The currency of the internet is content, and there are many types of content that brands can focus on to engage audiences, reach new markets, and give customers something of value.
But because there are so many different kinds of content, it can be hard for marketers and brands to know which ones to focus on. Different content types have different purposes. Some of them bring in traffic, while others are meant to collect information. To get the most out of your content, you need to be smart about how you market it.
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So, let’s look at the top seven types of content and how you can use them to grow your business and make more sales.
1. Blogs
Blogging has been around for a long time, but the way it is done has gotten more complex, especially when it comes to how businesses use blogs to get people interested in their products or services.
You should write relevant, high-quality, and well-written blogs. They should also focus on topics that are interesting to your audience. This will help you build authority, trust, relationships, and sales. Another benefit of a blog is that it is easy to write and publish, can be shared, and is easy for search engines to find.
Find out five easy ways to start a blog if you or your business don’t already have one.
Best practices for blogging: If you don’t have a blog that you host yourself, you can use services like WordPress, Tumblr, Medium, and Blogger. But blogging is a commitment, and if you want to build a following, you have to be ready to post every few days or at least once a week. You should always include a “call to action” (CTA) in each post and include links to other good content, both on your site and on other sites.
Tip: Use relevant keywords to optimise your posts for SEO. An SEO Keyword Research Toolkit can help you with this. This will help you reach the right audience and rank well in search engines.
2. Listicles
List articles might look a little silly, but they are very popular. This is because they are easy to read, quick to scan, visually appealing, interesting and easy to share when done well.
From a content creation point of view, listicles are also easy to write because all you have to do is research and fill in the blanks once you have a topic and a number. But that doesn’t mean you can just throw a listicle together without giving it any thought. It has to be informative, relevant, and of high quality.
The best way to write a listicle is to number the subheadings and make sure the number matches the title. If you don’t, you’ll confuse your readers. Lists should still have introductions and conclusions, just like other types of content, and they should be optimised with keywords that are relevant to the list. You can put as many numbers as you want on your lists, and both short and long lists are fine, but details are always important.
Tip: When writing list articles, it’s important to come up with catchy and unique titles, but make sure the heading fits the content (no clickbait).
3. Ebooks
Ebooks are a type of long-form content that is made into electronic books that can be downloaded as PDF files or written in HTML.
This kind of content can be a great way to show how knowledgeable you are about a certain subject. Ebooks can help you get more leads, establish your authority, grow your email list, and add to the content you already have.
Best practices for writing an ebook: The main point of an ebook should be to offer solutions. If it doesn’t, it won’t be useful to your audience. So, you should spend less time on advertising and more time on general solutions. Since you already have their information, a good rule of thumb for ebooks is to keep the promotional parts to a minimum.
Ebooks can be long, so break up the text with chapters, subheadings, bullets, graphics, infographics, and other interesting formatting elements. You should also spend some time on the title and design since these are what will draw people in and keep them interested. This kind of writing takes time, research, and good writing skills, so it’s best to have a plan before you start.
Tip: The content doesn’t have to be evergreen, but if it is, you’ll get years of return on your investment and be able to use the ebook to keep reaching new audiences long after it’s been published.
4. Information graphics
Infographics are one of the most popular types of content you can make because they show a lot of information (like statistics, research, and other data) in a way that is interesting, easy to understand, and easy to share.
The Content Marketing Institute says that the number of B2B marketers who use infographics has grown by 67 per cent in the last few years. They can help build quality backlinks and grow your audience, as well as bring people to your site.
Best practices for making an infographic are to include white space, break up the content into sections, use a clear font, and use colours that go well together to keep people interested. Here is a list of the “Top Five Tools for Making Infographics.”
5. Video
The report “The State o
The report “The State of Video Marketing 2021” says that video is a successful type of content, and 93 per cent of marketers say that it’s an important part of their marketing. In addition, 78 percent of video marketers say that it has increased sales.
Video content has the potential to get people interested, get more shares and comments, increase sales, and bring more people to your website. Interviews, presentations or how-to videos, behind-the-scenes videos, and explainer videos are all good kinds of videos to think about.
There are a lot of places to share your videos, from YouTube (where you can learn how to get your videos to the top) to Instagram to TikTok, which is becoming more popular.
Best practices for videos: The main goal of a video should be to provide value to your audience by answering questions, giving solutions, addressing pain points, or giving other relevant information. Or, in the case of Aviation American Gin, to get people to come and have fun!
Tip: Don’t forget that you are making content, not ads. Keep videos between two and three minutes long, and include a call-to-action (CTA) that sends viewers to a landing page or your website.
6. Guides on How to
How-tos and instructional content are like long-form blog posts that give step-by-step instructions on how to do anything, from completing a task to building something.
The content of your guide will depend on your audience and industry, but this kind of content is great for sharing your knowledge, building trust, and growing your email list.
Best practices for writing how-to guides: These need to be well-written because they need to be clear and to the point about how to do something. The layout and design should make it easy to read and break up the content into steps that are easy to follow. Graphics, diagrams, screenshots, videos, and other elements can show important points or steps that are hard to do.
Tip: Ensure you understand how the guide makes sense and flows so that your audience does too. Have a trusted coworker or friend look it over to make sure it makes sense.
7. Case Studies
Case studies are a great type of B2B content. They use real-life feedback or customer feedback to show your audience common pain points and problems they may face.
It’s a good choice of content because it shows prospects how your brand, products, or services can help them solve problems they may be having. This will help you build strong relationships with your customers and keep them coming back.
The best ways to do a case study: Start by briefly summarising the problem that your customer was having. Next, talk about the solution and give actionable, step-by-step examples of how the process can be repeated. Lastly, give a brief summary of what your customer was able to do with your products or services.
