If you’ve heard the phrase “content is king” then you are probably aware that it’s important to have some form of content strategy. Since many people are going online everyday—3 in 10 U.S. adults say they are almost constantly online—it’s more critical than ever to be publishing eye-catching and high-quality content. When creating your content marketing strategy, you’ll need to decide what form of content works best for your business. In order to do this, you’ll need to be informed on the most popular types of content and generally what channels the content is published on. We’ve generated a list of 5 of some of the most popular types of content online.
Blogs
Blog posts are one of the most popular forms of content marketing. Usually, when people think of content marketing, they think first of blogs. A blog is generally short, but sometimes long, written text containing useful information. Blogs can take many forms including how-to guides, listicles, reviews and more. If you choose to focus on creating a content strategy focused on blogging, you’ll need to consider how you would like to share your blog posts. Most people choose to share the links to blogs on social media, after publishing them first on their website. Thinking about your target audiences can help your blogs perform better and attract more people to your website.
Videos
Videos are an exciting form of content that can grab people’s attention better than most forms of media. If you currently don’t use video marketing here are some stats that will probably change your mind. Most businesses already use video marketing as a tool—81% of businesses that is. This percentage has increased by 63% since last year. According to Google, most people would rather watch online videos than TV. Along with these statistics, mobile video consumption continues to rise by 100% every year. Videos can be a fun way to inform your audience about your products or services, as well as generate a following online. There are different types of videos, with lengths from a few seconds to several minutes. Some types are pre-produced while others are live. There are many different channels for videos including social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and more. Each social media platform allows a different length of videos. For example, TikTok videos are generally short and can only be up to 15 seconds long (unless users connect multiple clips together for up to 1 minute of videos). On the other hand, videos published on Facebook can be up to 240 minutes long. Some channels even have live streaming options, which are becoming increasingly popular. You can also choose to publish videos on your website to inform or attract others to your products or services.
Infographics
Infographics tell a story in an interesting, reliable and visually appealing way. They can share a variety of information and can come in many forms. Statistics support the success of infographics—about 84% of people who use infographics to market their business find it effective. When creating infographics, make sure that the graphic is visually appealing. You want the finished product to be clean and free of errors. Use color and images to make your graphic stand out, but also make sure that it is still easy to read and understand. Infographics can be used alongside blogs, in articles, emails, or social media posts.
Interactive content
Stagnant content is out, interactive content is in. Interactive content is becoming increasingly popular, especially on social media. People desire content that they can interact and communicate with, rather than just scrolling past. Mainly, interactive content can be found on platforms like Instagram. Instagram Stories provides a great place for businesses to develop interactive content like polls and quizzes. By using Instagram Stories features like polls and quizzes, you can invite your audience to share their opinions and give their input about your business, allowing you to address their concerns, questions, and advice. Not only does it provide you with valuable information, but it also gives your followers a way to be entertained. Another more exclusive feature is Instagram’s Swipe Up. You can only access this gizmo organically if you have a business account and more than 10,000 followers or you can pay for and use it in an Instagram Stories Ad. This feature allows you to link a webpage to your Instagram Stories, allowing you to encourage people to visit your website.
Podcasts
One form of content that has been showing extreme growth is podcasts. Podcasts are a unique form of content that allows companies to share expertise, experiences, stories, and information with an audience through recorded conversations. Even though this is a relatively new type of content, it has grown tremendously in recent years. In the first ten months of 2019, a record 192,000 new podcasts were launched. The statistics support the widespread use of podcasts: 51% of Americans aged 12 or older have listened to a podcast, and 32% of Americans listen to podcasts monthly. Podcasts are generally launched on apps like Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you choose to create a podcast, you may need to spend time figuring out how to use audio editing software and equipment. Podcasts are relatively easy to produce, although gaining a large audience and following does take work. Businesses with podcasts usually share them on social media or on their websites.
Other types of content
We’ve just shared 5 popular types of online content, but there are many more forms of content that you can utilize. You’ll want to select the form of content that best supports your objectives. Here are some other examples of content.
- Emails
- Photos
- Case studies
- White papers
- Research
- Webinars
- Articles
- eBooks
- Newsletters
- Slideshows
- Advertisements
Creating and managing content
After you’ve decided what formats of content you want to use, you’ll need to choose how you will manage your content creation and publication. Some companies may choose to hire an in-house content creator, while others may decide to hire a freelancer such as a graphic designer or photographer to create content. Others may decide to hire a marketing agency, since most agencies are equipped to handle all content creation and publication needs. Next, determine how you will publish your content. Often, people choose to promulgate their content with the assistance of publishing tools like Hootsuite. Frequently, they assign an employee or an agency to assist them with their publishing schedule. Now that we’ve shared this list of types of content, you’re on your way to developing an outstanding content calendar.
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