Content is the single most valuable asset in a business’s marketing toolkit.
Content can take many forms, from in-depth reports, infographics or big budget video productions, to a simple image, a written blog post or a 6-second Vine clip.
There is no rule to suggest that one particular form of content is more effective than another, as largely it’s the story that the content tells that matters most. Furthermore, different types of content resonate differently with different audiences, so there is no one size fits all formula.
For this reason it’s essential that marketers experiment with different types of content, and rigorously test what performs best against their objectives.
Your words are boring me
One of the most accessible forms of content delivery is the humble blog post, just like this one you’re reading now.
Blogging is a tried and tested method, and for the majority of businesses it works very well – it’s a relatively quick and easy way of churning out regular content, plus when done right the rewards can be huge.
But sometimes words aren’t the best option, as the following examples demonstrate:
The Economist has a thriving SoundCloud channel on which it posts regular audio content. This makes a refreshing change to written posts, and allows subscribers to consume the content in an entirely new way.
Miami Palms Hotel & Spa uses SlideShare to help promote a number of its assets. In the following example the images tell a better story than a thousand words ever could.
In this example NowThis News delivers exactly what it promises – news in your pocket. The bite-sized news bulletins work brilliantly on Instagram, and have earned the channel over 55,000 followers as a result.