Seven Content Types to Focus on in Your 2023 Marketing Strategy

Guest post by Natasha Lane.

A well-rounded content marketing strategy will rely on several different types of content to achieve its goals. Understanding how each different content format works, which audience segments it appeals to, and how it fits into your overall sales and marketing funnel is key to success.

Here’s a look at seven content types that will help you attract more website visitors and convert more of them into leads.

Evergreen Content

Evergreen content should be the cornerstone of your overall content development strategy. You want these pieces to continually bring in qualified traffic, which is why you should target topics that are perpetually on the minds of your top-of-the-funnel audience.

Don’t worry too much about ranking these pieces early on. Focus on their quality and ensure that you regularly update and republish them. This will keep them fresh and remind crawlers to come visit them again.

The list of penny stocks in 2023 from MarketBeat below is a great example of evergreen content. It also happens to be interactive, which gives it yet another edge (more on that in a minute). Notice how the post has been crafted to attract expert traders (those who are looking for current penny stock values) as well as new investors who want to learn more about penny stocks.

The FAQ section at the bottom of the post is particularly valuable, as it provides answers to the most common questions people are likely to have about this type of stock.

Interactive Content

Interactive content is an amazing way to boost all relevant engagement metrics: time on page, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Plus, it’s a great way to reduce bounce rate, and it is highly shareable. It can become a valuable part of your social media and email campaigns.

The key to creating interactive content is to tie it directly to your brand, as you need it to bring in qualified traffic. For example, if you build custom windows and doors, you could create a calculator that will help customers figure out how much an item would cost.

As long as you are able to provide genuine value and solve a problem for your audience, they are likely to come back. Look at this anagram solving tool from UnscrambleX.

It’s easy to use and appeals to a Scrabble-playing and word-game-loving audience. Once website visitors have played around with it, they are likely to come back every time they are stuck in a new game.

Comparison Posts

For blog content, the comparison post is a valuable format to consider using. It will require you to mention either a direct competitor or, at the very least, a brand that is not your own. But it’s worth it because it can improve your credibility and trustworthiness significantly.

As an example, this Skype vs. Slack comparison post by Pumble provides an in-depth, detailed analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of these two apps. Anyone having a hard time choosing between them will benefit from it and appreciate the effort that has clearly gone into it.

Pumble then also does a great job of plugging their own product, another chat app, and presenting it as an alternative to these more popular solutions. Since they are the lesser-known entity, they have cleverly targeted a more high-volume query and used it to promote themselves.

Staying honest when talking about your competitors is crucial with this type of post. Don’t paint them as worse than they are, and don’t sing your own praises too loudly.

Listicles

The listicle is a great format for providing readers with tons of useful information, saving them the time they would otherwise need to spend doing their own research.

The same rules apply as before: make sure you are honest, especially if you are mentioning yourself on the list. Think of the listicle as an upgraded version of the comparison post, and devote the same attention to detail and meticulous research to it.

This list of the best mattresses without Fiberglass by eachnight is a good example of this format. It is detailed but easy to read, informative without being dull, and most importantly, it’s well-formatted and easily skimmable. A reader can just pause at the products they find interesting.

Notice also the great choice of laser-precise keywords. This is a very specific type of product, so chances are readers have already done some research and know what to look for in a product. They’ll appreciate the data-heavy nature of this listicle.

Videos

Video content needs to become a part of your content strategy if you haven’t started investing significantly in it yet. Your audience expects it, Google loves it, and your competitors are already producing it.

Video is:

• great for boosting interaction;
• highly shareable and rankable;
• engaging on social media; and
• excellent for adding a human touch to your content.

You can shoot video content irrespective of the pieces you write for your blog, but you can also film videos that enhance what you have written about already.

Semrush does a fantastic job with their YouTube channel, which often addresses subjects they’ve already discussed on the blog. The benefit of the videos is that they effectively summarize key points. Moreover, they often show the precise steps that need to be taken in the Semrush tool to find a certain piece of data.

Note that they also link out to these videos from the main page of their blog and that they are often embedded in the posts themselves, boosting views and engagement.

Case Studies

The case study is the go-to content format when your goal is to demonstrate your expertise and authority. It’s the most straightforward and effective way of showcasing the value of your product or service without using sales-oriented copywriting. Plus, it makes your brand more relatable, as you also showcase your customers at the same time.

Your main goal is to show measurable results. You need to clearly describe the client or customer’s initial problem state, and the results they have achieved by working with you. Use figures, charts, and tables. Underline not only the benefits but also the features of the cooperation that you may not market elsewhere, like the ease of communication or the dedication of your staff.

Coschedule features some great case studies. You can check out their Evernest one as an example. Note that it’s short and to the point, and there is no superfluous information. They are not trying to convert the reader. All they are doing is demonstrating value.

Testimonials

Finally, as a credibility-boosting content format, it’s helpful to include testimonials. Feature them not only on your homepage but also on all the relevant landing pages as well. They enhance your brand credibility and show that others have trusted your company and had a positive experience.

For examples of good testimonials, check out Somnifix and their homepage. The ones they’ve included are short and simple, but they speak to the quality of the product and, most importantly, to the benefits the customer has experienced using it.

This is your main goal: use your customers’ words to highlight what your sales prospects can expect and how doing business with you will change their lives for the better.

Wrapping Up

Before you start producing any of these seven types of content, take the time to analyze what your ideal clients are searching for and what kind of messages or information will resonate with them. Then, create a clear plan with a goal in mind for each piece. This will ensure you only create content that has a purpose and that you don’t waste your resources.

Natasha Lane is a lady of a keyboard and one hell of a geek. She is always happy to collaborate with awesome blogs and share her knowledge about branding, digital marketing trends, and business growth strategies. To see what she is up to next, check out her Twitter feed.