What’s the secret to building a thriving business?
Unlike what many people would have you believe, creating a strong brand doesn’t necessarily depend on offering the best and most advanced products and services in your industry. Nor does it require you to come up with entirely unique solutions. And a hefty marketing budget, despite being helpful, won’t guarantee success either.
No. The secret to ensuring that your business venture succeeds is reaching the right audience and building strong relationships with them.
And it just so turns out that one of the best ways to do this is with content marketing. More specifically, content produced with the intent to drive customer engagement.
But with so many content types, figuring out which ones to focus on can be difficult. Especially if your content marketing budget is modest and you want to get the biggest bang for your buck.
So, if you want to gain more engagement, use your content marketing budget to the fullest, and invest in pieces that will help your brand evolve, the following are the content types you need in your marketing strategy.
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Videos
One of the best investments you can make in 2022 and beyond, at least from a content marketing point of view, is to start producing and distributing video content.
Now, investing in this format may seem like a risk. After all, video can be difficult to produce. And, if you’re not sure about the ROI, it might not be worth the effort.
However, data shows that focusing your energy (and budget) on producing and distributing this content type truly pays off.
According to Vidyard, 93% of marketers say video converts the same or better than any other content format. Moreover, the engagement rates for videos are on the rise. An average of 54% of viewers watch videos through to the end. Of course, shorter is better to get the best results, so maybe try to limit the length of your videos.
More and more businesses are turning towards video to grab the attention of their target audiences. Based on data from IAB, spending on digital video advertising increased by 49% in 2021. Plus, it’s expected to grow an additional 26% in 2022, reaching a whopping $49.2B.
So, what’s the best way to do video if you want to engage your audiences? Well, there are two proven-to-work approaches you could employ in 2022.
Short-Form Videos
On the one hand, you could focus your attention on producing short-form videos. These are ideal for use on social media platforms. You can use them to:
- Grab audience attention
- Deliver snippets of valuable information to your existing customers.
- Diversify your brand’s content strategy by employing UGC.
To see this approach in action, look no further than the Netflix Instagram account.
This brand expertly utilizes the format of Reels to deliver bite-sized behind-the-scenes and exclusive content to audiences. By doing this, Netflix is (gently) encouraging its followers to become invested in its shows and movies, all the while keeping them entertained.
Long-Form Videos
On the other hand, you can use video to educate instead of entertain, which is a superb strategy if you’re targetting audiences in the top and mid-stages of the sales funnel.
According to research from Wyzowl, 73% of consumers prefer to learn about products by watching a short video. So why not invest in the format? Add it to your product pages, landing pages, or even your brand’s homepage, and you’re sure to see heightened interest in your products. Check out how it was done on the Wordable website.
Blog Posts
Producing and distributing written content may seem outdated in the age of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Nonetheless, the truth is that blogging is still relevant in 2022. And not just relevant — it could be argued that the production of written content is the basis of any fruitful content marketing strategy.
According to research by Hubspot, blogs were the second most popular content format in 2021. In fact, 48% of marketers successfully used them to reach audiences. Moreover, a survey from Semrush discovered that, when asked about the format, which delivered the best results, 36% of marketers listed blog posts, which were only outperformed by video.
And, if you consider the benefits of blogging which include a boost to SEO, a high ROI, and a low cost of production, it’s only natural that you’ll want to add blog posts to your content marketing strategy.
But, as you probably already know, not all blog posts are equally effective at driving engagement. So which ones should you focus on?
Well, the best way to choose the best type of post for your needs is to look at your target audience’s position in the sales funnel.
ToFu Content
Let’s imagine you’re targetting people in the awareness and discovery stages of the buyer’s journey. When that’s the case, the best way to engage them with content is to call their attention to the fact that you might have a possible solution to their needs.
This is what Fire Pit Surplus does with its Everything You Need to Know About Fire Bowls article. In this post, the brand introduces potential customers to a rarely-known product type and empowers them with the information they will need further along on their buyer’s journey. Note how the blog post answers basic questions such as:
- What’s the difference between a fire bowl and a fire pit?
- What is a fire bowl used for?
- How do fire bowls work?
- Can fire bowls be used indoors? Etc.
Thanks to this detailed yet beginner-friendly approach, Fire Pit Surplus is capable of engaging its potential customers. Moreover, it is gently nudging them towards the lower stages of the sales funnel, where they will decide which product to buy and, hopefully, purchase it from this brand.
MoFu Content
On the other hand, when targetting customers in the mid-stages of the sales funnel, the objective of your blog posts shouldn’t be to introduce new products. Instead, your goal should be to give your readers the information they need to make the best possible purchasing decisions.
For an excellent example of this type of written content, check out the Best Medical Alert Systems of 2022 guide by Medical Alert Buyers Guide. The resource covers a host of information about how these devices work, who can benefit from them, and how to get the most out of every option.
