Author: Click Raven

As you keep your skills sharp and stay competitive with the right content marketing books, sometimes, picking the right book from hundreds of books can be challenging. Which books will give you the right skills to boost your brand? Which books will cater to your industry?

Given the number of books, we’ve curated a list of the top 50 content marketing books for you to read in 2025. We know you’re always busy creating content, so you might not have time to read all 50. To simplify your life, we’ve separated these into 10 books and 40 that you can read to supplement the first 10.

Choosing the best books for your specific role will be challenging even with this list. For this reason, we’ve included a summary of each book, so you know what each has to offer.

Once you’ve brushed up on your skills with these content marketing books, give your content creation process a boost as well by signing up for Kontely. With Kontely, you and your team can create content faster and publish it to several channels simultaneously – all from one place. Join Kontely today and streamline your content workflow to collaborate while producing and publishing content faster for your clients.

10 Content Marketing Books That You Absolutely Must Read

The following 10 content marketing books have been chosen specifically because they are the most highly acclaimed books of the lot. The best content marketers write them and include revolutionary advice to boost your content marketing efforts.

1) Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less

Author: Joe Pulizzi

In this book, Joe Pulizzi discusses creating content that will stand out in a digital space ruled by information overload and clutter. As one of the world’s leading content marketers, Pulizzi has developed a collection of tricks for capturing the attention of your target audience and inspiring action.

Why You Should Read It:

Why is this book #1 on our list of content marketing books? Today, people are wary of advertisements that promise the sun and the moon. They also don’t like being told what to do.

Because of this, it’s essential to connect with your target audience meaningfully. You need to be able to drive these people to a particular action in a way that inspires them rather than manipulates them into taking it.

If you want to build genuine connections with your customers, Epic Content Marketing is your book. In this book, Pulizzi guides you through what it takes to create content that entertains your audiences. Moreover, he includes case studies of how John Deere, LEGO, Coca-Cola, and other well-known brands have built outstanding content marketing campaigns.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Epic Content Marketing here.

2) They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Customer

Author: Marcus Sheridan

In They Ask You Answer, Marcus Sheridan offers an ingenious approach to content marketing. Rather than focusing on selling to people, Sheridan believes we should answer their questions. As someone who transformed himself from a struggling entrepreneur to an inbound marketing guru, he knows about building client trust.

Why You Should Read It:

This book features in our top 10 content marketing books for good reason. Gone are the days when traditional ads, keyword stuffing, and link building were all you needed to reach your target audience. If these are the only tactics you rely on, your strategy will likely fall flat. Since so many people distrust traditional marketing these days, Sheridan’s book focuses on showing you how to create quality content that your target audience wants so that you can build trust with potential clients.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of They Ask, You Answer here.

3) Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

Author: Ann Handley

Ann Handley uses Everybody Writes with wit and insight to teach her readers how to create quality content that people will want to read. According to Handley, your words matter whether you build your brand website, interact with clients on social media, or draft marketing copy.

Why You Should Read It:

Out of all our content marketing books, this is the best one to help you write better. Since we’re all writers, there’s a lot we can learn from Handley. Words have immense power – they can differentiate between retaining customers and sending them running in the opposite direction.

Handley’s book is an enjoyable six-part course on creating content that will leave your readers wanting more. It’s divided into 1) How to Write Better, 2) Writing Rules, 3) Story Rules, 4) Publishing Rules, and 5) Things Marketers Write, and includes a list of content tools to help you produce outstanding content.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Everybody Writes here.

4) What to Post: How to Create Engaging Social Media Content that Builds Your Brand and Gets Results

Author: Chelsea Peitz

If you’re used to abandoning marketing guides halfway through, Chelsea Peitz’s book will surprise you with advice you can refer to repeatedly. Peitz covers everything you need to market your real estate business, from building a memorable brand to creating relatable content and boosting your reach.

Why You Should Read It:

What to Post is on our list of content marketing books because it will help you boost your social media presence. This book is for you if you don’t know what to post on social media to increase engagement and make genuine connections with your audience.

