Content Types

Learn about the different types of content you can create to help meet your organization’s strategic goals.

The type of content your business or organization decides to create will depend on its content strategy and its audience’s content preferences.

In this lesson, we cover the following:

• Why Create Different Types Of Content
• Content Types vs Content Deliverables
• Overview Of Content Types (with a summary of best practices and challenges of creating this content)

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Why Create Different Types Of Content

Different users learn and consume content differently. While some users may prefer reading text on a screen, others may want something more visual like videos or infographics. Another group of users may find that they engage better with information via audio content formats, such as podcasts and narrated articles.

Content preferences also vary depending on the type of business you are and the audience you are targeting (e.g. B2B, B2C, etc.), the phase of the customer or buyer journey they are at, their search intent, and trends over time.

For example, according to a B2B content survey carried out by sales and marketing research company Demand Gen Report, B2B customers report relying increasingly more on well-researched content backed by data filled with insights to research and make their purchasing decisions, such as webinars and research-based content (e.g. survey and third-party analyst reports), ebooks, blogs, white papers, case studies, and community-based sources, such as industry newsletters.

Additionally, the research showed that users preferred different content at different stages of their buying journey.

For example, the most popular content formats for early-stage research were informational content like infographics, blogs, and podcasts, while assessments, webinars, and case studies were the preferred content types they researched during the mid-stage. For late-stage research, buyers cited the most useful content types being those that present concrete evidence such as user reviews, third-party analyst reports, and ROI calculators.

While B2B companies seem to choose content types backed by data and research, B2C companies make different choices.

For example, research from the Content Marketing Institute shows that B2C companies focused on creating content like short articles, videos, and infographics to reach their audiences.

B2C companies also seemed to experience better results using content types like short posts, videos, and virtual events/webinars/online courses.

As mentioned earlier, it’s also important to be aware of changes in content preferences over time.

For example, if you look at content marketing trends before and after the global pandemic, you can see that there’s been a change in the content types favored by B2C companies, especially in areas like social media content and in-person events.

Before deciding on the content type you will create, then, ask yourself questions like:

• What type of business model does your business fall into?
• Which audience group are you targeting?
• Which phase of the buyer journey are you addressing?
• What type(s) of content are companies similar to yours currently creating to reach your target audience?

Content Types vs Content Deliverables

According to Draft.dev, content types set the overall tone of an article, help the writer understand what perspective they should write from, and sets client expectations, while content deliverables define the actual contents of the article.

So while a content type helps to define the difference between creating an article as a “tutorial” or as a “guide,” the elements that will be included in the article, like screenshots, stock images, diagrams, code samples, etc. are the content deliverables.

Understanding this difference is important, because…

“Defining content types and deliverables helps to assign articles to the writers best suited for them, resulting in great content.”

Source: Draft.dev

For resources on sourcing content deliverables like stock images and screenshot/image editing software, see our Tools & Resources section.

Now that we have looked at why businesses may need to consider creating different types of content and the difference between content types and content deliverables, let’s look at different content formats and different content types.

Content Formats

There are many different types of content formats, including:

• Text: This is the most basic and common type of content and includes anything from articles and blog posts to emails and social media updates.
• Images: This type of content includes photographs, illustrations, and infographics. They can be used to supplement text or to convey information on their own.
• Video: This type of content includes anything from short clips and animations to full-length films and documentaries. Video can be used to tell stories, provide instructions, or demonstrate products.
• Audio: This type of content includes podcasts, music, and sound recordings. Audio can be used to tell stories, provide information, or entertain.
• Interactive: This type of content includes quizzes, polls, and interactive infographics. It allows the audience to engage with the content and can be used to gather information from the audience.
• Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR): This type of content provides immersive experiences, allowing the user to explore and interact with a digital environment. It can be used in gaming, education, and other industries.
• Live streaming: This type of content is a real-time broadcast of an event or activity. It can be used for events, news, and entertainment.

Content Types

Content can be delivered in digital or printed (i.e. physical) formats. The type of content and format your organization chooses to create will determine the content production process and content workflow to follow.

Although there are more than 100 ways of using content in content marketing, here are the main content types you may want to consider creating for your organization:

Articles & Blog Posts

Articles are a form of content suitable for publishing on the blog section of a website or as a page of the website itself (e.g. a landing page, company page, or product/services page).

Different types of articles can be written to suit different purposes. For example:

Tutorials

Tutorials are “how-to” articles that provide information showing readers how to complete certain tasks and how to achieve specific results. Tutorials can include detailed (or bullet point) step-by-step instructions videos, screenshots, examples (e.g. before and after images), etc.

You can write “how-to” tutorials on just about anything and everything. Simply open your web browser and type in “how to” into Google and you will see all kinds of suggestions popping up for “how to” searches that users are looking for.

• Check out an example of a detailed step-by-step “how-to” tutorial here: How To Change The Admin Username In WordPress
• For a great article on what kinds of “how-to” topics get searched on Google, check out this excellent interactive article: How To Fix A Toilet And Other Things We Can’t Do Without Search

Listicles

A listicle, or “list post,” is an article written in list format. Listicles (also sometimes referred to as “Roundups”) provide a list of comparable products, tools, or items where each item is typically only a few sentences or paragraphs long and aimed at educating or entertaining readers.

Listicles can be fun or informational and typically have titles like “The 100 Best Rock Album Covers Of All Time” (fun), or “9 Essential Ingredients Every Cook’s Kitchen Should Have” (informational). Great listicles often get shared widely online.

Here is a great article on how to write a listicle.

Comparisons

Comparison articles are educational pieces that compare different products and services to help potential buyers assess their options and make a decision.

Comparison articles are similar to listicles but are much more in-depth, typically focusing on comparing two or three options only across different categories or competing brands, and presenting the “pros and cons” of using the products or services.

