Yes, Content is still King

From UK Content Creator Brian O'Friel

Content can easily set your business apart from competitors by giving you a real marketing edge. But first, a word about the 6 most popular types of Content I see being currently used by Northern Ireland businesses.

If you mention content creation to many businesses, their first thought is often social media content and blogging.

It’s true, this type of content is indeed among the most popular out there, but actually there are several other areas of content that are worth considering for your business – depending on your sector or niche, of course.

Indeed, a good mix of content formats is often the best solution, as long as you don’t spread your resources too thin by trying to cover every single base.

And it's important to remember that different customers will often have different preferences in regard to the actual type of content they want to see.

So while your preference might be for written content, it could be that many of your customers prefer, for example, video content. And that’s an important consideration when considering what type of complementary content mix you should use.

When a client asks me about, for example, blogs or social media, I may suggest how those might be complemented by one or two other content approaches – so that all their eggs aren’t in one basket

Here’s a quick look at the Top Six types of Content I see most businesses using. And yes, I’m able to offer all these content services to you.

Blogging and Social Media Content

As mentioned above, these need very little explanation and are popular for a reason. They enable you to create organic conversations with your clients for a relatively low cost.

Email Newsletters

These are particularly effective for any business or organisation that needs to regularly talk about new products or services. Industry sources regularly report that email content generally serves up a better ROI (Return on Investment) than other choices. Like blogging, email content is generally quick and easy to produce at a relatively low cost.

Video Content

Where would the internet be without video content? The number of people who view content on their smartphones has of course grown exponentially in recent years, almost to the point where video search is now more common than traditional search. Video content has also become a lot cheaper to produce in that same period and it is unrivalled at being able to convey a brand’s emotions and values. In the past years, I have seen the demand for storytelling, plus corporate and explainer videos, really blossom in Northern Ireland.

Case Studies

Again, this is another form of content writing that is fast becoming a central part of a company’s core content strategy. Case studies are particularly appropriate for B2B communications – they cut to the chase quickly and allow a business to clearly show demonstrable effectiveness in their sector or niche. And, of course, a good copywriter or content creator can bring what otherwise might be a rather plain case study to life in many imaginative ways.

White Papers & eBooks

White Papers are a great way to introduce a new product or process. The way they are formatted and structured can give the information a weightier feel – thus increasing a company’s thought leadership in their niche. If you want to take your White Paper even further, it might be worth extending it to an eBook, another form of content growing in popularity across Northern Ireland, especially in the area of scientific or medical matters.

Infographics

Infographics are almost the polar opposite of White Papers. You know what they look like, of course – simple graphics that help the viewer glide smoothly through a process or approach. A good copywriter or content writer can take even the most complicated information and present it in byte-sized chunks that are easily understood. Maybe this is the perfect example of when a picture is worth more than a thousand words!

Finally, if you need a UK content creator to work on your business messaging, do please get in touch for a chat and some helpful suggestions.