Feeling tapped out on the subject of inventive content material concepts?
In the event you really feel such as you’ve performed all of it, I problem you to discover these 14 unusual kinds of content material. Many entrepreneurs overlook these unconventional digital content material codecs, however they are often extremely efficient.
Slot a few of these content material kinds into your arsenal to combine up your campaigns and see higher outcomes out of your content material advertising and marketing.
1. Person-Generated Content material (UGC)
Each model is aware of to speak about the advantages of their services or products. However having actual prospects sing your praises? That makes a actual affect.
Person-generated content material is content material created by shoppers – not the model – heralding the model’s services or products.
Examples embody product critiques, testimonial movies on social media, and the like. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Fb are hotspots for UGC.
Figuring out UGC can take some searching, corresponding to searching hashtags related along with your model on Instagram or following trade influencers on TikTok. You possibly can additionally use social listening instruments to determine model mentions.
UGC can be impressed. For instance, many manufacturers host contests that reward customers for creating nice UGC, corresponding to inspiring graphics or dynamic movies.
You may additionally create a customized hashtag encouraging customers to share content material; Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke marketing campaign is one in style instance.
UGC attracts in new eyes by the person’s followers and you too can repurpose UGC in your model’s social media accounts and in your campaigns.
UGC is a superb type of model advocacy and is especially efficient at driving person engagement.
The truth is, based on a survey carried out by EnTribe, 84% of customers usually tend to belief a model that makes use of content material from prospects slightly than paid influencers, and 77% could be extra more likely to buy from a model that shares content material from actual prospects in its advertising and marketing.
2. Screencasts
“Speaking head” movies are maybe the commonest kind of video content material. The speaker talks to the digital camera (i.e., the viewers), and there could be product pictures or slides thrown in.
However POV content material is the subsequent sizzling factor in content material advertising and marketing. As an alternative of a speaking head, the viewers experiences the video from the speaker’s first-person viewpoint, whether or not by a digital camera lens or a screencast.
Screencasting includes recording your cell or laptop display screen as you narrate.
Screencasts work nicely for tutorials or to exhibit your work in motion. They’re an impactful format for social media and YouTube movies.
Your screencast can embody a voiceover narration and/or music. You would possibly use instruments like Camtasia and Loom to make, edit, and repurpose skilled screencasts for advertising and marketing campaigns.
Right here’s one instance of an efficient screencast in a video titled “Design with me ✨ My full internet design course of utilizing Figma & Squarespace.”
3. Templates
Templates are ready-made paperwork your viewers can use to streamline duties, manage their lives, and even get their funds so as.
A few of the hottest templates embody bill templates for enterprise homeowners, social media design templates for model managers, resume templates for job seekers, and checklists for journey or occasions.
Individuals love templates as a result of they’re simple to make use of, useful, and don’t require a lot funding (if any in any respect).
Nevertheless, they’re nice instruments for manufacturers trying to construct belief with potential prospects and seize new electronic mail subscribers.
How does this work? Sometimes, you’d promote the template in your web site and social media after which ship it to customers by way of electronic mail. Customers should submit their electronic mail handle to get the template. Ta-da! You have got a newly opted-in electronic mail subscriber.
Relating to templates, the alternatives are actually infinite, which make it simple for enterprise homeowners to launch a brand new web site in a matter of hours.
4. Worksheets
Worksheets pack tons of worth as a result of they empower folks with the instruments and steps they should obtain their objectives, like planning a enterprise, making a finances, or nurturing a extra constructive mindset.
So, how can manufacturers use worksheets to encourage development? Like templates, worksheets are a terrific alternative to achieve electronic mail subscribers, get re-shares on social media, and drive web site visitors.
In the event you publish a terrific worksheet (like therapistaid did), folks will fortunately share it.
Energetic studying instruments, like worksheets, profit customers, college students, enterprise homeowners, and extra. One research discovered that energetic studying strategies like polls and chat can result in 16 occasions increased charges of non-verbal engagement.
