Content marketing allows businesses to create brand awareness, attract new customers, maintain engagement, and, ultimately, build a strong and lasting connection with their clients and followers with the right content types.
However, for this to happen, they need to create content that their audience cares about. Do you know what your audience’s favorite content types are?
You should! But if you don’t, there’s no reason to panic. Finding these out is not that difficult.
You can analyze how people interact with the pieces you publish on different channels, distribute surveys asking what type of content people would like you to start creating, test different formats, and why not even conduct dedicated market research.
13 Content Types That Audiences Love
- Blogs
- Videos
- Podcast
- Infographics
- Memes
- Social media posts
- eBooks
- Whitepapers
- Case studies
- Webinars
- Thought-leadership content
- Emails
- Online courses
1. Blogs
Blog posts are the most popular and beloved type of content.
In fact, research shows that 83% of the online population reads blogs, with 18% reading blog posts on a daily basis.
Nowadays, people turn to search engines to find out, practically, anything they want to know, and blogs are the content type that the machines are most accustomed to understanding.
As a result, the majority of SERP links are to blog posts and this is the type of content that people interact with the most.
As a business, if you find your way around SEO and optimize your pages and content to fit the requirements of search engines, you can grow your audience, all the while delivering the high-quality content they love.
In addition, you can bring in significant traffic for the price of minimal resources.
Blogs allow businesses to explore different article formats and provide their followers with a wide range of relevant information.
Some of the most popular blog content types are:
- Listicles
- How-to Guides
- Tutorials
- Expert Round-ups
- Reviews
- Product comparison
- Checklists
Which blog content types you explore, depends on: a) your blog niche and the kind of information you present, and b) the interests of your readers and their content consumption habits.
Based on these, you can consider focusing on only one format, or you can mix and match them to make your editorial calendar more engaging.
2. Videos
Video is among the top most popular forms of content on the internet.
Regardless of whether we are talking about TikTok challenges, tutorials, personal experiences, reviews, TED talks, educational content, or – the ultimate favorite – cute cat compilations, people love videos.
Among all content types, video is one of the most engaging, easy-to-consume and understand, and highly shareable.
Furthermore, with modern tools and technology, it’s equally easy to create and edit.
However, when creating videos, make sure to follow the trends and requirements of the dedicated platform, and keep an eye for the following factors:
- Add closed captions. Always add closed captions to your content. On most platforms (TikTok excluded) people watch videos with the sound off. By adding written text, you allow them to interact with your videos anytime, anywhere.
- Keep it short. Short videos are way more watchable than long ones. If the information you want to convey is complex and can’t be fitted into a 2-3 min video, consider creating one long piece of content, cutting it into short segments, and publishing them as a series of videos. Just think of what Netflix does.
- Make it relatable. One of the strongest benefits of video is that it allows people to instantly relate to it. To increase impact and engagement, make sure that the video touches upon the user’s pain points, emotions, and/or personality.
- Maintain quality. Nowadays, everyone can shoot a video and post it online. However, with the advanced technology in our pockets, people expect videos to be of high quality, so try not to disappoint them.
3. Podcasts
Podcasts are another one of the hottest formats that the audience can’t get enough of.
There has been a rapid increase in the consumption of audio shows in the last few years. Nowadays, 41% of Americans state that they listen to podcasts regularly.
What’s more, there’s a community of so-called “super listeners” who devour the impressive 11.2 hours of podcasts every week.
The reason behind this success is that podcasts are convenient and fit into the multitasking lifestyle of people today. They allow them to never miss a beat and stay up to date with their favorite topics while continuing with their everyday lives.
Launching a podcasts show, though, requires a lot of research, planning, hard work, and persistence. Before you start it, you should consider whether it is something that you can afford the time and resources to be consistent with.
So what happens if your audience favors podcasts but you don’t think that you are up to the challenge?
Fret not, there’s still a way to deliver the content types that they would love to consume – you can convert your blog into a podcast!
Regardless of how you decide to approach podcasting, giving it a try is certainly worth considering.
4. Infographics
People are visual creatures, we understand things better when we see them. That’s why infographics are so popular – they convey messages and visualize data in an easy-to-digest way.
For businesses, if these images are well-made, they not only attract the attention of potential clients, but make for highly shareable content and can, potentially, be featured on third-party platforms.
This provides your content with even more exposure and may attract to your channels potential customers that are interested in the topics you publish on.
