Although it may sound cliché, content is still the king of digital marketing. Content is still the most important aspect of digital marketing. User preferences and behavior change are another thing.
They are now looking for genuine and relatable content. Marketers must provide high-quality assets that are relevant and engaging to their business message.
It’s time to rethink content strategy as we move into a new year. Consider the best content types for brand promotion and target audience engagement. Online users can find traditional content boring and less appealing, so why not try some other formats?
Here are seven content types to help you engage and attract users in 2023.
1 — Instructionographics
This content type is a reference to an oldy-moldy informationgraphic, as you can guess from its name.
These two types of infographics are fundamentally different. Infographics can inform about all things (for example, the most popular colors for kitchens), while instructographics give instructions on how to do certain things (for instance, how to paint a bathroom).
It is highly engaging and popular as it allows you to explain complex data in an easy to understand format. You can also save time writing lengthy how-to guides and make your message visually appealing for the audience to be hooked.
Here’s an example of how to keep bears from your campsite.
This format is ideal for step-by–step instructions. It’s also great for brand social media accounts. The sharing potential of instructographics is high. Your job is to make them stand out and help people solve a problem.
Consider your buyer persona. What are their needs and pains? Create an instructional video showing how your brand can help.
2 — AR-powered storytelling
Social media users are always looking for interactive and fun content, so content creators try to provide it. You will soon see the rise of virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), in content marketing.
Augmented reality (AR), which combines virtual objects with the real-world, is called Augmented Reality. It provides contextual information and partial immersion into the story.
It’s easy to see this on social media by adding sounds, filters and visual elements to create a real-life setting. Users can feel connected to the game by adding a narrative or gameplay.
AR can be used by content creators in everything, from product demonstrations to tutorials. AR technology allows you to create interactive ads that customers can view and even test your product.
Here is an example of how to create augmented reality content that you can market:
Before making a purchase, users can test the product and see it in their own space.
3 — Storyboards
A storyboard is a visually organized sequence of images, text and illustrations. This content is usually part of the video production process. It helps to visualize the story frame-by-frame. Storyboards can also be used by marketers to create commercials, business presentations, and product demos.
A storyboard is a great tool to show how your product works. It can be compared to a comic book in which a customer (or a character) travels through a journey to solve an issue with the help of your brand.
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It is so captivating.
First is about storytelling and creating emotional connections with your audience. People retain 70% of information via stories, whereas only 10% can be gleaned from statistics and data. This is your opportunity to convey a message to the audience in a way that they can remember.
Second is about visuals. They are 60,000 times more efficient than text for the human brain.
Storyboards can be used to tell stories on their own or in conjunction with text-based information.
4 — Podcasts
Podcasts are a hugely popular medium right now, and they will only continue to grow in 2023. It’s a way for businesses to reach a wider audience via alternative channels.
This trend is supported by streaming giants YouTube and Spotify, who encourage it. You can also use podcasts to promote your products and connect with customers more personally. Podcasts are great for explaining complicated topics.
It won’t be necessary to create long-form content that users may find difficult to read. However, they will still be able to listen to your content. You can also work with podcasters that are influential in your niche to share brand stories, and invite the audience into the discussion.
5 — Carousel posts
Because of their interactive nature, carousel posts are a favorite on social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. It’s a great way to show products and complex data in a way that people will be interested for longer periods of time. (Read: More visibility, traffic, conversion.
Carousel posts have higher engagement rates (1.92%) that single photos or videos on Instagram. You can achieve a rate of 2% if you use all the slides.
These are the details you need to keep in mind when creating this content format.
- Make sure the first image of your carousel is captivating.
- To tell your users to “swipe right” to see all slides, add a call-to-action to your caption.
- For higher engagement, use all ten images if possible.
- Upload all files in the correct order
- You can add text to slides using different writing tools. Also, consider adding a call-to-action to the last image of the carousel.
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6 — Ephemeral Posts
Ephemeral content refers to visual content such as videos, images or gifs, that is only available online for 24 hours. It’s also time-restricted and will disappear from social media platforms, unless you save it and keep it in folders such as Instagram highlights.
These posts are a great way for you to keep your audience informed and appeal to their FOMO (fear or missing out) Users will check these posts out before they disappear, due to their short lifespan (24 hours).
Ephemeral content can be a tool to increase visual communication between your followers if your brand uses social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.
You can also post behind-the scenes content and offer limited discounts or promo codes.
Interactive content will make your ephemeral content even more effective. Use brand filters to encourage viewers to use it, ask questions, create surveys and tag influencers. They will repost it and make it more visible to a wider audience.
Repost user-generated content for brand authenticity and social proof. Live streams, contests and giveaways can be organized. This is a great way to increase exposure and re-engage users. It creates urgency and encourages interaction.
7 — Screencast videos
Screencasts are a screen recording that captures your computer screen with audio narration. Screencasts can be shown and narrated using a microphone.
Screencast videos can be very informative and engaging. 80% of viewers recall watching a screencast in the last 30 days.
This content type can be used to answer the most common questions of your audience. It will also save you time and help them understand how to do things step-by-step. Screencasts can be used to teach basic tutorials, present information, or make presentations. You can use screencast software to help you master this format.
This content is visual and actionable. can see what you are doing and hears your voice to help them process and retain the information. This is when the “Show and don’t tell” principle shines.
Are you ready to engage your audience with these content formats?
Brand development and growth requires engaging and high-quality content. It’s a fact that all marketers know, and it’s also why there is so much competition. You can refresh your strategy and attract a wider audience with new content types. This will help you stand out in crowded marketplace.
This post will show you seven content formats that might surprise or delight your audience. It’s now time to test them out and find which ones your target audience prefers to consume. Make sure you keep your brand’s identity, goals and user needs in mind when creating content.
Scoop.it Blog: Alternative Content Types for Audience Engagement in 2023
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