{"id":12091,"date":"2022-02-14T12:53:28","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T11:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=12091"},"modified":"2022-12-20T18:18:13","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T17:18:13","slug":"top-content-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/top-content-types\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 7 Content Types and How To Use Them: An Actionable Guide for Marketers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The importance of quality content to the growth and success of a company has been getting increasing attention over the past few years.<\/strong> This is even more true now\u2014due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing changes it has brought to working practices and lifestyles, individuals have been spending more time online than at any other time in history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With users in front of screens for longer periods of the day, marketers have had more opportunities to have their content seen by new audiences. This has enabled digital marketing teams to use articles, videos, and social media posts to build trust and loyalty with users, while simultaneously getting across the key messages of the brand and its products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it\u2019s not just the recent surge in demand for online content that has resulted in content marketing attracting the interest of businesses. What has always been true is that in a competitive online environment, consistently produced, high-quality content combined with a user-centric content marketing strategy is a highly effective growth method that builds brand authority and drives sales.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, great content has been found to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/benefits-high-quality-content-consistency-brand\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">influence customer decision-making more effectively than any other technique<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Content marketing can generate over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2017\/10\/stats-invest-content-marketing\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">three times as many leads<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as outbound marketing and cost 62% less. With figures like these in mind, it\u2019s no wonder that companies are typically investing between 25% and 30% of their marketing budget on content marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbesagencycouncil\/2021\/01\/20\/how-much-should-your-company-budget-for-content-marketing\/?sh=7fa5a966047c\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">84% of all businesses having a content marketing strategy of some kind<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it\u2019s fairly clear that those who aren\u2019t taking advantage of content marketing in some capacity are missing out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Content can have numerous purposes and goals. Here are some of the most common ones:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To reach new targeted audiences\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To educate potential users on an industry and its value\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To communicate the company\u2019s vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To persuade a potential customer of the benefits of a service\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To build brand authority and increase trust<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To give you a bit more of an idea of the various ways in which content marketing can bring a business to the next level, let\u2019s look at seven of the most popular types. We\u2019ll examine why each is so effective, as well as how best to use them to make the most of the content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If one of the content types catches your eye, then simply use the clickable menu:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#blogs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogs<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#listicles\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listicles<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#ebooks\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ebooks<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#infographics\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infographics<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#video\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#guides\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How-to guides<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#case-studies\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Case studies<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"blogs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Blogs<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of a company blog is to publish engaging articles that keep customers and users up-to-date on the business, as well as the industry in which it specializes. However, many companies also use their on-site blog to educate, inform, and inspire readers on topics that are relevant to the product or service in order to increase the brand\u2019s visibility and attract more users to their site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boosts authority, builds trust\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When articles are produced in a compelling, informed, and inspiring way, a company\u2019s authority in the field is established. Two things then happen: firstly, trust is built between a user and the brand. Secondly, when a user has trust in a brand and its expertise, they will return to that site for information and education. In many cases, those who regularly turn to a brand for expertise transform into loyal and repeat customers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased visibility with SEO\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to building relationships between a brand and its users, a key reason for investing in a blog content strategy is because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO is when a company incorporates so-called \u201clongtail\u201d keywords into articles which address the concerns, questions, and interests of their target audience. Blog posts which contain these frequently searched-for keywords perform well on search engine results pages. This gives a business a unique opportunity to stand out from its competitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As SEO has evolved, and its value and impact on business increasingly recognized, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/seo-specialist-role\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO specialist role has emerged<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is their job to make sure that the right keywords are incorporated into content, which has become just one small part of the process involved in ranking highly on search engine results pages. The quality and originality of the content plays a major part, as does the regularity of posting. How an article is structured, tagged, and referenced by (or linked to) from other credible sites also inform its ranking.