To maximize the effectiveness of infographics, you should be consistent in their creation. This will make your style more recognizable and may help to “train” your audience to understand the presented data at first glance.
When creating infographics, you can use data from your own tools and research, or you can compile information from different sources.
However, when using third-party data, make sure to always provide additional value in the form of insights, and analysis. Also, don’t skip to mention and link to the original.
5. Memes
Memes are everywhere now – they are on social media, in IMs, in business blogs, on TV shows, advertising, and whatnot.
They have become the internet’s favorite language.
Whatever you think of, there’s a meme for it, and if there isn’t one, you can create your own. And that’s the beauty of it.
It’s a common misconception that memes are so popular because they are funny. While this is not far from the truth, the real secret power of memes is that they are relatable – they create a bond between people.
By creating memes relevant to your industry and your customer’s pain points and interests, you can show your business’s human side and strengthen your relationship with your audience.
All the while having fun!
In other words, what we have here is a content type that you shouldn’t overlook in your strategy.
6. Social Media Posts
Social media posts are multifaceted content types. In other words, it can be many different things at once.
Each platform has its own rules and culture, and for your content to stand out, it needs to be in line with what people expect to see there – it should feel relevant and native.
However, the key to creating posts that the audience loves, is to get your priorities straight.
More often than not, brands think that the goal of building a social media presence is to expose more people to their content. While this is somewhat true, the main purpose of using social media platforms should be to engage and communicate with the audience.
This way, you can better understand your clients, and make them feel that there’s someone human on the other end of the line, not just a faceless brand.
To that end, what you should strive for is not to only feed the information you want to your customers, but to create social media posts that resonate with them and invite them to engage.
After all, these platforms were initially created for networking purposes – to connect people and provide them with a new communication channel. If you use them properly, you can make the most of the perks they offer.
7. eBooks
eBooks are affordable (sometimes even free) and easy to read and provide actionable solutions in concentrated form. They are like extended blog posts. In fact, a lot of eBooks are, indeed, created from a compilation of a pillar post and its pertaining content cluster.
Their main benefit to the user is that they provide the required information in an organized way and save them time and effort to look for it themselves.
Furthermore, they are convenient. People download them on a mobile device or an eReader and read them at their own pace. They can come back to them whenever they like, highlight passages, and even reread them.
For businesses, eBooks are valuable because they boost their credibility and authority. Also, depending on how the company chooses to distribute them, the books can either be a source of income and contribute to their revenue or can be used as a lead magnet (a freebie) and attract new customers.
All in all, if you are already doing content marketing, eBooks are a type of content that you can create with minimal effort for a high ROI.
8. Whitepapers
Whitepapers are a type of content that allows you to educate your customers on the benefits of your product, explain how it works, and teach them how to use it.
They are, more often than not, favored by the best prospects that are really interested in what you have to offer and want to better understand whether your product is a good fit for their needs.
While whitepapers are considered more of company and product documentation, they are still a marketing tool, so they should be approached accordingly.
Furthermore, they should be properly positioned in the marketing funnel and presented to the right type of audience that will appreciate them and benefit from reading them.
It’s worth mentioning that whitepapers are not as popular as top-of-the-funnel content that is aimed at a broad audience and promotes awareness. However, their narrow scope defines their value as they can persuade a potential customer to convert.
9. Case Studies
While most companies do create case studies, in a way, they are still an underappreciated type of content.
That’s because businesses fail to realize their true marketing potential and their power to attract the right audience.
Here’s why.
Case studies are, more often than not, approached as a format where you list raw facts and data – the business picks a client and summarizes what results the team helped them achieve.
This is great. However, what people really crave is not only the success but the story behind it.
The key is in the name – case study – doesn’t it sound exciting? As if it provides you with behind-the-scenes content, something extraordinary, and a look into the nitty gritty of what the company does to help its clients.
In a way, this is the crime-mystery-thriller-drama genre of content marketing.
And that’s the type of story you need to tell.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to necessarily add too much drama, you’re not writing for Cold Case or CSI: Miami. However, if you introduce the client with their relatable pain points and issues, focus on the challenges the team encountered when fixing them, and add a pinch of suspense, you can create a real business action.
This way, the potential customer will identify with the client, and, at the same time, will feel as if they were there together with the team on the case.
This is how you build a connection.
And that’s what people love about case studies.
10. Webinars
Webinars are trending in all industries. They provide an easy and effective way for people to learn new information on topics that they are interested in and collaborate.
