Neil Patel, KISSmetrics founder and a creator of Amazon, NBC, GM, HP marketing strategies, gives valuable tips on how to tell about company products and services in various formats. He also explains which content increases sales, how to make it and what peculiarities they have.
If you’re new to content marketing, the first thing to do is to start a blog and write posts.
When you have a blog and the work on it is more or less stable, try to use new content type. It’s likely that you’ll get results quite quickly – better traffic, target audience acquisition, increase of advertising efficiency and SEO.
Before unrevealing 15 content types that help to get such results, here are some tips:
- Don’t try everything at once. Different content types suit various brands. It’s quite acceptable that you’ll like only one of them. It’s not a list of must-haves, just possible variants.
- Try new things. Many people are afraid of using other content types as it seems difficult for them, but Neil Patel advises you to do it.
- Correct your schedule. If you have a marketing plan, choose several variants from it and note them down to your schedule for next month. Plan everything beforehand.
- It’s not a full list. While choosing content type, focus on ideas rather than formats. A message is the key thing, the way you present it is a secondary thing. Create a concept and think of how it should look.
Contents
1. Infographics
Infographic is a graphic way of presenting data or material. It spreads quicker and is viewed more often than the majority of other content types as people like it more. It’s an efficient way to show data in a nice and visual way. According to the results of the investigation, it gets 3 times more likes and reposts than other content types.
How to create
Ask a designer, if you have one in your company. Some illustrators specialize on infographics. If you have some money to spend, use a service, for example, Visual.ly. Minimal price for infographics is approximately $1,000.
How to use
It’s an ideal way to present almost any idea or concept. Infographics is great to display data, statistics, investigation results and new discoveries.
Important to know
- Infographics may cost a lot. $1,000 is quite a typical price.
- Some time earlier, infographics could guarantee content popularity. It doesn’t work anymore as everybody does it, so try hard to create a really viral one.
- Create a gifographic. It’s the same infographics but there are graphic elements instead of static pictures.
2. Memes
Everybody has seen them. They are easy to create. They are popular.
One of their advantages is humor. People like to find something funny and share it.
How to create
- Meme Generator and Quick Meme allow to add your text to popular meme-pictures.
- It may be not the best content for a blog, but memes are popular in social networks. Twitter, Stumbleupon, Pinterest, Reddit, and especially Tumblr will help you to spread your content.
- A meme may not have serious content. But if you’re in a good mood and you have a funny idea – create a meme.
Important to know
- Memes are adaptive. They are universal and can be used in any sphere (if it’s not narrow and difficult for understanding).
- A meme isn’t a valuable content so don’t overdo it. As if there are too many of them, your concept or brand may lose the value.
3. Video
A video should be easy to remember and short.
How to create
- Be it an office tour, explanatory or music video, work hard on its content. Here are some additional tips on how to make an explanatory video.
- Place your material on YouTube and Vimeo. These websites give a wonderful opportunity to get a beneficial position in search results.
Important to know
- A good video costs a lot. Surely, you can start from little things, but a specialist’s service isn’t cheap.
- A video shouldn’t be long. 2-3 minutes is enough.
4. Guide
It’s a detailed and quite a massive content. It may also be called an epic blog post and differs from a usual post by style, size and concept.
How to make
You need a smart writer, an intelligent designer and a good idea. A writer should create a quality material and a designer should make it visually appealing. An idea should correspond to interests of your target audience. It’s also possible to make a guide as a PDF document.
Important to know
- A guide may be used as a bait in order to get users emails: “Write your email and we will send you this awesome guide.”
- It should be of high quality. Make sure that you’ve entrusted work with professionals.
5. Review
A book review is a quick summary of a book and your opinion on it. You recommend good books and criticize the ones that are not so good and share your opinions. Reviews are great as they position you as a person who is worth listening to.
How to make
You can do it simple and complex. Here’s a short and simple variant:
- present a book: 1–5 sentences
- present the author: 1–5 sentences
- describe the essence of the book shortly: 1–3 sentences for each thesis
- indicate what you liked in the book: 1–5 sentences
- indicate what you disliked in the book: 1–5 sentences
- make a conclusion whether it’s worth reading: 1–3 sentences
- provide a link to the book (a call to action)
Important to know
- This content type suit better those who have reading audience.
- A review helps to gain authority, especially if you can talk to the author or evaluate a fresh book.
6. Post opinion (angry post)
The writing style of such a post differs significantly from ordinary blog texts. The main peculiarity is its tone. You can conduct a short investigation and publish an essay on it but its tone will be expressive and categoric. The brighter and more expressive the opinion is, the more readers you’ll get.
How to make it
Write loud announcements from time to time, touch upon actual topics and the most important questions. For example, how economics changes. Speaking on popular topics, you increase your blog traffic.
Important to know
- Such material shouldn’t appear quite often. The ones who write too much about their opinions and use loud expression bore quickly.
- Don’t insult people. “Expressive” doesn’t mean “angry”.
- Be sure, that what your write is your opinion and be ready to defend it.