Here are some great examples of comparison articles.

Reviews

These articles typically focus on reviewing products, services, events, etc.

Writing product review articles (or creating product review videos) is a strategy that is often used in affiliate marketing.

Ideally, the review writer will have used the product, experienced the service, or attended the event they are reviewing. Review articles typically define their target audience (e.g. people interested in home cooking, moviegoers, etc.), list the upsides and downsides or good and bad aspects of the product, provide visual proof (e.g. photos, videos, etc.), try to take a balanced and honest approach, and offer some form of helpful conclusion.

Persuasive Writing

According to Grammarly, persuasive writing “is any written work that tries to convince the reader of the writer’s opinion and point of view. Persuasive writing tries to appeal to emotion alongside factual evidence and data to support its claims.”

Business-related content like sales copywriting uses persuasive writing to influence readers to choose the company’s products or services over their competitors.

To learn more about using persuasive writing, see this article: 6 Successful Persuasive Writing Strategies

Other Articles

Other types of articles you can create include press/news releases, essays, opinion pieces (op-eds), question and answer articles (e.g. interviews), skyscraper articles, personality profiles, and short posts (e.g. news, company announcements, tips, etc.).

Best Practices For Creating Blog Posts And Other Types Of Articles

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing headline: The headline is the first thing that readers will see, so it’s important to make sure that it is engaging and makes them want to read more.
• Organize content into short paragraphs and use subheadings: Breaking up the text into smaller chunks and using subheadings makes it easier for readers to scan and understand the content.
• Use images, videos, and infographics to break up text and make the post more visually appealing: Adding multimedia elements can help to make the post more engaging and make it easier for readers to understand the content.
• Optimize for SEO by including keywords in the post and meta description: This will help search engines understand the content of the post and make it easier for people to find it.
• End the post with a call-to-action, such as asking readers to leave a comment or share the post on social media: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the post will be shared.

Challenges Of Creating Blog Posts And Other Types Of Articles

• Coming up with new and interesting topics to write about: Finding new and engaging topics to write about can be challenging, particularly if you are writing on the same subject over a long period of time.
• Creating engaging and well-written content: Writing content that is interesting, engaging, and well-written can be challenging, particularly if you are not a natural writer.
• Optimizing for SEO: Incorporating keywords and optimizing for search engines can be a time-consuming and complex process.
• Staying consistent: Creating regular blog posts can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes in search algorithms can be difficult and time-consuming.

eBooks And Guides

eBooks and Guides provide readers with a more comprehensive understanding of a specific topic or a particular area of interest and can be used as a high-value asset in lead generation (e.g. offer the eBook or guide to potential clients in exchange for giving you their email address and subscribing to your newsletter).

In terms of content planning, an effective way to write an eBook/guide is to start by creating an outline of all the chapters you plan to include arranged in a logical sequence and then write each chapter as an in-depth and self-contained article.

This approach lets you repurpose the chapters of your guide later on as separate articles or as an article series on your blog or website, or even expand the content into an eBook.

Alternatively, you can start by creating an in-depth article series with some foreplanning, and then publish these collectively later as a downloadable guide or eBook.

For more information, go here: How To Create eBooks & Online Courses

Best Practices for Creating eBooks

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: The title and description should be engaging and make people want to read more.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the eBook: A consistent format and design will make the e-book easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use well-researched and engaging content: Make sure that the content is well-researched, accurate, and engaging, to keep readers interested.
• Use images, videos, and infographics to break up text and make the eBook more visually appealing: Adding multimedia elements can help to make the e-book more engaging and make it easier for readers to understand the content.
• Include a call-to-action at the end of the eBook, such as directing readers to a landing page or asking them to subscribe to a newsletter: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the eBook will be shared.

Challenges of Creating eBooks

• Creating a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: Creating a title and description that is engaging and makes people want to read more can be challenging.
• Writing well-researched and engaging content: Writing content that is interesting, engaging, and well-researched can be challenging, particularly if you are not a natural writer.
• Finding the right images and graphics: Finding the right images and graphics to supplement the text can be time-consuming.
• Staying consistent: Creating regular eBooks can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes in technology can be difficult and time-consuming.

Online Courses

Online courses are a type of digital learning experience that can be delivered over the internet.

Online courses can also be used to generate leads, and also to nurture leads through the funnel, by providing more in-depth and comprehensive information.

Online courses can include a wide range of content such as videos, audio, text, images, and interactive elements such as quizzes, assessments, and forums. They can be self-paced or instructor-led and can range from a few minutes to several hours in length.

Examples of using online courses as part of content marketing include:

• Product or service training: Create online courses that provide training on how to use your products or services. For example, a software company could create a course that teaches customers how to use their software effectively and how to optimize their performance. Or, a company in the finance industry could create an online course that provides training on financial planning, investment strategies, and other related topics.
• Industry-specific education: Create online courses that provide education on a specific industry or topic. For example, a marketing agency could create a course that teaches the principles of digital marketing.
• Self-Improvement And Personal development: Create online courses that provide information and guidance on personal development topics such as leadership, time management, and stress management. For example, a company in the health and wellness industry could create an online course that provides information and guidance on topics like nutrition, exercise, and stress management.
• Thought leadership: Create online courses that provide insights and advice on industry-specific topics, which will position your company as a thought leader in the industry and increase your visibility and credibility. For example, a company could create an online course that provides insights and advice on industry-specific topics, which will position the company as a thought leader in the industry and increase its visibility and credibility.
• Certification: Create online courses that provide training and certifications on a specific skill or technology. For example, a company in the technology industry could create an online course that provides training and certifications on a specific technology or programming language.

