There are many types of content that are used in content marketing. Each requires different editorial strategies, content structures, governance, and marketing plans to be used in your content marketing initiatives. When deciding what content to create, consider all the different channels you might use. Today, people are constantly on their phones and other mobile devices. So your content should be easily viewable and readable on mobile just as much as on any other channel or platform.
Top Content Marketing Strategies + Trends And Challenges For 2022
86% of B2C marketers think of content marketing as their key business strategy, and as many as 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing to reach their customers.
In this article, we address the five most effective types of content marketing strategies, their best practices and where they stand in user journey.
We’ll also cover the advantages of content marketing as a part of your business growth strategy, the latest trends and the biggest challenges in content marketing for 2022.
What Is a Content (Marketing) Strategy?
A content marketing strategy is a high-level view of your content marketing goals, who your content should serve, how you’ll measure the success of your content, how you’ll distribute your content, and more. Quite honestly, it sounds a lot more complex than it actually is or needs to be. Essentially, a content strategy simply lays out the foundation of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and who you’re doing it for.
Your content marketing strategy isn’t simply publishing content ad hoc or creating a content calendar. Instead, it’s a bird’s eye view of your content marketing program.
What content can you use in your content marketing strategy?
You can create and combine different content types based on your goals, budget, and target audience’s preferences. Let’s review some most common content types that you can utilize in your strategy.
Posts on social media
Everyone hangs out in socials these days, so posting your content there is a good idea. On each social media, you can reach different goals, so your content production depends on the platform you choose.
For example, Yoga and diet coaches often create educational and helpful content on Instagram, supported by well-looking photos. Check a post from midnshapeyoga. The model shows a specific yoga pose, while the text describes its advantages and gives tips on how to perform it.
Unlike Instagram, Facebook posts usually contain more text, and you may add videos longer than one minute. Here’s an example of a Facebook post from the yoga training industry.
Blog articles
Blogging is a way to communicate ideas more comprehensively to your audience. It takes more time and effort to produce detailed guides, instructions, service comparisons, etc.
To create relevant blog articles, you need to find out which keywords people use when searching for specific answers, and give them those answers in your content. Put all your knowledge and experience into your articles, because engaging and helpful content has better chances for ranking high on Google. It will be easy for users to find your site, and they will be more likely to buy from you.
Aside from educating and entertaining your audience, blog articles allow you to convert readers into leads. This format allows you to promote your business more naturally compared to internet advertising.
How to create high-quality content
The demand for high-quality content is growing every day. Your audiences are becoming more discerning by the minute, so if you want to keep their attention, you need to generate content that’s both informative and entertaining.
This means adding visual elements by showcasing images, videos, animations, infographics, or downloadable interactive tools. Or you can use the written word to curate content that’s interesting, informative, or thought-provoking.
The best way to learn what works best is to experiment with different kinds of content and see which ones are most effective at engaging your audience. A good rule of thumb is to provide more information than they expect. Remember, the more value you provide, the more likely your audience is to share with their networks.
Keep searcher intent in mind
Your content marketing campaign can’t succeed if you don’t take your audience’s desires into account. The best way to do this, as mentioned earlier, is through inbound marketing, such as researching what keywords people are actively using.
When creating content for search engines, think about how you can phrase what you want to say so that the content is both relevant and appealing to the audience it serves. Searcher intent can include a wide variety of keyword possibilities, but it often has questions that your content can answer clearly and concisely.
Once you’re in the mind of your target audience, you’ll quickly be able to see what types of content they’re actively searching for and which topics you need to cover to keep them interested. Once this is established, it will be simple to create a content strategy that keeps searchers coming back for more and generates high-quality leads and sales for your business.
Use proper formatting
When you study what makes well-structured text so easily skimmable, you’ll soon realize that applying these standards is essential for keeping readers engaged for extended periods.
How to make B2B content more engaging—like B2C content
B2B audiences now expect more of a B2C experience in the content they consume. According to Forrester, 60% of B2B customers prefer not to use sales reps as their primary source of information. In fact, 68% of B2B customers would rather do their own research independently online.
Historically, B2B content marketing sought a more professional and business-like tone, while B2C marketers could be flashier and more emotive. Now the walls between B2B and B2C are crumbling. TV and radio advertisements are still not the best fit for B2B audiences, but marketers can learn a lot from mass media B2C advertising about how to intrigue and engage customers.
References:
https://www.digitalsilk.com/content-marketing-strategies
https://elementthree.com/blog/what-is-a-content-marketing-strategy/
https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/content-marketing-strategy
https://www.phoenix.edu/professional-development/blog/content-marketing-strategy/
https://www.oracle.com/cx/marketing/content-marketing/