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The Format: Why an Integrated Approach to Content Marketing Works

Written by Emma Phillips on . Posted in CONTENT MARKETING.

Content comes in a variety of different forms, and with so many to choose from, how do you know which one works best for your company? From video and audio to text and apps, fixating on one might seem like a money saver, but in fact it will only limit your marketing potential.

Using one type of content will appeal to one type of person and fulfil one need, so diversify and make your content interesting. A mixture of content formats will mean that you are able to target a variety of audiences.

Often you can reuse your content, so producing an infographic which is supported by a feature blog article, highlighting and explaining the key facts and figures can work. Equally, producing a hefty and complex report could allow you to create video-explainers or video blogs which last a couple of minutes, but which convey the messages within the report in a more visual, interactive manner.

Text

Text based content can vary from a very informative news piece or ‘how to’ to opinion, recommendation and thought leadership. Text content generally drives more traffic than video and is easy to consume.

Visual

Visual content can be video, images, live streams or infographics, amongst others. Visual content, and particularly video, is extremely shareable, and so is a great way to increase brand awareness.

Audio

Audio content is usually a podcast and can come in the form of answering questions, reviews, information, or something humorous. Podcasts are somewhat undervalued by marketers, but it can be a great way to grab attention.

Brands that Use a Variety of Content Well

 

Kraft

www.kraftrecipes.com
An American company, Kraft got on the content marketing bandwagon pretty early when they created www.kraftrecipes.com. A hub of information and interaction, this website includes recipes, budget tips, ‘how to’ videos, an area for community discussion and an app for your mobile. They have harnessed a variety of content and made it work for them. Kraft have made sure that they have a consistent brand voice throughout their content types, and made sure each piece of their content is specifically targeted. They have built a community through this, with people sharing their ideas and experiences through comments.

Adobe

http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/adobe-marketing-cloud-metrics-not-myths

Because Adobe offer a variety of different software suites, they separate their content into different spheres – they even have different social media accounts for the different areas of their business. Their “Metrics not Myths” is the campaign that Adobe used to raise awareness of their Marketing Cloud. Adobe used video, blog posts and an app to market their product and through it, the campaign drove 12x the weekly target of direct inquiries.

Takeaway

  • Different types of content mean that you can target different audiences
  • Use a mixture in your digital marketing campaigns
  • Make sure each piece is targeted and has a goal
  • Keep a consistent voice across all formats