70 percent of B2B marketers are creating more content than they did one year ago, according to Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProf’s latest B2B Content Marketing report. With the use of custom content on the rise, many have predicted that in 2015, brands will begin to truly think like publishers. That means producing content that stands on its own merits – content that can attract and maintain an audience.
Although brand marketers may not be trained publishers, with more self-publishing and online promotion strategies available than ever, drawing from publishing’s long successful history can help brands become publishers in their own right.
One thing that brands can learn from publishers is the importance of various content types. The following are five diverse types of content that brands can benefit from using:
E-books– The prevalence of tablets, e-book readers and mobile devices has increased the popularity and effectiveness of e-books. Although their name might suggest otherwise, e-books can serve as both a digital and print asset, especially for businesses who choose to take advantage of the Internet as a distribution channel.
E-books can be used by businesses to differentiateproducts and services by adding value, however oftentimes the same e-books can be used internally to train and motivate an organization. Consider Avaya’s VoIP For Dummies, which was used to educate customers, as well as partners and employees, about emerging communication trends.
White papers– 33 percent of survey respondents ranked white papers within the top five most influential assets businesses provide. If done well, this type of content can not only help readers to understand an issue, solve a problem or make a decision, but also position the white paper author as an authority on that topic.
Infographics – Visual content, such as infographics and data visualization can help communicate a message in both a concise and engaging way. Marketers are taking notice. According to CMI and MarketingProf’s latest B2B Content Marketing Report, infographic usage increased among B2B marketers from 51 percent in 2013 to 62 percent in 2014. Infographics can serve as a compelling brand-side asset, but can also be used for other purposes, including earning media coverage.
Videos– Video can help explain a complicated concept in a compelling way. The widespread availability of video recording devices and the variety of in expensive avenues for hosting and promoting video – including YouTube and Facebook, which serve both purposes – mean that video as a content tool is more accessible than ever. It’s also arguably more important, with brands seeing more ties to conversion. Over 70 percent of marketers said their video content’s conversion performance was better compared to other types of marketing content, according to a 2014 video benchmark report by Demand Metric and Vidyard.
Audio recording and podcasts – Programming like Chicago Public Media’s hugely successful Serial podcast, which debuted in October 2014, has shown the potential reach of this type of audio recording. In fact, the number of podcasts on iTunes has surpassed 250,000, up from 200,000 in 2010, and Apple has more than one billion subscriptions to podcasts via its iTunes app, according to data from MarketingPodcasts.com.
When it comes to content, more is not always better. Understanding the types of content available to you as a marketer can help you better provide relevant and valuable information that has the potential to attract and engage your target audience.
David Palmer is a marketing director at Wiley where he oversees Dummies B2B and the For Dummies, Business and Education product lines for Wiley’s Professional Development division. He has been with Wiley for nearly a decade in the UK and the US.
