There’s a lot of noise being made on out there on the internet.
When you are trying to get noticed, it can feel like every other brand has already said what you want to say, how you wanted to say it.
While ignorance can sometimes be bliss (meaning that if you don’t know that another brand has already written a blog about the exact topic you wanted to write about, you can still write about it and be perfectly happy), the best way to rise above the noise is to create content that is truly unique and original.
Here are twelve content marketing ideas that can help you stop just creating more noise and actually be heard:
1. Create a quiz.
Is there anything that demands reader engagement better than a quiz?
People love taking quizzes.
They love it so much that Facebook actually created an app that allows people to create and distribute their own quizzes.
As long as the consumer is actually being graded at the end of the quiz, they will be more than happy to provide you with what will probably be interesting information about your audience, in return for being given insight into what kind of person they are.
2. Use Twitter to get your audience to ask you questions.
Twitter is the perfect format for generating a Q and A because of the fast-paced nature of the beast. People will be more than willing to ask you a question, since it uses so little time and will even wait for an answer if you’re firing them out quickly.
3. Utilize SMS marketing.
Is SMS marketing part of content marketing?
Of course it is!
Just about every consumer these days has a cellphone attached to their hip (some of them are actually wearing cellphone holsters that literally attach their cellphone to their hip).
Get right into their pocket with a targeted text message that includes an offer.
4. Think about creating downloadable content.
Instead of just churning out another blog post, why not think about creating a document that your audience can download and use offline.
This should be something educational and valuable that helps the reader better understand some aspect of your industry.
5. Create a case study.
Unless this is your first day in business, you have probably already helped someone do something that they wanted to do.
Use their situation as a case study to show readers how you might be able to help them.
6. Make something visual to accompany content you’ve already written.
If you have already written a blog post that seems to be gaining some traction, create an image or infographic that goes with it.
This will be a great way to make that content more shareable on social media sites like Pinterest and Facebook.
7. Create a serial.
If people feel like they are getting a full set of information, they are more likely to invest the time in reading through more than one blog post.
Numbering your blog posts or making it clear that this is the first, second, third, etc. in a series of blog posts, people will automatically feel more invested and will become more likely to stop back in and check on your blog again.
8. Don’t ignore micro-content.
What is micro-content?
It’s all of the little areas of your website where you should be putting content but haven’t yet.
Have you included alt text on all of your images?
Do all of your images and videos have captions?
Do your buttons have mouse over text?
Do little hints pop up on the bottom of each page if a viewer has been on that page for more than thirty seconds?
9. Write a glossary.
Your industry probably has jargon. If your industry has jargon, that means it’s time for you to write a glossary so your customers, clients, or patients that are new to the industry can get a handle on all of the confusing words that people in the industry use.
You can post and market this just like a blog post, but it is likely to be more directly useful and applicable than a traditional post.
10. Write yourself questions and then answer them.
Essentially, create an FAQ. You’ve probably heard the same questions over and over. If you have, write them down and answer them in a blog post.
This will be a great resource that you can refer people to when they ask those questions (instead of just giving them a canned answer), and it also provides lots of great information even for those that haven’t asked one of those questions.
This makes you look like an expert!
11. Create a unique chart.
A pie chart or a bar graph is a good place to start (and everyone prefers data displayed visually than through text), but don’t be afraid to look into different types of charts and diagrams, including Venn diagrams and star charts and maps—depending on what type of data you have to communicate.
Make it vibrant and make it different!
12. Make a video.
There is something endearing about a video that really displays the personality of the company that is making it.
It doesn’t even have to have impeccable editing and production value.
If you need a little inspiration, spend some time on YouTube looking at the kinds of marketing that brands like Old Spice take part in.
Use these twelve content marketing ideas to spice up your content marketing campaign!