5. Illustrations
In the event you’re like me, you might be bored with the overly company, cookie-cutter graphics utilized in most advertising and marketing supplies.
Many of those designs are sourced from the identical inventory picture websites. Why not get just a little extra inventive?
Customized illustrations – hand-drawn or digitally-drawn visuals – could be a welcome boost to your advertising and marketing supplies. Designed by freelance illustrators, illustrations can add uniqueness, aptitude, and even quirkiness to your model.
Illustrations are gaining in reputation as nicely. A research carried out by VENNGAGE reviews that entrepreneurs discovered authentic graphics, like infographics and illustrations, to outperform different kinds of media, corresponding to inventory pictures, charts, and even movies.
Illustrations add persona to your digital content material, notably on the subject of storytelling.
6. Textual content Messages
Quick message service (SMS) campaigns – a.ok.a. textual content message campaigns – attain shoppers by way of their cell gadgets. With so many individuals on the go, this is without doubt one of the most accessible methods to get customers’ consideration.
In comparison with electronic mail campaigns, SMS advertising and marketing has a a lot increased common click-through charge (11.19% for texting vs. 1.47% for electronic mail). This makes texting nice for lead follow-ups, particular gives, time-sensitive offers, appointment reminders, and buyer assist.
Textual content messaging might be enabled in lots of right now’s shopper relationship administration (CRM) instruments, permitting you to ship emails, automate textual content reminders, and templatize your campaigns. You’ll be able to even monitor open charges, conversion charges, and unsubscribe charges.
7. Net Apps
If you wish to degree up engagement and buyer retention, an internet app is an efficient approach to do it.
Net apps are interactive on-line instruments (corresponding to video games, calculators, login portals, and many others.) that make it simpler for customers to work together along with your model, use your providers, get buyer assist, and a lot extra.
From health apps to mortgage calculators, internet apps are in every single place, and they’re elevating the person expertise in so many distinctive methods.
Need to make the most of this digital content material kind? Listed here are some potential app concepts:
- Journey itinerary planner.
- Appointment reserving.
- Interactive quiz.
- Price range calculator.
- Health tracker.
- Recipe generator.
- Buyer portal.
- Digital try-on experiences.
- Occasion planning instruments.
- E-learning platform.
- Gamified rewards.
- Customer support chat.
8. Animations
Have you ever ventured into the world of movement graphics? In the event you haven’t, this could be a inventive content material kind to strive. And belief me, it’s not as labor-intensive or costly as you would possibly assume.
You could find many respected and reasonably priced animators on-line, in a position to create every thing from animated logos to social media adverts and product demos.
In fact, in case you are launching a significant marketing campaign with a number of components, you would possibly wish to spend money on a extra premium service.
There are lots of methods to make use of animations, corresponding to in explainer movies, infographics, GIFs, quick clips for social, and extra.
Remodel static graphics into transferring, grooving animations to catch viewers’ consideration and get folks speaking about your model.
9. Op-Eds
We’ve talked rather a lot about visible content material so far, however what about good ol’ written content material? Whereas most are accustomed to the usual weblog publish or conventional press launch, much less widespread is the controversial op-ed.
Nicely, op-eds don’t should be controversial, however they’re opinion-based. Reasonably than purely instructive, they share the author’s distinctive tackle a specific topic. This may be fascinating studying materials to publish in your web site.
In case your model often publishes how-to content material, maybe combine it up with opinion items.
Get an trade chief’s POV on a trending matter or an editorial author’s sizzling tackle a typical false impression in your trade. There are lots of methods to spin it.
Publishing totally different content material sorts can drum up extra engagement and shares.
10. Stay Video
With all of right now’s streaming expertise, reside video has grow to be an efficient medium for manufacturers and thought leaders.
Not solely does reside video require much less planning and enhancing than pre-recorded video, however it’s additionally an effective way to have interaction with viewers in actual time.