Filled with many relatable examples and actionable tips, What to Post will transform you from a social media novice to a social media guru. Peitz even includes some blank pages where she guides you through brainstorming sessions. While it’s written for real estate marketers, the tips in this book can be applied to any industry.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of What to Post here.

5) The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

Author: Seth Godin

The Practice is the key to discovering the most creative version of yourself. In this book, Seth Godin busts several myths about creativity and productivity and consistently shows how to create quality content.

Why You Should Read It:

Seth Godin’s books will appear a few times on this list of content marketing books, and with good reason. As a content creator himself, Godin can teach us a lot about producing content that turns heads and leaves a lasting impression. If you often battle writer’s block or perfectionism, then this is just what you need to help you push through those moments when you feel uninspired.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Practice here.

6) Become a Content Brand: Build a Team, Own your Audience, and Create Video your Customers will Love

Author: Chris Carter

Chris Carter has spent years helping 180 brands with content creation and building a network of over 150,000 creators, filmmakers, editors, and marketers worldwide. This experience has made him realize the growing demand for video and that no single brand can keep up with it. He wrote this book to help brands produce quality videos that can make a splash.

Why You Should Read It:

Out of all our content marketing books, this is the only one focusing specifically on videos. These days, we’re drowning in new content from brands every day. Instead of struggling with this constant flood of content, Carter shows you how to create quality content that will stand out from your competition. Do you want to learn how to create genuinely memorable videos? Then this is the book for you.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Become a Content Brand here.

7) Content that Converts: How to Create a Profitable and Predictable B2B Content Marketing Strategy

Author: Laura Hanly

Laura Hanly taps into her experience to show people how to use content marketing to generate a predictable stream of qualified leads. Her methods have yielded positive results and are easily replicable by any brand.

Why You Should Read It:

Do you need help attracting more leads to your brand and converting these leads into paying customers? Then it’s good that Content that Converts is on our list of content marketing books because this is the book for you.

Hanly covers everything from establishing the right target audience to creating quality content to establish you as a thought leader in your industry. Rather than recycling tips from other content marketing gurus, Hanly fills her book with strategies that have worked for her campaigns.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of the Content that Converts here.

8) Content: The Atomic Particle of Marketing

Author: Rebecca Lieb

Inspired by years of qualitative research and interviews with leading brands, Rebecca Lieb’s book is written to help you produce engaging social media content. Written by an industry thought leader, the content covered in this book should help anyone build a comprehensive content marketing strategy.

Why You Should Read It:

Lieb’s book is just what you need to create an integrated marketing strategy. This comprehensive book is why it’s in our top 10 content marketing books. By backing her ideas up with examples, graphs, and case studies, Lieb has created a foolproof guide to building a content-centric brand. To create a memorable brand that thrives on quality content, you must get a copy of this book ASAP.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Content: The Atomic Particle of Marketing here.

9) The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing

Author: Rich Brooks

In this book, Rich Brooks shares his digital marketing secrets. Brooks has tips for digital marketers of every level, from teaching brands how to rank higher on Google to showing content creators how to generate higher engagement on social media.

Why You Should Read It:

If you own a small to medium-sized business and are keen on it and generating leads, this book will help you meet those challenges head-on. With a combination of humor and insightful advice, Brooks enables you to build a website, attract the right people, and convert these leads into sales.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Lead Machine here.

10) Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business

Author: Pat Flynn

In a world where people constantly chase likes and followers, Pat Flynn uses this book to remind us that a small, engaged audience is better than a sizeable, apathetic audience. His book is a series of tips and tricks to help you engage with your audience and turn them into superfans.

Why You Should Read It:

This book scored a place in our top 10 content marketing books because it will help you dramatically transform your social media strategy. Your regular audience members will like your social media pages and maybe even buy a product or two here and there.

Even so, the audience members who feel seen and heard will genuinely become your brand ambassadors. These people will tell their friends and family about you and share positive reviews online. They will also send you encouraging messages during a low-peak season and share your social media posts with their online network. We know you want to turn your target audience into superfans (who wouldn’t?), so this one is definitely for you.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Superfans here.

