6 minute read

Content marketing is not only about writing for blogs. There are actually 6 crucial types of content marketing that will affect your viewers in different ways and reach them at various stages of their buyer’s journey.

If you already have a blog within your website and are consistently posting content, then you are already on the right track. Even if your blog is already catching attention from outside readers and followers, try incorporating these types of content marketing to enhance their experience and increase your returns on all of the hard work.

1) Visual Graphics

Visuals are an important type of content marketing such as infographics, diagrams, and memes. They are a great way to show information or statistical data, in a visual way, that better gets across your ideas and expressions to your target audience.

How To Do It

Create infographics, diagrams, or memes through various online services or by hiring a graphic designer.

When To Use It

Some of these options are a great way to turn complex information into concise easy-to-follow ideas for readers, while others are used for pure entertainment that is shareable and will expand reach.

Things To Keep In Mind

Some online services, such as Piktochart and Giphy, offer free or inexpensive options for creating visual content online and on your own. There is also a higher quality option by hiring a professional graphic designer or company, but it will cost you depending on your intentions for the content and the complexity. The benefit of hiring a pro is that they are skilled at creatively attracting your target audience, properly guiding them around the info, and getting the important parts to stick with viewers.

2) Guides And How-To’s

A guide or how-to is a detailed type of content marketing that provides specific information that a reader needs in order to complete something, such as a step-by-step process, guidelines to success, or checklist.

How To Do It

Focus on setting up the guide in bullet points or splitting it up into sections to create a concise and organized explanation for your readers to follow.

When To Use It

Guides, how-to’s and checklists are a great way to harvest email addresses from followers who want to gain more information on a specific topic. Lists and steps are a very effective way to gain authority in your industry by educating your target audience. These are one of the most popular types of content. They provide a lot of long tail search potential due to these popular long tail query introductions: “How to…” and “How do I…”?

Things To Keep In Mind

Writing a guide or how-to requires a good writer, a good designer, and a good idea. You may wish to present the guide as a downloadable PDF. The more thorough your explanation is, the better. Diagrams, videos, and pictures can all help enhance the quality of their educational experience and the success rate of them completing their task.

3) Opinions & Comparisons

Your readers are always interested in knowing what you (the authority) think about a specific topic, service or product. They also might need help making a decision on something. So why not incorporate this type of content into your marketing strategy?

How To Do It

Depending on your audience you can write a review on a service, make a comparison chart on several products, or give your professional opinion on a topic.

  • First, find a something that relates to what your readers are looking into or you believe that they would enjoy.
  • Then, test the product or service, or research the topic for yourself.
  • Next, create a discussion about it by including your rating, review process, recommendation, facts, data source, questions you still have, and/or comparison points for the readers based on your findings.

When To Use It

These reviews, comparisons and opinions; when put into a constructive environment, can help increase your authority within your online community. It’s a great opportunity when you want to provide free advice, feedback or a referral to your readers in order to increase traffic and even revenue down the road.

Things To Keep In Mind

Opinion content should not be shared on a daily basis. Your opinion doesn’t have to be a “rant” and can be a simple review, constructive criticism, or a comparison chart on a service or product. If misused, your opinion can land you in trouble or have a negative affect, so be careful.

4) Videos

A good video communicates a message in a succinct and memorable way. If done well, videos can be an extraordinarily persuasive tool in your marketing strategy. In general, people will watch and share a video more than any other type of content marketing.

How To Do It

Nowadays, videos are not difficult to create and upload online, either on social media or directly to your website/blog. You can use your phone to record a homemade video, or you can invest in a professional camera or studio time. High quality video editing software can be pricey, but it can easily turn your home video into memorable return on your investment. Having a script to go off of or practicing what you’d say in advance will return a better result than just winging it. It will also cut down on editing time.

When To Use It

Aside from using video to directly market your product or service, many bloggers are incorporating video blogs (also known as “vlogs”) or video testimonials to give their audience a personal touch and sense of authenticity. Video DIY’s, webcasts, and webinars can also be used when viewers need a more visual guide to absorb the info or become more engaged.

Things To Keep In Mind

Make use of free services such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo to post your videos. They are extremely effective by encouraging your followers to share with other people and extending your reach, just as you would want with other types of marketing content.

5) Interviews

Interviewing a leader in your industry can help you earn a lot of respect from others in the field, as well as, increased traffic to your website, blog, or social media.

How To Do It

Find an industry specialist to answer your audience’s questions or even a well-known public figure that your audience has requested or would be highly interested in. Interviews are unique, personal and can even include a set of Q&A’s that you or the audience can come up with for the interviewee. This gets your audience more involved and excites them to share it with friends and co-workers. This can be done in writing, but a video will have a greater outcome. When you post it on your website or blog, you should really include the video and transcript for optimal gains.

When To Use It

This can be used when you want to increase traffic, gain new followers, or build additional relationships within your current audience members.

Things To Keep In Mind

An interview is a great way to network within your industry and create relationships with the person who is speaking with you. Having a previous relationship with the interviewee beforehand can create a more meaningful conversation for your audience.

6) Research & Case Studies

Back up your product, service or industry with some well-planned and deeply researched evidence. Proving your product is better, your service actually works, or demonstrating your knowledge on this topic is huge in building up your reputation and brand.

How To Do It

Find accurate information that supports your findings or theories that you would like to share with your viewers on a specific topic. You can even incorporate a case study within your research that explains what your product or service is and how it helped a client/customer out successfully. Adding more testimonials towards your company’s reputation makes it more authentic and very valuable. An informational article with citable facts and explanation of how something works and why it worked helps people relate to it, trust you more, and gives them the knowing of what to look for in the future.

When To Use It

Sharing substantial data and statistical findings with others is a powerful way to drive traffic, build trust, establish your authority, and sell your product/service. This type of content marketing creates a conversation between others in the industry and your name will be brought up.

Things To Keep In Mind

People will respect someone who has worked hard to provide accurate information. Make sure to provide links to your data and sources. Also, don’t post anything you’re unsure about or you know is false, it will hurt you more than help you in the long-run.

For more tips on gaining web traffic, educating your audience, and increasing sales through content marketing, check out our free eBook below!

eBook Content Marketing Strategies and Knowing Your Audience