Part of owning a business is learning how to market your services and products. Conducting surveys, competitive analysis, brand research, and customer insights will begin your journey into the marketing process for your business. Once you have thoroughly researched and compiled accurate data, you can start creating your content. This article details ten different types of content marketing.
Influencer Marketing
The entire marketing industry was transformed overnight with the introduction of social media. Everyone who had a phone now had access to the Internet and social media websites; thus, the influencer was born. Influencers are individuals or a group of people on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, etc., that have managed some level of following.
Marketing through an influencer is a unique way to reach consumers as the influencer has an established platform of trust they have cultivated with their fans. The personalization and social proof they have with their audience is the ultimate persuasion when marketing products. An influencer with tens of millions of followers can mention a product one time, and it will sell out.
Many smaller influencers with 10,000 followers or less will still hold an impact, however, and their fees will be dramatically more affordable. As a business owner, it is beneficial to do social listening and research to find influencers that speak to your niche, so you reach your target audience.
Blogging
Blogging is a crucial step in content marketing. Well-written and intelligent posts on your website will boost your brand authority. Blogging is an essential component of content marketing because it allows companies to create and share valuable, educational, and entertaining content with their audience. By consistently publishing blog posts, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. These posts can also increase their online visibility and attract and engage their target audience.
Blogging also provides a platform for businesses to showcase their brand personality and voice. It can help build trust and credibility with potential customers. By optimizing their blog content for search engines, companies can improve their website’s ranking and drive more organic traffic to their site. Overall, blogging is an effective and low-cost way for businesses to build brand awareness, establish themselves as experts in their field, and attract potential customers.
Video Marketing
Making a video about your business will help potential buyers learn about your products and services. In fact, 94% of marketers said that video content has helped increase user understanding of their product/service. TikTok is making waves in the video marketing industry. This social media giant produces short videos that last anywhere from 6 seconds – 3 minutes.
This type of video style performs well because it delivers information quickly, with minimal effort, and appeals to small attention spans. TikTok is the second most regularly used app amongst Gen Z (ages 11-26). Ranking first is YouTube, also a video content platform. However, YouTube videos are much longer with an average of 11-12 minutes.
A smartphone camera is enough record and share content. However, those who want to take this type of content marketing seriously should look for a camera that is best for video marketing.
Newsletter/Email Marketing
Do people check their email anymore? It seems they do because email marketing still ranks as the highest ROI (return on investment) for the last ten years. Emails and newsletters are a great way to keep your previous customers in the loop about new products, promotions, and company updates.
However, it should be noted that email marketing will only go right if the company does not violate their customer. Oversaturating consumers’ inboxes will not create purchases; instead, you will find yourself blocked. A solid business-to-consumer relationship can be had if appropriately executed.
Whitepapers
Whitepapers are a type of long-form content that can be a valuable asset in your content marketing strategy. A whitepaper typically presents a problem or challenge in a particular industry or niche. From there, the content offers a detailed solution or approach to addressing that challenge. By providing valuable insights and thought leadership, whitepapers can help position your brand as a high-level authority in your field. A higher authority level helps to build trust with your audience and generate leads.
To effectively utilize whitepapers in your content marketing, it’s important to first identify the key challenges or pain points that your audience faces. Then, you can create a whitepaper that offers a unique and valuable solution to those challenges. You can promote your whitepaper through your website, email marketing, social media, and other channels.
You can offer this type of content for free on your blog if you choose. With the right marketing, your whitepaper could show up in search results. You may also want to publish a whitepaper that is downloadable. This way, users can have the whitepaper sent to their email inbox and you can add their email to your email list if they opt-in to receive updates.
To maximize the impact of your whitepapers, it’s important to ensure that they are well-researched. They should also be well-written and visually engaging. You can also create other types of content that build on the insights presented in your whitepapers, such as blog posts, webinars, or videos.
User-generated content
User-generated content can be a powerful tool for content marketing. UGC refers to any content created by users, such as social media posts, reviews, or testimonials. By incorporating UGC into your content marketing strategy, you can leverage the power of social proof to build trust and engage your audience.
One way to do this is by creating a social media campaign that encourages users to share their experiences with your product or service. Then sharing those posts on your own channels. You can also create a dedicated page on your website that showcases customer reviews and testimonials.
Infographics
Infographics will give consumers an understanding of complex concepts via visual aids such as charts, diagrams, and graphs. This type of content marketing uses images and texts to describe and sell their product. The variety of images and text are arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner, allowing for a pleasant viewing experience by the consumer.
Our minds can process pictures faster than words – making infographics an impactful part of marketing. Evidence shows that infographics had the most significant increase in usage amongst business-to-business marketers in the last four years.
Publishing Ebooks
Ebooks will provide your brand with credibility. Ebooks require effort, time, and resources, but they will pay off in the long run. Consumers will appreciate the sentiment of being offered free quality content – which will improve your brand loyalty overall. Ebooks will generate leads and possible sales from the information you provide. It is a wealth of information that will translate into a sales pitch for your business.
Podcasting
Another popular medium for content marketing is podcasting. Podcasts are a way to ‘hyper-target’ audiences and create ROI. Podcasting will help you communicate with customers in a friendly and conversational way to further your relationship with the consumer.
If listeners find your content unique and entertaining, they will become repeat visitors. Consumers also appreciate consistency in the type of content from specific creators, so sticking with your business’ niche is vital for increased impact.
Memes
Many businesses do not utilize this form of content marketing enough. Even though sharing memes is a great way to drive engagement. Memes are typically humorous, relatable, and shareable. Because of their nature, sharing memes is a great way to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.
Using memes in content marketing can be tricky. To effectively use memes in your content marketing, it’s important to first identify the types of memes that are popular with your target audience. You can then create your own custom memes that relate to your brand or industry. Or, you can share an already created meme and attribute the original creator.
When using memes in your content marketing, it’s important to be mindful of the tone and messaging of your brand. Memes should be lighthearted and humorous. But they should also align with your brand values and voice. Be sure that they don’t end up hurting your brand due to a lack of sensitivity to your audience.
Conclusion
Every business has varying needs depending on the audience, products, and services. A non-toxic laundry detergent company may not find use in creating a podcast channel for its product. As there aren’t enough conversational topics surrounding laundry detergent.
However, an ebook may be a suitable option instead to give customers a compiled leaflet of information about their product, reviews, ingredients, and facts on why non-toxic detergents are essential. All products have a selling point – the marketer’s job is to pinpoint the proper medium and make the product shine.
Team Writer: Elicia Ronto, is a 30 year-old self-employed safety coordinator and part-time freelance writer. In October 2022, she graduated with her bachelors degree in business administration. Elicia is also a mother to a rambunctious 3 year-old girl and spends any extra time she has cleaning, reading, hitting the gym, or going on small weekend trips. Her goal is to someday pursue freelancing full time.
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