You know that content marketing is still king. That’s unlikely to change and that means that it’s your job to create and share the kind of content that’ll bring customers to your business and help you improve your bottom line.

The numbers back up content marketing’s importance. Research shows that 91% of all B2B companies use content marketing, and the same is true of 86% of B2C businesses. However, only 63% of companies have a dedicated content strategy.

You can see the issue at hand. Content marketing is a must and yet doing it improperly – without a clear focus and strategy – can be a huge waste of time and money.

With that in mind, here are 8 content marketing types to help you build your strategy and grow your business.

#1: Blog Posts

Blog posts are hardly revolutionary in the world of content marketing, yet a lot of local businesses still aren’t blogging regularly. Those who do reap rewards:

• Companies that blog get 97% more links to their websites than companies that don’t
• Companies with blogs have a 434% higher chance of receiving a high Google rank compared to companies without blogs
• 10% of blog posts are compounding, which means that they attract more organic traffic over time

For the best results, keep your blog posts tightly focused. Optimize them for local and voice search and make sure to use a clear, easy-to-follow structure in each post.

#2: Infographics

A lot of local businesses don’t bother with infographics and that’s a shame. They’re increasingly popular and perfect if you need to present a lot of data in a way that’s easy to understand.

While you might think you need to hire a professional graphic designer to make infographics for you, that’s not true. Online tools such as Canva and Venngage make it simple to create beautiful, shareable infographics.

Infographics can help you build authority and gravitas. They’re ideal for sharing on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. If you’ve posted a data-heavy blog recently, consider transforming it into an infographic to share on social media.

#3: Customer Testimonials

You already know that customer reviews and testimonials are essential forms of social proof to use in your online marketing. However, if you handle them properly, they can also be part of your content marketing strategy.

Consider shooting video testimonials that tell a compelling story and give people a reason to buy your product or use your service. Video testimonials can be posted on your website, emailed to your list, or shared on social media.

#4: Case Studies

The term “case study” can be an intimidating one but think of them as in-depth customer testimonials. A testimonial will usually focus on how the customer feels about your business. A case study shows how you or your product helped a customer.

If you decide to use case studies in your content marketing, make sure to:

• Tell a compelling story in an engaging way. Incorporating some suspense and emotion into the story will keep people interested and ensure they stick around until the end.
• Be as specific as possible. Don’t just say that you helped your client grow their business – provide metrics and numbers wherever it’s possible.
• Show your customer’s journey from start to finish. Make sure to explain where they started, why they came searching for you, and what happened after they found you.

Case studies should be featured on your website. They can also be shared on social media.

#5: Memes

Memes are perennially popular and can be useful as a form of content marketing – but there are a few pitfalls you should be aware of.

It’s not a great idea to share random memes that have nothing to do with your business. Instead, it’s your job to find a way to take a popular meme and make it relevant to what you’re selling.

If you’re not sure how to use memes, check out Hulu’s social media pages. They use memes all the time, and very effectively. You can also check out what your competitors are doing.

#6: Videos

Video marketing is still very popular. You can produce videos cheaply using your cell phone and a host of free online tools.

However, you don’t need to stop with traditional marketing videos. Here are some ideas:

• Create short videos (3 to 60 seconds) to share on Instagram
• Use the Boomerang app to string together a series of images into a short video
• Create GIFs using free tools such as Giphy or EZGif
• Try an animated or white board video

There are many video formats, so feel free to experiment and find out what resonates with your target audience.

#7: Checklists and Cheat Sheets

Some of the best content marketing provides actionable solutions to common problems. People don’t follow their favorite brands on social media for fun. They do it because they’re expecting to get something in return.

One easy way to provide it is by creating checklists or cheat sheets for your followers to use. For example, if you own a coffee shop, you could create a checklist to brew the perfect French Press coffee.

You can keep the checklists you create simple or design them to be downloaded and printed. Either way, you’ll be giving your followers something valuable.

#8: eBooks

Writing an eBook can seem like a daunting task and for that reason, a lot of local businesses stay away from them. However, a well-written short eBook can help you attract new subscribers for your list and build authority at the same time.

Keep in mind that a lot of the eBooks sold on Amazon have 10,000 words or less. That works out to about 40 pages of content at 250 words per page. You have the option of writing the book yourself or of hiring a professional writer to do it for you.

Keep in mind that your eBook should be relevant to your business and valuable to the target audience you want to attract. eBooks are best used as lead magnets. You can advertise them on social media to get people to download them and subscribe to your list.

Content marketing is here to stay – and the 8 types of content marketing we’ve listed here can help you build your following and increase your profits at the same time.