11 Content Types to Use for Your Content Marketing

I’ve spent the past 10 years of my career in various content roles. I’ve worked in journalism, writing news stories and features in a small team of two. I’ve led the fashion and lifestyle content marketing team at a large UK-based ecommerce group. I’ve spent time at a content agency specialising in creating content for businesses within the interior design and architecture sector. And I’ve been the global content lead at an international skincare company.

I’m now freelance, working with a mix of big global brands and agencies, and small brands that are just starting out.

And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in a meeting or a boardroom and been told “we don’t have enough content” or “we need more content”. And when I ask what kind of content they need more of, I’m met with a blank face. ‘Content’ has become such a buzzword that it’s almost lost meaning.

The truth is, ‘content’ is an umbrella term. There are loads of different types and depending on what your business is and who your audience is, you may want to lean on one or a few types.

Here are 11 different content types you can use in your content marketing. I’ll talk about what they are, and the benefits each one brings.

1. Blogs

Blogging exploded onto the scene in the early-mid 2000s (fashion blog readers will remember the heyday when Tavi Gevinson’s Style Rookie and Chiara Ferragni’s The Blonde Salad were the go-to for all things style). Brands soon started to take note too. Net-A-Porter published editorial content relevant to their product offering and audience, and any brand worth their salt was offering an SEO-driven blog that would not only cement them as industry expert leaders but would give them coveted Google real estate.

According to The State of Content Marketing Report 2019: Global Report, blogs account for 86 per cent of content marketing. They provide valuable insight for the user, can be useful for explaining tricky concepts or go deeper into a product, and can help drive valuable traffic to your website.

2. Video

We’ve all seen the rise of YouTube and more recently, TikTok. Many consumers now expect video to be part of a brand experience, whether it’s a styling reel for a new item of clothing on Instagram or an informative ‘how to’ of assembling a piece of furniture on a website’s product page.

3. Social media posts

There are billions of social media users worldwide and social media has reached a point where it’s infiltrated almost every part of our lives. Interiors are styled to be ‘Instagrammable’, little-known brands can find overnight fame thanks to TikTok, and YouTube is our go-to for tutorials on just about anything.

Not every social media platform will be relevant for your brand or business though, so identify which platforms your audience is using and create content that will speak to them. Social media is also a great place to network. Build relationships with your customers and influencers to help your content reach further — and get firsthand insight into what content your audience connects with.

4. User-generated content

Or ‘UGC’. This falls mainly into the social media category, but is a content type all of its own. An example of UGC is an Instagram user taking an image of your product, and posting it to their account. With their permission, you can reuse that image on your own marketing channels. It gives your brand and product social proof (i.e. it shows your target audience that other people use and enjoy your product) and gives you content without you having to create it.

5. Reviews and testimonials

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. Think about the amount of times you’ve gone to a restaurant because a friend recommended it, or chosen a new fitness class because a colleague waxed lyrical about it. In the digital age, online reviews and testimonials are an extension of that. Real people leaving real thoughts on your product or service can be highly valuable for persuading a shopper to purchase. Reviews can also be repurposed into social media posts and used in emails.

6. Infographics

Infographics are a simple yet effective and engaging way of getting key elements of information across. It could be statistics about your sustainability efforts, or a timeline that showcases the history of your heritage brand. Infographics can be used in blog posts, web pages, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. A great thing about infographics is that they’re also highly shareable (so make you include your branding somewhere so people know you’re the original source).

7. Podcasts

Once dominated by true crime fans, there are now thousands of podcasts on every topic going. A branded podcast that provides quality content for your target audience is a great way to build brand awareness and establish yourself as an industry leader.

The best branded podcasts provide valuable, original content — they’re not there to be outright advertising for your product or service. Take Penguin Random House’s podcast, for example. They interview authors in their fortnightly podcast, offering their listeners ‘insider’ content they know they’ll be interested in, without overtly pushing their audience to buy their books.

8. Emails

Email marketing is a huge business. It allows you to reach a targeted audience who have already signed up to hear what you have to say, and you can measure exactly what your database is engaging with — and what they’re not. Email marketing can come in the form of newsletters, product or collection launches, or offers such as seasonal sales. Emails are also a powerful tool for driving traffic to your other content, such as your blog posts, podcast or webinar.

9. Ebooks and White Papers

Long-form content that provides value to your audience can be hugely beneficial to your business. Ebooks and white papers are often ‘gated’ content, too, which means in order to access them, users will have to sign up to your email database, giving you a valuable lead.

Ebooks go into depth about a certain topic, making them useful tools if you’d like to establish yourself or your brand as a thought leader. White papers, on the other hand, are more like research papers, filled with stats and data that provide insight. Publishing original research on a topical subject is likely to be shared by media and influencers, giving your content more reach. Highsnobiety does white papers well, doing deep dives on subjects that are relevant to their audience, such as luxury fashion and gamification.

10. Webinars

Webinars are online events, seminars, training events or presentations delivered to a select audience. They’re often used by education or CPD (continuing professional development) providers but can also be used by brands to host ‘exclusive’ question and answer sessions with a brand ambassador, deliver tutorials or host a panel discussion. You’ll benefit from email sign ups, and by limiting attendees to a certain number, you’ll also generate excitement and demand.

11. Interactive content

Interactive content such as quizzes are a fun way for your audience to engage in your brand or product. Let’s say you have a haircare brand and you’ve just launched different ranges for different hair types. Your quiz could be geared towards asking the users questions about their hair, their scalp, and what they’re looking for in a product, with the end result recommending the product that is best suited to them. By sending the results via email, you could also capture more email addresses for your database.

Parts of this article are taken from my book, ‘Making Content Work: Tips, tools and templates for your brand or business’. Available now on Amazon, in paperback or Kindle.