THE BEST CONTENT TYPES AND IDEAS FOR MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2024

The best content-type ideas for marketing and social media in 2024. The top content ideas and content types for the best social media and marketing executions.

By Mau, Global Head of Content Marketing Strategy at eDigital.

THE BEST CONTENT TYPES AND IDEAS FOR MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2024

START DEFINING YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

If you have participated in one of my content marketing masterclasses, you are already aware of the importance of deciding your content pillar to prove your mettle.

Especially in a commoditised market, you may want to build and focus your content around 2/3 of content topics your audience would love, engage and promote on behalf of you.

A great content strategy should help you build resonance with the potential and current customers you are targeting.

That’s why you see companies like Optus focused on football (soccer) content. They want to own that space and be the best at delivering that content to their core audience.

SELECT YOUR CONTENT TYPES

• The type of content must fit your content strategy and brand story. You should define the story first, its purpose and its key audience and then you decide on the best type/format for it. Not the other way around.
• Focus the story on the reader! not on the content.
• Define what users would be missing if they will never experience the story. This definition will help you choose the right type of content too.
• Get people to focus and remember the story – not get too distracted by the design or navigational elements.
• Calculate the cost of brainstorming/producing/publishing and updating your desired content-type story and the return on investment you want to achieve once the story goes live. There is no point in involving 100 people in the production of the story if the ROI is not going to be great enough.
• Get users to spend as little time and effort navigating the story and more time enjoying the story so they can remember it and more likely share it. Flipping a page of a book is so easy that the design seems invisible while the reader is submerged in the story. Your digital content should be the same as a book.
• Ensure your CMS (Content Management System) allows for multiple content formats within one single story. This will allow you to publish stories using different formats in less time. Also, choose a CMS that allows you to publish responsive content that fits most users’ devices and screen sizes.

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CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES

The above “Content Types” Wheel by eDigital offers content type ideas for the six most popular marketing and communication objectives:

• Entertain
• Inspire
• Convince
• Inform
• Support
• Educate

1. ENTERTAIN

ANIMATIONS

BEST ANIMATION ARTISTS FOR INSTAGRAM

COMICS

Below is a Facebook post from Tailwind, a social media scheduling software. The funny comics post is relevant to their target audience mainly marketers, social media managers and business owners.

Some of the most boring documents I have come across are software coding tutorials. So, if you are a tech company or a tech school that will be publishing a tutorial you can use comics or funny illustrations to break the rationale and invite students to have fun at the same time.

CONSUMER CONTESTS / COMPETITIONS

 

FUNNY INFOGRAPHICS

How do you turn a boring tech topic into a nice visual engaging one? By producing a funny infographic! Below is a funny infographic content idea and example published by Udemy comparing three of the most popular website content management systems.

FUN VIDEO SERIES

FUNNY PHOTOS OR GIFS

FUNNY QUESTIONS, VIDEOS OR ILLUSTRATIONS

When TapAffiliate (Affiliate Marketing Software) hit the 1k followers on Facebook, they publish this fun video to celebrate 🙂

MEMES

If you are new to meme creation and its power, you can check out this video that explains what a meme is, how it originated and how it can go viral.

FUNNY INTERACTIVE CONTENT

FUNNY NEWS HIJACKING 

News hijacking is taking advantage of the popularity of a news story, resulting in maximum exposure for your brand. The below example shows Burger King’s Spanish Twitter account retweeted El Chiringuito’s Eden Hazard injury story, suggesting he is missing training because he was at Burger King getting his 2×1 offer.

PARODIES

 

VIDEO GAMES

RARE FOOTAGE

Miller Wilson is an Australian young adventurer. The teen shares videos of Australian wildlife. His most popular video helping a stingray give birth has accumulated more than 20 million views.

REACTION CONTENT

Reaction videos have made many influencers popular such as Khabi Lame, PewDiePie or Jeffrey X (@jeffreyxreacts).

Reaction content might be a controversial genre, but there’s no denying the success of YouTube’s hottest commentary channels. Reaction content creators are pulling in hundreds of millions of views by adding voiceovers and dramatic responses to the internet’s most viral videos.

An example is the Antariksh Yatra channel on YouTube. Like fellow reaction creators Zack D. Films and Dylan Anderson, the Hindi-language channel layers narration over slice-of-life videos presenting animals, kids, and bizarre situations.

2. INSPIRE

COMMUNITY OUTREACH / COMMUNITY SUPPORT / STORIES

CROWDSOURCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT / DESIGN IDEAS

The above video gaming monitor earned great mentions in key online publications including PC games and others.

CUSTOMER STORIES

Below is a crowdsourced customer story published on Youtube with almost a quarter of a million views. The company this YouTuber is promoting is Tailwind, one of the most popular Instagram and Pinterest scheduling tools.

DONATION STORIES

EMPLOYEES’ STORIES

HACKATHONS

INDUSTRY LEADER INTERVIEW

INSPIRATIONAL PODCAST

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHIES

PHOTOS OF INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE OR PLACES 

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Related > The best quotes on creativity

3. CONVINCE

CASE STUDIES

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

FREE TRIALS

INDUSTRY AWARDS STORIES 

INDUSTRY EXPERT ENDORSEMENTS

MIND MAPS

Opportunity: think about a complex concept in your industry that you may be able to create a mind map to help your customers understand the concept.

