Content marketing is one of the most in depth, effective methods of growing audience engagement, developing the brand presence, and driving sales. Nowadays, producing content is essential for a growth business in the digital age of e-commerce, social media, and the Internet. This tactic is how thought leaders increase their credibility.

The higher the quality of the content, the more valuable for the audience. It engages the audience and acquires trustworthiness for your business. 

If you are new to producing content and having a new perspective on your digital business, you are in the right place! This article will tell you all the information you need to know about content formats and content creation. 

What is Content Marketing?

A long-term strategy focused on creating valuable, relevant, and high-quality content on social media, blogs, search engines, and web pages. Along with building a trustworthy relationship with clients, investors, and staff. 

There are four critical phases in which you can map content to a marketing funnel. The four phases of the funnel are awareness, evaluation, conversion, and delight.

Each of these phases aims to help your customers make a buying decision. Ideally, purchasing would flow linearly, but life doesn't always work out that way. We all have to deal with the reality that our customers might have varying degrees of urgency when purchasing something. As a result, some people might be more likely to buy something than others. With the help of marketing funnel strategies, you can tailor your messaging to the needs of each of your potential customers.

Awareness Phase Of The Marketing Funnel

The awareness phase is when a website visitor is introduced to your website for the first time. This phase of the marketing funnel is known as the top of the funnel. During this stage, a website visitor's research might start with Google or Bing, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or any other search engine.

A person might decide to visit your website from a blog, a social media post, an ad, or a news article. At this point, a person might start reading in depth about your product or service on your website. This process is also called the awareness phase of the marketing funnel. Several types of content can be used to drive new website visitors. These content types are:

• Blog

• Long-form Articles

• Infographics

• Podcasts

• E-books

What Is A Blog Post?

A blog is a type of content used on blog sites to share information about a topic. Blogs differ from traditional journalism in that they focus on issues that can be easily researched and written about. Furthermore, blog content do not have to be written in a particular format, length, or style.

You can write a blog in the first person, using keywords and short paragraphs with a certain rhythm. When you create content they also need to be SEO-friendly, have a certain number of subscribers, and be regularly updated. You can reach many people with a blog and build a brand. They are usually posted on websites on the Internet, where anyone can read them. 

What Is A Long-Form Article?

Long-form content is high-quality, detailed, and in-depth content that goes beyond the basics of your industry. It's the type of content that might be published on a blog but tends to have a much longer length and greater detail than a blog.

Depending on the topic, long-form content might be a blog, a guide, a whitepaper, a podcast, a video, or an infographic. You need to keep the reader experience in mind when create content.

Long-form content is more focused on the reader experience than on the length of the post itself. It's about keeping your reader engaged for as long as possible and offering as much value as possible to your readers.

What Are Infographics?

Infographics are visual data presentations. These presentations typically consist of charts and images that help readers easily digest the information. They are best used to present data or information creatively and engagingly.

What are the advantages of using infographics?

In comparison to static data visualizations, infographics have several advantages. They are easy to update, easy to create content, and easy to consume. They are perfect for data-driven businesses that want to keep their audience engaged.

What are the disadvantages of using infographics?

Like any other piece of media, infographics have their disadvantages as well. They can be expensive to create, time-consuming to create, and difficult to update if the original creator is changed.

What Is A Podcast?

A podcast is a series of audio or video files published online. These files can be accessed through apps, websites, or RSS readers on your phone. Some podcasts are hosted by a single person, while a group of people hosts others. Some podcasts are published on a schedule, while others are published whenever ready. Some podcasts are produced for a specific topic, while others are created for a general audience.

What Is An eBook?

A digital book that you can read on a computer or mobile device. They are perfect for those who don't have time to get to a physical book because you can read them anywhere and at any time. You can read them on your phone, tablet, or computer. They are a great marketing tool because you can distribute them on social media and by email for easy sharing. You can also sell your eBook on platforms like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple for easy distribution.