Best Practices For Creating Online Courses

• Define your target audience: Understand your target audience and their needs, interests, and pain points. This will help you create content that is relevant and valuable to them.
• Create a clear learning outcome: Define a clear learning outcome for the course, and make sure that all the content and activities support that outcome.
• Keep it interactive and engaging: Use interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and discussion boards to keep the course engaging and interactive.
• Use multimedia: Use a variety of multimedia elements such as videos, images, and audio to make the course more engaging and to appeal to different learning styles.
• Use storytelling: Use storytelling to make the course more engaging and to help learners relate to the content.
• Provide assessments and quizzes: Provide assessments and quizzes to help learners check their understanding and to provide feedback on their progress.
• Use feedback and testing: Use feedback and testing to assess learners’ understanding and to identify areas for improvement.
• Provide support and assistance: Provide support and assistance to learners, such as answering questions, providing feedback on assignments and offering additional resources.
• Be mobile-friendly: Ensure that the course is mobile-friendly and accessible on different devices and platforms.
• Monitor and analyze: Monitor and analyze the course engagement and completion rates to understand the effectiveness of the course and to identify areas for improvement.
• Keep it updated: Keep the course updated to ensure that the content is accurate and relevant.

Challenges Of Creating Online Courses

Creating online courses can be a powerful way to provide valuable information and education to customers, but it can also present some challenges.

Here are a few examples of the challenges of creating online courses:

• Developing high-quality content: Creating engaging and informative content that is relevant to the audience can be time-consuming and challenging. It requires a good understanding of the topic, the target audience, and the format of the course.
• Maintaining consistency and quality: Online courses often include multiple modules or lessons, and it can be challenging to maintain consistency and quality throughout the course.
• Designing and developing interactive elements: Online courses should be interactive and engaging, which requires the development of interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and interactive videos.
• Marketing and promoting the course: Once the course is created, it needs to be promoted and marketed effectively to reach the target audience.
• Tracking and measuring success: Measuring the success of the course can be challenging, as it requires tracking engagement, completion rates, and other metrics.
• Keeping up with technology: Online courses should be designed to be mobile-friendly and accessible across different devices and platforms, this also requires keeping up with the latest technology trends.
• Providing support and assistance: Online courses often require support and assistance, such as answering questions and providing feedback on assignments.
• Staying current and up-to-date: The topic of the course may change rapidly, and it’s important to keep the course updated to ensure that it stays relevant and valuable to the audience.

Creating online courses can be a significant investment of time and resources, but it can also be a powerful and effective way to educate and engage customers and position your company as a thought leader and authority in your industry.

For more information, go here:

• How To Create eBooks & Online Courses
• Online Course Marketing (Video Course)

Emails

Internet marketers often state that “the money is in the list.”

Emails are a great way to keep readers informed and updated about new products and services, useful tips, training, and more.

Running a regular email newsletter and email campaigns is one of the most effective ways to build a subscriber list and nurture leads. Email marketing consistently delivers great ROI and is a proven method used by B2B and B2C organizations to generate sales and grow their business cost-effectively.

Writing a series of short, concise emails with compelling headlines and calls to action with links to more detailed website pages (e.g. landing pages, sales pages, e-commerce or product information pages, tutorials, etc.) can be very effective when used as lead nurturing follow-ups or short email-based subscriber/customer training courses (e.g. a 7-day course on using your products).

Emails can also be triggered by user behavior and used to rescue sales and reduce eCommerce shopping cart abandonment.

Most reputable email service companies provide email personalization, campaign segmentation features, and statistical data reporting tools that allow you to analyze the results of your email campaigns and improve the content of your emails and your sales process.

Best Practices For Creating Emails

• Segmenting your email list: Segmenting your email list allows you to send targeted, personalized messages to specific groups of people. This can increase the relevance and effectiveness of your emails.
• Keeping the subject line short and clear: The subject line is the first thing that people see when they receive an email, so it’s important to make sure it’s clear and to the point.
• Creating a clear and compelling call to action: Make sure your emails have a clear and compelling call to action, such as a link to a landing page or a button to make a purchase.
• Optimizing for mobile devices: More and more people are checking their email on mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure your emails are optimized for mobile devices.
• Testing and analyzing: Test your emails and analyze the results to see what works and what doesn’t. This will help you improve your emails over time.

Challenges Of Creating Emails

• Standing out in a crowded inbox: With so many emails being sent every day, it can be difficult to make your emails stand out.
• Avoiding spam filters: Spam filters are designed to block unwanted emails, so it’s important to make sure your emails are not flagged as spam.
• Maintaining high open and click-through rates: High open and click-through rates are key indicators of email success, but they can be difficult to achieve.
• Creating content that resonates with the audience: Creating content that resonates with your audience can be challenging, as you need to understand their needs, interests, and pain points.
• Keeping up with regulations: There are a number of laws and regulations that govern email marketing, such as the CAN-SPAM Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), so it’s important to make sure you are compliant with these regulations.

Videos

Video is everywhere and video marketing is one of the most effective forms of content marketing available. Millions of online consumers worldwide are reached using videos and the demand for video content is increasing each year (see the “Infographics” section below).

There are many forms of video content you can create, including:

• Explainer videos (short videos explaining products or services)
• Simple Sales Videos (e.g. video narrations of PowerPoint slides)
• Vlogs (video blogs)
• Video interviews
• Video presentations and recorded webinars
• Video tutorials
• Product reviews
• Product demos and walkthroughs
• Live stream recordings
• Video testimonials
• Video ads

As the chart below shows, video content serves a wide range of purposes.

Video production for your products and services doesn’t have to be expensive. Businesses can produce videos cost-effectively in-house (i.e. shot on smartphones or recorded and edited using screen capture software), and even outsourced inexpensively on freelancer sites (e.g. explainer videos).

