How many times has someone told you to go create content – as if that’s some sort of articulate directive you can follow. People say stuff like, “content is king,” “start a blog,” or “if you put it out there, people will come!” But at some point, these generic suggestions prove discouraging. Cliches only take you so far. You need a little direction on specifically what type of content you should be creating. And that’s precisely what we have for you in this article.
5 High-ROI Content Formats
There are so many different types of content that it can feel overwhelming. By no means are we suggesting you tackle every single item on this list. Rather, we’re telling you what’s working right now so that you can handpick one or two that get you excited and/or align with your strengths. Check them out:
1. Live Video
Live video is one of the fastest growing types of digital content. It’s hugely popular and packs a powerful punch for marketers who know how to use it well.
According to research from HubSpot, 57 percent of people watch live video at least three times per week. Just 7 percent of people say they “never watch live video.” In other words, it’s an excellent avenue for generating exposure. The most popular platforms for live video include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
2. Snackable Video
All forms of video content are valuable. The human brain is primed to respond to visual content in ways that it simply can’t with text. And while there’s a time and place for long-from video, short-form video is performing really well at the moment. (This is due to the nature of attention spans, focus, and social networking news feeds.)
Short-form video, which is roughly defined as a video between 15 seconds and three minutes in length, is not only more attractive to your audience, but is also easier on your brand. Rather than spending all of your time creating one 10-minute video, you can create a handful of 60-to-90-second videos and get more reach and engagement.
“Short-form video content lends to a more aggressive content strategy, meaning greater saturation of branded content,” The CSI Group writes. “Since they take much less time to create, you can cover a wider range of topics faster. And with more of your branded videos available, there’s a better chance one of them will make its way onto the right person’s screen.”
3. Educational Posts
There’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned blog post! In fact, it’s still the meat and potatoes of your strategy. Not only does it provide high engagement, but it’s also great for SEO and organic search traffic.
The key to a good blog post is to make it educational. Blog posts like this one on birth control pills are highly effective. They explain a concept, answer questions readers have, and serve as authoritative voices on topics of concern.
When writing blog posts, think about how you can add tangible value (rather than talk about yourself). That’s where the real results are generated.
4. User Generated Content
If you have an active brand with loyal customers and “true fans,” it’s possible that you can get them to generate content on your behalf. There are a few ways to create user-generated content:
- Launch a guest blog program on your website and accept posts from people outside your company.
- Start a hashtag on social media and share the content that gets uploaded.
- Turn client reviews and testimonials into content (with their permission).
User-generated content can’t be your entire strategy, but it’s certainly a powerful element when properly wielded.
5. Podcasts
More people are listening to podcasts than ever before. Yet the number of active podcasts (meaning podcasts that consistently put out new content on a weekly or monthly basis) is surprisingly low. If you can commit to publishing 20-50 podcast episodes in a year, your podcast will automatically be better than most.
Revisit Your Content Strategy
Don’t wait until January 2021 to develop a new content strategy. It doesn’t matter what day or month of the year it is. You can always create a new strategy and begin pursuing results. Whether you get excited about video, or your personality makes you a better candidate for writing educational blog posts, there’s something out there for you. Take advantage!
SME Paid Under
