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Originally Posted On: What Are the Different Types of Content Marketing? (latitudepark.com)

 

In 2020, nearly 40% of marketers said that content marketing was a very important part of their marketing strategy. Two of the most common measurement techniques to determine the success of content marketing campaigns are total sales and web traffic.

If you’re new to the world of content marketing, it might seem a little unclear what it consists of. In general, content marketing exists so that brands and organizations can create and share relevant media to help you improve your relationship with your audience in a long list of ways.

There are many different types of content marketing, and it can be helpful to learn about some of the most common forms to help you create a successful content marketing campaign.

With no further ado, let’s delve into the different types of content marketing and some content marketing tips.

Blog Content

Blogs are an accessible form of content marketing no matter the size of your business. When you create blog content, you are able to share information with your target audience and customers. This information might be customer-related, educational, or product-related.

Different companies might have different goals for their blogs, and that can impact how you utilize this type of content marketing.

If you are looking to drive more traffic to your site and improve your SEO, blogs are one of the best ways to do that. Basically, you have a much better chance of ranking higher in search engine results when you have an optimized blog.

The key to creating a successful blog is offering valuable content. Rather than using a blog as a place to sell your product or service, it can be a format through which you can build trust, authority, and brand awareness among your target audience.

Guest Posts

Guest posts are blog posts that are posted on other websites that link back to your site. While it might seem counterintuitive to be publishing content on other blogs, it can be beneficial for your brand in a number of ways.

Backlinks can help to boost your Google ranking in their SERP. When you have backlinks, Google sees that your content is likely valuable to readers and rewards you with a higher listing result.

However, this doesn’t just mean that you can spam the internet with your site links. Back in the day, having a high number of backlinks directly impacted your ranking. Around 2012, though, Google changed the algorithm because people were buying spam links in order to increase their ranking.

This doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it to do guest posts anymore. Instead, what it means is that the quality of your links is also very important in addition to how many you have. This is something you can’t really fake: your backlinks should be on legitimate websites that offer real value to people.

Do you want to learn more about how you can earn backlinks with great SEO content writing? Check out our article on the topic.

Podcasting

More and more people are regularly listening to podcasts every year. In 2020, 37% of Americans that were over the age of twelve listened to at least one podcast every month. In 2019, this percentage was only 32%. It is estimated that 100 million people listened to at least one podcast every month in 2020, and this number is projected to grow in coming years.

This is another place to produce thought-provoking and useful content for your target audience. This can help to build relationships with your customers, improve brand awareness, and promote your services, products, and partners. It’s important to make sure you aren’t coming off too sales-y, as that will dissuade your audience from tuning in next time.

Video

Video is a content marketing strategy that can have a great ROI. Video content can be shared on a number of different platforms, such as on your website, on partner’s websites, and on social media.

You’ll want to consider the interests, tastes, and needs of your audience when you are creating a video content marketing campaign. It’s also important to take into account what stage in the sales funnel they are in.

Infographics

People are highly visual creatures, relying on visual cues for both our basic and complex behaviors. For this reason, the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” might actually be an understatement.

On top of that, modern people are constantly being bombarded with information and ads in a way that can lead to a shorter attention span.

This means that some people might not have the time, energy, or interest to read a 2000 word blog post. However, when you put the same information in an easy-to-digest infographic, it can be easier to capture their attention.

With infographics, you can display information with clear images, short statements, and simple wording. This is particularly effective for complicated or educational topics that you want to boil down to the most basic points.

Ebooks

Ebooks are basically super long blog content. It’s important to understand what eBooks are not before we can understand what they are exactly. They aren’t multi-page ads for your company, and they’re not novels.

Ebooks, instead, are an opportunity for you to give valuable information to your customers. It is more about building a relationship than it is about hawking your wares. It’s about building trust and authority, so you are the brand that they think of when they need to buy your service or product.

Businesses commonly use eBooks as a form of gated content. This means that they will often be given away in exchange for people’s contact information. This is a great way to generate leads for your email marketing list.

User-Generated Content

If you’re looking for powerful content marketing strategies, consider incorporating user-generated content into your plan. This is a great way to get customers involved and engaged with your brand.

