13 Audience-Favorite Types of Content to Try in 2022: Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we talked about the following types of content: blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics, memes, and social media posts.

Those are some of the most popular types of digital content that ensure high traffic and boost your brand awareness.

However, in this part, we’ll focus on the formats that can help you improve lead generation, accelerate the journey of potential customers through the funnel, and encourage conversion.

Read on and take notes!

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

There you have them – 13 of the audience’s most favorite types of content.

You can play around with them, test out what your customers like and engage with, and see which formats allow you to best convey your message.

Of course, you don’t need to jump into creating all of them. First, you should research which ones are most likely to attract your audience’s attention, and start with them.

Once you power up your content strategy, you can experiment with the rest and expand your reach, awareness, and traffic.

However, don’t forget that the true purpose of content is to help you build a strong relationship with your customers, and get to know them better.