The reason why more tact is needed in today’s content marketing strategy is because people expect more for free. Since there is so much content, viral content marketing is needed for your brand to stand out. Great content must be coupled with proper distribution, for it to attract the attention and engagement of a large number of internet users. Your content needs to entertain, inspire and educate. Different platforms require different formats of content. So what are the 11 types of content that are irresistible to share?
1. How-to content
How-to content provides value to your audience. It helps them solve a particular problem. Users can share the link or brand with different people. Some of the viewers, or even their referrals could convert. To create relevant and powerful how-to content, identify a common problem and provide a solution to it. Here is a general format of how-to content:- Introduction of the problem
- Introduction of the solution
- Discussion of every step of the solution
- A summary of the discussion
- A conclusion
2. Lists
People like to share lists, thus you need to include them in your content marketing approach. This is because, people can get the message at a glance, without spending a large amount of time reading much content. The lists can be negative or positive. To create a great list, take a topic, then pick a number. Here is a simple format:- Introduce the topic
- List the points
- Provide a conclusion
3. Infographics
In simple terms, infographics are just graphics which contain information. They are shared three times more than other types of content on social platforms, according to research. You can hire a graphic designer or use professional services, for instance, Visual.ly to create infographics. They are ideal for communicating research, findings, data and statistics. With increased competition, a smart content marketing move is to make infographics gifographics. These use small images called 'gifs' instead of the static images that are characteristic of infographics. The images keep shifting, thus the viewer cannot miss the graphic.4. Memes
Memes are a key aspect of vital content marketing as they are humorous, thus shareable. You need not hire a graphic designer to create them. Some of the sites that help you create your own memes include: Meme Generator and Quick Meme. Memes are ideal for use on social media. They are best made from funny ideas. As soon as you get a funny idea, just package it as a meme. Memes can be used in any niche. You should however avoid overusing them.5. Videos
Videos, when packaged well can communicate in a very memorable and engaging way. After creating a great video, you need to distribute it on various sites, ranging from YouTube to other social media platforms. Keep them short. They should not go beyond 3 minutes.6. Long form content
There are different types of long form content. The first are long blog posts. You can have blog posts that are about 1500 words. These posts become a resource on your niche. The other type of long form content is guides. They tend to be way longer than blog posts. Guides require excellent writing and designing skills. The content needs to be valuable, and the format attractive. You could package the guide as a downloadable PDF. You can use guides to build your email subscriber base.7. Book reviews
Book reviews position you as a thought leader. They entail a discussion of a book, your thoughts on it, recommendations on good books, and critiques on some. Here is a general format of a book review:- Introduction of the book
- Introduction of the author
- A summary of the major points in the book
- What you liked most in the book
- What you didn’t like about the book
- Recommend it to your readers, or not
- Provide a call to action, for instance by providing a link to the book
8. Opinion posts
This type of content is distinguished by its tone. It tends to be more expressive. The amount of shares it will receive will depend on the position that you take and how vehemently you defend it. It should take a first person point of view. It should address a popular topic. This type of content should seldom be used. Maintain some level of civility.9. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly
This entails featuring good and beautiful events, ideas, people, and places. Positivity is likely to be shared as it inspires people, thus comes in handy in viral content marketing. The bad and the ugly is also shareable as it provides lessons to your viewers. A recently trendy topic is celebrities’ botched plastic surgeries.10. Product reviews
These content provides value to your users by helping them make crucial decisions before purchasing products. It also establishes you as an authority in a particular niche. To create honest and helpful views, engage developers, service providers, and manufacturers and share your unique experience with the product. Here is a general format for creating outstanding product reviews:- Introduction of the product
- Introduction of the manufacturer
- Description of the product
- Its pros
- Its cons
- Recommendation
- A call to action
11. Research
If you work in a field where numbers and metrics are pivotal, you can write about your research findings. This way you provide value, stand out as an authority, and encourage people to share. Find a good topic and do your research. You then need to report your findings. You can use lists, infographics, blog posts and videos to share percentages and numbers that will arouse users’ interest.Conclusion
As we can see, viral content marketing entails creation of content that users cannot resist to share. This way, you drive traffic to your site, establish yourself as an authority, and engage users. Better still, these types of content will convert, which is a significant aspect of content marketing.
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