potential.