For tools and resources to help you create or source video content, see Media Creation Tools.

For the latest video marketing statistics, see these articles:

• 10 Video Marketing Statistics You Should Know
• 50 Video Marketing Statistics To Inform Your Strategy
• State Of Video Marketing Report

Best Practices For Creating Videos

• Keep the video short and to the point, ideally less than 2-3 minutes: The attention span of viewers is limited, so it’s important to make sure that the video is concise and gets to the point quickly.
• Use a strong and clear script: A script will help to keep the video on-topic and make it easier for viewers to understand the message.
• Use high-quality visuals and audio: Good lighting, sound, and editing are essential for creating a high-quality video that is visually appealing and easy to understand.
• Optimize for search by including a title, description, and keywords: This will help search engines understand the content of the video and make it easier for people to find it.
• Include a call-to-action at the end of the video, such as directing viewers to a landing page or asking them to subscribe to a channel: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the video will be shared.

Challenges Of Creating Videos

• Ensuring that the final product is high-quality and visually appealing: Creating high-quality videos can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment and skills.
• Script-writing and storyboarding: Writing an engaging and compelling script and storyboard for the video can be challenging for non-creative people.
• Producing videos can be time-consuming and expensive: The process of creating a video, from pre-production, filming, post-production, and editing, can be time-consuming and costly.
• Staying on top of industry trends: Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in video production can be difficult and time-consuming.
• Measuring the performance of videos: Measuring the performance of videos can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have watched the video, how long they watched it for, and how engaged they were with it.

Webinars

Webinars gained a significant increase in popularity as a preferred content type for many audiences after the global pandemic.

As the charts at the top of this lesson show, 67% of B2B  and 48% of B2C consumers prefer watching webinars.  The research also shows that while most buyers typically spend between five to 30 minutes reviewing nearly all
content formats, many are willing to invest 30 to 60+ minutes watching
a webinar.

Here are some additional stats you may want to know about using webinars as content…

Webinars are great for:

• Lead Generation: Webinar participants typically register with their contact information before attending. You can capture their information, then follow up with content on topics that you know they’re already interested in (e.g. using a sequence of pre-written, personalized emails).
• Community Building: Webinars can be very engaging and a great way to build relationships with customers. They allow you to position your brand while users interact with experts and thought leaders in your organization. Most webinar tools allow participants to chat and ask questions, providing instant engagement and a way to address concerns and objections directly in real-time.
• Cost-effective Marketing: Webinars may not be as powerful or effective as live events, but when you consider that webinars require far less time, money, and resources to coordinate and put together than a live event, even if you get a smaller return on investment, running a successful webinar should more than offset and justify the risks vs trying to run a live event. Additionally, consider the downsides. There is less risk of experiencing a significant financial loss if you cancel a webinar due to low registrations than canceling a live event. Also, should you decide to run a webinar with fewer attendees than expected, this will give you more time to answer their questions and address their concerns, resulting in better engagement and interactivity with your target audience than live events.
• Repurposing Content: You can repurpose webinar content for use in other distribution channels. For example, you can turn webinar topics into a series of blog articles, a video course, or sharable tweets (using memorable quotes or stats), and turn questions from attendees into new content like FAQs, tutorials, etc. Additionally, you can turn your webinars into slides for sharing on sites like SlideShare.
• Evergreen Content: Record your webinars and add them to a “Resources” or client training page, or use them as high-value content for your lead generation campaigns. Webinars can continue delivering results long after making an initial investment of effort to create them.

Go here to learn how to host your first webinar.

Best Practices For Creating Webinars

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: The title and description should be engaging and make people want to attend the webinar.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the webinar: A consistent format and design will make the webinar easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use a clear and engaging presentation: Make sure that the presentation is clear, engaging, and easy to understand for the audience.
• Use images, videos, and infographics to break up text and make the webinar more visually appealing: Adding multimedia elements can help to make the webinar more engaging and make it easier for attendees to understand the content.
• Include a call-to-action at the end of the webinar, such as directing attendees to a landing page or asking them to subscribe to a newsletter: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the webinar will be shared.

Challenges Of Creating Webinars

• Creating a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: Creating a title and description that is engaging and makes people want to attend the webinar can be challenging.
• Preparing a clear and engaging presentation: Preparing a clear and engaging presentation can be challenging, particularly if you are not a natural speaker or presenter.
• Finding the right images and graphics: Finding the right images and graphics to supplement the text can be time-consuming.
• Staying consistent: Creating regular webinars can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes in technology can be difficult and time-consuming.

Audios

Audio-based web content creates new opportunities for content creators and content publishers to expand their range of products and services.

Audio content can help government, corporate, and business websites by:

• Increasing online user engagement
• Strengthening social responsibility
• Expanding content reach and consumption by making information available in different formats for different types of users, and
• Helping to create a more inclusive internet for everyone.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a highly engaging form of content and podcasting is becoming increasingly popular as a source of entertainment, education, and news.

Currently, there are over 2 million podcasts available and hundreds of millions of podcast listeners worldwide.

As the chart below shows, listeners prefer some podcast genres over others, so depending on the industry and niche of your business, creating and distributing podcasts could be an effective way to reach new audiences.

An effective way to market your business with podcasts is to interview experts or leaders in your field to get advice and helpful information, discuss hot industry trends, provide useful tips and ‘how-tos’, etc. This lets you build your reputation as a reliable source of information your audience can trust.

For tools and resources to help you with podcasting, see Media Creation Tools.

For more stats on podcasting, see these articles:

• 39+ Podcast Statistics
• Podcast Statistics And Data

Text-To-Speech

New AI developments in voice technology allow text-to-speech to convert your text files and documents into lifelike audio narrations, deliver realistic-sounding voice narrations to your web content, and provide audio content to help make the web more inclusive by giving users with special learning needs, visual impairments or disabilities access to information in a format that they can more easily consume and digest.