Essentially the most distinguished reside video choices are Fb Stay, Instagram Stay, YouTube Stay, and TikTok Stay. All will let you share a title or caption in your video matter, stream to an viewers, and area messages from viewers.
Stay video is especially helpful for Q&A classes, interviews, model takeovers, and firm updates. Even Mark Zuckerberg himself went reside to supply a latest replace about Meta’s “fact-checking” coverage.
When you’ve got a little bit of digital stage fright and want some convincing, simply know that 51% of shoppers are anticipating extra reside content material on streaming providers. This isn’t a content material medium to be sleeping on.
11. Slides
Relating to this digital content material kind, I’m speaking about expertly designed presentation slides (as you would possibly make in Slides or PowerPoint) to accompany movies, emails, and different advertising and marketing supplies.
Instruments like SlideShare have risen in reputation as manufacturers have began offering extra readable property to accompany their providers, displays, and merchandise.
For instance, many health manufacturers now share exercise plans and meal prep guides in slide format, making it simple for purchasers to entry the supplies, comply with alongside, and share the content material digitally.
You’ll additionally see slides used throughout reside movies, webinars, and in pre-recorded YouTube movies. They’re easy and tutorial, preserve viewers engaged, and present your model to be a helpful useful resource in your area!
12. Timelines
As a authorized advertising and marketing specialist, I typically search for inventive methods to showcase content material for legislation companies whereas sustaining a degree of professionalism. Timelines typically strike that stability.
Say you run a legislation agency within the space of sophistication motion lawsuits. You would possibly wish to exhibit the historical past of your case, key milestones or accomplishments in your case, how new insurance policies have affected the trial, and so forth. A easy timeline on a touchdown web page is a brilliant approach to seize all of those particulars.
Timelines don’t should be so company, although. As an example, perhaps you’re a digital nomad documenting your travels throughout Southeast Asia. A timeline in your web site or inside a weblog publish is an effective way for readers to maintain up along with your journey.
Total, timelines are participating, visible shows or chronological occasions. They assist your viewers perceive context, progressions, and tales, making your model extra clear and relatable.
13. Gamified Content material
“Gamification” would possibly appear to be a buzzword typically thrown round on the planet of selling. Nevertheless it’s gaining traction for good cause.
Customers need content material quick, and so they wish to be entertained. And gamification proves that advertising and marketing doesn’t should be boring – it ought to be enjoyable!
Gamified content material engages customers with recreation mechanics like digital tales, factors, rewards, or leaderboards. Duolingo is a superb instance of this. Their app boasts customers’ language “streaks,” implementing some extent system that unlocks particular supplies and chapters. It’s additionally simply enjoyable to make use of.
Fitbit is one other model that makes use of gamified content material. The related app hosts exercise challenges, step competitions, and achievement badges, motivating customers to maintain transferring. This encourages folks to maintain utilizing the instrument and to achieve their health objectives.
You’ll be able to implement gamified content material by an internet app (in case you have one), by way of electronic mail advertising and marketing campaigns, and thru social media options like surveys and polls.
14. Immersive VR
We will’t discuss in regards to the evolution of digital content material with out mentioning digital actuality (VR). This expertise has blown up in the previous couple of years, making its manner into video games, social media platforms, and even in-person experiences.
To be clear, VR includes expertise that nearly transports customers into an interactive, 3D surroundings. That is excellent for video video games, in fact, but additionally digital excursions (e.g., digital actual property walkthroughs) and product gross sales (e.g., digital try-ons).
The VR market is projected to achieve $18 billion by 2025. Whereas it could actually take some effort and funding to drag off a VR app, it might be nicely value it on the subject of rising your viewers and gross sales.
Shake Up Your Advertising Campaigns With Unusual Content material Codecs
There are such a lot of inventive methods to showcase your content material. Break exterior the normal weblog publish or e book from time to time and check out a few of these strategies.
From gamified content material to reside video and internet apps to templates, strive one thing new to develop your viewers and drive gross sales.
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