Promoting your business online is similar to opening a new restaurant in the Big Apple.

GIF source: Giphy

With so many options at every corner, you have to make your restaurant stand out somehow to attract customers.

And what better way to do that than by offering diverse and delicious dishes that nobody can resist?

In digital marketing, this translates into creating varying and high-quality content that engages your audience.

So in today’s cooking class, we’ll show you how to use different types of content marketing to prepare content that will wow your target audience.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a marketing strategy that uses written, visual, and audio forms of content to offer valuable information to the audience.

So, instead of spamming potential customers with irrelevant content or content that is overly sales-driven or product-centric, you educate, inform, and entertain them.

This way, you show your leads and customers that you appreciate them, which can enhance your brand’s image, build trust, and help you nurture long-term relationships.

The best part is that you can use content marketing on social media platforms, websites, and podcasts and even combine it with email marketing.

Still, there are many types of content marketing out there, each with different attributes that can potentially lead to different results for your business. 

Which one to use?

The 15+1 different types of content marketing 

For today’s cooking lesson, we’ve prepared a list of 15+1 ingredients you can mix and match to prepare diverse and engaging pieces of content.

They all fall into one of these three categories:

• Written content, like blog content, landing pages, email newsletters, and whitepapers.
• Audio-visual content, like podcasts, video content, images, infographics, and even memes and GIFs.
• Interactive content, like quizzes, polls, surveys, calculators, and games.

Your digital marketing goal is to combine these forms of content to reach and engage your target audience at different stages of the buying process, a.k.a. the content marketing funnel.

Let’s make this a bit clearer, shall we?

Content marketing funnel 101 🤓

The content marketing funnel represents the customer’s journey from the moment they become aware of your brand until they become loyal customers.

This funnel lays the foundation of your entire content marketing strategy.

Basically, the idea is to use the right type of content to reach your audience at every stage of the funnel to eventually turn them into loyal customers.

Here are the three stages of the content marketing funnel:

• Top-of-the-funnel (ToFu). Increase brand awareness and attract leads.
• Middle-of-the-funnel (MoFu). Educate your audience on your brand’s values and products so they can decide if they want to work with you.
• Bottom-of-the-funnel (BoFu). Convert potential customers into paying customers and keep your existing customers engaged.

But how do you know which type of content goes where?

No worries, we’ll tell you! 😉

1. Infographics

Infographics are a great content marketing tool because they help you present complex information in a way that is easy for viewers to understand. Plus it’s much more visually appealing than mere text.

Here’s an eye-catching example of infographics showing vocabulary and tone performance in writing:

Image source: Really Good Emails

What’s more, according to a 2019 study, 65% of the population learns better from visual formats.

Overall, infographics are highly shareable, thus encouraging inbound backlinks and ultimately boosting SEO, driving organic traffic, and even building thought leadership.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Infographics work well in all three of the funnel stages because they let you attract, educate, and convert users with valuable information that’s easy to understand.  

2. Blog content

Blog posts are probably the best-known and most-used content strategy. 

Still, according to The State of Content Marketing 2023 Global Report, short-form and long-form blog posts continue to be some of the best-performing forms of content.

Check out this piece of MarkUp blog content that includes a colorful and informative graphic:

Image source: MarkUp

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since blog content can help solve users’ real-life problems and educate them on various topics.

Plus, a well-optimized blog post will improve your SEO rankings.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Blog content is best for the ToFu stage because it helps you attract leads with valuable and useful information.

But you can also use it to educate and convert leads. 😉

3. eBooks

eBooks are long-form content that you can use to inform and educate your target audience.

A great example here is Semrush’s eBook ‘The State of Content Marketing 2023 Global Report,’ which offers valuable industry statistics and insights, while also collecting lead data.

Image source: Semrush

While they can be time-consuming to create, they can truly help you become an industry expert and, ultimately, encourage inbound backlinks.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: You can use eBooks in the ToFu stage to attract leads and build thought leadership.

Likewise, you can also create eBooks to keep your loyal, existing customers engaged in the BoFu stage.

4. Case studies

Case studies, also referred to as customer stories, are among the best content types for driving conversions.

You can create case studies in written format, as well as audio-visual formats, like LinkedIn did.

Video source: YouTube

Basically, they offer your target audience real-life examples of how your products helped others solve specific problems.

In marketing, this is also known as social proof and it’s a great way to build brand credibility and consumer trust.

You just need to find some satisfied customers that are willing to share their experience with your brand.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Case studies work best for the bottom-of-the-funnel stage because they help convince the audience to buy your products.

5. Checklists

Checklists are extremely useful because they offer a step-by-step guide to solving a specific issue or completing a task.

Just think about it for a moment; whenever you deal with a complex task, you usually jot down everything you have to do so you don’t forget anything important.

Giving your audience useful checklists will help serve this goal exactly. They’ll know exactly what to do and in what order. And they’ll love you for it. 

Here’s a cool example of a website design checklist:

Image source: MarkUp

As you can see, this checklist takes you through every step of the design process one by one, without overwhelming you with too much info.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Checklists are perfect for the top-of-the-funnel because they attract leads searching for practical solutions.