The latest AI text-to-speech voice technology also allows you to translate your text files and documents into dozens of languages and turn these into high-quality voice narrations using hundreds of different male and female AI voices.

You can use text-to-speech voice recordings to create audio-based content like:

• Educational videos, sales videos, training videos, explainer videos, product review videos, webinars, etc.
• Narrated audio presentations and documentation.
• e-Learning courses
• Audiobooks and audio-based digital products.
• Podcasts.
• Spoken web pages.
• Online/video/social media/radio advertising.
• Translating your training or HR documentation into different languages
• Creating audio content for visually-impaired users
• Recording document drafts that can be listened to and reviewed on the way to and from work
• Recorded greetings and announcements.
• Other content and media formats

In summary, some of the benefits of using text-to-speech for content creation include:

• Save time and money creating and publishing content. Getting text-to-speech voice narrators to enunciate your courses or narrate your podcasts or audiobooks is an economical and time-saving solution compared to hiring voice talent.
• Create e-courses and audio products faster with less time and less cost.
  If you plan to use human voice talent for your finished product, text-to-speech allows you to create drafts and audio scripts for professional narrators.
• Create better content. If you plan to create an audiobook, podcast, e-learning product, or training course, listening to an audio draft helps to improve content structure and layout, fix spelling or grammatical errors, and generate new ideas.
• Write more effective content. Hearing your sales pitch or content read aloud helps you to focus on your message, improve your copywriting and writing skills, and write more effective sales or training video scripts and presentations, web content, radio ads, and many other forms of content.
• Create and deliver content to a global audience by making it easier to create multilingual audio content and audio products from language translations.

If you need help creating audio-based content using text-to-speech, see this excellent Text-to-Speech Course (narrated entirely using AI voices) or see the Content Production Tools section for text-to-speech software.

Best Practices For Creating Podcasts

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: The title and description should be engaging and make people want to listen to the podcast.
• Use a consistent format and theme throughout the podcast: A consistent format and theme will make the podcast easier to understand and more engaging for listeners.
• Use high-quality audio equipment: Good sound quality is essential for creating a professional-sounding podcast that is easy to listen to.
• Use engaging and well-researched content: Make sure that the content is engaging, well-researched, and relevant to the audience.
• Include a call-to-action at the end of the podcast, such as directing listeners to a landing page or asking them to subscribe to the podcast: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the podcast will be shared.

Challenges Of Creating Podcasts

• Creating a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: Creating a title and description that is engaging and makes people want to listen to the podcast can be challenging.
• Preparing engaging and well-researched content: Preparing engaging and well-researched content can be challenging, particularly if you are not a natural writer or researcher.
• Finding the right equipment: Finding the right equipment to produce a high-quality podcast can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Staying consistent: Creating regular podcasts can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes in technology can be difficult and time-consuming.

For more information, go here:

• Content Marketing With Podcasts
• Podcasting (Video Course)

Social Media Posts

Promoting products and services using specially crafted content for social media platforms can be a powerful way to increase brand awareness, build a community, create engagement with your target audience, and drive traffic to your business.

Social media marketing requires using different strategies for different platforms. What works on Facebook, for example, may not work on LinkedIn or TikTok.

Additionally, some of the most popular social media platforms in the world are not primarily targeting English speakers, so creating content for users on these platforms may require an entirely different approach altogether.

For a useful guide on creating content for social media, see this article: Social Media Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

Best Practices For Creating Social Media Posts

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing headline: The headline is the first thing that readers will see, so it’s important to make sure that it is engaging and makes them want to read more.
• Use a consistent brand voice and tone: Use the same brand voice and tone throughout the post to ensure that it aligns with the overall brand image.
• Use images, videos, and infographics to break up text and make the post more visually appealing: Adding multimedia elements can help to make the post more engaging and make it easier for readers to understand the content.
• Use relevant hashtags and keywords: Use relevant hashtags and keywords to increase the visibility of the post and make it more discoverable.
• Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages: Engaging with your followers will help to build a sense of community and encourage engagement.

Challenges Of Creating Social Media Posts

• Staying consistent: Creating regular social media posts can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Finding the right images and graphics: Finding the right images and graphics to supplement the text can be time-consuming.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in social media can be difficult and time-consuming.
• Measuring the performance of social media posts: Measuring the performance of social media posts can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have seen the post, how engaged they were with it, and how it influenced their decision to buy.
• Managing multiple social media accounts and platforms: Managing multiple social media accounts and platforms can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for small businesses or those with limited resources.

For more information, go here:

• Social Media Tools
• Social Media Marketing (Video Course)

Images

Images can be used as content in many ways, including:

Infographics

An infographic (or information graphic) uses engaging images, data visualizations (e.g. pie charts and bar graphs), and minimal text to communicate information or data quickly and clearly in an easy-to-understand overview format.

Study any successful infographic carefully, and you will see that it typically combines 5 essential elements:

1. Story
2. Data
3. Copy
4. Design
5. Charts & Graphs

Source: EnvisionUp

Infographics can be used in any business to explain anything that would be too hard or take too long using words only.

You can create infographics to provide a quick overview of just about any topic, make complex information easier to understand, summarize long articles or reports, display research findings or survey data, compare different options, raise awareness of an issue or cause, etc.

• To view some great examples of infographics, go here.
• To learn how to write content for infographics, see this article: How To Write Great Content Infographics.
• To research infographics for content planning purposes, see Content Research Tools.
• To source infographics for your content, see Content Production Tools.
• For tools that will help you create infographic content, see Media Creation Tools.