As we’ve already said, our 10 most highly recommended content marketing books are above. If you don’t have time to read all 50 books on our list, you should at least read these 10.

More Content Marketing Books for Your Bookshelf:

In addition to the 10 content marketing books you must read, here are more to supplement your reading.

11) Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content

Author: Coleen Jones

In this book, Coleen Jones demonstrates how to create content that converts using 8 principles of influence. According to Jones, using fancy technology and designing pretty content is insufficient to convert your leads into sales.

Why You Should Read It:

As a content creator, it is easy to focus on producing aesthetically pleasing content and using the newest technology to wow your audience.

However, Jones forces us to pause and understand why content is crucial to consumers and how to create content that meets their needs. This book will help you make the content your audience craves, thus creating a genuine connection with them.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Clout here.

12) F*ck Content Marketing: Focus on Content Experience to Drive Demand, Revenue & Relationships

Author: Randy Frisch

Randy Frisch believes the most successful brands worldwide don’t simply do content marketing. Instead, they focus on creating content experiences—imagine the immersive scrolling experience created by Netflix, Spotify, and Instagram.

Why You Should Read It:

Do you want your consumers to feel like you’re speaking directly to them in all your content marketing? Do you want them to forget where reality ends and your marketing begins?

If so, this is the book for you. Frisch designed it to teach content marketers how to use the Content Experience Framework to create personalized content that drives product demand and builds client relationships.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of F#ck Content Marketing here.

13) Master Content Strategy: How to Maximize your Reach & Boost your Bottom Line Every Time you Hit Publish

Author: Pamela Wilson

Instead of producing endless low-quality content, Pamela Wilson teaches us how to create the best content for each growth stage. As a business owner, marketing consultant, and thought leader, Wilson has practical tips that can be applied in both a B2B and a B2C setting.

Why You Should Read It:

This book, by Pamela Wilson, will guide you through the different stages of creating precious content for your audience. What makes this book stand out from the rest is that it will teach you how the needs of your newly launched blog will change as it ages. Instead of offering cookie-cutter advice, this book will grow with you and your business.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Master Content Strategy here.

14) Brand Identity Breakthrough: How to Craft Your Company’s Unique Story to Make Your Products Irresistible

Author: Gregory V. Diehl

Gregory V. Diehl believes that every brand has a unique story to tell. Moreover, you carve out a more specialized niche in your industry with every new product. Diehl is passionate about helping content marketers combine these elements to build a standout brand identity.

Why You Should Read It:

The lessons in this book will help you build a brand that your clients can trust and tell your brand story to the world in a memorable way.

Diehl will show you how to be personable enough on your website, social media, and content to create a genuine relationship with your leads. Your brand could benefit from this book since sales follow only once this relationship happens.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Brand Identity Breakthrough here.

15) Faster, Smarter, Louder: Master Attention in a Noisy Digital Market

Authors: Aaron Agius & Gián Clancey

In this book, Aaron Agius and Gián Clancey share secrets that helped them transform their two-person agency into a global leader in digital marketing. It is filled with tips to help you cut through the noise and information overload and build a more visible, long-lasting, and louder brand.

Why You Should Read It:

This book doesn’t simply present a list of successful marketing strategies. Agius and Clancey go beyond that to explain why these strategies were successful.

This approach makes it easy for content marketers to adapt the recommended methods to their brand. With actionable how-tos and step-by-step instructions, this book is an excellent blueprint for anyone committed to excelling with their digital marketing.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Faster, Smarter, Louder here.

16) Storytelling: Manipulation of the Audience

Author: Daniel Anderson

Daniel Anderson believes well-crafted stories build trust among your target audience and inspire action. His book contains tips and tricks for telling stories that will excite them about your brand.

Why You Should Read It:

Telling good stories can help you connect emotionally with your audience. If you want emotionally invested customers in your brand, you must pick up a copy of this book. Once you start using your content to tell powerful stories, your content marketing strategy will be more effective.

