Content types – The right content for your website

In content marketing, variety is essential. To avoid monotony, you need to provide your users with exciting and interesting content that captivates them. For this reason, there are numerous content types that you can use. Make sure you add variety to your content creation. A good content mix will help your users stay attentive and not turn away out of boredom. The many types also allow you to produce targeted and entertaining content that appeals to your audience and potential customers.

What different types of content are there?

Each content creator’s target group is individual. Therefore, the content must also be adapted accordingly. For this, you can access a large pool of the most diverse formats:

• Texts und text based Content
• Infographics
• Pictures, Slideshows, etc.
• Rankings and Lists
• GIFs, Videos, Animations and Co.
• Interactive Content
• Webinars
• Podcasts and Audio-Files
• Whitepaper
• Press releases
• E-Mails
• Social Media
• Games
• Applications (Apps)

Texts and text based content

Texts – this is the type of content that probably comes to mind first when you think of content on the web. Logically, because no site can do without text-based content. Qualitative, SEO-optimized and user-tailored texts help you collect Google rankings. Additionally and just as importantly, they captivate your users. At best, this leads to them returning regularly to read your content. The length of your text content depends on the type of platform it is used for. According to a study by Orbit Media Studios in 2018, the average article had around 1,151 words.  Around 40% of bloggers posted about two to six publications a week, and over a quarter published at least once a month. The trend is thus clearly toward more detailed texts that offer users clear added value, but also provide search engines with enough content to show the relevance of the content.

Nevertheless, you can also publish shorter texts. How long your contribution will be, depends on the complexity of the topic and the landing page on which it is published. There are some points that are always, regardless of the text length, important:

• Make sure the context is understandable and correct
• Good readability and easy consumability are fundamental
• Emotionalize your texts
• Stay dynamic and focus on individual content

However, the highest rule is: Quality comes before quantity. A text should therefore never be unnecessarily drawn out. However, it must always provide sufficient added value, otherwise it fails to serve its purpose.

Infographics

Infographics are primarily used for the visual preparation of information. Through this illustration, it is possible to efficiently prepare facts. You can take advantage of this, especially if you actively use social media. Due to the sensory overload caused by countless posts in the feed of every user, you are dependent on a quick absorption of information. You can achieve this by preparing an infographic in a meaningful, clear and descriptive way. Through this, you manage to stay in the minds of your users for a long time. In addition, infographics are also suitable for promotional purposes. So you can convince potential customers directly with your knowledge.

The fact is: Everyone loves infographics. After all, who would rather read endless text when the same information can be presented at a glance? If you bring the information short and crisp, but still meaningful in an infographic, it shows your expertise. Good visuals also encourage people to share, which in turn contributes to your brandawareness.

You have to be careful though, as not every topic is suitable for an infographic. Most of the time, you can determine whether a visual illustration is useful or not while writing a text. If you come up with ideas for an illustration while writing, you should try your hand at an infographic. Keep the core message and the goal in mind, so as not to miss the point.

Pictures, Slideshows, etc.

A picture is worth a thousand words – that’s a well-known saying. So, similar to infographics, you can use images, slideshows, etc. to lighten up your textual content and to visually illustrate what you have written. Often, images not only aptly illustrate the content, but likewise ensure that it is better remembered by users. Through a skillful content mix, your content thus receives more attention, remains interesting and is varied, which is usually reflected in better click rates and higher dwell times of the users. You just have to make sure that your images are well optimized so that the loading time of your website is not affected. You can achieve this through various measures:

• Choose the right file format:
  JPG, PNG or GIFs are the file formats with which you can compress best and which every browser will play.
• Make sure you have the right image dimensions/resolution:
  The correct resolution for desktops is 72 dpi. So make sure you don’t use more pixels than necessary.
• The file size is crucial:
  As the amount of data to be transmitted, 200 kB can be considered a rough guide without causing problems for a browser.

In addition to proper compression, you need to pay attention to image SEO. This means that all image metadata is maintained. Only in this way can the search engine do anything with it at all, since the various bots can not read images so far. The most important metadata here is the title tag and the alt tag – maintain these.

