Content Marketing has become one of the most effective strategies for companies of all sizes. As SEO Agency, which among other things refers to Content specialized, one might think that we only deal with Blogging (and we actually do that pretty well), but we know the power of a well-formatted E-Books, a great social media campaign and, yes, the perfect meme as much as anyone else.
Content Marketing comes in many shapes and sizes, and which way is best depends on how your business works and who you want to reach. Take a look at the following 15 types of content marketing to learn how to develop a creative and engaging content marketing strategy.
Blogs: The classic among content marketing types
As one of the most important forms of content marketing, blogs are indispensable for any company with an online presence. Blogs are primarily used to Search engine optimization (SEO) of a website by attracting links from other websites and improving the Ranking optimize for additional keywords. There are no hard and fast rules for the best length or format of blog posts, so it can be helpful to use blog post templates if you're new to writing.
Problems that it solves: Increases visibility in the SERPs and the organic Traffic by optimizing posts for specific keywords.
Estimated costs:
For pure texts, the costs per post can be between €200 and €2,000, depending on the depth.
Estimated time required:
For pure texts between 8 and 16 hours per article, depending on the complexity of the topic.
To monitoring metrics:
Monthly organic Traffic with Google Analytics, monthly clicks with Google Search Console, Left with Moz, Ahrefs, SEMRush or another tool and organic Keyword-rankings with Moz, Ahrefs, SEMRush or another tool.
Infographics: The better graphics
Infographics are one of the most well-known forms of content marketing and are often used in blogs. Infographics are used to make a topic visually interesting, whether it's to summarize a blog, explain the steps of a complicated process, back up claims with statistics or other infographic formats.
Infographics not only make blog posts more interesting, but are also a great way to get links. Since creating infographics requires expert knowledge in graphic design, many websites like to publish high-quality infographics for their own purposes and link to the original source to give credit.
Problems solved:
Increase visual interest in blog posts to increase the likelihood of organic and "outreach" links.
Estimated costs:
The cost of creating a pure infographic can range from €300 to €1,000, depending on the depth and complexity of the design. However, infographics are best used in combination with blog copy, so the costs are likely to be combined with the estimates from #1.
Estimated time required:
Only for the creation of the infographic approx. 10-20 hours. The same applies here as for the estimated costs.
Metrics to be monitored:
Since infographics are most commonly used in blogs, the same metrics apply, especially when it comes to earning links. Additionally, the distribution of infographics on social media can be tracked with the BuzzSumo Content Analyzer.
Videos: Contact in content marketing doesn't get any closer
Videos are one of the most versatile forms of content marketing. From product explanations and expert interviews to live social media broadcasts of events and customer testimonials, creating videos is a labor-intensive but rewarding journey. Videos are one of the best mediums to engage with audiences 'face to face' and bring them closer to the people behind the product.
In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted on the popularity of video marketing, driven by the rise of platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Live. Wyzowl has found that 96 percent of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and that 87 percent of video marketers say that videos have increased traffic to their website.
Problems solved:
Strengthening brand authority by enabling transparency and a personal dialog between companies and customers and explaining complicated issues.
Estimated costs:
Between €1,500 and €4,000+ for a simple explanatory video or an instructional video, depending on the length.
Estimated time required:
About 20 to 30 hours for planning, shooting and editing a five-minute video.
Metrics to be monitored:
Number of calls, Average length of stay, click-through rate and subscriber rate on YouTube.
Podcasts: Content marketing for the ears
Podcasts are a natural complement to video content, as the audio from your videos can also be reused as a podcast.
In a crowded market, the goal of podcasting as content marketing should be to find a unique niche and fill it with expert knowledge. Since podcast listeners are a "captive audience" (many listen to podcasts on their way to work), this type of content marketing is ideal for reaching a small but engaged audience that is very interested in the niche topic.
Podcasts are also a great way to connect with other industry experts by inviting them on the show as guest speakers and collaborating with them to promote your brand. Take a look at our list of the best content marketing podcasts for podcast inspiration.
Problems solved:
Increases brand awareness and engages the audience by covering topics that are important to this niche group.
Estimated costs:
The cost of editing an episode is between 200 and 300 $. For a complete production, the costs can range from €500 to €1,000 per episode.
rise.
Estimated time required:
It depends a lot on the length of the podcast, but expect to spend five to six hours setting up, editing, uploading and marketing a one-hour podcast.
and marketing of a one-hour podcast.
Metrics to watch:
Downloads, ratings and reviews, as well as the corresponding website-.Traffic on the days on which episodes are published.