Read More: Why is Content Marketing Important for Your Brand?

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of storytelling here.

17) The Context Marketing Revolution: How to Motivate Buyers in the Age of Infinite Media

Author: Mathew Sweezey

In this book, Mathew Sweezey describes our unique digital landscape where – for the first time – our customers have the power to create content themselves. He goes one step further to talk about going beyond traditional marketing strategies to break through the noise and reach these customers.

Why You Should Read It:

Traditional marketing won’t cut it in a world where everyone with a smartphone is a content creator. Your traditional ads are more likely to be a bore or an annoyance to the people you’re trying to reach.

This book will arm you with strategies to break through information overload and reach your target audience. Context is important—helping your customers meet a need in the moment. Once you realize that, you’ll produce the content your audience has always wanted.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Context Marketing Revolution here.

18) Effective SEO and Content Marketing: The Ultimate Guide for Maximizing Free Web Traffic

Author: Nicholas Papagiannis

Since people assume content marketing is simply about producing quality content, SEO is an underrated part of content marketing. Papagiannis shows how optimizing your content can increase brand awareness and drive more people to your website.

Why You Should Read It:

This will be a good read if you need help understanding SEO—from the basics to how to implement an effective SEO strategy. Many people assume that SEO only applies to their website or blog.

On the contrary, SEO is just as important on your social media channels, and Nicholas Papagiannis can show you exactly how to optimize these platforms.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Effective SEO and Content Marketing here.

19) The One-Page Content Marketing Blueprint: Launch a Content Marketing Strategy in 90 Days and Double your Inbound Traffic, Leads and Sales

Author: Prafull Sharma

This book will offer an eagle-eye view of how content marketing works, including what to expect at each step of the journey. This is a comprehensive guide on how all the elements of content marketing come together to build a strategy that works.

Why You Should Read It:

A Google search on “content marketing” will leave you overwhelmed and drowning in tips, strategies, and advice from different people. These results are often conflicting, and very rarely will one result give you an idea of how all the various parts of content marketing fit together. If you know the feeling, you will appreciate Prafull Sharma’s guide on building a content marketing strategy, piece by piece.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The One-Page Content Marketing Blueprint here.

20) Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins

Author: Mark Schaefer

Today, technology makes it easy for our customers to share recommendations with friends and family. As a result, most marketing happens without brands even getting involved.

The consumer is the new marketer. Schaefer uses this book to show us how to be part of these conversations by appealing to the people initiating them.

Why You Should Read It:

This book will challenge your understanding of being an marketer and show you how to build genuine connections with your consumers.

Today, the most prominent brands succeed because they can create human impressions that help customers believe, belong, and find meaning.

Don’t be left behind. With the right strategy, you can join your consumers’ conversations and arm them with the information and passion they need to be your brand ambassadors. If you’d like to do this for your brand, you must get your hands on this book and join the marketing rebellion.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Marketing Rebellion here.

21) The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas

Author: Melanie Deziel

In this book, professional journalist and award-winning marketer Melanie Deziel shows you how to consistently produce engaging content. Her framework will give your brainstorming sessions the boost they need, helping you generate new ideas effortlessly.

Why You Should Read It:

Even the best content creators suffer from writer’s block or brain fog occasionally. With this book, you can forget about wondering what to post on your social media or waiting for that “big idea” to boost your content.

The Content Fuel Framework is designed to help storytellers in any industry develop fresh, unique ideas anytime and anywhere.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Content Fuel Framework here.

22) Pre-suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade

Author: Robert Cialdini

According to this New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, your message does not influence people and change their minds. Instead, the moment before you deliver your message has the most power to drive action.

Why You Should Read It:

Cialdini believes that optimal persuasion can only happen after sufficient pre-suasion. For this reason, his book focuses on preparing your audience to be receptive to your message before you even deliver it. If you want to understand how to use diversion to prepare your audience to say “yes” to your brand, this book will be your new best friend.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Pre-suasion here.