You can also find more PageSpeed optimization tips here.

Rankings and Lists

Rankings and lists attract the attention of users, because you usually get a lot of content bundled here. Especially online, texts are often only scanned for the relevant information. Unlike in offline life, users rarely take the time to read through texts in their full size. Rankings and lists therefore convey information quickly to all readers who are in a hurry. They also lighten up your text. This way, users don’t feel completely overwhelmed by all the content on your page.

GIFs, Videos, Animationen und Co.

Graphics Interchange Formats have been a perennial favorite for several years now as a way to better express one’s emotional state in virtual communication. GIFs are also good for emotionalizing your content, as well as for general entertainment. But there are other moving images you should be aware of for a good content mix.

The absolute classic are videos. This are suitable video types for really every purpose:

• Tutorials
• Interviews
• Testimonials
• Product Demonstrations
• Behind-the-Scenes-Videos
• Commercials
• Documentaries
• and more

This does not necessarily has to be a one-time video. Some species also lend themselves to make a series out of it. The important thing, whether it’s a one-off or a series, is that the content of the videos captivates and the video length fits the format. For example, if you want to distribute videos via social channels, shorter videos are better and more suitable, as the attention span of users is lower and the platforms also often limit the length of the videos in terms of time.

Animations or animated videos are often an easy way to make content that is too complex for an infographic to visualize. Also, for product introductions or a first contact with the customer, this content format is usually well suited. The often comic or cartoon-like representations bring across in a simple, funny and easy-to-understand way what you want to communicate to the user or customer.

Also, the absolute hit for quite some time: Cinemagraphs. These are still images that, on closer inspection, contain smaller movements. At first glance, it therefore looks like a normal picture, but it is a short video. Cinemagrams can be easily edited with programs like Cinemagraph Pro by Flixel.

Interactiv Content

With interactive content, fun is guaranteed. Not only do they pique users’ interest, but they also invite them to join in and share afterwards. Moreover, interactive content often has a positive impact on the dwell time of users on the page. Additionally, it strengthens customer loyalty and increases reach and brandawareness. By having users actively engage with your content, you also ensure that the information is communicated in a sustainable way. Especially when you want to explain something and make it understandable for your users, the participatory content is therefore ideal.

Webinars

Transferring knowledge via webinars is perfect for you if you want to give training for services or products online as well. Webinars are therefore a great content type, as they combine many fields. Not only do you have the option of transmitting a video image or presentation via webcam, but you can also communicate with your viewers, collect feedback or questions in a webinar chat in parallel and then respond to them. Thus, you combine interactive content with your webinar.

Webinars also fit perfectly into your content strategy, because you can still use them as video afterwards and keep them on your page. This way, your users can watch the information again at any time.

Podcasts and Audio Files

Podcasts are enjoying increasingly popularity. Meanwhile, in Germany, one in eleven listens to a podcast at least once a week. This content form is so popular because you can learn and experience new things along the way.

But beware:

The majority of podcast listeners are young people between the ages of 16 and 29. For this reason, this format is not necessarily suitable for everyone. Nevertheless, the demand for politics, science and education in podcast form is growing steadily and gradually also reaches the over 30 generation. Therefore, it can also be useful for you to process content as audio. You can also make this available on your website.

Whitepaper

An important, yet costly, item that can be part of your content marketing strategy: whitepapers. Not only do they help you distribute content, but they can be true lead generators. Whitepapers can be ad-on content in your strategy, with which you prepare quality content and make it available for download on your website, for example. In this way, you can position yourself as an expert, gain the trust of your users and build a long-term bond with them. But not only your users like whitepapers, also the search engines like high-quality content. That’s why they rank them higher in search results, which in turn pays dividends to your website’s visibility.

You also don’t have to worry about content in PDF form not being read by the search engine bots. These understand PDF content very well by now and weight it. Google is also currently working on betas in which PDF search results get a new look. The change in presentation is intended to give these files more exposure.

