A few years ago, we said content is king when it comes to marketing. Today, content is no longer king—it’s air. Good content is necessary for every single aspect of your marketing efforts. Without it, everything you do will fall flat on its face. Think about it. You can’t have SEO, social, advertising or even brochures without content that your customers want to interact with.
But creating content is a lot of work, and it’s hard to know where to begin sometimes. Luckily for you, we have our five favorite types of content and where you can use them online.
This encompasses everything from blog posts, to product descriptions and case studies. Written word is often the first thing people think of when they hear the phrase web content which makes sense because it is the most used content type on the internet.
While written content isn’t always as sexy as visual content, it’s very effective and has a lot of applications. Web pages, social posts, case studies, infographics, and videos all include some form of written copy. Imagine arriving on a website that had no words. And what’s an Instagram post without a caption?
Point being – written content is can powerfully convey your message and it supplements all other types of content.
Remember that sexy visual content we talked about earlier? Video is a big piece of that. Most people alive today grew up watching TV and began consuming video content from a young age. Our minds are wired to be drawn to video when we see it. Case and point – when you go to a restaurant with TVs and stare at the screen even if you don’t care about what’s on. It’s ok. We all do it.
The same concept applies when you arrive at a website or scroll through Facebook—your eyes are immediately drawn to movement. Not only are videos great for grabbing attention, they’re perfect for telling a story, promoting a product or service and showcasing your brand to a new audience (and like, a thousand other things).
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Product photography, lifestyle images, graphics and icons can bring a page or a social post to life and engage users in a way words alone simply can’t. When was the last time you saw a Facebook post that was just words?
An awesome web page always has images and graphics that break up the copy and help tell the story in a more engaging way.
Want to really wow your audience and make them remember you? Give them something to interact with. Have you recently taken a Buzzfeed quiz, let your kids participate in a learning activity on a website or played a game online? If so, we bet you remember which type of garlic bread you are based on the castle you want to live in.
Quizzes and other interactive content isn’t just a Buzzfeed thing. Colleges often create fun quizzes to help students choose their major, and local nonprofits offer interactive educational content on their websites. The possibilities are endless. And the more interactive your brand is online, the more likely your audience is to engage with you.
Sure, video killed the radio star. But now podcasts are back for revenge. It seems like everyone has a podcast today and for good reason. They’re cheap to produce and getting on streaming services like iTunes and Stitcher is easier than ever. While we often think of podcasts as things done by individuals – brands like GE, Shopify and Slack have their own very successful podcasts.
Much like a blog or vlog, a podcast allows brands to interact with their audience in a way that doesn’t feel salesy and provides value outside of the traditional products or services they sell. The more value you can provide your audience, the more likely they are to purchase your products when the time comes.
Want to learn more about how your brand can create content that engages and enchants your audience? Talk to us today?