23) Content Inc: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses

Author: Joe Pulizzi

Our list of recommended content marketing books features a second book by Joe Pulizzi. As founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe Pulizzi has the credentials to teach us how to be better content marketers.

In this book, Pulizzi recommends reversing the traditional model where brands create a product first and then look for an audience. Instead, he suggests that brands create content, build an audience around that content, and then develop a product for that audience.

Why You Should Read It:

Building a product and trusting that you will find an audience for it is much easier said than done. Brands that do this gamble with their money and investors’ funds. You can never guarantee that there will be an audience for your product once you’ve developed it.

However, if you build an audience first and create content that encourages them to engage with you, you are more likely to make the product they want. Pulizzi shows you how to create content that excites your audience and sparks meaningful conversations.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Content Inc. here

24) The Content Code: Six Essential Strategies for Igniting Your Content, Your Marketing, and Your Business

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Mark Schaefer shares six digital secrets in The Content Code to help marketers master content promotion and distribution. He also teaches readers how to optimize their content for the web.

Why You Should Read It:

In a world where too many brands fight over a limited attention span, Mark Schaefer teaches these brands how to create content that encourages engagement.

Beyond simply generating engagement, Schaefer’s formula helps brands create content that will turn their audiences into fans who take over, driving their content to new places. This is a must-read if you want to make content your audience will be excited about.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Content Code here.

25) Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth

Authors: Jae Baer & Daniel Lemin

According to marketing experts Baer and Lemin, word-of-mouth advertising is directly or indirectly responsible for 90% of all purchases. Their book is designed to teach brands how to reach people who love to talk and turn them into brand ambassadors – at no extra cost to the brand.

Why You Should Read It:

We all rely on word of mouth from friends and family to make buying decisions. Ironically enough, fewer than 1% of companies have built a strategy for inspiring customers to do word-of-mouth advertising for them.

Talk Triggers provides that strategy in a compelling, relevant, and timely book. This relatable strategy can be implemented immediately by any business.

Where You Can Find It:

26) Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in a Post-Advertising World

Buy your copy of Talk Triggers here.

Authors: Robert McKee & Thomas Gerace

In this book, Robert McKee partners with Skyword CEO Tom Gerace to create a formula for story-driven marketing. This solution is the perfect alternative to interruptive advertising, which our customers are fed up with.

Why You Should Read It:

People rarely click on pop-up ads anymore, so it’s time we found an alternative that works. Are you tired of annoying your target audience by jumping out at them and interrupting their browsing?

If so, this is the perfect read for you. Pick up a copy of this book and learn how to craft a brand story your target audience will naturally be drawn to.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Storynomics here.

27) Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life

Author: Rory Sutherland

In this book, Ogilvy advertising legend Rory Sutherland decodes human behavior and tells us how to create that magical formula to draw customers to our products. It is a treasure chest of the secrets to human decision-making.

Why You Should Read It:

Most human interactions involve marketing, even if it’s not apparent. Sutherland analyses human interactions – from the everyday to the weird – to explain why humans behave the way they do.

By examining human behavior on such a fundamental level, brands everywhere can learn to create content that appeals to the human mind.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Alchemy here.

28) Stories that Stick: How storytelling can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform your Business

Author: Kindra Hall

You already know storytelling’s power to help you connect with your audience and convert leads. But do you know the correct stories to tell? In Stories that Stick, Kindra Hall helps us decide which stories are worth telling and to whom.

Why You Should Read It:

Storytelling seems simple in theory, but crafting a story that your audience will genuinely connect with can be challenging. If you struggle to communicate with customers, build trust with investors, and inspire your audiences, then this is the solution you never knew you needed.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Stories that Stick here.

29) The Copyeditors Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications

Authors: Amy Einsohn & Marilyn Schwartz

Schwartz and Einsohn have developed this guide for new and seasoned copyeditors looking to sharpen their skills. This workbook includes the latest advice from language authorities and recognizes shifts in 21st-century copyediting.

Why You Should Read It:

If you write for a living, then you need this book. Schwartz and Einsohn have thought of everything you could need, from help writing for a global audience to working with authors who write in English as a second language.

