9th November, 2023
If you’re already thinking about the best growth strategy for next year and beyond, content marketing is the name of the game.
Research shows that people spend mind-boggling amounts of time online (6 hours and 40 minutes per day, to be precise). And they spend most of that time consuming various types of content.
So, if you’re looking for the most effective types of content you can use to grow your business, read on.
Blogging is not only an affordable way to attract your target audience. Combined with SEO, it also delivers a great ROI — especially knowing that 60% of internet users regularly read blogs.
To get great results from blog posts, you’ll need to prioritize quality and usefulness.
That means approaching your articles from a user-first standpoint. Enrich them with verified info — like Eachnight did in the How to Wake Up Early article. Also, make them easy to consume by maximising readability.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of blogging and step up your content marketing game, long-form content is the way to go.
Articles with at least 1,000 words don’t just rank better on SERPs but also get 77.2% more backlinks than shorter articles.
The key with long-form content is knowing the position of your readers in the sales funnel.
When producing articles for the awareness stage, try to answer your audience’s questions and gently introduce them to your solutions.
ATH does this in its Best Natural Pre-Workout Supplements to Minimize Workout Fatigue article.
In this resource, the brand covers five different ingredients, only hinting that it sells these supplements.
The focus on information over sales is an excellent way to earn buyer trust. Plus, it encourages further interactions with the brand.
For the consideration stage, equip your audience with high-quality information while slowly incorporating product mentions in your content marketing efforts.
If you check out the Canoe vs. Kayak guide on the GILI website, you’ll notice that it includes several product links, gently encouraging readers to check out the brand’s offer.
For the decision stage, your long-form content can finally transform into a sales-oriented resource.
Create buying guides like the Best Exercise Bikes resource by Tom’s Guide. And make sure you include direct purchase links so your audience can buy straight from your site.
Lastly, remember the post-purchase stage of the buyer journey and use content and content marketing to equip your buyers with knowledge to keep them happy with your products.
If you check out the ShopSolar Solar System Maintenance guide, you’ll see that it’s an excellent instance of content made to boost customer satisfaction and nurture loyalty.
Interactive tools see 52.6% more engagement than static alternatives.
So, explore opportunities to design content that your audience will enjoy using.
For example, MarketBeat gives prospects access to tools like its Stock Average Calculator.
This tool allows potential subscribers to optimise their investment portfolio while building MarketBeat’s reputation as a credible, resourceful platform.
Videos deliver an impressive ROI, regardless of whether you’re trying to boost sales, improve brand awareness, or maximise engagement.
According to Vistia, product videos, live events, and short-form videos perform best in all regards.
Invest in high-quality explainers (like the one featured on the Trello homepage), along with multiple short-form videos you can share on social media.
For a slightly more involved format as part of your content marketing approach, consider investing in a podcast.
Data shows that 25% of podcast listeners do most of their listening in a car, showing that this format does an excellent job of reaching consumers where blogs and videos couldn’t.
Combine podcasting with other content marketing formats and use blog posts to advertise your show.
That way, you can capture your target audience’s attention with blogging and then gently nudge them toward consuming your more engaging content.
You’ll find a great example of this in the How to Build a Successful E-Learning Platform post on the Trustshoring website.
You need to reach your audience in the spaces where they’re the most likely to notice (and appreciate) your content marketing efforts.
Research shows that email marketing is particularly effective at engaging and converting users.
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So, do your best to capture newsletter subscribers. Take a look at how they do it on the Smash.vc website with the Best Investing Newsletters page.
Additionally, don’t forget to develop a rational social media marketing strategy. After all, knowing that people spend 2.5 hours on socials every day, it’s only natural that you’d invest in content for these platforms.
You can implement all these content marketing formats into your content strategy, or you can focus your energy on getting one or two right.
Either way, know that investing in these types of content marketing will deliver tangible benefits, so just stay consistent.