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teach and explain the products or service<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogs are the perfect opportunity to teach users about a product, and even how to use it. A business can publish field tests of products, answer popular FAQs in detail, and embed videos with product demonstrations, advice, or useful techniques targeted at their customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get direct user feedback<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An often underrated aspect of blogs is their interactive nature. When comments are turned on, users have the chance to start a discussion about themes in the post, ask the author questions, and provide valuable feedback on the post itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This creates a valuable conversation between the user and the brand, and provides even more value to other readers of the post who may have similar comments or questions. For the writer of the post and the content marketing team, comments on an article provide useful feedback on the article itself and can help them gauge user interest in the topic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus first on quality, <\/span><b>then<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on SEO. Keywords won\u2019t help you if your content isn\u2019t providing users with value in the first place<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use your blog as a teaching opportunity. When users learn something from you they don\u2019t just keep coming back\u2014they will also trust your expertise when it\u2019s time to buy a product or service\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answer questions in your posts that are important to your users. Don\u2019t just produce the same content as your competitors, or focus too heavily on what you\u2019re selling. Solve the user\u2019s problems first, and everything else will follow<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/digital-marketing-strategy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Is a Digital Marketing Strategy? (And How To Create One)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/cross-channel-marketing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Is Cross-Channel Marketing? Your Complete Guide<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/web-development\/what-is-github\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is GitHub? A Comprehensive GitHub Tutorial for Beginners<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"listicles\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Listicles<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the name suggests, listicles are articles which contain a list in them\u2014just like this post! Despite having something of a bad rap due to the number of clickbait articles associated with this content style, there are numerous benefits to producing this type of content. Regardless of its perceived gimmicky nature, they remain extremely popular with readers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easy to read<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listicles are extremely easy to read. Readers can skim the subheads and skip straight to the section which is most interesting or relevant to them. For newcomers to a theme or field, they\u2019re also a very quick way to get a good understanding of the main points of a subject without needing to spend hours with a textbook or studying complex articles online.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shareable\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With social media dominating so many aspects of our lives, it&#8217;s no surprise that in content creation the more shareable a piece of content is on social media, the more popular it will become.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to their easily-digestible nature, list articles are often repurposed and shared on social media sites. For example, a listicle can be transformed into a carousel post for Instagram with each slide containing a different numbered point of the post.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easy to write\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the content marketing team, the planning and production of a listicle is typically more straightforward than other types of articles. Once the numbered headers have been decided, the copywriter can easily follow the structure and fill in the necessary gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this simple structure, a listicle is not an excuse to write a poor quality article. Although it won\u2019t be going into as much depth as, say, a white paper, it should nevertheless be well researched, compelling, and with links to valuable resources that provide more information for readers who need it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t keep your list posts confined to your blog\u2013share them! Repurpose your listicles as infographics, social media posts, or use the same topics to produce short videos or animations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your listicles unique. Include expert quotes, cover topics in detail, and provide an angle that your competitors haven\u2019t covered<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spend time on the title! Avoid clickbait language at all costs\u2014instead use a title that is honest about the content it\u2019s describing while also encouraging users to click through and read<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/data-analytics\/data-analytics-companies\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7 Interesting Companies Using Data Analytics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/how-to-create-a-ux-strategy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Steps To Create an Effective UX Strategy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/in-demand-design-jobs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 10 Most In-Demand Design Job Titles in 2022<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Ebooks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the main goals of content marketing are to offer website visitors something of value, prove your company\u2019s expertise in your field, answer commonly-asked questions, and help users solve a problem. An ebook is therefore a great opportunity to do all of these things, but in considerably more detail than is typically common of a blog or social media post.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get down to the details\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to its length, an ebook is an opportunity to cover a topic in depth. Rather than just briefly outlining a theme, here you have the chance to quote different statistics and studies, debate research, and offer varied expert opinions. As pretty much all ebooks are available in a downloadable format, users can keep returning to the content at their leisure to get the answers that they need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adjusted expectations<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Users have adjusted expectations when accessing or downloading an ebook. In contrast to reading a blog post or viewing a social media story, users expect more than just the bare essentials of a topic, and are instead prepared to take in a sizable amount of information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to these altered expectations, readers are likely to invest time in reading and rereading segments of an ebook to get the full value out of this longer form piece of content.