But what stands out is the comparison table towards the beginning of the article. The resource perfectly sums up the pros and cons of each option, allowing readers to make quick (but informed) decisions without having to go through walls of text or browse multiple sources to get the data they need.
Finally, don’t underestimate the role of written content in engaging your existing customers and helping you encourage loyalty.
BoFu Content
Finally, don’t forget that engaging your audiences after they’ve bought from you is equally important as capturing their attention before they’ve become your clients. After all, you’re probably aware that investing in customer loyalty delivers a 5x higher ROI than going after new ones.
Something as simple as producing content that aims to help buyers in the post-purchase stage of the sales funnel — like this 5 Best Tricep Exercises post from Transparent Labs for example— will ensure that your clients keep coming back to your site for valuable information. Moreover, it will keep your brand at the front of their minds, maximizing their chances of purchasing again, thereby boosting customer lifetime value and monetarily benefiting your business.
Visuals & Infographics
Using blog posts as your go-to content type makes for a logical solution. After all, they deliver exceptional results at a relatively affordable cost. Nonetheless, you’ll get even better outcomes if you start employing visuals in your content marketing strategy.
According to scientific research from 2019, something as simple as adding images to Twitter posts — like The Conran Shop does — positively impacts user engagement. Especially when those images are professionally shot.
So, if your goal is to draw more eyes to the articles you distribute on social media, this is a surefire way to ensure the results you’re after.
However, you can also go a step further and use visuals to do more than just grab audience attention.
For example, if you decide to invest in the production of infographics, you can provide your customers with unique value. Furthermore, you can help them improve information retention by using visuals. Plus, knowing that people are more likely to share content that includes images, you can enjoy the added benefit of boosted organic traffic.
And the great thing is, you don’t have to do extensive research or cover complex topics to create shareable infographics that benefit your audience. For a good example of this check out the GILI Sports post How to Buy An Inflatable Paddle Board. It has managed to deliver value to its potential customers by producing a couple of infographics describing the best use cases for different types of inflatable paddle boards.
User-Generated Content
If you’re looking for a content type that doesn’t just boost engagement but also increases your chances of converting web visitors into customers, you should definitely play around with UGC.
According to TINT’s 2022 State of UGC Report, adding user-generated content to your marketing strategies is one of the best ways to build more profound relationships with your audience. The organization’s research found that:
- 72% of consumers see reviews and testimonials as more credible than branded content.
- 64% of people are more likely to share content about a brand (or its products) if that brand is re-sharing UGC.
- 65% of consumers agree that including diverse voices in a brand’s content strategy is important.
So, if you’re looking to gain more engagement, it’s clear to see that UGC is a way to go about getting it. For starters, try to play around with the following formats.
Reviews & Ratings
This format of social proof is usually readily available to brands looking to boost engagement. And thanks to platforms like Google My Business, Trustpilot, and Yelp, they’re easily embedded onto landing and product pages, where they can positively impact brand perception, engagement, and conversion rates.
If you want to go the extra mile with social proof on your website, find ways to add it to content pages that target the top and mid-stages of the sales funnel, like the Best Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis Relief post from KURU Footwear.
When used in this way, UGC won’t just add a dose of authenticity and trustworthiness to your claims. It will also nudge your audience further down the funnel, making it more likely that they will convert and ensuring that they don’t go to your competitors to purchase the products they require.
Customer Stories
If you’re looking for a slightly more personal approach to UGC and social proof, you might experiment with ways to tell stories about your customers and how your products have impacted their lives/business results. Such interaction will most definietly boost customer engagement and will evoke positive emotions.
For example, a quick look at the ReadMe customer stories page shows an excellent instance of combining simple UGC with measurable data to engage website visitors and encourage them to move down the sales funnel.
Note how the copy highlights a pain point for each of the listed clients. Then, it invites web visitors to read more about how the product was capable of solving that pain point, cleverly utilizing UGC in the form of user quotes and screenshots.
Social Media Posts
Finally, if you’re planning on employing user-generated content in your marketing strategies, don’t forget to incorporate it on your social media channels.
Tailor Brands does this regularly, posting engaging short-form videos featuring real customers sharing how the company helped them build their business. This type of content isn’t just excellent social proof for Tailor Brands, it also makes the company look more human and trustworthy. It demonstrates that the company cares about not only their product but also their customers and what they have to say.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the eight content types you should try adding to your content marketing strategy right away. As you’ll see for yourself, these will all deliver excellent results and allow you to engage your audience and start building long-lasting relationships with them.
But once you’ve covered your bases, you can’t just stop. In fact, to ensure next-level engagement (and conversions), you should also try to play around with advanced content types such as webinars, original research, podcasts, and interactive content.
Yes, these will require a bigger budget and slightly more creativity. However, the benefits will also be amazing. So don’t be afraid of giving them a try.
