Content marketing is a term that refers to when companies or individuals advertise and sell their products online, using media and/or publishing content to attract, and of course retain, customers. The aim is to produce digital content that consumers will want to look at, with information that they can retain easily and using a style that encourages the consumer to share the information with others.
Listed below are five of the different, and most popular, formats used in content marketing:
- Webpages: The main difference between your average webpage, and one that is described as content marketing, is that the latter will aim to be engaging both in its style and content and should encourage the reader to absorb the information and ideally go on to share it globally, with others. As opposed to simply listing information, it will aim to be colourful, creative and inspiring to its target audience.
- Infographics: Information graphics, more commonly abbreviated to ‘infographics’, are when information is displayed graphically to represent information, statistics or knowledge, and are designed to present information quickly and clearly to an audience. The more visually interesting the infographic, the more likely it is to have an impact and to be shared digitally among others.
- Videos: It’s now easier than ever to create video and audio marketing content, and many more amateurs are turning to this particular format to advertise their products. With the creation of YouTube, sharing these videos and enabling them to ‘go viral’ is simple and can be an extremely effective marketing tool.
- Podcasts: These are another form of digital, audio media, with the name referring to the combination of ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’. They are often created as part of a series that can be subscribed to and downloaded on to a computer or mobile device. The creator of the podcast has to engage the listener as quickly as possible, to ensure that they listen to the entire episode, and return for the next instalment. It has become another extremely popular marketing tool and as with videos, they have become easier to create.
Creating effective, imaginative and memorable marketing content can be tricky, especially if you haven’t yet managed to attract your target audience, but once you do find them, and you’re able to maintain their interest, the opportunities for raising global awareness of your product or service are literally limitless.