Best Practices For Creating Infographics

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing headline and description: The headline and description should be engaging and make people want to read more.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the infographic: A consistent format and design will make the infographic easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use high-quality visuals and colors: Good visuals and colors are essential for creating an infographic that is visually appealing and easy to understand.
• Use a clear and logical structure: Organize the information in a logical and clear manner, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the text.
• Use a consistent brand voice and tone: Use the same brand voice and tone throughout the infographic to ensure that it aligns with the overall brand image.

Challenges Of Creating Infographics

• Finding the right data and statistics: Finding the right data and statistics to include in the infographic can be time-consuming and difficult.
• Making sure that the final product is visually appealing and easy to understand: Creating an infographic that is visually appealing and easy to understand can be challenging.
• Staying on top of industry trends: Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in infographic design can be difficult and time-consuming.
• Limited scalability: Some infographics may not be scalable to different languages or formats.
• Measuring the performance of infographics: Measuring the performance of infographics can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have viewed the infographic, how long they spent looking at it, and how engaged they were with it.

Memes

Memes can be great for getting your business noticed, especially if the subject of the meme relates to your brand.

For more information about using memes as content and meme-generation tools, go here: Using Memes And Cartoons In Your Content Marketing

Whitepapers

Here’s a practical and useful definition for businesses looking to promote their products or services using whitepapers…

“A whitepaper is a persuasive, authoritative, in-depth report on a specific topic that presents a problem and provides a solution. Marketers create whitepapers to educate their audience about a particular issue, or explain and promote a particular methodology. They’re advanced problem-solving guides. “

Source: HubSpot

Whitepapers are great for capturing leads. However, they are not meant to be used as “product pitches.” Their aim is to promote an in-depth level of expertise and industry knowledge and inform and persuade readers based on well-researched facts and evidence.

Whitepapers tend to be more serious in tone and better researched than other long-form content like cornerstone (i.e. authoritative) articles, ebooks, and reports. Whitepapers also tend to be around 3,000 to 5,000 words long and are generally made available as downloadable PDFs (preferably delivered after capturing the reader’s email details).

For an excellent resource on this topic, check out this guide: What Is A Whitepaper?

Best Practices For Creating Whitepapers

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing title and abstract: The title and abstract should be engaging and make people want to read more.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the whitepaper: A consistent format and design will make the whitepaper easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use well-researched and engaging content: Make sure that the content is well-researched, accurate, and engaging to keep readers interested.
• Use images, charts, and tables to supplement the text and make the whitepaper more visually appealing: Adding visual elements can help to make the whitepaper more engaging and make it easier for readers to understand the content.
• Include a call-to-action at the end of the whitepaper, such as directing readers to a landing page or asking them to subscribe to a newsletter: This will encourage engagement and make it more likely that the whitepaper will be shared.

Challenges Of Creating Whitepapers

• Creating a clear and attention-grabbing title and abstract: Creating a title and abstract that is engaging and makes people want to read more can be challenging.
• Writing well-researched and engaging content: Writing content that is interesting, engaging, and well-researched can be challenging, particularly if you are not a natural writer.
• Finding the right data and statistics: Finding the right data and statistics to include in the whitepaper can be time-consuming and difficult.
• Staying consistent: Creating regular whitepapers can be challenging, particularly if you are busy or have a limited budget.
• Keeping up with industry trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes in technology can be difficult and time-consuming.

Case Studies

Case studies and client profiles use “success stories” to showcase your business and your services and provide readers with concrete data as proof of your company’s value, authority, and expertise in helping clients get results.

Although case studies usually require a great deal of time and energy to create (and reaching out to past customers/clients to get their consent for using them in your case study), they can be influential in helping B2B buyers make more informed purchasing decisions.

As shown in the graph at the top of this lesson, almost half of all B2B consumers prefer case studies over other types of content when researching information about products or services they are looking to purchase.

As content, case studies work well when used as lead magnets, landing pages, repurposed blog posts, and video testimonials.

For useful examples of case studies, go here: 12 Inspiring Content Marketing Case Study Examples

Best Practices For Creating Case Studies

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing title and description: The title and description should be engaging and make people want to read more.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the case study: A consistent format and design will make the case study easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use real-world examples: Use real-world examples to illustrate the benefits of a product or service, this will make the case study more relatable and convincing.
• Use a problem-solution-result structure: Organize the case study into a clear and concise format, such as a problem-solution-result structure, to make it easy for readers to understand the main points.
• Use testimonials from customers or clients: Use quotes from customers or clients to provide credibility and social proof for the case study.

Challenges Of Creating Case Studies

• Finding the right real-world examples: Finding the right real-world examples to illustrate the benefits of a product or service can be challenging.
• Gaining permission from clients or customers to use their information in the case study: Obtaining the necessary legal permissions to use client or customer information can be a challenge.
• Writing a clear and concise format: Creating a clear and concise format, such as a problem-solution-result structure, can be challenging.
• Staying on top of industry trends: Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in case study creation can be difficult and time-consuming.
• Measuring the performance of case studies: Measuring the performance of case studies can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have read the case study, how engaged they were with it, and how it influenced their decision to buy.

Content Templates

Content templates are pre-designed layouts or structures that can be used as a starting point for creating new content helping to save valuable time creating content from scratch.

Templates can include text, images, and other elements, and can be customized to suit the specific needs of the content being created.

Examples of content templates include:

• Blog post templates: Blog post templates provide a structure for creating new blog posts, including sections for the introduction, body text, and conclusion.
• Email templates: Email templates provide a structure for creating emails, including sections for the subject line, header, body text, and call to action.
• Social media post templates: Social media post templates provide a structure for creating social media posts, including sections for the text, images, and hashtags.
• Landing page templates: Landing page templates provide a structure for creating landing pages, including sections for the headline, body text, and call to action.

