18 Content Marketing Options & How To Use Them
Content marketing continues to gain traction among marketers, both B2C and B2B because it attracts and invites prospects and customers in without hitting them over the head with price-oriented promotions.
Additionally content marketing supplies food for social media, engages prospects at each step of the purchase process, and supports search optimization.
As a marketer, where should you focus your content marketing to meet your business goals? To help you, here’s a chart outlining the major eighteen options along with a description, rationale for using them and how to extend their use. (Once you’ve determined which formats you’re going to use, here’s a content marketing checklist.)
Content Marketing Options – What They Are & Why You Need Them
| Option | Description | Rationale | Other uses |
| Website | Online storefront with product information | Provide online address | Support sales from other content; Create mobile version |
| Microsite | Small, targeted content site | Keep prospects focused on one product/issue | Support sales from other content |
| Social Media (excluding blogs) | Interact with content, comments, links, videos, photos, presos & audio | Be where prospects are; Engage in conversation | Cross promote activities |
| Blog | Create variety of content | Builds owned media, support SEO & sales | Mention posts in newsletters; Write guest posts on other blogs |
| Video | Develop live action with visual | Present talking heads, interviews, how to’s & entertain | Post on social media sites (including Facebook & YouTube); Include in blog |
| Podcast | Convey message with human voice | Provide aural version of brand | Distribute via iTunes; Incorporate in blog |
| Photograph | Show products & people | Show product in use | Use on photo sharing sites (Flickr); Post to Facebook; Include on blog; Incorporate in print collateral |
| Newsletter | Distribute news & information on regular basis- digital & paper | Keep customers up-to-date; Support sales; Generate leads | Create online version; Distribute to prospects via mail |
| Magazine | Write articles related to product in third party publications | Interest prospects in product; Support sales | Share content on social media; Consider online & print issues |
| Custom magazine | Create entire publication around topic of interest to customers | Help lead generation; Support post sales | Extend content on website and/or blog |
| White/ research paper | Create content around topic of interest | Generate leads; Provide thought leadership | Write related articles & social sharing |
| Ebook | Provides sexier content around topic of interest | Help generate leads; Provide thought leadership; Generate revenues | Offer via blog or other social media |
| Catalog | Show product available | Sell product | Integrate into website |
| Webinar/webcast | Present useful information | Generate leads; Offer training; Answer customer questions | Incorporate on website; Use piece for blog |
| Conference | Participate in panel or present useful information | Generate leads; Provide thought leadership | Share presentation on social sharing site |
| Other live events | Meet prospects and customers | Generate leads; Provide thought leadership | Create videos & photos; Share presos via Twitter |
| Infographic | Show complex information in simplified visual format | Provide thought leadership | Share via social media; insert in blog |
| Mobile app | Create information for targeted use | Generate leads; Provide customer service | Link to related products |
©2012 – Heidi Cohen – Riverside Marketing Strategies – All rights reserved
To maximize your content marketing, it’s important to consider why the content is effective and how you can extend it’s life. Bear in mind, social sharing on social media platforms is a critical addition to any content marketing activity.
Are there any other content marketing formats that you think should be included in this list? If so, what are they and when should they be used?
Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen
Here are some related articles on content marketing you may find of interest.
- Social media friendly content (Examples)
- 56 Ways to extend your content marketing
- 42 Ways to respin your content
Heidi,
You are just about the biggest user of lists and you’ve missed the creation and curation of lists off your list. That did make me smile!
Social Lists are a form of content marketing. And you table is essentially a list of all the different types of Content marketing can create:)
30% of all published content and blog posts make use of lists because bloggers and publishers know that
I’d love to connect and chat. You are such a list expert. I’d love to tap into your insight.
Nick
Nick–
Thank you for your input. I view social lists as part of the information/content created on social media networks and could have been added to the description. Lists aren’t listed since they’re part of the social media network or part of the content created such as a blog post listing the top 100 resources of XXX.
You also mention curation with regard to lists. Curation in the broader sense isn’t include here since this list focuses on original content, not how content can be reused elsewhere.
Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen
This chart is more than just useful. It filters down the key aspects that sometimes overwhelm us. By seeing it ln this context, the whole picture is much clearer. A good tool to help new businesses “see” how the content can be used. Some folks are so foggy in grssping the concepts. Thanks.
Very useful chart, thanks! I think blogs are key to content marketing – they support all the other elements in CM strategy. We just did some research on high tech company blogging and were pretty shocked to see only 20% of the companies we surveyed had a blog (http://bit.ly/xenmGn) . I don’t see how you can execute a content marketing strategy without a blog. What are your thoughts on that?
Such a great comparison about different aspects of marketing strategies. Looks to me a useful post. Thanks a lot.