After closing out 2021 and looking ahead to the new year, one thing has become blatantly obvious. Now more than ever, content marketing should play an important part in every small business’ digital marketing strategy.
If you want to stay one step ahead of your online competitors, it's crucial to create content that engages, educates and is relatable to your audience. Stand out from the crowd with these 7 out-of-the-box content marketing ideas:
Instagram Filters for User-Generated Content
Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels available for digital marketing today. Over one billion users enjoy Instagram every single month, with the average daily use time sitting at around 30 mins per day.
Marketers love to target Instagram, as over 200 million users visit a business page every single day. Plus, 81% of users use the app to research various products and services prior to buying. Instagram stories are a popular content tool marketers use to promote businesses, products and services.
User-generated content is powerful, because people are more likely to trust real people. 92% of consumers will rely on referrals from others when deciding to purchase a product, and 79% will use user-generated content to sway their purchasing decisions. Instagram filters aren't expensive to produce and offer a unique, interactive way for users to create their own content for your brand.
Guestographics
Guestographics are guest infographics. They contain both images and text, and are published on or linked from multiple websites. It's not unusual for brands to collaborate on guestographics for a specific use. Establishing stable connections and establishing brand awareness are both attainable through this method. In addition to publishing an infographic on your website, you can create guest content that includes a link to it on another website using the guestographic concept.
Guestographics are powerful because you can use them to boost SEO using backlinks, build brand awareness and create new connections with other brands. The best part about using guestographics is that they are free to create. You can use Canva to create a guestographic for your social media today or hire a graphic designer for a fully custom design.
Instructographics
Instructographics are infographics that explain how to do something in an engaging manner. Instructographics are a great addition to your content strategy as they are easy to digest and showcase your product and how to use it effectively. You are only limited by your own creativity when using instructographics for step-by-step instructions or other how-to guides.
The best thing about them is that they are free to create using online sites like Canva (or hiring a graphic designer) and record a better share rate than other forms of content.
Whiteboard Videos
For artists, graphic designers, or people good with a marker, drawing on a whiteboard can be an effective way to explain a point, process, or product in a way that is visually attractive. You can use whiteboard videos for almost anything that can be illustrated. Whiteboard videos create a sense of curiosity as the viewer waits to see how the rest of the story unfolds. Plus, the illustrations are pretty entertaining to watch.
Creating whiteboard videos doesn’t take a special skillset, especially with whiteboard video making programs like Doodly or MySimpleShow. But just like giving a speech, you may need to practice prior to recording to ensure everything flows smoothly.
Carousel Posts
Carousel posts involve posting multiple photos and videos in a singular post. These are super popular at the moment and record a higher engagement rate than static posts due to the fact the user has to swipe to see more information.
Carousel posts are an effective way to share information with your audience. Aim to include a call-to-action within your carousel post to improve its effectiveness.
Screencast Videos
You can use screencasts to explain how to do something or solve a problem in simple, easy-to-follow steps. The screencast format also allows you to create videos such as tutorials with relative ease. It is a great way to answer the most important questions that get asked over and over again.
Your voice is heard and your story is visualized when you create a screencast, rather than just a static video. Other content marketing methods lack the personal touch that screen casting offers. The best part? It’s super easy to get started using a laptop or PC.
Work With Influencers
Influencers are a great way to add instant credibility to your business. Plus you don't need a massive budget to work with influencers. Micro- and nano-influencers are perfect for small businesses looking to get started with influencer marketing. Best yet, these influencers already come with a built-in audience which can help boost engagement on social media and drive targeted traffic to your business.
How can you find micro-influencers for your business? You can turn to your fans, research hashtags, connect with local bloggers, or use tools like Pixlee.
Final Thoughts
The types of content marketing you choose to use don’t have to be complicated. By following some of the ideas listed above, you will be well on your way to creating fresh, exciting content that will put you one step ahead of your competitors.
Whether you prefer to write blog posts, make videos, or create social media content, getting creative with your content is a surefire way to boost engagement and win more leads!
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