Whitepapers: The content marketing way for B2B
Whitepapers are long pieces of written content that contain unique data or up-to-date findings. They are used to demonstrate a brand's authority and in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Whitepapers are typically published as PDF files with tables, graphs and other data visualizations that can be used in emails or other prospecting forms.
Many companies also use statistics from white papers to write press releases and publicize their research. Whitepapers can be divided into smaller sections and reused as blog content.
Solve problems:
Generates publicity through press releases and increases the trust of current and potential customers in the brand's expertise.
Estimated costs:
To write, design and market a whitepaper from scratch, the costs can be estimated at around €3,000.
Estimated time required:
To extract the data, analyze it, write the text and create the design, one person needs an estimated two weeks, or 80 hours.
Metrics to be monitored:
Downloads, page views, and email capture if used as gated content.
Social media posts: The fast moving content type
94 percent of content marketers use social media as a distribution channel for your content. Social media can be used for a variety of purposes, from generating leads and clicks to your website to nurturing and engaging your active audience.
The great thing about social media is that most of your other types of content translate well to social posts. You can use video clips for Instagram Stories, eBooks to promote your website or blog posts as regular or boosted posts. In general, it's best to integrate a mix of informational and promotional content into your social media strategy.
Problems that are solved: Increases the visibility of content and the number of clicks to the website by providing an additional channel for the Range is created, especially for blog, video and data-driven content.
Estimated costs:
If you want to manage your social media yourself, the actual cost is free (excluding advertising costs). If you choose to hire a social media manager, you can expect to pay around €3,500 for a month of social content (based on the average salary for this position), plus advertising costs and a subscription to a content management platform such as Hootsuite, HeyOrca or Sprout Social.
Estimated time required:
It depends on how dedicated you are. Publishing the latest blogs will only take a few hours a week, while maintaining a polished social calendar can be a full-time job of 40+ hours a week.
Metrics to monitor: Engagement (likes, reactions and comments), total impressions and clicks on your page.
Case studies: The proof of your skills
Case studies are data-driven reports on how a customer or client has benefited from your product or service. They can include statistics, charts and other data visualizations that tell a story from the problem to the actions taken to the results.
Case studies are usually published in a dedicated section of a website. They are one of the most useful types of content marketing for direct lead generation, as potential customers can see the positive impact you've had on a similar business and understand how you can achieve the same results for them.
Problems that are solved:
Generate more leads from potential customers who understand the ROI your services can provide.
Estimated costs:
500€ to 1,000€ for text and design.
Estimated time required:
If you already have the data, you should plan about 16 hours for text and design.
Metrics to track:
Page views, time spent on the page and all conversion tracking measures that you have set up, e.g. filling out a contact form.
Email marketing: The content marketing way to nurture leads
Similar to social media, email is one of the types of content marketing you can use as a sales channel. With email marketing, you can distribute videos, case studies, blogs, e-books or other content you've created that you think will be interesting enough for your target audience to click through to your website to find out more.
Email marketing works by building a list of subscribers and contacting them regularly (but not too regularly) via email to share the content you're working on. Your target audience may not check your blog or social media that often, but if they're interested in your work, you're likely to get more traffic to your website and more sign-ups.
Solve problems:
Increase the number of visitors and engagement with specific website content.
Estimated costs:
If you decide to run your own email campaigns, you only need to pay for a subscription to a service like MailChimp or Constant Contact. Working with an agency usually costs between €1,500 and €2,000 per month for weekly or bi-weekly campaigns.
Estimated time required:
Depending on the size of the team, creating an email campaign can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Studies from 2019 show that more than half of brands need two weeks to create an email.
Metrics to be monitored:
Open rate, click rate and subscribe/unsubscribe rate.
eBooks: The content marketing way that converts leads
Another type of long-form content is eBooks. While whitepapers are usually data-oriented and deal with a specific problem or scenario, eBooks can be longer and explain a broader topic in detail. For example, a leadership coach might write an eBook about his experience coaching 100 companies in Silicon Valley, or a real estate agent might write an eBook about how he mastered his first year as an agent.
eBooks are ideal for demonstrating your expertise in your field of work and showing potential clients how you can help them. eBooks are usually published as a PDF on your website and Amazon and can be shared via email and social media.
Solve problems:
Creates the opportunity to increase brand awareness and authority in this area.
Estimated costs:
Between €3,000 and €9,000, depending on how much time is required for the creation and design.
Estimated time required:
It depends on the style of writing, but a good estimate for the text is two weeks of uninterrupted work, or about 80 hours. Formatting by a designer would probably take another 40 hours.
