Are you creating content that your audience will actually consume? There is a lot of content out there. Much of it created for the sake of simply creating content as many businesses have prioritized creating content over other forms of marketing in the hopes of generating awareness and leads by providing value to their target audiences.
When done right, it works really well and can have significant returns for your business. When done wrong (10 content marketing mistakes to avoid), it’s a waste of time and resources. The key to smart content marketing is creating content that your audience needs, wants or desires. It’s consumable content. If presented in the right form, with the right information and at the right time… it becomes a powerful marketing tool. Here are 14 ways to create content that your audience will love.
1. Long Form Blog Content
An intensive and informative blog article that goes deep on a particular subject can be very beneficial to elevating your credibility as a subject matter expert. Blog articles over 1,500 words attract a different audience – one which is considerably more interested in understanding the topic in a more meaningful way. It’s a very targeted audience who is highly likely to convert into a customer, given your content is of the highest quality and value.
2. How-To’s
3. Lists
A substantive list can go a long way. Lists can be anything from what influencers to follow to reasons for not doing something… and everything in between. People love lists because they are easily digestible… even when they are long. Lists can focus on the positive (like this list of startup marketing tips) or negative (like this list of content marketing mistakes to avoid).
4: Statistics and Facts
5: FAQs
FAQs are a simple way to ensure that you answer questions that are top of mind to your audience. Showcasing FAQs can be done in so many different ways – from infographics to video Q&A sessions. Your goal with FAQ content is to keep your audience informed and satisfied. Think outside of the traditional FAQ section on a website. Make it interactive and informative.
6: Memes and Visual Quotes
7: Infographics
8: White Papers
White papers provide highly valuable content to a very targeted audience. Similar to a long form blog post, a white paper goes deep on a certain topic… presenting information in a structured format for download and/or printing. Repurposing your best performing blog content into a more comprehensive white paper can provide the additional information your audience may be seeking. Gating white paper content as a lead magnet also works as a lead generation tool.
9: Photos and Videos
10: Polls
Get your audience to interact with you and your content by creating quick and easy polls. The poll itself can be content-based, but also take the time to share out the results. Twitter and Facebook polls are easy to administer and help to get your audience engaged and talking about a certain topic.
11: Bite-Size Content
12: Snapchat / Instagram Stories
Be a storyteller! Instagram and Snapchat both have story features that allow you to tell a very visual and compelling story to your audience. While ad-hoc images and videos are fine, being able to tell a brief but powerful story through a series of images and videos will provide the highest return on your time with these platforms. Have fun with filters, overlays, stickers and text… but always remain true to your brand and your audience.
13: Live Video Broadcasts
14: Webinars
Walking your audience through a lesson or how-to do something is not only powerful for sharing your content, but also can be a great way to generate new leads. Webinars provide the perfect platform for teaching your audience something that is of high-interest to them. They can be recorded or live, depending on your preference… and often times can be repurposed as replays in the future.
Summary
Creating content that resonates with your target audience should be a priority. Keep it fresh and exciting for your audience, but always provide value. Content comes in many different forms and formats. Test different options to see what your audiences is drawn to.
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Darcy Schuller is the Chief Digital Marketing and Brand Strategist at Suvonni, an innovative boutique digital marketing agency based out of St Petersburg, FL. As a leader in the digital marketing space, Darcy is passionate about helping clients build stronger brands through elevated customer engagement, social media marketing, content marketing and dynamic web experiences. Darcy is a respected marketing thought leader, speaker and consultant.
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