OFFERS

Offers are one of the most popular content pieces as they invite clients and prospective clients to enjoy a discounted price for generally for a limited time period. These offers can also be deals, promo codes, coupons, discounts, cash rewards or promotions

Below is another example of companies using offers, discounts, promotions or deals to incentivise clients to take action. Trip.com and most travel companies rely heavily on this tactic to increase sales and get people to book with them.

PRODUCT DEMOS

Product demos are one of the best sales pitches. One of the first jobs of Netflix founder and CEO, Reed Hastings was door-to-door vacuum cleaner selling. Reed said: “As a sales pitch, I cleaned the carpet with the vacuum the customer had and then cleaned it with the Rainbow” confirming product demos were a success for his former job.

PRODUCT RATINGS

PRODUCT REVIEWS

One of the world’s most famous product reviewers on Youtube, Marques Brownlee (with  26+ million followers) knows the power of product reviews. From iPhones to sneakers, people love the way he explains products; and it works.

Data shows that when products listed on websites received their first review, the conversion rate increased, demonstrating the role ratings and reviews play in helping customers choose the best products. This way, product reviews can increase cart additions and lift orders among products that display reviews and star ratings. Using reviews and star ratings in creative ways can make it easier for users to find the perfect product while increasing sales.

PRODUCT COMPARISONS

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Warranty information may also be on our below “Inform” section. However, in some industries warranties have become so important they can be a deal-breaker. Ensure warranty information is easy to find via your social media post and on your website.

4. INFORM

“BEHIND-THE-SCENES” STORIES

You can show how you develop your story by publish behind the scenes mini stories.

BREAKING NEWS CONTENT

COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

DIGITAL BROCHURES

ESSAYS

FAQ’s

FREE GUIDES

MEDIA MENTIONS

MEDIA RELEASES

POLLS

PRICE GUIDE

PRODUCT UPDATES

INDUSTRY AWARDS

INDUSTRY PREDICTIONS

NEWS GRAPHICS

⭐️ Editor’s pick > The best “User-generated content terms of use” document – template

NEWS-JACKING STORIES

European airline Ryanair used the Novak Djokovic detention in Australia in Jan 2022 to promote its brand in a tweet with a meme.

OPINION POSTS

SNEAK PEEKS OF NEW PRODUCTS/SERVICES OR EVENTS

TIMELINES

TWITTER THREADS

WEEKLY WRAP-UPS

5. SUPPORT

LIVESTREAM TRAINING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

LIVE CHAT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARTICLES

WIDGETS

SITE TOUR VIDEOS

“HOW TO USE” ARTICLES OR VIDEOS

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HOW IT WORKS ARTICLES

FORUMS

SCREENCAST

CUSTOMER-GENERATED TIPS

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TUTORIALS

CUSTOMER/USER CONFERENCES

USER GUIDES

6. EDUCATE

MARKET RESEARCH REPORTS

“WHAT IS” ARTICLES

These can be popular articles that provide a definition or meaning to a new or complex word, activity or concept.

In the example below, Unbounce has created a specific article to explain what a “Landing page” means…

“CHEAPEST WAY TO” ARTICLE

Another way to help your clients with useful educational content is for you to do the research they do not have time to do or do not have the skills to complete. In the below example, Timedoctor (time tracker tool) published this popular article to help their clients minimise transaction fees when paying freelancers in The Philippines.

EDUCATIONAL CHARTS

STATE OF INDUSTRY REPORTS

PRODUCT GUIDES

WEBINARS

QUIZZES

Create and run online quizzes that generate leads, segment your audience, and drive traffic and sales on your website. Our recommended Quiz software is Interact.

WORKSHEETS

TEMPLATES

A great template example is our popular “Best Digital Marketing Plan template“.

“HOW TO” ARTICLES

These “How to” articles may include how to fix, maintain, upgrade and dispose of a product.

Example: “How to write the best professional Creative Photography Brief”

“BEST OF LIST”  ARTICLES

These “Best of list” articles may include the top 10/20/100 best products, services, software, places, people, etc.

Below is an example of a popular article published by WebinarJam on “The best 13 Best Cameras and microphones for your webinar”…

Below, Timedoctor (time tracker tool) published this popular article listing the top 10 most popular websites to find freelancers…

Check out: The“top 25 Australians on Instagram“

EDUCATIONAL GUIDES

Below is a beginner’s guide produced by WPFORMS to explain to customers what a Likert is and how to use it…

INDUSTRY SURVEY RESULTS (produced/commissioned)

EXPERT INTERVIEW SERIES

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“HOW WAS MADE” VIDEOS

VIDEO TUTORIALS

INSTRUCTIONALS

EBOOKS

WHITEPAPERS

ESSAYS

• The Economist “What’s gone wrong with democracy” essay story.

CONTENT MARKETING EXAMPLES WE LOVE

• Josh Worth “A tedious accurate map of the solar system” interactive display.
• The New York Times “The Russia left behind” news-graphic.

YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY SHOULD AID ALL THE CUSTOMER  JOURNEY STAGES

WHAT’S CONTENT MARKETING

According to the Content Marketing Institute, Content Marketing is “A strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action”

We at eDigital, we are advocates of Content Strategy for many years.  Content and personal experiences are the best way to:

• Create relationships with customers.
• Enhance micro-moments of truth that will lead to purchase or repeat purchase.
• Be able to have a compelling argument to earn your customer’s time and attention.
• Optimise all our communication results. With proper content, your brand will be able to generate visits, commentary and shares as no other medium can.
• As the purchase decision happens with or without the participation of a brand; marketers can participate in this process of purchase decisions by offering compelling content.

THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A STRATEGIC CONTENT MARKETING PLAN

• Attention is the new currency. A great content strategy keeps your brand as the top option when customers are ready to buy in your category/vertical.

CONTENT STRATEGY SUCCESS IN FIVE STEPS

You START with your business goals and objectives. Talk about these goals with your Content Strategist.

Your content strategist will then oversee this process:

1. Describe your “sweet” spot: Your business or project matches a need in the marketplace. You have done market research or you have strong evidence that your (MVP – Minimum Viable Product) will deliver a solution to a specific need.
2. Define content tilt: This is where you need to ensure your content is going to be cooked with a unique flavour that also solves the needs of your prime target. This process may involve doing a Content Audit & Analysis to discover what content you already have. This is usually content that’s live online but can cover other types of content, such as print brochures and whitepapers. The analysis part is like a sniff test. Is all of this content relevant to your prospective and current customers? Does it align with your current business goals? Is it up to date? Also, what’s missing?
3. Build your audience: A way to confirm your content tilt is going to support you long-term is by the number of people subscribing, viewing and sharing that content. A great way to build your content base is not only by sharing your unique content but also by trying to get your audience involved.
4. The plan: This is where your content strategist will collaborate with other key players — such as SEO experts, editors, content producers, usability managers, and marketing managers — and create content recommendations for you. This may also include guidelines and a core messaging document. Here are two areas you will define: Content Type you want to own: is it going to be Audio? Video? articles? podcast? Infographics? etc. Key Platform for Amplification: Are you going to be mainly focused on Facebook, Instagram, your blog, YouTube, etc.
5. Execution: Consistent Delivery is key. You want your audience to feel your brand owns that specific content tilt. You need a process, an agreed schedule is key, and resources to make the plan happen. Your content strategist can help oversee the execution, point you to resources, and even get the content created for you.

MEASURE RESULTS! 

It’s important to check in regularly to ensure your content is still doing what it’s supposed to — across all platforms. If you have a content manager and a Web analyst on staff, you’re in great shape. Take these results and the information learned and apply them to your future content marketing programs. Remember, with limited time and resources, you need to be patient to build your audience. Some companies, even content experts such as the Content Marketing Institute took around two years to build their audience.

A great book to understand these five steps is “Content Inc: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Joe Pulizzi. Highly recommended! 🙂

Check for alignment with your current objectives, make any adjustments needed, and repeat steps #2-4. Voila. You have an ongoing content strategy process in place.

THE BIGGEST PITFALLS OF EXECUTING A GREAT CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY

• Not getting started. Procrastinating the creation, curation and publishing of unique, relevant content.
• Inconsistency. Publish in time frames that you can manage.

Another way of looking at your content strategy planning is to aid your customer purchase journey. The below visuals will help you find out where you need to offer content for every step of the customer purchase journey or cycle.

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Conclusion

Knowing about different content types for marketing is essential for audience engagement, diversification and content relevance.

Testing a diverse array of content types allows marketers to provide different options for storytelling and branding, SEO and search visibility and social media engagement.

A well-crafted content strategy can also help for lead generation and conversion and adaptation to new content trends and technologies.

By leveraging a diverse range of content formats, marketers can create impactful, memorable, and effective marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience and drive marketing results.

eDigital can help you conceptualise, plan, develop, run and optimise successful content marketing campaigns that generate leads and sales for your brand.

Our digital marketing services include:

• Strategic planning for social media and other digital marketing channels.
• Online advertising management and optimisation: Google Ads Search, Display, Re-marketing and social media advertising.
• Training: social media marketing training and digital marketing training.
• SEO strategy and execution. Including content development:articles, stories, eye-catching and SEO-optimised visuals.
• Celebrity and influencer marketing campaign strategy.
• Brand development. Logo creation, brand personality development and design of marketing materials.
• Consumer contests/competitions/giveaways.
• Email marketing. Dip sequence design and deployment.
• Conversion rate optimisation. It is also called “path to purchase” optimisation.

Contact us today and start boosting your leads and sales.

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Final note: Want to reduce customer acquisition costs and dependency on paid media? Our exclusive digital marketing strategy workshops will unmercifully review your marketing, help you build a marketing engine with channels and assets you own, stir your team’s thinking, bring new ideas for new conversion paths and boost customer lifetime value.

THE BEST CONTENT TYPES AND IDEAS FOR MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2024

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