It’s almost time to put our party hats on and ring in the New Year with another out of tune rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

With 2019 just around the corner it’s the PERFECT time to start planning your content strategy for the coming year.

I know, I know… Everyone else is talking parties and drinking games and I’m over here focusing on content marketing. I’m the definition of geek…

But I’m genuinely excited about this!

As the world continues to change and people become more and more resistant to traditional direct response marketing, content marketing is becoming king. People are feeling oversold and underwhelmed. They’re waking up and it’s becoming harder and harder to influence them into a sale.

But with content marketing, you flip this all on its head. They find YOU. You give them massive value, build a relationship with them and THEY choose to buy from you. Instead of having that icky “I’ve been sold” feeling, your customers become your biggest fan and you gain a client for life.

The benefits of content marketing are clear.

Increased traffic to your website, more conversions, better customer retention and more repeat business are all possible with a great content marketing strategy.

So as we move into the new year which pillars of content marketing should your business be using and why?

These are The Top 7 Types of Content Marketing that will continue to bring epic results in 2019.

If you’re not using them… get on it or you’ll miss out.

1: Blogging Isn’t Dead Yet

Once upon a time, any old content would get you noticed and a regularly updated blog could help you on your way to the top of Google. Now that every man and his dog has a blog, the internet has become a noisy space with everyone shouting louder than the fishmonger at an East End market, hoping to get your attention.

So is it still worth blogging? Absolutely.

Despite the competition, blogging is still the number one way to establish yourself as the “Go To Expert” in your industry, increase your Google ranking and maintain great relationships with your existing customers.

You just have to do it right.

Quality over quantity is now the key. Your blog content has to give your readers real value and differentiate your business from the others out there that are all fluff and no stuffing.

By updating your blog regularly with really freaking good content, you’ll build a relationship with your prospects and establish your authority in the industry. Your content should answer your customer’s questions, solve their problems, give them real actionable advice… and ideally entertain them too. If you get it right then your blog can become one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal.

So what about SEO? Does blogging still help your Google ranking? The simple answer is yes, now more than ever. It would take too long to go into it fully here so I’ll write a dedicated post on why your blog is still an essential part of your SEO strategy in 2019 and share the link soon.

2: Short, Sharp Videos

If you’re like most people, then the idea of being on camera is about as appealing as a trip to the dentist. You know you should do it. You know it will be worth it. But the pain of getting it done keeps putting you off.

Well, if you’re not doing video yet then you need to put your big boy pants on and take the leap.

Nearly 80% of consumers say that video is their preferred form of content and that they are more likely to share a good video than they are a good blog post.

The key word here being good.

Thanks to the information overload that the internet has brought, it’s becoming harder and harder to get people’s attention. As the content available on the web has increased, attention span has decreased. You’ve now got about 5 seconds to get someone’s attention. If you fail in these crucial first seconds, they’ll click off or scroll away and you might never see them again.

Your videos have to be short, sharp and interesting. You need to deliver something that’s valuable to your potential client, keep them engaged and even add in a little entertainment. If you nail this then you’ll create a solid fan base with people who rave about you and keep coming back for more.

3: Value-Packed Podcasts

Content marketing is all about building an audience of fans. People who know who you are, love what you do and trust you to get the job done.

A podcast is a great addition to your content marketing strategy because it can reach the people who don’t have the time to watch your videos or read your blog posts. Your listener doesn’t have to give you their full attention. They can listen to you as they drive, take a shower or cook the dinner. According to Forbes, Podcasts are fast gaining popularity for this very reason.

The best podcasts are released regularly, have a clearly defined purpose and cover topics that your listeners want to hear about. You can speak on your own, sharing your own insights and knowledge, or invite other people in for interviews.

Just be sure that the podcast you produce is high quality. If your recording sounds echoey, has irritating background noise or is poorly edited, then you’ll lose your listeners and they may never come back.

4: Real Books & Ebooks

Ever fancied yourself an author? Writing a book is one of the best ways to gain instant authority in your market. Gone are the days when publishing houses got to decide who became an author and who didn’t. Now you can self publish, self print and even self list your book on Kindle too.

While this method is starting to lose it’s edge a little, due to the number of people jumping on board, it’s not died a death just yet. So if you get a move on then you can still reap the benefits.

What should your book be about? Whatever shows you to be the expert in your industry. Tell your story, share your secrets and of course, the key factor in ALL content marketing – give massive value to your reader!

If you can’t write, don’t worry. There are plenty of ghostwriters out there just waiting to write it for you.

What about ebooks? While they don’t pack the same punch in the authority field as a “real” book does, they still play a huge part in a successful content marketing strategy. A good ebook can be used as lead bait to get people signed up to your mailing list. It can be used to show off your knowledge and nudge a reader along your “purchase passage” until they become a paying customer.

5: Chatshows & Interviews  

Ok, you got me. I LOVE a good chat show. Not the cringeworthy Jeremey Kyle style, where you watch people fight over who slept with “Chardonnay” first and wonder what went wrong in the world.

But the really freakin good kind.

The ones where they get amazing people that have done outstanding things and share their story. The ones where they ask the difficult questions and get the difficult answers.

Hosting a chat show or interviewing guests on your YouTube channel can increase your engagement, build a strong core of fans and reach an extended target audience. When you invite someone to speak on your show, their fans will follow them, introducing you to their followers and expanding your reach.

Be sure to invite the right people on your show, the ones that your target listeners will want to learn about. Choose your filming location carefully and be sure to film in high quality, with a good mic and excellent lighting. It’s essential that your video looks professional, so get a video editor to make it look slick and create continuity throughout each episode.

6: Strategic Social Media

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that social media is a great way to get your message out there. I recently saw an article that stated that more than 3 billion people are on social media.

3 Billion! That’s not far off half of the world population. That’s nuts!

While they won’t all be your target market, a percentage of them will be and if you choose your network carefully then social media can have a pretty epic impact on your business.

I like to think of social media as the glue that holds a content marketing strategy together. It’s the fastest way to share your blog posts, videos, podcasts, chat shows and interviews. If your content is really good then people will share it for you too, increasing your reach and getting your brand in front of more prospects.

A word of warning though. A lot of people are doing social media wrong. Most common mistakes include irregular posting, spending too much time “engaging” when really they’re just time wasting and failing to be consistent in how they show up on their business page, in groups and on their personal profile. Yup, you heard me. All those grammar rants you share on your timeline could be doing some serious damage!

I think this topic deserves its own post too, so watch this space.

7: Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is the most overlooked pillar of content marketing. I can see why. When I talk about guest blogging most people ask the same question.

Should I really spend my time writing for someone else’s blog?

Yep.

Even if my own blog is still just getting started?

Still yep.

Guest blogging can get you, your brand and your message in front of a highly targeted market immediately. It allows you to tap into their market and show them what you can do, while also growing the links to your own blog or online profile.

Yes, it can seem like a lot of work. You’ll have to generate unique content for their blog, as well as your own, but overall it’s a good strategy and one I highly recommend you implement.

When you’re looking for guest blog spots you need to choose carefully. You only want to be featured on high-quality sites that you’re happy to be associated with. Avoid scammy websites or companies with a crappy reputation. You don’t want to end up tarred with the same brush!

The subject you write about will need to be discussed with the blog owner, but ideally, you want to create something that will grab the reader’s attention and pique their interest in you. If you’re really smart, you’ll be able to write a blog post that gives them massive value but leaves a little something missing so they come looking for you to fill in the gaps…

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