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Become known as an expert\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the increased length and complexity of an ebook over say, an article or a short video, ebooks help a brand to establish credibility and authority in its field of expertise. The more value an ebook can provide its readers, the more readers begin to associate the company with the information they\u2019re taking in. This demonstration of expertise establishes a brand as a trusted source for users when looking to solve related problems in the future.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get leads<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In line with other types of longform content, many ebooks are <\/span><b>gated<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which means that users have to provide an email address and their name in order to access or download it. For a company, this is an effective method of growing a database of warm leads. For users, this also enables them to be immediately informed when similar types of content become available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blog posts\u2014repurposed<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writing an ebook can be as simple as collecting together numerous high quality blog posts on a particular theme, adding visual elements, and publishing them in a single, downloadable file. This is a great way to get more out of content that has already been created for a blog, and give more people the chance to benefit from valuable content that they might have previously missed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to co-author your ebook to give it extra clout among both users and industry figures. Failing that, ask for some quotes from individuals in your field who you admire\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never just give it away! Make sure that in return for your ebook download, users provide an email address or even fill out a short survey. This is valuable data that will inform your other content marketing efforts\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"infographics\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Infographics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An infographic is typically a collection of eye-catching visual representations of information. This might take the form of graphs, charts, pie-charts, and stylized statistics accompanied by illustrations and a minimal amount of text. Infographics are used to help present what can be complex ideas or information in an engaging and easy-to-understand format.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peaking in popularity between 2012 and 2016, content marketers used infographics to transform research, studies, and statistics into memorable, easily-digestible, attention-grabbing and, crucially, highly-shareable visual content to promote information which supported the use of their product or service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although infographics are less commonly used now than five years ago, their continued impact shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. This compelling format still packs a punch when it comes to sharing knowledge quickly and succinctly to large groups of people.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easier to digest<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so much written content out there, it might be a surprise to learn that our brains actually process visual content much more easily than words. In fact, studies show we process visuals a whopping <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/how-visual-search-could-change-seo-for-e-commerce\/171475\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">60 times faster than text<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In the sea of text-heavy content out there, it also makes a welcome change. With a well-researched and delightfully designed infographic, users can find, digest, compare, memorize, and understand the information they need quickly with minimal effort and maximum enjoyment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reach new audiences<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there\u2019s definitely a time and a place for longform content (and we\u2019ll cover that later in this post), some people just don\u2019t have the time or inclination to wade through long articles, or study a company\u2019s latest white paper. Infographics are a neat way of engaging with users who are excited by a topic but short on time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highly shareable<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As infographics are so visually appealing, they are instant hits on social media, blogs, in emails, or on Slack. An infographic can be divided up into different cards to be used in an Instagram carousel, or embedded in a company newsletter. They can also be easily linked to in other articles from journalists or other companies which use the data from the infographic to support their own story, or promote their own product.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work closely with your design team to create eye-catching infographics that tell a story users can relate to and learn from<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research your subject matter thoroughly\u2014there\u2019s nothing worse than out-of-date information, or an infographic that\u2019s been done many times before\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t just hide your infographic in an email or newsletter. Share it on all your social media platforms, tweaking the accompanying text to match the audience you\u2019re catering to<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11092\" src=\"http:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/company-salary-update.jpg\" alt=\"UX designer salaries by company, including logos for companies listed in the article\" width=\"867\" height=\"599\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/company-salary-update.jpg 1190w, https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/company-salary-update-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/company-salary-update-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/company-salary-update-768x531.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An example of an infographic used on a UX designer salaries article.[\/caption]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"video\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Video<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it\u2019s an animation, a live video, an interview, a webinar, or a short instructional film, video is a unique way for companies to quite literally speak to their customers. Whether they\u2019re explaining how to use their product, troubleshooting common issues, demonstrating a feature, or teaching a technique, an engaging, personable video can bring a distinctly human touch to a company\u2019s content output.