You can use different kinds of templates to create content for website pages, blog posts, infographics, ebooks, videos, slide presentations, etc.

Depending on the type of business you are in, you can also create and distribute your own templates (or checklists) as content and use these to help your clients, generate new leads, or even sell them as information products.

For example, Nusii provides a selection of free, professional, online proposal templates that let you add your company branding and bid on various projects.

For an excellent collection of 200+ free content and content marketing templates, go here: The Ultimate Collection Of Free Content Templates

Best Practices For Creating Content Templates

• Keep it simple: Create templates that are easy to use and understand. Avoid using complex layouts or design elements that can make the template difficult to use.
• Be consistent: Use a consistent format, design, and style throughout your templates to ensure a cohesive look and feel for all of your content.
• Make it customizable: Allow for enough flexibility in the template to allow for customization, such as adding brand colors, imagery and fonts.
• Optimize for usability: Ensure that the template is user-friendly, with easy-to-find elements and intuitive navigation.
• Test and iterate: Test the templates with a small group of users and make necessary adjustments based on their feedback.

Challenges Of Creating Content Templates

• Balancing consistency and creativity: Finding the right balance between consistency and creativity can be difficult when creating templates.
• Limited flexibility: Creating templates that are too rigid can limit the ability to customize and adapt to different types of content.
• Limited scalability: Some templates may not be scalable to different types of content, such as different languages or formats.
• Time-consuming: Creating templates can be time-consuming, particularly if you need to create multiple templates for different types of content.
• Requires technical skills: Creating templates often requires knowledge of graphic design and layout, which can be a challenge for those without the necessary technical skills.
• Keeping them up-to-date: Templates, especially those that are code-based, need to be updated frequently to avoid errors or incompatibility issues with the software being used.

Interactive Content

Interactive content refers to digital media that allows users to actively engage and participate in the content, rather than simply consuming it passively.

Examples of interactive content include quizzes, polls, surveys, assessments, interactive infographics, and games.

Interactive content can be used in many different ways to increase engagement, boost brand awareness, and generate leads.

For example:

Quizzes And Assessments

Examples:

• A company in the health and wellness industry might create a quiz that helps users determine their “health age” based on their lifestyle habits, this not only provides valuable information to users but also collects information about their health and wellness interests that can be used for targeted marketing efforts.
• A skincare company could create a quiz that helps users determine their skin type, and then provide personalized recommendations for products.
• A company in the finance industry may create interactive financial calculators. This would allow visitors to make calculations on their own and see the results while providing valuable information on the company’s products and services.

Interactive Polls And Surveys

Polls and surveys are a great way to gather feedback from customers and gain insights into their preferences and opinions, provide valuable feedback for companies, and allow customers to share their thoughts with other potential customers.

Examples:

• A company could create a survey asking customers about their experience using their products or services.
• A company in the service industry might create an interactive survey that allows customers to rate their satisfaction with the service they received.

Interactive Infographics

Interactive infographics can be used to present data or information in an engaging and interactive way.

Examples:

• A company in the real estate industry could create an interactive infographic that shows the most popular neighborhoods in a city and allows users to filter the data by different criteria.
• An e-commerce company might create an interactive infographic that shows the different features and benefits of its products. This allows users to explore the products in more depth and learn more about what sets them apart from the competition.

Interactive Videos And Webinars

Companies can create interactive videos and webinars that allow users to engage with the content through polls, quizzes, Q&A, and other interactive elements.

Example:

• A software company might create an interactive video that provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to use its product. This allows users to learn how to use the product at their own pace and provides a more engaging experience.

Interactive Games

Companies can create games that are related to their products or services.

Examples:

• A company that sells outdoor equipment could create a game that challenges users to complete different outdoor activities, such as hiking or camping, using their products.
• A company in the entertainment industry might create a game that allows users to interact with the brand and learn more about the company’s products or services in a fun and engaging way.

Interactive eBooks

An educational company might create an interactive e-book that allows users to interact with the content in various ways, such as by highlighting text, taking notes, and answering questions. This allows users to learn in a more engaging and interactive way.

Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Experiences

Companies can create virtual or augmented reality experiences to showcase their products or services in an interactive way.

Examples:

• A company in the automotive industry could create a virtual reality test drive experience for its customers.

Best Practices For Creating Interactive Content

• Use a clear and attention-grabbing headline and description: The headline and description should be engaging and make people want to engage with the content.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the interactive content: A consistent format and design will make the interactive content easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and games to engage the audience: Interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and games can make the content more engaging and increase user participation.
• Use a clear and logical structure: Organize the information in a logical and clear manner, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the text.
• Use a consistent brand voice and tone: Use the same brand voice and tone throughout the interactive content to ensure that it aligns with the overall brand image.

Challenges Of Creating Interactive Content

• Finding the right interactive elements: Finding the right interactive elements, such as quizzes, polls, and games, to include in the content can be time-consuming and difficult.
• Making sure that the final product is visually appealing and easy to use: Creating interactive content that is visually appealing and easy to use can be challenging.
• Staying on top of industry trends: Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in interactive content can be difficult and time-consuming.
• Measuring the performance of interactive content: Measuring the performance of interactive content can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have engaged with the content and how engaged they were with it.
• Limited scalability: Some interactive content may not be scalable to different languages or formats.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content that has been created by users of a product or service, rather than by brands, publishers, or the company itself.

User-generated content can include text, images, videos, and other forms of media. Examples of UGC include social media posts, product reviews, blog comments, testimonials, forum discussions, and ratings.

User-generated content can be an effective way to build brand trust and credibility with potential customers, as well as to provide valuable customer insights.

