SEO

What type of content should you make?

We know we all need to be creating more content, but what types of content will increase your brand, visibility AND appeal to the most amount of people?
There are types of content that work better for either your website OR Social Media accounts and others that will suited for both.

Luckily, Posts and content are now easily shareable across multiple platforms, so anytime you create a new Post, you can share it between your different channels – this ensures you get the most out of every single piece of content.

I don’t recommend using only Social Media to market your brand/business, however popular SM Platforms like FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok can provide you with the ‘numbers’.
Most people in the world have at least 1-2 social media accounts and will have a fair chance of seeing your Product(s) or Service(s).

For the best chances of success on Social Media, you must make sure that you have clear incentives and conveniently placed Calls to Action.

As Social Media is specifically engineered in ways that encourage us to spend more time there, your customers attention spans become your worst enemy, which is why getting them OFF Social Media and onto your website is critical.

There is no equal substitute for having a dedicated website for your Product(s)/Service(s) that’s paired with with Keyword Research, Google Analytics (GA4), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) with Google Ads and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

But whether you are working with Social Media, a Website or both, to have better success with your posts I recommend 2 things.

1. Regular Posting
We all need to remember (myself included), that consistent posting is important for getting results!

Unless you’re posting every week on both your social media accounts AND website, you may lose momentum not only with your audience but with Google as well.  Google and SM reward you the more you post, as it shows that you are active and relevant in your niche and that you’re engaging with your audience.

However, it is possible to post TOO much, as we are constantly exposed to vast amounts of content everyday!
On Social Media, you need to consistently post 2 times per week and on your website, 1-2 times every week.

2. Variety

William Cowper said it best in his poem, “Variety is the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor..” and it’s this same principal that applies to the content that you post.

The more you can capture your audience’s attention in new, fun ways the more they will engage with you and your Business.

Here is 10 Different Types of Content you can be creating now to be boost your Brand’s reach

No 1 – VIDEOS
There are many types of videos you make for your website and for social media including:

• Instagram & FaceBook Reels
  Reels are Meta’s answer to TikTok, the videos used to range from 15 – 60 seconds in length, but now with an recent Instagram update it allows videos up to 90 seconds!
  Reels are VERY easy to make and can be used in several ways to effectively market yourself, for example:
  – A quick overview of the benefits of your product(s)/service(s)
  – An introduction to your brand
  – A funny short involving your brand/product/service
  – A ‘how-to’ guide on your offered product(s) or service(s)
• Youtube shorts
  A YouTube Short is essentially the equivalent of an Instagram Reel, around the same length of 15-60 seconds.
  And again, you can use the same with YouTube being the 2nd biggest internet search engine you’d be crazy not to put up at least a few videos!
• Short form videos
  Unlike the Reels and Shorts mentioned above, these videos can be a bit more in depth without going too far into the topic you’re discussing.These videos can range from 1 min – 5 mins and like above can be around the same topics and can also be uploaded or embedded in your website to accompany a blog post, product or service.
  Of course, these can still go on social media but, they may be best suited specifically to FaceBook and Youtube.
  As the videos are probably longer than most of what gets uploaded to Instagram and TikTok, FaceBook and Youtube are the 2 platforms that reward videos that sit between Super Short and Long Form video content.
• Video Stories
  In my opinion, I think video stories are good if you’ve got a following.
  It does help to include a video or 2 to break up any static content that may also be posted on your Stories (e.g. Images, Infographics etc.)You can use new and/or old original content when creating your Video Story OR you can repost other relevant videos from other Instagram users.Its encouraged to target the Social Media Platform(s) where your target audience is. Using Google Analytics, you can find out exactly how people are looking and reacting to you’re content.When you gain popularity, you can expand your reach to other social media platforms and even on other websites through Guest Posting and linking back to your videos.
• Long Form Videos
  Long Forms videos are for content that serves an informative purpose, like tutorials, educational content, vlogs, reviews etc.
  If the video is done well with good information, it can end up being valuable to your brand and depending on its success it could be classified as ‘Cornerstone Content’.

No 2 – PRODUCT PROMOTION
From a recent post on DataReportal  it was stated that:
“…The “typical” global internet user now spends almost 7 hours per day using the internet across all devices.”
The daily average time spent on social media being 2hrs 27mins.

Social media is perfect for promoting your products through videos, photos and customer reviews/testimonials, but however you choose to show potential customers more about your product, try to provide all the relevant information about the what you’re promoting.

This includes links to your actual website, pricing, the shipping costs, benefits of your product/service etc.
If important information is hard to find, customers are more likely to abandon ship and keep on scrolling, so its best to spell it out for your potential customers as clearly as you can!

No 3 – EBOOKS
Writing a short EBook is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise in your niche.

The contents of the EBook is completely up to you, there are plenty of different directions you can take, for example it can be:

• a compilation of your best blog posts
• a how-to guide
• free templates
• a workbook with exercises

Once it’s done you can upload it on your business website as a product OR
You can make it a free download using your website/social media to share it with your target audience.

