Content marketing without data can feel like a high-stakes version of roulette. Although engagement rates have fallen, marketers can still take comfort that prospects still value-helpful and targeted content. This includes downloadables like whitepapers, ebooks, checklists, checklists, and guides. SlideShare presentations and other similar content are also available.
Due to the vast amount of information needed to create a whitepaper or guide that simplifies complex issues, not all companies feel compelled to include these downloads in company content.
For those looking for industry insight, facts, trends, and figures, downloadable content can be a treasure trove of information. Once you have created high-quality, original content that attracts attention, it is time to implement your lead-generation strategies. This is possible by gating your content. To gain access to your content, your prospect must give you a few details, such as their name, email address, and location. After you have exchanged contact information, you can start a nurturing campaign to move the prospect along your sales funnel.
You can download content in many forms. Each one serves a different purpose. Below are some of the most famous examples.
WhitepapersWhitepapers, as mentioned earlier, provide in-depth reports and expert insight that often present a problem or offer a solution. This content can promote your brand’s products and services or your position on a subject. However, it is essential to avoid appearing pushy. A well-written whitepaper should inform, educate and persuade. It shouldn’t be about promoting your product and why they should buy it.
There are three types of whitepapers:
Backgrounders (describe technical aspects of a product offering).
Numbered lists (breakdown of essential points in a complex concept)
Problem/solution (introduce/recommend a solution to a business problem)
Whitepapers are an excellent way for brands to build trust and establish themselves as industry experts. Whitepapers are much more severe than eBooks, and they are less flashy.
Ebooks
Ebooks are the most popular type of content that can be downloaded. They are used to educate customers and to open a dialogue between your brand’s prospective customers.
To attract prospects looking for specific content, you can use eBooks. For example, if you are in the recruitment industry, you might create a job search guide that assists job seekers in making the most of their time. You are enhancing your company’s credibility by focusing on a topic relevant to your brand and beneficial for your leads.
Checklists
This content type has one advantage: it is short and sweet. A spreadsheet can be easily created with headings, subheadings, and concise copy. This can help people organize a specific activity or process.
This simplified version of a complex activity provides step-by-step instructions for readers unfamiliar with the subject. It would help if you made your checklist actionable. Keep the copy to a minimum.
Guides
Your guide can be as creative or straightforward as you like. You can be creative about how you write your guide. Your guides will be instructional, and users can expect to find practical value in your content.
Guides are not like checklists. They provide detailed explanations of why readers should follow each step. This requires more copy than a bullet point in a list.
Toolkits
Kits provide related content in a single package. An interactive presentation, data, research reports, and a glossary of key terms are all useful information to add to your kit.
Research Reports
These types of content are the most difficult to create because they require original research that can take a lot of time to gather and analyze. This makes them more attractive to your audience, as the same information is unavailable elsewhere.
A research report can be a great way to generate leads, build your brand’s reputation as an expert in your industry, and if your team can collect and analyze original data. HubSpot’s State Of Inbound Report is an excellent example of a brand that uses research reports to help content marketing.