Furthermore, due to their digital format, webinars can be (and usually are) recorded and the video is provided to the participants after the event. This way people can come back to the moments that they found most interesting, rewatch them, and maximize the value.
The reasons why people enjoy webinars are very similar to those why they watch videos.
However, on top of that, this format provides concentrated targeted information, and, at the same time, allows a personal approach, as the participants can interact with the speaker and each other.
This enriches the user experience and boosts the value of content.
Furthermore, they are convenient because they retain the personal experience and human contact of live offline events, but, at the same time, don’t require the visitor to leave the comfort of their home or office. You obtain the benefits without the hassle.
For businesses, webinars are a great way to generate high-quality leads, meet potential customers, and get to know them.
At the same time, they can contribute to your credibility as an industry expert and attract new clients.
11. Thought-Leadership Content
One of the downsides of digital content is that, no matter how original it is, it remains fresh and new for a very short period of time.
Information online spreads like wildfire, and, if you look closely, you find out that although there seems to be a diversity of opinions and sources, a lot of them talk about the same things with different words.
That’s why the digital community cherishes thought leaders. They stand up and stand out by introducing new ideas and new ways of looking at things. And are not afraid to shake things up and break industry stereotypes.
Whenever a business or a public figure builds a name as someone who regularly publishes interesting, controversial, thought-provoking, and/or ground-breaking content, they tend to build a large following of supporters and haters, who are eager to hear more.
Keep in mind, though, that the goal is not to introduce scandalous and provocative ideas just for the sake of public attention. People quickly lose interest in this kind of stuff and it can even drive away your loyal audience.
However, if you think that you are really up to the task and have something new, intriguing, and valuable to say, by all means, try out this type of content.
12. Emails
Emails are an all-time favorite type of content.
And while over the years, people have become a bit wary of email marketing, it still remains one of the top most popular communication channels for companies.
The key to successful email campaigns that don’t annoy your audience is to dig into the data and find out what type of messages your customers engage with the most.
If you see that a newsletter is valuable to you, but goes directly into the trash folder of the majority of your email list, you should rethink, restructure, or retire it.
Invest enough time into building your email marketing funnel and remember that there’s no shame in sending mostly service emails if your customers don’t want anything else. In fact, if you make the most of them, these can be a powerful tool in your post-purchase marketing strategy. They can help you to provide a top-notch UX and promote retention.
Furthermore, you should make sure that your email list is of top quality and properly segmented as well – if you send the wrong emails to the wrong people, you simply can’t win.
Simply put, if you have something valuable to offer, the audience will welcome you into their inbox. It’s spam that drives people away.
13. Online Courses
Online courses are all the rage right now. Practically, everyone online has done some sort of online class and has a Udemy account with a growing wish list.
This type of content provides users with an easy and accessible way to learn new skills, grow personally and professionally, and develop.
And while most of the information that courses provide is available for free online, people are still willing to pay for them because of the structure and organization they receive in return (and, occasionally, because of the certificate).
For businesses, creating online courses builds authority, creates awareness, and paints them as an experienced and competent provider whom the client can trust.
Once people start to view you as a go-to expert in your industry and niche, your credibility rises and potential customers are more likely to choose you over competitors – because you’ve shown that you know what you are doing and you know it well.
Bottom Line
These were 13 content types that the audience’s love. The mentioned formats can help you create brand awareness and boost traffic.
Make sure to read it so that you can provide your audience with the content that will provoke the most engagement, help you build a meaningful connection with your audience, and contribute to your overall marketing efforts and business success.
Alternatively, you can trust a reliable B2B marketing agency that can create and optimize various types of content for you.
Team DevriX
This article is crafted by DevriX's seasoned marketing team, boasting over four decades of collective expertise in crafting sophisticated marketing funnels, devising comprehensive content frameworks and pillars, implementing engaging email campaigns, and creating impactful social media content designed for scalability.
Our marketing experts specialize in the complete spectrum of inbound marketing strategies. As an accredited HubSpot Agency Partner and a Semrush Partner, we engage in meticulous research, blending our extensive experience with the unique insights of our highly skilled team.
We set benchmarks in content creation by incorporating cutting-edge marketing trends, leveraging in-depth industry research, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI tools for data segmentation and captivating content hooks. Our proficiency extends across a diverse range of sectors, including working with SMEs, Fortune 1000 companies, global B2B brands, major publishing entities, WooCommerce platforms, business directories, and affiliate networks.
