Focusing on the wrong types of content leads to massive waste. You need to make smarter choices to gain as many conversions as possible.
Effective content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing.
Better yet, it costs 62% less!
BUT, you need to note the use of the word “effective” in that statement. To see these kinds of returns, you need to make sure you’re sharing the right types of content with your audience.
That’s where a lot of business owners struggle. They have a lot of interesting things to say to their audience but they don’t present it in a way that leads to conversions.
We want to help you to improve your conversion rates. And to do that, we’re going to show you the types of content that inevitably lead to more people buying from you.
Content Type #1 – Video Content
Great video content communicates a succinct and useful message to the viewer.
That’s the golden rule that you need to keep in mind when using this type of content for conversions. A video with no key point or thread to follow will get quickly be ignored.
Videos are so effective in regard to conversion because they stimulate the viewer’s attention. The use of imagery makes them more appealing than text-based content. Plus, videos require less effort to absorb than text.
Keep your videos below the three-minute mark and make sure they’re tightly scripted. It’s also worth investing in good equipment so that the video conveys the professional look that your business wants.
Content Type #2 – Infographics
This is a visual content type that helps viewers understand the key pieces of information that you want to share. For example, you can use an infographic to highlight key stats related to your industry. Or, you could use one when creating step-by-step instructions for a process.
Again, you’re appealing to the segment of your audience that prefers visual content with this content type. Plus, you end up with a piece that’s easier to absorb and share.
Automation Agency can help you to create an effective infographic. Send a task to the Concierge Service to get started.
Content Type #3 – SlideShares
LinkedIn acquired SlideShare back in 2012. Since then, it’s become one of the best platforms for sharing presentation-related content.
SlideShare allows you to create slideshows that you can easily share with your network of LinkedIn followers. This makes it ideal for leveraging the content you’ve created for presentations for use with a wider audience.
The platform allows you to package the information you want to share in an easily-digestible way. It also provides a number of useful tools to viewers, such as the ability to clip individual slides. The platform also provides data on what your viewers do with your slideshow. This will help you to see which chunks of content drive engagement. Building on these engaging pieces can help you to get more conversions.
Content Type #4 – Case Studies
Trust is such an important factor when creating content to convert. If people don’t trust your message, they’re not going to engage with you when they need something.
This is where case study content comes into play.
A good case study acts as proof that you deliver on the promises that you make. You’re showing the reader that your service has created a transformation in somebody’s life. Furthermore, you’re leveraging an independent party to provide that proof. The subject of the case study is a customer, just like the reader may eventually be.
You can use any positive results that you achieve for an existing customer to convert other prospects.
Content Type #5 – Checklists
Checklists are really easy to create while still providing useful information to your audience. Typically, a checklist will feature a number of steps that the reader needs to take to achieve something.
For example, let’s say that you’re running a coaching business in the online marketing niche. A good checklist may involve the steps that the reader needs to take to create an effective LinkedIn profile.
That’s useful content for the user. Plus, it’s something that you can link to the services that you provide. The checklist that you offer can help the reader with one aspect of LinkedIn marketing.
Now, they need to come to you to build a comprehensive LinkedIn strategy.
Content Type #6 – White Papers
White papers are bulky pieces of content that straddle the line between educational and promotional. They usually go into great detail about a specific subject that’s relevant to your industry.
They’re particularly useful when you’re selling in the B2B space. With a white paper, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche. This makes prospects more likely to come to you when they need help with issues in your industry.
White papers are also effective as lead generation tools. You can use them as lead magnets on a landing page so that you can build your email list. If you need help building a landing page and incorporating a lead magnet, send a task to our Concierge Service.
Content Type #7 – eBooks
Much like white papers, an eBook is a detailed piece of content that you can use as a lead magnet. They’re ideal for showcasing the understanding that you have of your niche.
After all, you need to know what you’re talking about if you’re going to write a whole book on the topic.
The key to this content type is to create value for the reader. An eBook that acts as a 20-page sales pitch will not improve your conversion rate. Readers will cotton onto your efforts to sell early into the book and will just stop reading.
A great eBook tells a story and offers useful information about your niche. Once read, it should cement you and your company as the go-to guys in your niche.
Content Type #8 – Blog Posts
Yes, the humble website blog post is still an effective tool for converting prospects. A blog post has the advantage of being on the website that the prospect needs to be on to make a purchase.
However, blog posts offer another way for you to get more conversions.
Properly optimised blog posts improve your website’s position in search engine rankings. The higher you place for your main keywords, the more traffic you’ll attract to your website.
As long as your blog posts deliver on their promises, you’ll engage the higher number of people who arrive at your site. Thus, you’ll pull more leads into your funnel, which ultimately results in more conversions.
But Content Alone Isn’t Enough
These eight content types will help you to give your conversion rates a boost. However, there’s plenty more that you need to consider when creating your content.
Firstly, you need to understand your audience and what it expects from the content that you produce. A well-written piece doesn’t mean much if it’s not solving a problem that your audience has.
You also have to consider where the reader is in your sales funnel. A piece that’s designed to sell something likely won’t go over well with someone who’s just entered your funnel. However, a pure engagement piece also won’t have much effect on someone who’s ready to buy. You need to tailor your content to the specific audience that will consume it.
Of course, quality is also a factor when you’re creating content. Your research has to stand up to scrutiny or you’ll find yourself losing trust amongst your audience. Your content has to be good enough to make people want to check it out in the first place.
Finally, we come to your call to action.
Every piece of content you create needs to offer a clear next step for the reader. What this step will be depends on the part of your sales funnel that the content is intended for. A straight pitch may work well for content aimed at the bottom of the funnel. For those at the top, a link to a lead magnet can lead the prospect along the customer journey you’ve created.
Which Content Type do You Need to Create
The key message here is that you can’t rely on a single content type when you want to boost conversions. You need to offer several different types so you can serve the largest portion of your audience possible.
Each of these content types has a different purpose. However, each will also lead to more conversions, when used correctly.
Automation Agency can help you to create several of these content types, such as infographics. We can also help you to set up landing pages for your lead magnets and create images for your blog posts.
Just send a task to the Concierge Service to get started.
But maybe you’re not yet a member of the Concierge Service and need to find out if we’re a good fit for you. If that’s the case, chat with our Right Fit Chatbot to find out more about what we do.