7. Product review
Just like a book review, a product review will help you to gain a reputation of a person who is knowledgeable in a certain sphere. There are many attendant products, services and software in every sphere. Acquiring famous producers, developers, service companies, you’ll be able to increase your reputation. You just need to share your experience of using a product and give your recommendations.
How to make
Here’s a plan for a review:
- present a product
- present the producer
- describe the product
- indicate what you liked
- indicate what you disliked
- give your recommendations
- place a call to action
Important to know
If a product is tangible, add videos to a review.
8. Practical guide
Practical advice is one of the most widespread content types. Such articles have a great potential for long search requests like “How to make…” or “What to do if…”
How to make
Define a typical problem and describe a solution to it.
Here’s a plan:
- describe a problem
- describe a solution
- describe the solution step-by-step
- sum it up
- make a conclusion
Important to know
- There are many topics for such content. Think of what you do every day and write an article on the basis of this problem.
- Make an explanation as detailed as possible. Diagrams, videos and pictures will be useful for a practical guidance.
9. Lists
Lists are still very popular. Sorting ideas is actual since the time of Ten Commandments till nowadays. It’s a 100% right choice of content type. Even famous magazines publish such lists for commercial goals.
How to make
Choose a topic and a number. Look at a good example: “7 Ways to Increase Your Rankings without Leveraging Content Marketing”.
When the list is ready, it’s pretty simple to adjust it: an introductory part, the list and a conclusion.
Important to know
- The more detailed the list, the better.
- Long lists are also good.
- There’s no ideal number, every one works OK.
№ 10.Links
It’s a post where you give links to cool web resources. It’s advantage is that it provides connection with other sites, increases popularity of your blog and proves your competence.
How to make
A page of links is a list of useful resources. Write a headline, add links and number them. That’s it.
Important to know
It will be useful to add your comment or a short introductory part to each link. It’s not obligatory but an author’s comment adds value to a post. Moreover, if a linked page is exceptionally good (or bad), you’ll want to underline this.
11. eBook
It’s a big-size content usually available in PDF. Most of the time, eBooks are free to download if you subscribe for newsletters. Placing eBooks increasing web site authority, it’s an efficient method of information exchange.
How to make
- Pay attention to the size: 10,000 will do.
- There should be chapters in eBooks in order to orient in contents.
Important to know
- A good book should have a good title. Think of one that could attract many readers.
- Design is very important. An eBook should have color and graphic design and quality formatting. Otherwise, people won’t spend their time on it.
- Chose PDF and HTML formats for your eBook. It’s possible to add video and audio to a HTML book.
12. Cases
Choose a separate example of client in order to explain what’s your business and why it’s useful to customers. It’s like saying: “That’s what we do, the way we do and the result we get”.
How to make
Here’s a plan for a case:
- tell briefly about your case
- explain a problem you or your client had faced
- write about the solution you offered. The explanation should be clear and precise, tell about every stage
- tell about the results and why it’s important to solve the problem this way
- make a conclusion and don’t forget about feedback
Important to know
- Try to write a case in such a way so that it doesn’t look like an advertisement.
- Write a story. A “case” doesn’t sound interesting, but a good case is an inspiring success story.
13. Podcast
Podcasts were very popular some time ago, but even now it’s an awesome type of content. And they are quite easy to create. Many people listen to podcasts while training or travelling. This content type allows you to spread your material farther and better.
How to make
Making a podcast is simple, you’ll only need a microphone and some technical skills. Learn what Apple writes about it.
Important to know
Just like any publication in web, a podcast needs text. Write a little introduction, place information on new podcasts and describe its contents briefly. You can even make a shorthand record and it will positively affect search optimization.
14. Interview
There are leaders in every sphere. A possibility to interview one of them will increase traffic and your authority among those who relate to this sphere. Interviews are unique and nobody has this particular content.
How to make
Firstly, you need to invite a person for an appointed meeting.
A conversation plan may look like this:
- introduce an the person being interviewed. Be polite and appreciative
- ask a question and listen to an answer
- keep asking questions. If an intriguing topic appears, ask additional questions
- conclusion. Say “Thank you” to your interlocutor and don’t forget about a call to action for your audience
Important to know
If you place in interview in audio or video format, add a short description in print.
15. Investigation and data
Publishing the results of your investigations is an efficient way to increase traffic, reputation and solidify your authority. An own investigation is a tough and time-consuming work and people appreciate it. Moreover, they share it.
How to make
- You’ll have to conduct an investigation. Choose a topic that’s worth spending time and effort for.
- Make your data understandable and interesting. Give concrete numbers, per cent and all necessary details which can draw users’ attention.
Important to know
- Professional investigation may cost a lot.
- Take your ordinary report and make content out of it.
- Create an infographic out of your data. You’ll get double benefit this way: from an investigation and infographic.
Conclusion
Neil Patel has shown many content types. The more of them you use, the more efficient your marketing policy becomes. Despite its form, content addresses target audience which listens, shares, learns and converts into clients.
Now you have a plan that will give you a possibility to enter a new level.