Great content — which is user-oriented and value-driven — yields remarkable results. And the best thing is that it can be exceptionally resource-friendly, allowing you to generate impressive ROI with minimal investments.
But the thing about content marketing is that, despite its many benefits, most marketers still only see it as a method of generating organic website traffic. Yet, it can do so much more.
If you think about it, the right content can elevate any of your marketing campaigns, regardless of whether you're trying to boost brand awareness, increase sales, or enhance brand credibility.
Looking for tips on how to get more out of the resources you produce and publish? Learn how to use different content types to boost your marketing campaigns.
Blog posts are usually the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions content marketing. And with good reason.
According to data, brands and content creators publish approximately 7.5 million blog posts per day. So, it should come as no surprise that this format offers significant benefits. After all, why would all those people bother if blogs didn't yield results?
In addition to the standard way of using blog posts to maximise the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns — attracting organic traffic to your site — you can also experiment with alternative ways to utilise these resources.
For example, to improve your site's overall rankings, creating buying guides can be an excellent choice. Why? Well, research shows that about one-third of consumers actively seek product evaluation resources like price comparisons.
So, if you can invest in this content format, you can attract a ready-to-buy segment of your target audience and easily guide them through the sales funnel.
To make this content type work for your business, prioritise meeting your ideal customers' expectations.
For instance, if you check out this guide on Startup Resources, you'll notice that the brand addresses each of its target audience's needs, optimising for objectivity and value. The result is a comparison page that secures the #1 position on Google, ensuring that the brand wins tons of organic traffic and positions itself as the go-to authority on startup tools.
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Source: startupresources.com
Sometimes, the most profitable way to use written content is to maximise brand awareness. After all, seeing how impactful familiarity is in attracting consumers, it's only natural to aim to make your business a household name.
However, in some cases, your target audience may already be familiar with your business. Yet, they may not understand the benefits of investing in your products.
In these situations, the best use for blog content is to employ it to create a market for your products.
For example, if you know that your target audience is interested in a subject but still doesn't see the value of your solutions, why not create content to attract their attention? That way, you can utilise your articles in a way that will boost product awareness. Moreover, by strategically placing transactional links, you can encourage conversions and capture leads/customers in the top stages of the sales funnel.
BJJ Fanatics employs this strategy with its Gilbert Burns fighter profile page.
Knowing that its prospects want to learn more about martial arts athletes, the brand uses the content to capture their interest. Then, it employs well-made conversion elements to present the value its Insiders Club subscription offers, including perks like private lessons, deals, and educational resources.
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Source: bjjfanatics.com
Visuals are exceptionally effective at helping you communicate with your target audience.
They can allow you to present your value propositions more effectively than with words. They can help build emotional connections with your prospects. And they're even a practical tool for maximising brand recognition.
However, as you explore ways to employ different content types to boost your marketing campaigns, examine tactics to utilise visual formats to achieve slightly more goal-oriented results.
One of the best methods to benefit from visual content in your marketing campaigns is to explore ways to use images to boost sales.
If you look at how people make shopping decisions online, you'll find that they often look at images to gauge the quality and practicality of potential solutions. So, if you wish to improve conversion rates — especially on product or collection pages — it's essential that you invest in attractive, attention-grabbing imagery that will inspire web visitors to click the "Buy" button.
Of course, you don't have to go over the top with imagery. But, knowing how to use photos to present your solutions in a positive light — like you can see on the Ovaeda Composite Gates collections page below — you can hugely increase the chances of a web visit resulting in a sale, maximising the ROI of your paid and organic marketing campaigns attracting traffic to specific conversion-oriented pages.
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Source: ovaeda.com
Alternatively, if your solution necessitates in-depth knowledge to generate conversions, consider investing in video content to show off on key landing or product pages.
According to Wyzowl, videos not only inspire conversions but also help boost product understanding. And, more often than not, they're people's preferred way of learning about a new solution.
So, explore opportunities to add relevant video content to your conversion-oriented pages. For inspiration, check out the Vinyl Status Custom Metal Stickers page. This brand uses a short video to explore how its niche service works. The result is an easy-to-understand resource that's more than just user-friendly. It's also the perfect way for the brand to present its more unconventional products.
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Source: vinylstatus.com
Earning and retaining your target audience's trust is essential for ensuring the success of your business. And no content format is as effective at maximising brand credibility as social proof.
So, if you're trying to position your business as a trustworthy, user-oriented entity in your industry, why not employ advanced social proof to get your message across?
Sometimes, the easiest way to prove your brand's competence and credibility is to show off real-life data proving your positive track record in removing consumer pain points.
So, whether you choose to display product ratings, customer testimonials, or third-party certificates on your product or landing pages — DialMyCalls does all three on its homepage — is entirely up to you. But make sure to display such trust-building content in high-impact spots. That way, you'll attract your prospect's attention and positively impact how your potential customers perceive your business.
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Source: dialmycalls.com
Reviews and ratings work exceptionally at enhancing your branding campaigns. Nonetheless, you must understand that branded content isn't always your biggest ally in positioning your business as an industry leader.
Instead, if you want your target audience to see your value propositions as credible and authentic, consider incorporating user-generated content in your marketing campaigns.
In some cases, something as simple as supplementing your landing pages with a UGC section — as done by Teva — will be more than enough.
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Source: teva.com
Other times (especially if you're targeting B2B buyers or selling complex solutions), you'll have to work harder to demonstrate the authenticity of your claims.
In these situations, case studies — like the ones on the Fullstory Industries page — will be the best content format to help you reach your goals, seeing that they're highly specific, data-based, and include some form of testimonial that supports your value proposition.
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Source: fullstory.com
People's social media usage averages at 143 minutes per day in 2024.
So, if you want to reach your target audience, social networks are the way to go — especially if you're prepared to invest in high-quality, engaging content.
However, standing out on social media can be challenging if you haven't got a huge base of followers (or a big budget). You'll need to find creative ways to capture your audience's attention, get them to interact with your brand, and gently nurture ToFu prospects into customers.
One of the easiest (and most cost-effective) tactics for boosting your social media campaigns is repurposing existing long-form content into snackable posts for the social networks of your choice.
Why? Well, these resources generally contain a large amount of value to your target audience. If you can deliver that value in an easy-to-consume way without waiting for your prospects to seek it out, you can effectively capture their attention and get them to take a closer look at your brand's offer.
For example, knowing that its potential customers need high-quality, data-based advice on maximising business potential, Loom repurposes long-form blog posts into Instagram carousels to encourage followers to visit its website and interact with its blog posts.
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Source: instagram.com
Or, if you're looking for ways to make your social media campaigns even more effective at engaging your audience, why not infuse your ephemeral posts with interactive elements?
Adding a dose of interactivity is a great way to make your social media campaigns more effective at attracting audiences. More than that, these functionalities could even help inspire your prospects to convert.
For example, Max Factor invites TikTok followers to pause a video to find their perfect lipstick. And while the post is intended to act as a product-discovery tool for the business, it's also a fun game to play that could inspire makeup enthusiasts to give a new product a try.
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Source: tiktok.com
Getting the most out of your content and using novel formats to boost your marketing campaigns doesn't have to be challenging. However, it does require you to understand your target audience's needs and to embrace a creative approach to content production and distribution.
The formats and strategies discussed in this article are all excellent ways to help your business reach its goals. Nonetheless, don't hesitate to implement these same tactics to other marketing methods your brand may be using — whether those include email newsletters, educational resources, or your brand's own podcast.
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