In the case of creating a “free” EBook, ensure you get at least a name and email address.
Its valuable information if you plan to follow up with the people who have downloaded it to find out if they enjoyed it and also to keep in contact with future leads.

N0 4 – STORIES
‘Stories’ are mostly relevant on platforms such as FaceBook and Instagram.

You will have more success if you already have an engaged subscriber base or audience who will interact with you, liking and/or sharing your content.

They are slightly different to other types of content simply because of the imposed time limit on how long you can view them, which is normally 24 hours.

Getting people to view your ‘Stories’ means posting good quality, relevant content and offering discounts or special offers that you can only access if you’re a subscriber.

No 5 – USER GENERATED CONTENT
User Generated Content is some of the easiest content to produce because you don’t even have to create it!

It’s brand specific content that showcases the best of your product(s) and/or service(s), gives you credibility and more importantly inspires confidence in new potential customers who might be wary of trying something new. Having unbiased opinions from other customers on the quality

Encourage your customers to give you their feedback on the Product/Service that they purchased, it’s invaluable information.

Running a competition or giveaway where they submit their photos, videos, and reviews of your product to enter for a prize, is an effective way to get your customers to contribute.

No 6 – CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS & CASE STUDIES
‘Social proof’ like positive testimonials and well written, successful case studies are persuasive tools for getting people to invest in your brand/business.
They give solid evidence that your product or service work well, offers credibility to your brand/business. and can informs future purchases of any new customers.

• Testimonials normally come in the form of written reviews that are displayed on your website, social media accounts and Google Business page.Get testimonials from customers, family and/or friends that have had a positive experience with your Product(s) or Service(s).
  You can even collect reviews and make them into a video and then share it!
• Case studies illustrate your process while creating works and obtaining good results for your client. Include the corresponding pictures of the different stages and finished product.Like Testimonials, Case Studies can be shared on your social media accounts, although for this specific content FaceBook and LinkedIn are the 2 platforms that would be most receptive.

No 7 – POLLS & AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
Otherwise known as FREE market research from your target audience!
Need I say more?!

Polls and audience questions are easy and effective tools for collecting data to use on platforms like Instagram and FaceBook. It’s valuable to find ways for your customers to provide feedback on the things that need improving but also what they want to see more of in the future.

Your success and future sales will be improved if your customers feel like they have helped to ‘shape’ your business and that their opinions are valued and heard.

No 8 – EDUCATIONAL & ‘CORNERSTONE’ CONTENT
 We have all seen at least one example of Educational content, but for those who don’t know what ‘Cornerstone Content’ is, it’s essentially your ‘core’ content, the best, most important posts, pages etc. on your website.

Both of these content types can work very well for lead generation.

The most important benefit of creating educational and cornerstone content is that it shows your expertise to current and potential customers. It helps to prove to them that you are capable at what you do, keeping up to date with the newest information relevant to your product, service and niche.

How-to Posts, Tips and Tricks, FAQ’s and Tutorials are great places to start.

For more information check out my article on ‘Cornerstone Content’.

No 9 – INDUSTRY RESEARCH & FINDINGS
By quoting industry research and findings, as I said above in ‘Educational and Cornerstone Content’, it shows that you are engaged in your niche and keeping tabs on the newest information in your niche.

A lot of people find processing technical information to be hard and time consuming, so Infographics are a great answer to that problem. They engage more people than text alone because they can improve reading comprehension by up to 50%.

We want people to be able to understand what this industry information means in relation to YOUR brand, specifically the importance of YOUR services/products in accurately solving real-world problems for your customers.

There are a number of great sites that can create Infographics easily, one of my favourites is Canva. Their templates and graphics allow for a lot of customisation and high quality downloads, even with free accounts.

Infographics on Social Media are well received, so if you’ve always been meaning to make one, now’s the time!

No 10 – ARTICLES
Articles will have more relevance for some brands over others however, what good about articles is, that don’t have to be long.

There are many topics and ways to write an article.

As a Graphic and Web Designer, I have categories like

• “How To”
• “What Is…?”
• Case Studies
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Graphic Design

But one good way to find something to write about is to use Google.
When you type in your keyword, e.g. Graphic Design, displayed near the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) will have similar questions people ask, and there will also be Related Searches at the bottom.

Keyword Research can also help you discover new keywords that are still in line with your niche.

But one of the best ways to write articles is to recycle other content you’ve made.
Did you make a Long Form video recently? If you did, you could grab the Video Transcript, make a few changes and post it as a blog.

Have you read a great article about trends in your niche? Great, describe the key points, add some images and you’re done!

Did you make a featured image for one of your other articles? Amazing! Now write a quick step by step and include a few screenshots of your process.

As long as you have:
– Written in your Personal Voice
– Included relevant keywords
– A Featured Image (with Alternate text)
– Links to any Quoted Sources
– Post Consistently every week and shared on your Website AND Social Media
YOU’VE NAILED IT!

Creating new types of content doesn’t have to be tedious or scary and I hope after reading this you realise how easy it is to get started!
Need help with your content? Contact Us!