Are you curious how local SEO services can benefit your business? You can learn more about it here!

Reviews/Testimonials

This is another place where your audience can engage with your company in a way that is beneficial to your brand in a number of ways.

Consider adding customer testimonials or reviews to your website or in your emails. This can help people who are on the fence about choosing your company make the right decision. For the customers leaving reviews, it further solidifies your brand in their minds, promoting brand awareness.

Case Studies

Case studies are an awesome way to illustrate how your brand has really helped out a specific customer or client in a tangible way. This is a place where you can highlight special uses or applications for your products or services.

This content type can aid your potential customers in better understanding what value you can offer them. It can also help to build trust with those that are just learning about your company, service, or product.

You’ll want to seek the permission of the customer you are featuring before posting their case study. Also, find a client that will be willing to provide statistics, quotes, and other information that can really display how your company has had positive benefits for them.

Whitepapers

Whitepapers are often misunderstood as a form of content marketing. These aren’t the same thing as eBooks even though they are both long-form content.

Densely packed with information and data, whitepapers pay attention to details and help inform the buyer’s decision to become a customer. There’s nothing wrong with making whitepapers visually appealing, in fact, it can be great to include graphs, charts, and other visualized data. The content, though, is more on the utilitarian side of things.

Influencer Content

A marketing campaign can benefit greatly from industry influencers. When influencers promote your content and your products, it can help you to reach an audience that you otherwise didn’t have access to.

While some small businesses might feel like it’s a stretch to have an influencer boost their brand awareness, it’s more possible than you might think. All you have to do is reach out to their manager or company directly, or you can email their representation with a press release.

How-To Guides

Another great form of content comes in the form of how-to guides. This is a great way to get social shares, traffic, and links to your website or blog.

When you set out to create a how-to guide, you’ll want to make sure that you aren’t writing an “ultimate guide” that has been written a thousand times before. Otherwise, you will find yourself outranked by more established pages.

On the other hand, if you write a how-to guide on a topic that has no web presence because people aren’t very interested in it, that’s also not going to get you very far.

The key is to find the sweet spot in the middle. You can also read all of the other pieces of content online about your chosen topic and take note of what information is missing from them. This way, you can offer something new and valuable to the conversation, drawing in your audience to your site.

Slideshows

One great way to show off both images and text is with slideshows. You can also use slideshows to display small pieces or content or lists.

Checklists

Everyone is always trying to keep their chaotic lives organized. For this reason, offering content in a checklist format can be a great way to offer value.

With checklists, you are presenting information in a step-by-step or laundry-list format. Easy to create and providing a lot of value, these are a good type of content for even the smallest business.

When picking a topic for a checklist post, you’ll want to make sure it’s relevant to your brand and your audience.

Social Media Posts

Social media has become an incredibly powerful content marketing tool. This is a place where you are encouraging engagement between the brand and the audience.

There are countless social media platforms but there are a handful where most people in the population are spending their time. That being said, you’ll want to look closely at who your audience is before you decide where to focus your social media marketing energy. For some products or services, you might find that the bulk of your audience is mostly using Facebook, while for others, they might be spending more time on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or another major platform.

Another great thing about social media is that you can use it as a place to gain traction for your other types of content. You can link to your blog posts, videos, eBooks, and more on your social media pages.

Remember, social media is a place where the conversation is a two-way street. This is a place where your audience can interact with you, offering a unique opportunity for engagement and relationship building.

The Different Types of Content Marketing: Is It Time For You to Boost Your Traffic and Sales?

As you can see, there is a long list of different types of content marketing. While this list covers some of the most common types, it doesn’t even touch on every potential possibility.

Depending on your audience, brand, and product or service, some of these content marketing strategies might be more or less appropriate for your needs. Hiring a professional SEO or digital marketing company can help you focus your content marketing in the direction that will be most beneficial for your brand.

At Latitude Park, we help you get the target traffic you’re looking for. We have honed a successful and proven strategy over the last decade and offer a managed service that combines link building, premium content, on-page services, and reporting.

Are you looking to increase your traffic and boost your sales by optimizing your web presence? If so, contact us to set up a free consultation today!