In terms of return on investment, content marketing is difficult to match. Content marketing creates three times the number of leads and costs 62 percent less to implement than traditional marketing techniques.
It’s no surprise that B2C and B2B marketers continue to place a premium on creating distinctive content. You’re probably aware that blogs are one of the most common types of content marketing employed by organizations, but they aren’t the only ones.
Continue reading if you’re just getting started with content marketing or want to add more diversity to your schedule.
We cover the following topics in this guide:
- Content marketing’s advantages.
- You may utilize a variety of content marketing techniques.
- To improve outcomes, use the best content marketing services and technologies available.
Determining the Purpose of Content Marketing
According to the Content Marketing Institute, information marketing is a systematic approach to marketing that involves the development and distribution of relevant content on a regular basis in order to attract your target audience.
Finally, a consistent stream of information should result in lucrative consumer behavior, such as sales.
Content marketing, unlike typical marketing methods, does not contain pitches or self-promotion.
Content marketers, on the other hand, provide clients with free value in the form of information, education, or entertainment.
Creating assets in a number of content categories is usually part of a complete content marketing plan.
Some of the types of content marketing are:
- Infographics
- Blogs
- Webinars
- Case studies
- Podcasts
- eBooks
Content Marketing’s Advantages
The ultimate objective of a content marketer is to increase sales. But how do they accomplish this?
Consistently delivering high-quality content helps content marketers develop trust with their target audience.
You may establish a relationship with potential consumers with content marketing without forcing them to make a purchase right now.
You may improve sales while lowering marketing costs by using content to establish trust.
Here are a few examples of the types of content marketing that may help businesses raise brand recognition and create more leads.
Conversion rates on websites may be increased by up to five times using content marketing. Year over year, content marketers drive 7.8 times more unique website visitors. 95% of B2B clients said that content helps them trust businesses. 61% of consumers have purchased something after reading about it on a blog.
The following are the main objectives for content marketing initiatives:
- Increasing the number of high-quality leads.
- Improving the brand’s reputation.
- Increasing consumer loyalty and engagement.
- Increase traffic
It’s safe to assume that content marketing may pay off at every stage of the purchasing process.
Types of Content Marketing
So, what exactly does a good content marketing strategy entail?
A solid plan, first and foremost, is one that is well-documented.It’s even better if you have a professional content marketing specialist in charge of your editorial calendar’s planning, execution, and analysis.
Second, success is based on a variety of content types but consistent delivery. Offering a range of content allows you to reach a wider audience and use content marketing at different stages of the customer journey.
Let’s take a look at some of the many sorts of content marketing formats you may employ in your approach.
1. Blogs
When you think about content marketing, one of the first things that come to mind is blogging. Blog material has been used by both bloggers and companies to create and monetize devoted followings.
When combined with SEO best practices, blogging has a huge influence.
Any inbound content marketing plan must include SEO. Inbound marketing refers to the process of attracting visitors to your website by producing useful content that appears in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Aside from the time it takes to produce a blog article, blogging has a very minimal cost. Businesses without a writing staff might opt to outsource blog post writing and still save money on marketing.
A tip for making blogs work for you is to: Concentrate on long-form content and SEO optimization to increase organic traffic while lowering ad expenditure.
2. Case Study
A case study is a piece of material that details your success with a specific customer.
Case studies are especially successful in the B2B market, where acquisitions are typically more expensive and risky.
When writing a case study, put focus on the customer first and the product second. In other words, your case study should read like a client tale in which your brand plays an important supporting part.
You may demonstrate to sales prospects that you can provide great outcomes for them by displaying your pleased clients.
Include precise information about your customer’s success story, and quantify positive results wherever possible to make case studies work for you.
3. E-Books
E-books are a great method to promote your brand as a knowledgeable or authoritative voice in your field.
To grow subscribers and discover eligible marketing leads, e-books are frequently utilized as lead magnets.
A company produces an e-book that is free to download and distributes through a landing page. To obtain the e-book download, the potential customer must subscribe to a newsletter or submit their email address.
A marketing qualified lead is someone who has downloaded your ebook and expressed interest in your brand or product. Make e-books work for you by including actionable advice in your ebook to assist your target audience in achieving their goals.
4. Infographics
While informative information is beneficial, it may easily become boring or thick.
If you want to teach a short-attention-span audience (essentially anybody on the internet), you can accomplish it using an infographic.
Infographics are visually appealing representations of facts on a certain topic.
To create a data-rich story using infographics, marketers utilize a combination of the following:
- Icons
- Images
- Text
- Data
- Diagrams
- Graphs
Infographics are a fantastic complement to blog content, and they’re also wonderful for improving social media engagement. Infographics are easier to read, absorb, and share because of the extra images.
To make infographics work for you, follow these tips: Find shareable statistics so you can get more backlinks and visibility when other content marketers link to your infographics.
5. Podcasts
Podcasts are digital audio recordings that are often transmitted in installments via the internet. Customers may download the audio files, listen on your website, or subscribe to podcasts using apps such as Spotify.
Why are podcasts so successful in a world when new video marketing formats are continually being developed (we’re looking at you, TikTok)?
Podcasts are a user-friendly kind of content marketing that allows people to receive information while doing other things.
Consider that for a moment.
A podcast may provide you with knowledge whether you’re driving, exercising, or cooking. When reading an e-book or viewing a video, multitasking is more difficult.
Podcasts were designed for individuals who are always on the move, and who isn’t these days? (With the exception of lockdown limitations.)
Podcasts can help you create leads and raise brand recognition, but that’s not all.
Working with sponsors or using affiliate marketing to build up additional money sources is a great way to start with podcasts.
To make podcasts work for you, here’s a tip: Invite guests to your show who are experts in their fields. If you’re new to podcasting, this will help you establish trust and increase interest among your target audience.
6. Webinars
What do you wish you could bring back from your college years? Classes, to be precise.
But, perhaps not. Despite this, 74% of professionals say they need additional training to realize their full potential.
People from all walks of life are signing up for webinars to acquire new skills, stay current on trends, and find out how to get the most out of your technology stack.
It’s no surprise that webinars produce the most high-quality leads for 73 percent of B2B firms.
Webinars are a great way to engage with your target audience while also delivering value and establishing your brand as a thought leader.
To make webinars work for you, record and repeat on-demand webinars for more essential subjects to boost your digital marketing plan ROI.
7. White Papers
A white paper is an authoritative study that promotes a certain course of action in order to educate readers and assist them in solving relevant problems.
White papers are larger (typically 3,000-5,000 words) than blog entries and are largely based on research and data.
In addition, white papers are PDF files that may be downloaded, whereas blog entries and articles are available as a website page.
Conclusion
So, what kind of material do you think your prospects and customers will find useful? Blog posts on a regular basis? What about Snapchat videos? Is it possible to have an educational podcast? While the possibilities are numerous, it’s ideal to employ a combination of all forms of content marketing in a way that best serves your target audience. Remember that digital marketing is an ever-evolving area, so what connects with your target demographic now may be outdated tomorrow. Continue to make adjustments to your plan as necessary.