Metrics that need to be monitored:
Email subscriptions and e-book downloads (if hosted on your website) as well as Amazon purchases and reviews/ratings.
Webinars: Warming up and converting leads
While soloWebinarWhile webinars are good for shorter segments explaining a specific question or problem the audience has (e.g. "How do I create a social media content calendar?"), webinars are more often used as a discussion opportunity with other industry leaders to discuss broader trends.
Like most other types of content marketing, webinars can be reused. The recordings can be recorded and posted on social networks, sent to an email marketing list and transcribed as blog posts.
Solve problems:
Creates brand awareness and connections with others in the industry and increases customer loyalty by addressing specific issues.
problems are addressed.
Estimated costs:
Costs can vary greatly depending on which hosting platform is used, what hardware is available (computer, microphone, webcam, etc.) and how much is spent on promoting the webinar through other channels. In general, €500 to €1,000 per Webinar a good estimate.
Estimated time required:
Although a Webinar While a presentation usually only lasts one to two hours, it can take weeks to choose a topic, format and design the slides, invite and coordinate with guest speakers and write the script. You should allow at least six weeks for preparation and a few hours the day before to practice your presentation.
Metrics to consider:
Attendance, commitment and participation during the webinar, feedback after the webinar Webinar and, most importantly, new leads generated by webinar attendees.
Online courses: Generate maximum trust from your target group
You may never have thought about online courses as a form of content marketing before, but they can actually serve the same purpose as a lot of your lead generation content. Online courses are ideal not only for demonstrating and marketing your expertise, but also for appealing to do-it-yourself enthusiasts who may not be quite sure they're up to the task yet.
Our SEO Strategy course, for example, is designed to teach everyone the basics of content marketing, from the Keyword-research and idea generation through to promotion and link generation. As participants learn more about the importance of this area and how our process works, they may decide to use our services instead of trying to manage the process themselves.
Problems that are solved:
Can help supplement a slower lead generation process with additional revenue and potential leads
Estimated costs: 10.000€+
Estimated time required:
Online courses are one of the most time-consuming types of content marketing to invest in. Depending on the length of your course, it can take months to fully develop the necessary videos, design and scripts.
Metrics to be monitored:
Registrations/purchases, course completion rate, ratings and feedback as well as leads generated by course participants.
Influencer campaigns: Use the reputation
Depending on your industry, publishing content with the help of an influencer can be a more valuable strategy than just posting on your account. Working with an influencer Influencer is mainly used in the lifestyle and wellness industry to make your content accessible to a larger and (hopefully) more engaged audience than your existing followers.
This strategy serves to increase the awareness of your brand and to increase the Traffic on your website, as the Influencer can recommend your products to his followers. Some Influencer use content that you make available to them, others create their own content with your products, images and texts.
Problems solved: Helps lesser known brands increase their brand awareness, website clicks and conversions by reaching a wider audience.
Estimated costs:
The cost of a Influencer-campaign depend on the platform, the number of Followers and the account's level of engagement.
For a single, medium-sized Influencer-post on Instagram, you can expect to pay between €500 and €5,000.
Estimated time required:
You can expect five to ten hours to start the Influencer communicate, send him products and/or photos and decide on the terms of your agreement.
Metrics to be monitored:
Engagement with the post (likes and comments), visits to your website and conversions for the product in question.
Memes and humor: The content marketing way for younger target groups
Yes, it's true, brands and companies are now allowed to use memes (the example above was provided by Lemonade). Of all types of content marketing, this is where you should be the most careful. Online culture moves at the speed of light, and a single inappropriate or outdated meme can attract picky Followers annoy. If you want to know how brands get it right, look at the fast food giants on Twitter, like Wendy's and Burger King. Somehow, they've become the meme champions among companies in recent years.
Today's consumers appreciate brands that show they are "with the times" and memes continue to be one of the most popular types of online posts. Companies typically share memes on social networks, but many have also started to integrate them into their blogs.
Problems it solves:
Conveying brand values and personality through content to an audience that appreciates a sense of humor.
Estimated costs:
Free, meme generators can be found with a quick Google search.
Estimated time required:
Very low, it only takes a few seconds to create a new meme or share a meme you've seen online.
Metrics to watch:
The same metrics you use for blogs and social media posts. However, it's especially important to pay attention to any negative feedback you receive after posting a meme, as this could indicate that your audience doesn't think it's in line with your brand's tone.
Which content marketing type trumps all?
Even if we prefer some of these types of content marketing, there is no content that is better than others. Choosing the right type of content marketing depends on your business model and your target audience. Take a varied approach, observe other industry leaders and invest in what appeals best to your audience.
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