How to Diversify your Content Strategy
With so many different types of content available, it can be difficult to navigate this realm and create the right content that is most relevant and applicable to your business needs. Each type of content has its own set of pros and cons and content creators often question how to implement these different mediums into their strategy. The danger with branching out when it comes to content creation is that after spending the time, money, and resources to create a different type of content, it ends up not resonating with your audience. But sometimes, despite the intensive market research and comprehensive buyer persona, you simply won’t know unless you take the risk and try something different. Mixing up your content allows you to keep your audience engaged and interested.
So, how does one choose the right content format for your audience? When it comes to content strategy, several different content formats are available that are not limited to blog posts only. Online content can take the form of videos, podcasts, webinars, infographics, interviews, quizzes, email newsletters, and so on. There is a lot of diversity available when it comes to content creation, and marketers don’t have to limit themselves to another blog post. A good rule of thumb is to create content that is relevant and published in a way that allows it to be easily shared. By marrying these two components, you ensure that your content represents your brand and business, but also leads traffic back to your website.
Written types of content are so effective because they are cost-effective and can convey information in a relatively quick way. however, if you are looking to branch out of the traditional blog posts, consider a few simple but effective ways to change up your content. For example, creating PDFs will allow your audience to easily share your posts, thus driving traffic to your website for a quality resource. Consider taking your PDFs to another level by creating eBooks. This method is tried and true and continues to be popular. Yet many marketers are seeking to branch out from exclusively written content.
For many, the next step up is by including a visual component to their written content. This can include infographics, pictures, graphics, and GIFs. SlideShare is another platform that is often overlooked for those looking to design a slide-deck that is curated for your target audience. Creating visual appeal is incredibly effective because it can grab the attention of your intended audience as well as potential consumers. Formats that are visually oriented like infographics are effective to implement onto your website but also translate well onto other social media platforms. Infographics represent data in an easily digestible format, and a good tactic is to link your site or social media handle to the actual image to raise brand awareness and direct more people towards your platforms.
Video marketing has risen in popularity because of how accessible it has become. Recording high-quality videos might seem expensive because of the equipment and production costs, but the reality is that smartphones these days can easily record high-quality videos, thus making videos more accessible than most people might initially think. The types of videos that you can make are seemingly endless – customer stories, how-to guides, demo videos, live videos, brand videos, the list goes on. Videos can be tailored to fit your brand and content strategy and can be as creative as you want. Developing the right image can also be part of the customer support experience.
Content will vary between each of the demographics that you are attempting to reel in. for example, if you are mainly marketing at millennials, shorter videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok are likely a more effective way to appeal to this demographic, rather than long how-to guides. The key is to know your audience instead and out. When it comes to implementing your new forms of content, consider the social network platforms that are being used to share the content. Content on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat would all look very different because of the various formats that each platform offers.
Consider the goals of your content. Is your aim to educate or delve into a topic in-depth? In this case, eBooks and webinars are a good way to reach an audience of students who are looking to learn from you. These mediums allow for far more engagement compared to a blog post or even a standard video. These can be more difficult to produce than blog posts, but they can serve as a useful resource that boosts your brand and authority on the subject.
Similarly, podcasts are a great way to encourage brand awareness, in addition to building loyalty from your audience. Podcasts give marketers the ability to connect to an audience. Recently, podcasts have exploded in popularity as many experts have flocked to this medium to engage with their audience regularly. Yet there are cons to entering the podcast realm, which requires expensive equipment to get started.
Most social media apps these days have a live streaming function. Whether it’s on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, live streaming allows you to reach out to your audience in real-time, thus creating a more personable image for your brand. Livestreams can also be saved as a useful resource as you can take your audience’s questions and responds to any of their comments. Having a face to a brand can shape brand awareness for the better.
While there is nothing wrong with focusing on written content exclusively, the accessibility of technology allows for creative and different ways to engage your brand with the audience. Branching out into different mediums of content marketing allows your brand to connect and engage with your audience in a more personable way, which contributes to brand awareness and driving traffic to your website. Implementing these mediums into your content strategy allows brands to provide a human element to your brand that is often missing from blog posts.