6. Whitepapers

A whitepaper is a research-based, long-form content that offers in-depth information on a complex topic.

These pieces of content include facts and figures, followed by expert analysis and a recommended solution.

This ICIS whitepaper is a very good example:

Image source: ICIS

All the information in whitepapers is supported by statistics, case studies, and other authority sources, and is properly referenced.

Since whitepapers are more specialized than general blog posts, they’re created for the specific slice of your target audience they want to educate.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: You should use whitepapers in the MoFu stage to educate users on a specific action or product.

7. Videos

Videos are one of the most engaging forms of content marketing.

In fact, according to a 2024 Wyzowl survey, 90% of marketers say it helped them enhance brand awareness. 

One of the reasons why video content is so effective is that it allows you to convey a lot of information in just a few minutes.

And in our fast-paced world users really appreciate not having to spend a lot of time reading a lengthy piece of text.

Plus, video content makes it much easier to show your audience how to do something or how to use your product.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: videos, like product-driven tours, work best in the BoFU stage, while commercial brand videos might suit ToFU better. 

Yes, you heard that right! Videos can work well across the funnel. 🎉

8. Social media posts

Social media posts can be a versatile content tool because they let you combine many types of content.

You can post text, images, videos, and interactive content, but you can also share blog posts, podcasts, webinars, or whatever else comes to mind.

The best part is that you can share your content across multiple platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and reach all types of audience demographics.

Plus, you can connect with and engage your audience through comments.

For instance, in this Instagram post, Mailchimp combined images with text to create a very educational piece of content:

Image source: Instagram

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: You can use social media posts in all stages of the content marketing funnel as they can attract, educate, and convert leads. All at once!

9. Webinars

Webinars are great educational tools that offer extremely valuable information to users.

As such, they can engage both new leads and existing customers, while helping your brand build thought leadership.

As for the topics of your webinars, you can address a common industry problem or concern or educate users on an aspect of your product that is unclear to many.

Here’s how Ceros does it:

Video source: Youtube

What people love most about webinars is that they can actively participate and ask questions or make comments and suggestions, which enhances comprehension and retention.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: You can use webinars in every stage of the content marketing funnel because they engage all users and can also help turn leads into active customers.

10. Testimonials 

Regardless of your best content marketing efforts, members of your audience will always take what your brand says with a grain of salt. 

We know you may feel it’s unfair, but the reality is that your audience is likely to think you’re not always being completely honest with them. After all, it’s your business and you want to promote it. 

However, once your content is backed up by client reviews and testimonials, users are far more likely to trust your brand more and convert into customers.

Check out this Ceros client review accompanied by a video testimonial and see how it makes you feel:

Image source: Ceros

In fact, according to Vendasta, 92% of consumers read at least one customer review before buying a product.

So, if you’re not already doing it, it’s time to ask your customers for reviews and testimonials.

You can motivate them by offering them a discount on their next purchase for the testimonial they provide.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Testimonials work best in the BoFu stage, as they help turn leads into paying customers.

Moreover, they’re useful in the MoFu stage because they educate potential customers.

11. User-generated content

Similar to testimonials, users trust user-generated content more than brands.

According to a 2023 Matter survey, 69% of respondents say they trust a friend, family member, or influencer recommendation over information coming from a brand.

That’s precisely why more and more businesses are now partnering up with social media influencers with large followings to create user-generated content showcasing their products.

Influencers usually create content showing how they use the products and often rave about them, like in this Instagram post:

Image source: Instagram

Thus, user-generated content boosts brand awareness and drives conversions due to the influencers’ power to shape consumer behavior.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: User-generated content is a highly effective content marketing strategy that you can use in every stage of the funnel. 

For example, an influencer can expose your brand to their followers, educate users about your products, and encourage them to buy them.

12. Podcasts

Podcasts offer a great solution for connecting with on-the-go audiences.

Not everyone has the time to constantly read or watch online content, and podcasts are here to help solve this!

Users can easily listen to podcasts on their way to work or while doing household chores.

As a business, you can either create your own podcasts or participate as guest speakers in other podcasts.

This form of content allows you to offer valuable industry information and solutions to real-life problems, which attracts new leads and educates them.

However, you can also include case studies and client testimonials in your podcasts as a way to drive conversions. 

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Podcasts are a good option for each stage of the content marketing funnel and they also build thought leadership.

13. Tutorials

We’ve already mentioned tutorials in passing, but they deserve a category of their own.

After all, they are the easiest way to educate your audience on how to use your products, which is why they’re so engaging.

Here’s a tutorial showing you how to create a looping video background step by step:

Video source: YouTube

Plus, they are a must-have for businesses that sell software or other complex products with lots of capabilities, as they enhance comprehension.

Still, even other businesses can benefit from this tool. For example, lots of beauty brands are using skincare tutorials to promote their products.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Tutorials help increase brand awareness, educate the audience, and convince them to buy the products, so you can use them in every stage of the funnel.