The Evaluation Phase Of A Marketing Funnel

This phase is known as the middle of the funnel or MOFU. It's the point of interaction between consumers and your business. In this phase, buyers search for and consider your products and services. They start to define the problems that your solutions will solve for them. At this point, you need to start building a relationship with your buyer. You do this by sending them emails, talking with them on the phone, meeting with them in person, or using whatever other medium they prefer. You should be open like they are with you and show them that you care about them as a person, not just a customer. You can do this by asking questions and listening to their answers. This tactic creates a bond between you and your buyer that can last a lifetime.

Several types of content can be used in the awareness stage. These content types are:

• White papers

• Case studies

• Email marketing

• Webinars

What Is A White Paper?

A white paper is a detailed report intended to outline a company's product and/or service offering and convince potential investors of its viability. Typically, white papers are published in PDF format and distributed to media outlets and potential investors. High-quality white papers are critical for startups looking to raise capital from investors. Investors are often hesitant to put funds into new ventures, so a well-written white paper can quickly help a startup raise money.

What Is A Case Study?

A case study is content that is perfect for service-based businesses. If you have a client, you can write a case study on how you have helped your client achieve success with your services.

You can also use case studies to sell your products or services. A great example of this is blogging. If you are selling a product, you can include a case study of how the product has helped another person. You can write an in depth piece on what your client achieved with your services.

There are many different case studies, including testimonials, examples, comparisons, and how-tos. It is essential to choose the right type of case study to match your audience. The excellent case study would be something that interests your readers and that they would want to read.

What Is Email Marketing?

Marketing something via email is, without a doubt, one of the most popular ways of reaching out to potential customers. Email marketing allows businesses to stay in touch with current and potential customers, building relationships and staying top of mind.

Email marketing can be done via a software program or a simple email address. It can be done on a small scale through social media or on a large scale through email. Email marketing allows you to connect with your customers on their preferred communication channel, keep them informed, and sell to them whenever they are online.

Conversion Phase Of A Marketing Funnel

At the beginning of the process, you will have the awareness stage. At this stage, the person you are trying to convert doesn't know much about your product or service. They might know what they need, but they won't have a clear idea of getting it.

In the next stage, the interest stage, they might sign up on a landing page or receive an email, but they're not ready to commit yet. They still want to research their options and are likely to sign up for a few more emails before finalizing.

Finally, you'll have the person ready to sign up for your service or buy your product at the conversion stage.

At this point, your job is to help them through the purchasing process, answer any questions they have, and make sure they have a great experience. To do this, you'll want to keep the conversation going. As the customer heads toward purchasing, try to ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation going. For example, if you're selling a product, you could ask something like, "What do you struggle with the most when buying things online?" This will keep the customer talking and help you learn about their purchasing experience. When you think you've learned enough, it's time to move on to the next step.

Delight Phase Of The Marketing Funnel

The delight phase of the marketing funnel is when people are already customers, and your market to them to become brand evangelists. During this stage, you're focused on retention and engagement. When someone is already a customer, you want to keep him or her happy and engaged. This tactic means keeping your customers happy and engaged with your brand. You do this by offering customer support, keeping your customers informed, and offering them value-added products and/or services.

What Is The Content Creation Process?

Creating a piece of content starts with an idea. The next step is research. After that comes the drafting process. And you are finally publishing your content. The content creation process can be slightly different for every piece of content, depending on the topic. However, there are general steps that you will follow no matter what your topic is.

First, you will start by researching what your audience wants and needs. You can’t write about something you don’t know anything about in the first place. Your article should be well researched. Especially, if you are writing an in depth piece. After you finish your research, you will start the drafting process. This is when you start writing your piece of content. You will complete the editing process when you publish your content. Other websites do not have a formal content creation process. These websites produce mediocre content. You do not want to create mediocre content. You want to be in the business of building in depth content that is well researched and makes more value to the reader. This process is how you will develop remarkable content hundred percent of the time.

