Last month we discussed what content marketing is, and today we want to provide you with a few essential content marketing ideas for your small business. Choosing the right content marketing tools are a vital part of developing a successful content marketing strategy.
We’ll go over the top 5 content marketing ideas, so that you can see and understand how they work. Then you can choose one or two of them to pursue for your business. These are in no particular order, so it doesn’t matter which options you choose. All of them work in different ways, so you can pick whichever works best for you and your business.
Content Marketing Idea #1: Infographics
Infographics display data in a visual format. They are usually long vertical photos that shows different statistics using graphs, or other visuals. Infographics are effective because they give audiences a lot of information, but they break it down so it’s easy to read and understand.
Infographics are especially effective on Pinterest, because they take up a lot of space. When you create an infographic you should make sure it links to a page or blog post on your website. That way when people want to learn more about the infographic they saw, they can easily find your website.
Content Marketing Idea #2: Blog posts
A lot of businesses don’t realize that they’re utilizing content marketing when they write a blog post, but it’s one of the most common content marketing ideas.
Consumers want to be informed before they buy a product. Which makes blog posts a great content marketing tool. If you can become an authority in your field and consumers trust you, then they’re more likely to use your products or services.
When you’re creating blog post as part of your content marketing you need to make sure that you’re addressing concerns that your customers have. That way you’re providing value instead of being salesy. If you’re ever stuck and need ideas for content, ask your audience! They’ll be happy to tell you where they’re struggling and then you can be the one who solves their problems.
Content Marketing Idea #3: Podcasts
Podcasts and blog posts are closely related. but the way the content is delivered changes. What we love about podcasts is that they feel more personal than a blog post. Hearing someone’s voice helps you feel closer to them.
A great feature of podcasts is using guests to help educate your audience. Inviting guests to your show is beneficial for you and your audience. It allows both of you to make a new connection and exposes you to a new perspective. If your guest promotes their experience on your show, you will also be able to reach a whole new audience, which will, hopefully, boosts sales!
Content Marketing Idea #4: Books
Writing a book may seem like a big commitment just for marketing, but it can be a great content marketing idea. Because a book is a lot of work, you want to be able to get a lot of use out of it.
A book is a great way to grow your email list. A book is an incredibly valuable opt-in for potential subscribers. You can either provide an ebook, which subscribers can download after they’ve subscribed to your list. Or you can have your book published and have the subscribers pay for shipping costs. When people have to put money into the product they’re more likely to value it.
If you don’t want to use your book as an email opt-in, it’s a great way to make a passive income. Who said content marketing had to be free? There are a lot of ways to self publish books without spending a lot of money. Again you can do an ebook or a printed book. You will be able to charge more if you provide a printed book. You can either sell your book on your website or through a site like Amazon.
Content Marketing Idea #5: Videos
We’ve saved the best content marketing idea for last! Video is the most popular type of online content. People are ten times more likely to engage with video content, which means it’s a great way to introduce people to your brand and tell them what you can do for them. The best content marketing videos are funny or witty, which makes them more shareable. The Squatty Potty is an excellent example of successful video content marketing.
After you have your video concept planned and you’ve shot and edited your video you need to get it in front of your audience. There are two ways to go about this. The first is finding hosting for your video. If you’re not a technical person, this can sound confusing, but it’s really simple. You need somewhere to upload your video to and you probably already know where that is: YouTube. YouTube is, by far, the most viewed video site. YouTube is also owned by Google, and we know that Google promotes content hosted on it’s sites. So, not only will your video be on the biggest video platform, but Google will also prioritize it in searches.
The second place you’ll want to use your video content is on social media. Facebook users alone watch 100 million hours of videos a day. This means that social media is the perfect place to share your videos. You can share video on almost every social media platform. You can either share the full video, a link to your video, or a short clip of the video. When you’re sharing videos on social media platforms just make sure you add a message with a call to action to promote more engagement with your video.
Which content marketing ideas stuck out to you? Let us know by leaving a comment.
