The content marketing alphabet: part one

If there’s anything that gets a fire in my belly, it’s marketing. Better yet, content marketing.

You might know your A-B-C but do you know the A to Z of the content marketing alphabet?

With over 110 different types of content to share (I’m sure there’s more) there’s plenty of variety to add your content calendar.

In the first of three blogs, I run through letters A to H of the different content types you can use to add plenty of sparkle to your social media calendar.

A – Awards

Have you had success at a recent awards ceremony or maybe your business has secured an accreditation? Make a splash on social media with an announcement about your recent success.

No matter how big or how small, it all helps your audience get a better understanding of what you do and adds credibility to your offering.

B – Blog

Probably the most obvious of the content alphabet, blogs are a great way to show off your brand’s personality. Meet the team, thought pieces or diary-style entries, blogs give your customers a glimpse into your business.

Don’t have a blog? Keep your eye out for blog articles written by others that relate to your business and share those with your audience.

C – Case study

Have a piece of client work you want to shout about or maybe you have an internal communications project you’d like to share? Creating case studies are a fantastic resource to give your audience (and potential customers) a glimpse into your impact.

D – Days of interest

I love a day of interest. Hop on One Foot Day, Upside-down Cake Day or Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride Day, these days may be bonkers but they get the creative juices flowing. Not all will work for your business but think outside the box and you may be able to use it to your advantage.

E – E-guides and e-books

Has a guide debunked your thinking about a certain task, or a report shared secrets of the latest trends? Sharing helpful resources is great for engagement and may be valuable to your audience.

F – Facts and stats

Number of products sold, client-split by industry or percentage of employees loving or hating Hawaiian pizza, every business has an interesting statistic or fact to share. You can make a stat out of anything – Hawaiian pizza, anyone?

G – Guest blogs

Invite contacts from outside your business to create guest blogs to add to your website. Maybe it’s a customer writing about their service experience or a supplier sharing expertise, this content style can show a different angle of your brand.

H – Hashtags and hot topics

A key character trait of a marketer is flexibility. Trending hashtags, breaking news and viral campaigns all come and go providing your business with the opportunity to join the conversation. Specsavers is great at this.

I – Infographic

Help your audience understand your business better through a collection of visuals to explain or summarise a process, service or timeline of events.

J – Jury is out (or in other words, polls)

I was so focused on finding a content type for Z (stay tuned), I forgot about J. But remember what I spoke about at letter D? Us marketers are always re-working things to our advantage.

Pose your audience with a question and see what the verdict is. Polls are a fantastic tool to engage your audience through poll voting or simply using reactions and comments.

Now that takes us to the end of the first instalment of this three-part blog series. So with a taste of some content to add to your social media plans, it’s time to create.

If you’re struggling to find the hours to create, plan and share, Hoolet is on hand to help. Get in touch and let’s get the ball rolling.

Hoolet is a strategic communications consultancy. Come say hello on Twitter at @hoolet_hoots, or follow us on LinkedIn. You can read more blogs here.