Examples:

• A company might encourage customers to share their experiences with a product or service on social media, and then repost those reviews or testimonials on their website. This can help to build trust with potential customers who are considering purchasing the product or service.
• A company creates a hashtag for their customers to share their photos and experiences with the product. This would allow the company to use the customer’s photos and experiences in their marketing campaigns.
• A clothing retailer might showcase customer photos of people wearing their clothing on their website or social media pages. This not only provides social proof that their products are popular, but it also allows customers to see how the clothing looks on people with a similar body type.
• A company that runs a blog allows customers to submit their own articles. This would not only provide a different perspective but also increase customer engagement and loyalty.

For more information, go here: Content Marketing With User-Generated Content

Best Practices For Creating User-Generated Content

• Encourage users to share their content: Make it easy for users to share their content on your platform by providing clear instructions and guidelines.
• Use a consistent format and design throughout the user-generated content: A consistent format and design will make the content easier to understand and more visually appealing.
• Use a clear and logical structure: Organize the information in a logical and clear manner, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the text.
• Use a consistent brand voice and tone: Use the same brand voice and tone throughout the user-generated content to ensure that it aligns with the overall brand image.
• Use a clear and attention-grabbing headline and description: The headline and description should be engaging and make people want to engage with the content.

Challenges Of Creating User-Generated Content

• Encouraging users to share their content: Encouraging users to share their content can be challenging, particularly if they are not familiar with the platform or are hesitant to share their personal information.
• Managing and moderating the content: Managing and moderating the content can be time-consuming, particularly if you have a large volume of user-generated content.
• Ensuring that the content is accurate and reliable: Ensuring that the content is accurate and reliable can be challenging, particularly if it is not reviewed or moderated by an expert.
• Measuring the performance of user-generated content: Measuring the performance of user-generated content can be difficult, as it’s hard to track how many people have engaged with the content and how engaged they were with it.
• Limited scalability: Some user-generated content may not be scalable to different languages or formats.

Content Types – FAQs

Here are frequently asked questions about content types:

What are content types in digital marketing?

Content types in digital marketing refer to the various forms of content used to engage audiences, such as blogs, videos, infographics, podcasts, and social media posts. Each type serves different purposes and is used in different contexts to maximize impact and reach.

How do I choose the right content type for my marketing strategy?

Choosing the right content type depends on your audience’s preferences, the goals of your campaign, the message you want to communicate, and the platforms you are using. Analyzing audience data and previous engagement metrics can guide your decisions.

What are the benefits of diversifying content types in a marketing campaign?

Diversifying content types helps to reach a broader audience, cater to different learning styles and preferences, and enhance engagement by keeping the content fresh and interesting. It can also boost SEO performance by providing multiple ways to feature keywords and backlinks.

Can the same content be repurposed into different content types?

Yes, repurposing content into different formats is a cost-effective strategy to maximize reach and reinforce messages. For example, a series of articles can be turned into an eBook, or a blog post can be turned into a video, a podcast episode, or an infographic, each appealing to different segments of your audience.

What tools can help manage multiple content types effectively?

Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla can help manage and schedule different types of content efficiently. These tools often come with features that allow for easy editing, organization, and publication of diverse content types without extensive technical knowledge.

Summary

There are many different types of content you can create to help promote and grow your business. The content type you create depends on factors like the audience group you are targeting, which phase of the buying journey your customers are at, and different content trends and preferences.

Your content strategy should help you decide which content types your production team should focus on creating.

Action Steps

When choosing a specific content type to create, it’s helpful to study examples of how other organizations in your industry or niche have used that type of content to promote their business successfully.

Build a ‘swipe file’ of ideas for different content types and make sure to check out the ‘Resources’ and ‘References’ sections below.

See the tutorials below to learn how to use the above content types in your content marketing strategy:

• Content Marketing With Blog Posts
• Content Marketing With Guest Posts
• Content Marketing With Images
• Content Marketing With Memes, Cartoons & Comics
• Content Marketing With eBooks & PDF Reports
• Content Marketing With Infographics
• Content Marketing With Video Sales Letters & Promo Videos
• Content Marketing With Podcasts
• Content Marketing With Testimonials, User Reviews, And Case Studies
• Content Marketing With User-Generated Content
• Content Marketing With 3rd-Party Content

Resources

• Free Content Ideas Course – Learn how to never run out of great content ideas for your blog, website, or email newsletters.
• Video Courses – Links to video courses on content creation for different content types (e.g. blogging, videos, emails, podcasting, etc.)
• Tools & Resources – Useful tools and resources for planning, producing, and promoting different content types.

References

• B2B Content Preferences Survey
• B2C Content Marketing Research 2022
• Content Types And Deliverables: What Are They?
• How To Fix A Toilet And Other Things We Can’t Do Without Search
• How To Write A Book And Become A Published Author
• How To Become A Published Author In 20 Steps
• How To Write A Listicle (With Examples, Ideas & Template)
• 13 Great Examples Of Comparison Blog Articles
• 6 Successful Persuasive Writing Strategies
• 2022 Content Preferences Survey
• The Ultimate List Of Email Marketing Stats
• 21 Digital Marketing Infographics For Businesses And Marketers Just Getting Started
• 50 Video Marketing Statistics To Inform Your Strategy
• 10 Video Marketing Statistics You Need To Know
• State Of Video Marketing Report
• How To Host Your First Webinar
• 39+ Podcast Statistics
• Podcast Statistics And Data
• Social Media Marketing: The Ultimate Guide
• What Is A Whitepaper?
• 12 Inspiring Content Marketing Case Study Examples
• What Is An Infographic?
• How To Write Great Content Infographics
• 5 Key Elements Of A Successful Infographic
• The Ultimate Collection Of Free Content Templates
• 113 Types Of Content Marketing

Next Step

• Learn how to repurpose different content types: Content Repurposing
• Return to the Content Production Overview

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