6 Content Formats to Boost Engagement and Brand Awareness 

Every business can benefit from content, if you’re lacking the time and resources, play to your strengths when creating content to boost engagement.

Content marketing is a useful tool for any business, no matter the niche. According to the Content Marketing Institute, this type of marketing is said to be one of the most cost-effective methods alongside email marketing. The only drawback to content marketing is the time and resource it takes to create content that pays off. 

 

Many business owners want the long-term benefits that content can bring but struggle to put adequate resources to it due to other business operations. Although content is often just perceived as words on a page, there are so many different ways you can utilize this marketing funnel. 

 

Take a look at some exciting ways to introduce engaging and shareable content to your website marketing strategy:

Blog posts and long-form content

Starting with content marketing 101, it’s no surprise that blog posts come out as one of the most common ways to create content for all types of businesses. However, it’s also one of the ways that can waste your time and resource if not done right. Blogs are simple to create, and depending on the topic can be completed quickly, but that alone won’t save you time. Unless this content is authoritative, engaging, and likable, it will just become a page on your website no one visits. 

 

Quality over quantity is a good starting point when creating blog posts. You only have to produce one piece of evergreen content to get people talking. So, concentrate on the quality of your blog posts rather than writing several that won’t rank well.  

Video marketing 

Video is set to become the next big thing in content marketing. It is one of the most influential mediums on social media platforms and often generates more leads than the written word. The beauty of video is that it is easily digestible and will engage people on a personal level. Videos don’t have to be  full-scale productions to be successful either. As influencers have shown us, filming with a phone or handheld DSLR can be just as effective. 

 

For brands, the instant and real-time feel to video make it an attractive marketing tool. You can adapt quickly to changing trends and use different formats to relay information. To speed up the creation process, companies such as Ziflow offer video proofing software to ensure you have a consistent and accurate message every time. 

 

Video isn’t just for YouTube or your website, either. Take a look at other ways to attract attention, such as Instagram and Facebook Stories, IGTV, Tiktok, and Snapchat. These give you the chance to create shorter, impactful videos alongside your social media marketing efforts. 

Infographics

Visually stimulating content is always well received. Many people don’t want to sit for hours reading through blog posts or long-form content due to time constraints. Plus, everybody loves bite-sized facts and unusual information titbits. That’s where infographics come in. To make your content digestible and fun, these types of graphics can draw attention in an instant.

 

However, it’s essential to make the content shareable; otherwise, it’ll be similar to a blog post no one visits on your website. Just like other content, planning is key. It’s not just enough to have some random facts and figures on the graphic; the entire concept has to be considered. Work with your creative teams to bring ideas to life and use visual marketing tools such as Canva to produce fun and quirky end results. 

Polls and quizzes 

Who doesn’t love a good poll or quiz!

This type of content can be hard to resist when it pops up on your newsfeed, so why not harness this by creating your own. The trick is to make it so simple and fun so that people will be happy to share with everyone they know. It doesn’t have to be formally related to your products or services, either. Polls and quizzes are a fantastic way to engage people that have shown a slight interest in your brand but failed to interact. This type of content throws an olive branch and showcases your brand image to entice them to look further. Quizzes and polls are simple to make, and tools such as Quizzr and WPForms are good starting points. 

Webinars 

If you produce lots of information for business-to-business activities, then hosting a webinar is a great content marketing tool. Rather than writing lengthy reports and whitepapers to explain a subject, breaking it down into manageable and explainable chunks can help. Webinars can also help to convert people, not only at the point of registering for a webinar but also during and after the event. 

 

You can also produce free webinar content as a taster or an entire product offering. This free element creates a marked interest in the rest of the services you sell, which could lead to further conversions. This type of marketing also boosts qualified leads, as anyone signing up is already interested in what you have on offer. 

Images

Simply put, images can bring attention to your brand in an instant. Sometimes more effectively than a blog post. You might be surprised just what happens every minute on the Internet. Back in 2017, 15,000 GIFS were sent on messenger, and 46,200 images were uploaded to Instagram, and that’s every minute! A picture can paint a thousand words. If you can harness the success of a shareable image, then individuals are more likely to share the content that goes along with the image. Similar to an Infographic, the image has to be appealing yet simple. Plus, something that is relevant and relatable to your audience. 

 

Content marketing has the power to convert leads with low-cost techniques. Honing these avenues could see you reap the benefits and enjoy increased brand awareness within your niche. The above examples are just a few of the ways to use content marketing in your business.

Some other popular marketing methods include:

 

• Podcasts
• Presentations 
• Email marketing 
• Case studies and original research 
• eBooks 
• Checklists
• White papers and reports

Share what you’re using and what is working for your business in the comments below!