During the editing process, you want to check your content for any grammatical or spelling errors. Incorrectly spelled names, typos, and other grammatical errors can harm your content’s credibility, which could be the difference between success and failure. Grammatical and spelling errors are probably the most common issue you’ll face when trying to edit your writing. Editing software will catch most of them, but there’s no reason you can’t see them too. Any grammatical issues can affect your ability to become one of the thought leaders in your industry.

After you’ve finished the editing process, you may want to double-check your work. You don’t want to publish something full of mistakes. So make sure to check your work for accuracy.

The last step is to publish your article. There are a few options here, depending on what format you’d prefer to publish your article. You can choose to have it published directly on your site, published on another site, and then have your site linked to it or posted on social media. You can even have your article published on print and electronic media, as long as you have their publishing schedule and terms in mind. Just make sure that you have a solid strategy before starting your publishing process. And finally, you can send your article to an editor if you would like it to be proofread and edited before publication.

Why Is Content Marketing Important?

In the early 2000s, the digital age and the mass adoption of the Internet turned more popular, and more active users were capable of communicating and interacting with a wide range of businesses and people. These advances in digital media technology and social media affect marketing and how companies sell products or services. 

Every day that passes through, digital media has become more influential in our life. At the same time, businesses and brands have to adapt constantly and continually to digital advances, new ways of marketing, and the digital needs of consumers. Content Marketing is the digital marketing tool best known to be effective and powerful in reaching consumers' loyalty.

Today, marketing content is necessary to increase your overall business and a must-have in any business and brand strategy. It has countless advantages for any business, and all you need to do is produce high-quality content. 

Some factors that are driving the importance of content are: 

SEO optimization - Content optimization can increase the opportunities to reach search engine traffic and rank at the top. 

Behavior Trends - Consumers are more aware and smarter with their purchases. They can research products and a wide variety of brands in seconds, is easy to compare brands and reviews. 

Brand Transparency - Now, consumers care about brands that have a look into customer perception, engaging them with truthful information, ongoing and open conversations, and creating relationships and loyal customers. It is also relevant for customers to have the best practices inside the company, such as values, goals, and sensitive practices on environmental impact.

Ad Blockers - Paid advertisements don't impact positively as some years ago. Today, many people installed ad-blocking software to stop receiving paid advertisements. Luckily, the way to continue reaching and engaging people is through marketing content efforts. In addition, good content is something that consumers want to interact with and will not want to block away. 

Variety of distribution channels - With the rise of the Internet, more people use the web for work, learning, and social activities. In this way, content marketing has increased the distribution channels. One of them is email marketing, which has been one of the most effective forms of marketing content. It can be personalized, inexpensive, and easy to deliver directly to the customer's inbox.

SEO And Content Working Together

As mentioned in the importance of content marketing, this marketing tool plays a meaningful role in the success of online businesses and brands. However, this success could lead to better results and optimizations if content marketing is related to SEO. 

Before continuing, remember that you can find more information about SEO, such as a beginner guide to SEO and tips for SEO optimization, in the other blog posts. To truly master and create an SEO content  strategy, I hesitate to read the other posts about this topic. 

SEO and marketing content have common goals. Both are employed to bring traffic to a website, create brand awareness, increase users, increase revenue and reach success. 

These two strategies working together are effective distribution plans to power the business. Firstly, SEO powers up the content using keywords and other tools and brings it directly to users and search engines. Moreover, Content Marketing is the basis of all digital marketing campaigns. 

Some of the benefits of connecting SEO and marketing content are:

• Both of them follow the same principles to become more visible. So, if you are used to one or the other, it'll be easy to use both of them as one strategy.

• Good content means more opportunities for keywords. 

High-quality content is relevant for both tools and can increase the appearance of keywords. In content marketing strategy, the content appears in photos (small paragraphs and effective keywords) and the description post (detail content and use more relevant keywords).

• Both focus on finding unique content that helps rank high.

