Content is king, they say, but what are the different types of content?

Content creation has long been one of the most powerful tools used by marketers and PRs across all industries. As a result of the latest events happening in the world, 2020 has seen yet another spike in the demand for content creation strategies from brands looking for ways to engage with their target audiences at a time when the traditional tools, such as conferences, trade shows and daily face to face contact, have been reduced.  

This summer, Bubble Agency conducted a survey covering the views of over 250 media and entertainment industry representatives, including C-Suite executives, buyers and users of technology and services, and marketing and communication directors. When approaching the subject of content creation, it is no surprise that 72% of respondents said they were focusing on content creation as the pandemic continued to evolve.

When creating content, companies are providing their audiences with free and useful information, attracting potential customers to the company’s channels, and retaining existing customers through quality engagement. However, when it comes down to identifying the right content to use, there are many options to help brands connect with customers, including audio, text, graphics, images and animation. At Bubble Agency we would recommend mixing a variety of content types in order to engage with audiences in different ways during a defined time period. We have listed some of the most popular types of content below.

  1. Blogs – There are many reasons why blogs will take a leading position in any content creation strategy. Blogs provide a unique space for brands to publish the content they feel will engage most with their audiences, reinforce areas of expertise to build authority and trust, and let’s not forget that by optimising posts with the relevant keywords, they are one of the best ways to improve SEO and drive organic traffic to your site from the search engines.

    How to start? Identify four or five topics you or your team can write about that transmit the essence of your business as well as your company’s culture. By then, you will be tuned into the concept and ready to plan the next five topics. If you want to gauge interest beyond your website, you can try social platforms such as Medium to reach a new audience with your content.
  1. Case Studies – When looking to provide an in-depth examination around an example of your work, case studies are the best resources to use. Combining knowledge and actionable information, they become a great tool to elevate a company’s profile as well as visibility on a particular product or solution, provide answers for similar clients looking at resolving similar challenges and are a great content piece for journalists to source more information for a story or feature. Case studies act as great referrals as these share the experience of a customer highlighting the benefits of your products/services.


How to start? Focus on answering the classic ‘What, Why, When, How?’ questions and then bring them all together by fitting them into a story. You should always have supporting assets in mind too, as images, videos and graphics can help readers visualise your story better.

  1. Whitepapers and ebooks – Some topics require long-form content. Ultimately, the goal of this type of content is to promote an in-depth level of expertise and industry knowledge. Whitepapers tend to be a bit more information-dense, data-driven, and detail-focused, while ebooks focus more on solutions to different challenges. These content pieces are great in terms of creating new leads and generating new business. Some companies also opt for the option of gating the content, using this as a tool to collect user data.

How to start? Start off with a clear idea of what you want to be covering and fill in a ‘Content/Index’ page that can act as a skeleton to your piece.

  1. Insight pieces and reports – Tackling an in-depth content insights piece or report can be a daunting task but it can prove to be an incredibly useful resource for your audience when looking at learning more about the market landscape or trends. These help trigger new conversations with prospect clients and help position your company as a thought-leader.


How to start? Think about questions you and your customers would like to have answers to. You can easily get a sample of what people are thinking through a quick questionnaire on SurveyMonkey or similar tools and start building your case.

  1. Podcasts – New tech trends and media have made it a reality: the audio content boom is here. According to Podnews, 12% of adults in the UK listened to podcasts every week following the first lockdown. It is no surprise then to see brands with conversational content to be engaging in this form of audio content. Platforms such as Spotify, Audible as well as many publications support the distribution of podcasts.

How to start? Podcasts may not be for every brand, but if yours has conversational material, just as you would for a blog, start by identifying some topics you would like to share with your audience and invest in a microphone to create a quality podcast. See if people like it, then improve your kit from there.

  1. Video – The increased influence of social media and online sites has rapidly made video content very attractive to brands. This format is great at securing your target audience’s attention and engagement quickly. Increasingly, video is being used by brands to transmit all forms of content, from company introductions and product demos to how-to videos and news releases. Video content is highly shareable, which makes it a great investment for brands when wanting to send a key message across to a wide audience. 

How to start? Think about the purpose and use of the video, this will then help you define the tone and the look and feel before approaching a production team (internal or external).

  1. Infographic – Again, social media channels and online sites are mainly responsible for the rise of infographics. This visual format is the best when aiming to educate audiences and provide them with useful, engaging information. As standalone pieces or assets supporting long-form content, infographics will help audiences visualise facts better. Publications are also very happy to accept infographics instead of images, a great tip when these are not available.

How to start? Simplify the concept/s you want to transmit into one-word key topics and start building from there. In terms of the creation itself, in the absence of a design team or Photoshop, tools like Canva can help you create an infographic in minutes with no design skills needed.

If you are interested in learning more about the type of content that best suits your company, messaging strategies and defining your tone of voice, please email: hello@bubbleagency.com

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