Anyone who has ever led a content marketing strategy will tell you this:
producing a constant flow of interesting and relevant content to customers is tough. A recent study conducted by HubSpot* discovered that B2B companies that published 16 or more blogs per month received 3.5 times the amount of traffic compared to companies that posted four times or less per month. It’s safe to say one must produce a lot of content to stay afloat in today’s digital world. Content marketing is a big umbrella, and in addition to blogs, can include video content, social media posts, infographics, case studies, white papers, print media, and more.
Here are 5 unique and creative content ideas to help you get results:
1. Use an Infographic to Explain a Complex Topic
Whether you sell garden hoses or shoe rubber, there are some things about your product that are just too technical to explain through text-only content. Get the graphic designer on-board to help create a visually stimulating infographic to transform this complicated concept into an “aha” moment for customers and prospects. Here are a few quick tips to ensure a successful infographic:
• Include a catchy but short headline
• Allow for white/negative space for the page to breathe
• Keep text to a minimum
• Try to stick to a single topic: less is more
• Ensure the information flows in a logical sequence
2. Conduct a Case Study and Turn it Into a Content Marketing Strategy Webinar
When a prospect is interested in purchasing a product or a service, one of the first things they tend to ask for is a case study of a previous or existing customer. Don’t show up empty handed or scramble to put something together at the last minute. Get in touch with a customer you’ve worked with in the past and organize an interview. Be sure to have the right questions planned out and to brush up on your interviewing skills before the call. Case studies are great tools because they are timeless, and can be republished as a podcast, blog, or infographic.
3. Feature a “Customer of the Month” on Social Media
Has a customer of yours recently used your product or service to reach a new personal goal? Or used a product in a unique way, or in a unique place? The “customer of the month” social media post is a great opportunity to build loyalty with existing customers, insert some personality into the content, and show your products to the world. Feature the customer with a fun photo and a personalized caption, and be sure to tag them in the post.
4. Interview an Expert
If you’re looking for a way to spice up a content marketing strategy, we recommend the “interview an expert” article. Get in touch with a recognized, reputable expert in your industry and kindly ask them to participate in an interview about a current topic or trend. You can record the interview as a podcast or video, and later transcribe it as a blog or Q & A article. By working with an external expert, you develop connections within the community, and position the company as an industry leader.
5. Invite Guest Bloggers to Contribute to the Site
You’ve spent months honing the team’s writing skills to perfectly reflect the brand. Why hand over the reins to anyone else? Inviting guest bloggers to contribute to a site is beneficial in numerous ways. Firstly, it allows for more nuanced content on topics you may not have the knowledge to write about. It also creates a space for deep linking: a very important process involving linking to specific pages, other than the homepage, on other websites. Deep links help increase relevant web traffic, improve engagement, and increase conversions. You can ask the guest writer to post the blog on their own site, and link back to yours.
6. Share User-Generated Content
If a customer uses your product or service in day-to-day life, and posts pictures or comments about it online, get in touch and ask if you can repost the content. It’s free advertising, and a great way to show your appreciation for the fan base. Always remember to credit the author of the original post.
7. Host a Giveaway Contest
The giveaway contest is perhaps one of the most classic and effective short-term content initiatives. People love free stuff, which makes giving it away easy. To get the most out of the contest, we recommend protecting it with a form, encouraging all participants to provide their email address and personal information. This pushes new prospects into your CRM for future tracking and mailing purposes.
The strength of a company’s content marketing strategy is often what separates them from their competitors. Although there are some initiatives that can be applied short-term, like contests or polls, the majority of quality content marketing efforts are long-term and slow-going. Stick with it and we guarantee you’ll start to see some amazing results!
Articles Cited:Hubspot | Content Strategy blogging-frequency-benchmarks