SEO and marketing content always try to develop new and creative content that exposes your business to visitors searching for never-before-seen content. When brought together, keyword research (a crucial skill to SEO performance) and a content strategy (cares about good content) bring the brand better results and better chances to rank at the top. 

• Advantages over your competitors: Not all competitors use SEO and content marketing together. You can take advantage of both of them.

• Link Building: Content marketing and SEO can work together through link building which will satisfy a large number of qualified audiences and will place your business on high page ranked sites. 

To get both of them working together effectively, get familiar with these types of SEO: 

• On-page SEO: This focuses on the content and requires keyword research, a good content strategy, organized content, and good visual content. (infographics, videos, Gifs, graphs, blogs, etc.) 

• Technical SEO: Fixing errors, mobile-friendly content, speed optimizations, technical structure, and good HTTP codes correctly. 

• Off-page SEO: It refers to the actions taken outside your webpage and content that also help to impact your rankings in search engines. It includes backlinking (links on websites that go back to yours).
  

What is the Skyscraper Technique by Brian Dean?

Brian Dean is a thought leader in the SEO industry. This thought leader created the skyscraper technique as a link-building strategy. The idea is to create content superior to the original popular article ranking on Google. You then go after the same backlinks that are ranking this article.

The theory is that Google will prefer your article over the original one. You are going to create the same amount of high-quality links. You will go after the same link profile as the main popular article.

The only difference between your article and the original one is that your article will be better. Think of it as creating content for the sake of creating content. You are going to publish any random thoughts that come to your mind. Be sure to post them consistently.

Great Examples Of Successful Content Marketing 

Spotify "2020 Wrapped campaign".

Spotify finds a way to make loyal customers by launching an upgrade version of "Year in Music" named Wrapped like that's a wrapp!. This new campaign helped Spotify engage new users to use the app for a longer time. 

Every last month of the year since 2020, Spotify delivers a detailed analysis of your music taste all over the year. The tracks you listen to the most, the total time spent listening to a group or specific song, the top artists, and your top genres, among other details. 

This campaign is just for Spotify users, which gives Spotify an advantage over the competitors. All this analysis is just for Spotify users, and it is shareable through social media stories, which also makes other users willing to have that too and instantly download Spotify. 

That is not all. This last year 2021, Spotify launched a new category named Artist Wrapped, seen by the artists, singers, podcasters, and anyone that make content on Spotify. This category works as Influencer Marketing since artists thank their Spotify listeners on social media platforms and add screenshots mentioning Spotify that for the brand is the perfect free marketing to amplify their audience.

Amazon Content Marketing Strategy 

I did extensive research on the content marketing strategy of Amazon. First of all, I found out that Amazon sells more than 4000 products per minute in the U.S. I thought that it was because of the wide variety of products and quality on the page, but that is not the whole purpose of its sales and revenue. 

Firstly, Amazon uses AI and machine learning to personalize the content. These technologies help to identify and attract different target audiences and predict outcomes. The information gathers from recent interests, history of buying, and other sources such as Amazon Alexa. Plus, all the statistical data generated helps to take advantage of specific needs that people have or will have in the future. 

Some of the Amazon webpages personalize experiences are:

• Product recommendation 

• Customized direct marketing

• Product re-ranking 

• Feedback boxes

Furthermore, Amazon's content on social media and email content is very successful. In the Email marketing strategy of Amazon, you can find information about new products, new findings, new ways to do things inside the company, newsletter, and Amazon encourage customers to leave reviews for their products, and it works perfectly for Amazon. 

Overall, Amazon tries to use many types of content formats in its strategy. Look at this example of video content from Amazon.

Conclusion 

There are several ways to reach your target audience and reach the goals to increase your overall business on content marketing. I hope this can help you understand the importance of Content Marketing, work it together with SEO, and take the most advantages of the types of content you can create. 

To get started with content marketing, determine the types of content that best work for your business and keep researching more ways to do creative content in the digital world. 

Don't be afraid to do something new and never seen before. Trust the vibes you get, and trust your intuition!