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The success of video on a company\u2019s growth is also gaining recognition. In fact, in 2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vidyard.com\/resources\/state-of-video-report\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">83% of marketers claimed that video was more important than ever before.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Platforms for publishing video content vary. YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are popular choices for putting videos in the public domain as they also enable sharing, likes, comments, and audience interaction. Other companies choose to embed videos into their own blogs or website pages. Videos can also be published as gated content, enabling companies to collect customer data.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explain your product<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A simple and compelling video explaining how your product works and, crucially, how it will help your users, will go a very long way towards turning users into customers. A video is an opportunity to show, not just tell, the specific workings of a feature or service, which can help potential customers visualize using that product themselves. A video is also an opportunity to troubleshoot common issues, answer most-asked customer questions, and address any common misconceptions in a personable way.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boost to SEO\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Videos which target common search terms are not only very useful to your customers (and help you to create a catalogue of evergreen video content which can be used for future campaigns), they also help you rank more highly on Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is because YouTube videos appear at the top of Google search engine results pages. As video is still less commonly used to answer searched-for questions than, say, blog posts or articles, this is a highly effective way for companies to still gain an edge over their competitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video is hugely popular<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in 2020, Twitter revealed that tweets which contain video receive ten times more engagement than those without, while Facebook boasts 8 billion video views a day. With the meteoric rise of platforms such as TikTok, these statistics should come as no surprise. Video is showing itself to be one of the most popular ways for users (particularly younger users), to quickly consume and share the content that interests them, and is an essential part of any content strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use this medium to show (rather than just tell) how to solve that common user issue\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create videos with titles that directly correspond to commonly searched for terms in your field<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Show your team\u2019s personality and inject some humor! Video is a great way to demonstrate the human side of your company\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give a short product or feature demonstration. Users will often prefer to watch how something works than read a blog post about it\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aFJpdHEvR64\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX Design Trends 2022 (And The Future Of UX\u2026)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XhPQbUsD9c0\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The UX Design Process For Beginners! (The 5 Key Stages)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6se1XWn3evg\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How To Job Search and Network In The UX Design Industry (2022)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"guides\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. How-to guides<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With \u201chow-to\u201d-style posts generating on average <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/blog\/tabid\/6307\/bid\/33163\/how-to-write-stellar-how-to-posts-for-your-business-blog.aspx\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">55% more views<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than all other types of posts, this is a content style that no digital marketing team can afford to ignore. But what exactly do we mean by a \u201chow-to\u201d post?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, it\u2019s an instructional post with clear steps for the reader to take in order to achieve a specific goal. A company will produce this type of article when the goal of the reader is in some way aligned with, or relevant to, the service or product that company is selling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evergreen content<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How-tos make for great <\/span><b>evergreen content<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A piece of evergreen content is when an article (or other type of content) can be referred back to over a long period of time; the content is not time-sensitive, and holds its value for users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How-tos fall into this category because new users to a service or product will likely have similar questions and queries to users from six months or a year before. Both will be looking for content that offers specific guidance or instruction to follow that can help them solve their problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great for repurposing\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to their explanatory nature, how-to articles are great for repurposing into other types of content. Let\u2019s take the title: \u201cHow to train for a marathon in 5 simple steps\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can be turned into:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Instagram carousel post, with a slide for each step\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A video, with a presenter or animation demonstrating each step\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An infographic, with each step illustrated with a drawing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It could even be expanded into a longer form blog post or ebook, whereby each step is not only described but also supported by research, statistics, or testimonials to prove why this is an effective way to reach your goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotes expertize<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re trying to establish yourself as a market leader, there is nothing more important than demonstrating the expertise of your team on your website or blog. How-tos are a very tangible way of doing this. They demonstrate expertise in the field while also solving your users\u2019 problems. As a way of building brand authority and demonstrating why users should trust your product, there are few more effective and accessible ways of doing so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answer commonly searched for questions in a direct way that provides tangible results for the user<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repurpose into social media posts, video, or an infographic (or all three)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask in-house experts from different teams to author guest posts in their area of expertise, or