Press Release

One of the foundations of content marketing and public relations are press releases. This type of content is primarily used to disseminate and publicize existing content by sending a short, well-prepared piece of information to journalists. Hereby they are informed about newly published contents of your website. The journalists can then decide whether they want to report on your content in their medium or distribute it through links. In addition, a press release has other uses:

• Strengthening the company image
• Generating reach
• Targeting new audiences

E-Mails

Newsletters are a long-standing content format that is still widely used. So you could say it’s one of the foundations of content marketing and thus a basic component of the content mix of almost all companies. Emails, however, have been struggling with declining open rates for quite some time, which is why you have to rely on high-quality, readable content here as well. To be able to create this, you need to know who your readers are. To do this, you define a target group and collect email addresses through various channels. Make sure that you include a “double opt-in” for newsletter signups. Without this, users have not given their consent to use their email address, and it would be illegal to contact them through this channel. To really encourage your readers to open your email, you need to go full throttle already in the subject line. Arouse interest and make it clear to users why the content is worth reading.

Tip: Use professional mailing software to minimize the potential for errors. Also, regularly evaluate the success of your newsletters and use trial & errors and A/B tests to find the optimal strategy.

Social Media

Social media is an inescapable topic in content marketing. So if you haven’t included it in your strategy yet, you’re way behind. Social channels have an important role to play and also bring many advantages:

• You reach your target group very well through specific targeting.
• You can post regular updates pretty straightforwardly and quickly.
• Social media and content strategies often go hand-in-hand.
• They facilitate personal contact with your users.
• They provide space for interactivity.
• They increase brand awareness.
• You stay in users’ minds because your content appears regularly in their feed.

To run well-designed social media content campaigns here, you need to think about several points:

1. What goals are you pursuing with your campaign? Are they actionable?
2. What is your target audience? Define them precisely to best achieve your goals.
3. Which channels are the right ones for your company and your content?
4. Which content formats do you want to distribute via social media?
5. Is the content prepared for the appropriate platform?

If you pay attention to these points and produce high-quality content that appeals to your users and piques their interest, nothing will stand in the way of a successful social media campaign.

Games

Games could be broadly categorized as “interactive content”. Everyone likes games and everyone likes to take the opportunity when one is offered to you for free on a website. Google, for example, also takes advantage of this and passes the time with a Jump & Run game for those waiting, where the Internet connection is down.

Quiz duels are also popular games that are suitable for content on your site. Games have primarily an advertising effect. They clearly stand out from the usual content formats.

The disadvantage, however, is that a game must be well-thought-out and flawlessly implemented. This makes it expensive, time-consuming, and requires the basic know-how to create. Nevertheless, a game can be of great added value in a holistic content strategy, as it attracts the attention of users and can be promoted again and again through other content formats of your strategy. A game is a true eye-catcher on your site.

Applications (Apps)

Applications, or apps for short, are of course familiar from your smartphone, but they also enjoy widespread use and popularity as desktop applications. So if you have the capacity and the know-how, you can offer your users great added value with software that can be used on different end devices. You just have to ask yourself whether an app is really suitable for your content and whether it actually supports your content strategy.

How and why do you classify content types for your content strategy?

You can also sort the content you use – just like the motto: Order is half the battle. This has several advantages:

1. It makes it easier for you to do a content audit, ie. inventory of your existing content.
2. Certain content is better suited for certain purposes such as retargeting. Through a classification you can find these content types better.
3. It makes it easier for you to measure success.
4. It helps you with the internal management of the content, because there is a structure that all employees understand.

You can structure your content as follows:

Alternatively, you can sort your content by purpose, goal, hoped-for benefit or characteristics.

Conclusion

You know your users best, thus you usually know what content type to focus on. Analyze the behavior of your website visitors on different formats. Through these insights you get a good overview of what is popular or what leads to quick bounces. It’s important that you don’t get monotonous. Alternate formats and offer your users interesting, high-quality content that has added value. When you focus on your users, in most cases, you automatically work towards better rankings. This then in turn triggers a cycle, as increased visibility will increase traffic to your site and consequently leads and sales can increase.