Some people suffer from a bad case of writer’s block. Some simply get bored of writing blog posts one after another. Some others get creative and inject some fun into their editorial list.

 

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Here’s a handy guide for all those times that you get lost or bored, and don’t know how to create your next content piece to connect with your audience.

1. Images

The most basic and rewarding content to implement for your business is images. They are easy on the eye – much more interesting than plain text. They are also easy to share and tweet, and convey information much more easily. Enough said!

Stock photographs are available free of charge under Creative Commons license (such as Pixabay), or you can buy licensed images from numerous sites such as Shutterstock or iStockphotos. Some popular online image editing tools include Canva, iPiccy or PicMonkey – extremely handy and make the process more enjoyable.

2. Infographics

Immensely shareable and informative, infographics are the favourite type of content for many marketers. Visual flow of information makes it easy to understand and digest chunks of information. Another benefit of using infographics is that they eliminate redundant text and facts, and give precise succinct information on any topic.

Infographics can seem daunting to most people. They need some thought going into the content flow and structure. Get help on the design front with tools such as Piktochart or Canva.

3. Cartoons

Admit it, cartoon strips and comics can still make you smile! Some classics even fit in the business context and add fun and humour to any topic. They make for great introductions or ending punchlines in articles and blog posts, and can even stand out on their own.

4. Videos

Videos are believed to yield the highest ROI among all the content types out there. Whether it’s a product review, demo, explainer videos or music videos, the benefits and advantages of video marketing stack up quite favourably. Search engines love videos; consumers love videos. Videos are fast becoming a powerful weapon in a marketer’s armoury.

5. GIFs

You may have seen animated GIFs in various articles and postings. They make for memorable and entertaining additions to your content. GIFs may seem daunting, but can be created easily with tools such as gifmaker. They can be made either by selecting multiple still images, or by using a video clip.

6. Charts And Data Visualizations

This one appeals to the analytical minds. Presenting beautiful pie charts or bar graphs to illustrate your point is a neat weapon to have in your pocket. Particularly useful if you have research data about demographics, usage, or market share etc. Good old excel or online chart tools are the best places to create beautiful charts. Make sure to label them properly!

7. Memes

This one appeals to the analytical, as well as the not-so-analytical minds. Anyone with a sense of humour can get it. They are easy to create using tools such as memegenerator.net and can be applied to a wide variety of situations and broad industry segments. Casual browsers particularly love it. Memes are not ‘serious’ content and, hence, should be used wisely as it may devalue the brand if used excessively.

8. Ebooks

Ebooks are considered to be more comprehensive and valuable content than regular articles on blogs. Ebooks are typically used as lead magnets and gated content that users get in exchange for their names, emails IDs, job titles etc.

9. Lists

One of the most common forms of blog posts, lists have proven effective in grabbing eyeballs and directing traffic to the website.

10. Reviews Of Product/Tools/Resources

Research into consumer purchase journey has repeatedly highlighted the fact that most people first look for reviews of the product or service online before buying. As such, providing useful and honest reviews can go along way in driving traffic, as well as earning the trust of consumers.

11. How-To Guides

Other evergreen types of content are how-to guides. Guess where more and more people are going to find out how to do something? They look for information online, and educate themselves with not just the information but also about your brand and quality of content.

12. Interviews

There’s great value in learning from other people’s experiences. Interviews from industry stalwarts or even newbies can be interesting if crafted to add value to the reader. Ask questions that show their expertise, and also how they made it. Information and inspiration serve as a great combo to grab the reader’s attention.

13. Round-Ups

This one’s a favourite if you have writer’s block, or even otherwise. A lot of people are writing a lot of stuff that doesn’t set anybody’s world on fire. If you can separate the wheat from the chaff, readers will still love you. Gather links of some of the best content on a particular topic. Make sure you give proper credits where they’re due though.

Read Part 2 of this article, where we look at 12 other types of content to attract, inspire and engage your audience!

_{This post was first published on Influenshine blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Edited by Nedda Chaplin}

_{Image credit:Group of international university students having fun studying in library from Shutterstock}

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