approach Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from outside the company to author guest posts\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/freelance-digital-marketing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How To Get Started in Freelance Digital Marketing: The Ultimate Career Guide for 2022<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ui-design\/how-to-storyboard\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How To Make a Storyboard: A Step-by-Step Guide for Designers and Animators<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/data-analytics\/how-to-create-a-checkbox-in-excel\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Create a Checkbox in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"case-studies\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Case Studies<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A case study is when an individual, experience, group of people, or event is studied in depth and in detail within a real world context. The purposes behind producing or commissioning a case study can be varied, but some of the most common reasons include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To describe a situation in detail\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To identify key issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To investigate a problem (and provide a solution)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To provide social proof\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o persuade readers that a product, or service can solve a problem<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many of us looking to friends, colleagues, or online reviews for product recommendations before making a purchasing decision, a case study can be an effective way for a marketing team to perform a similar role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A case study demonstrates to a potential customer how the product has been the solution for someone with a very similar problem to them. The potential customer identifies with the picture being painted, and is therefore much more likely to trust in and purchase the product themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Demonstrates knowledge of the user<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A case study demonstrates a company&#8217;s in-depth knowledge of its users\u2019 needs, goals, and problems through the depiction of detailed, real life scenarios and individuals. This makes the company seem more trustworthy to potential customers, who feel seen and understood. A case study also shows that the company has the right knowledge and expertise to solve these issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quotes, statistics, and testimonials for future content\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Case studies are an opportunity to gather positive quotes and testimonials from real customers who have had a positive experience with your product or service. These soundbites can then be reused on a host of different formats:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media posts\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On landing pages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In newsletters\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In advertising or sponsored posts\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Longer quotes or interviews can be turned into testimonial blog posts or, if recorded on film, can even be posted as a video on YouTube or on the company\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use it for maximum impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use your case study to demonstrate how your product solves a known user issue<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repurpose great quotes or interviews from the case study into other types of content<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of a case study as an opportunity to show users a \u201csneak peek\u201d into the customer\u2019s buying experience. Demonstrate what they too can expect if they become customers!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Examples:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/magazine\/sales-executive-to-ux-designer\/\">From Sales Executive to UX Designer at the BBC: How I Landed My First Job in the Industry<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/portfolios\/trevor-allen\/\">Trevor Allen&#8217;s Portfolio Project<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final thoughts\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope our rundown of popular content types has provided you with some new content format ideas, as well as some techniques and tricks to try that will help you make the most out of the content you already have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Got a blog post? Turn it into:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An infographic<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A video<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A chapter in an ebook<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A gated download<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Instagram post\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Got a case study? Turn it into:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testimonials for your landing pages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interview on YouTube<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quote for your listicle\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An example for your how-to\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably got the idea by now\u2026 If you only take away one thing from this post let it be this: <\/span><b>solve your user\u2019s problem with your content!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because high-quality, well-researched, user-focused content that addresses the needs and solves the problems of your target user group is the key to building long lasting customer relationships. Put simply, if you put the user at the center of your content strategy, they will keep coming back for more!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Interested in learning more about content and marketing? <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/short-courses\/become-a-digital-marketer\/\">CareerFoundry\u2019s free 5-day course<\/a>, or read these articles:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/what-is-copywriting\/\">What Is Copywriting? Your Ultimate Introductory Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/marketing-consultant-guide\/\">What Does a Marketing Consultant Do? Your Complete Career Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/marketing-resume-guide\/\">How To Write a Marketing Resume: Your Step-by-Step Guide (With Templates and Examples)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Great content has been found to influence customer decision-making more effectively than any other technique. So, what makes great content? What are the best content types available to marketers today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":12094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing"],"acf":{"homepage_category_featured":false},"modified_by":"Kirstie Sequitin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/85"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}