14. Memes

Memes have become quite popular in content marketing and users love them.

They offer a simple and fun way to convey your brand’s message and given that they are easily shareable, they can even become viral.

Here’s a fun example of a digital marketing meme you can use:

Image source: Instagram

What’s great about memes is that they can help you create brand exposure and attract new leads.

While it’s true they are mostly used on social media, you can also include memes in blog posts to engage the readers and break up large blocks of text.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: You can use memes in the ToFu stage to generate leads and boost brand awareness.

15. Newsletters

Don’t think for a second that email marketing is too outdated for your brand.

Even though email newsletters have been used for a long time, they’re still one of the most effective types of content marketing.

Newsletters allow you to keep in touch with potential and existing customers and encourage them to regularly come back and make purchases.

You can use newsletters to provide useful information and educate your subscribers and offer various incentives to encourage them to buy your products.

In addition, you can also personalize your emails to make your subscribers feel special, which builds customer loyalty.

Where in the content marketing funnel does this go and why: Newsletters work best in the MoFu and BoFu stage when subscribers are already familiar with your brand and are more likely to be turned into active customers.

16. Interactive content

And now, last but not least, our special ingredient: interactive content.

Interactive content is a dynamic form of content that the audience actively engages with by clicking on various elements, answering questions, or taking other actions.

Interactive marketing campaigns can include some of the above elements with the added twist of being dynamic, as well as other elements. 

Here are a few examples:

• Interactive infographics. Their role continues to be that of simplifying complex information.

But if you add clickable pop-ups to your graphs, you allow the user to engage with them and discover the info that interests them, at their own pace.

Image source: Ceros

• Interactive quizzes. These interactive elements are fun and useful.

Users can find out which of your products best suits their needs, while also discovering new products.

Image source: Ceros

At the same time, you can use quizzes to increase brand awareness and generate leads by asking participants to share them with friends.

Likewise, you can gather valuable info about your audience’s preferences and needs so you can adjust your marketing campaigns accordingly.

• Calculators. Users love calculators because they are very practical.

Basically, anyone can enter their own numbers or information and the calculator will give them a cost estimate.

Image source: Ceros

This is perfect for service providers because it makes it easier for their potential customers to get relevant information and compare market prices.

Now, check out some of the top interactive content benefits:

• Boosts brand awareness and attracts leads. Since interactive content is both useful and entertaining, users are more likely to share it with others.
• Educates and engages your audience. You can use interactive content to make complex information easily digestible, thus enhancing user comprehension and, ultimately, retention.

People are more likely to keep trusting your brand if you speak in a ‘language’ they understand.

• Drives conversions. You can use the data collected from interactive quizzes, for example, to create personalized newsletters that make users more likely to take the desired action.

Overall, which parts of the funnel can interactive content be your pal? Across the whole funnel! Which is exactly what you need to boost brand awareness and gain more customers. 

***

There you have it; 16 powerful ingredients to enhance your brand’s presence, engage your audience, and convert them into active, loyal customers.

But the question remains: do you have to use them all?

Do you need different types of content marketing?

Definitely yes! But why?

Because people like getting their information in different formats and from different platforms.

Thus, by adding diversity to your content marketing strategy, you can reach more potential customers and ensure you don’t bore your existing ones.

It’s the same as owning a pizza place in NYC. You need to offer different types of pizza to cater to different customer tastes, while also introducing new toppings to your classics every once in a while to retain old customers.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of using different forms of content marketing:

1. Increase reach and brand awareness. While some people prefer reading whitepapers, others prefer watching TikTok video tutorials or listening to a podcast on their way to work.

By using different types of content marketing you are more likely to reach your target audience no matter the platform they prefer.

2. Boost engagement and conversion rates. By combining different content marketing tools you’ll surprise your audience and make them curious about what you'll come up with next.

Trust us, this will make them come back for more. 😉

3. Build audience trust in your brand. By publishing truly valuable content, you can become a thought leader, a.k.a. an industry expert, that the audience trusts.

For instance, in SaaS content marketing, you can use written content to create whitepapers that include an in-depth analysis of payment gateways.

Then, you can use audio-visual and interactive marketing tools to simplify the complex information, thus boosting comprehension and retention.

Ultimately, by creating multiple valuable whitepapers, you’ll build thought leadership in payment gateways and your audience will keep turning to you for help.

Clearly, using multiple types of content marketing is a good idea, but how can you bring them to life?

How Ceros brings your content marketing formats to life

It all sounds well and good, but, at the end of the day, if you don’t have any design skills or coding knowledge this is all a bit overwhelming, right?

Don’t worry; you don’t need any of that if you hire the chef aid Ceros. 😉

Ceros is an interactive content creation platform that will help you mix and match all types of content marketing without any need for special skills.

This amazing suite of tools offers over 150 interactive content templates to choose from, which you can then animate however you like.

And, if you want to involve other team members in the creation process, you can use MarkUp.io, a modern annotation tool that streamlines collaboration. 

These are just a few of Ceros’ many capabilities.

To find out more about how it can help bring your content to life, just book a free demo with Ceros.