The writers have added a dash of humor and interesting anecdotes for language lovers, including a history of punctuation marks that weren’t cut.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Copyeditor’s Handbook here.

30) The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI

Author: Carlos Gil

This book helps brands navigate the murky waters of social media marketing, where a single influencer can quickly get more views a day than Apple. Carlos Gil explains how brands can stay relevant in a world where traditional marketing is dead.

Why You Should Read It:

Today’s consumers don’t want to be sold to. Instead, they want to be engaged by the brands clamoring for their attention. Building engagement should be a priority for every brand in this digital landscape. By buying this book, you’re putting the formula for generating positive engagement with your audience in your own hands.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The End of Marketing here.

31) Words that Change Minds: The 14 Patterns for Mastering the Language of Influence

Author: Shelle Rose Charvet

This book digs into the science of influence to teach readers how to use their words to persuade people without manipulating them. It’s perfect for sales, marketing, recruiting, negotiation, teaching, training, communication at work, and conflict resolution.

Why You Should Read It:

As a content marketer, everyone you talk to has a “communication wall” built around them. This wall is designed to keep out the big lousy marketer notorious for promising the sun and the moon but delivering a rock instead. If you want to get through to even the most stubborn of people, then you need to buy this book.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Words that Change Minds here.

32) Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

Author: Donald Miller

Building a Story Brand is an excellent solution for entrepreneurs who struggle to talk about their brand to audiences. Donald Miller shares lessons on crafting the perfect message for your website, brochures, and social media.

Why You Should Read It:

Building a brand story that excites your audience is crucial to content marketing. Donald Miller’s book teaches you how to do this. By sharing the seven universal story points humans respond to and the real reason customers make purchases, Miller will transform how you talk about your brand.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Building a Story Brand here.

33) Content Strategy for the web

Author: Kristina Halvorson

In this book, Halvorson explains why content is integral to your marketing strategy and how to make it work for your brand. This book offers a refreshing break from content marketing books, which focus on design by putting the focus on quality content.

Why You Should Read It:

A beautiful website is great but means nothing without creative and engaging content. This book will teach you how to combine the aesthetics of your content with valuable information in a beautiful harmony that will appeal to your audience.

Don’t get stuck on beautiful designs while neglecting your content. Offer your target audience the best of both worlds, and they will stick with you.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of “Content Strategy for the Web” here.

34) Binge Marketing: The Best Scenario for Building Your Brand

Author: Carljin Postma

In this book, Carljin Postma takes us to the people who have turned capturing and retaining an audience’s attention into an art: Hollywood. Since Hollywood has been getting people hooked on engaging content for decades, this is an excellent place for content marketing advice.

Why You Should Read It:

As content marketers, we often make the mistake of looking at each piece of content as a separate piece. In Binge Marketing Postma, we are encouraged to think of each new piece of content as a new episode in a TV show.

Creating this kind of serial content fosters trust and builds genuine long-term relationships with your audience.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Binge Marketing here.

35) Killing Marketing: How Innovative Businesses are Turning Marketing Cost into Profit

Authors: Joe Pulizzi & Robert Rose

Pulizzi and Rose take us behind the scenes to innovative marketing departments worldwide, showing us how they are ending marketing as we know it. Their new marketing model is so successful because it focuses on consumer needs.

Why You Should Read It:

If you can create value for your consumers through your owned media and savvy content marketing, you will boost brand loyalty and reach wider audiences. This book will show you how to do that, helping you transform your from a cost center to a profit machine.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Killing Marketing here.

36) Integrated Marketing Communications: Putting it Together & Making It Work

Authors: Don E. Schultz, Stanley Tannenbaum & Robert E. Lauterborn

According to this book, your business formula can be replicated—except for your content marketing. Don E. Schultz and his colleagues are committed to helping brands produce outstanding content that meets the needs of their consumers.

Why You Should Read It:

You might have a fantastic product, but your content helps you build a unique brand image and stay top of mind among your target audience. If you want to create content that stands out, this book is just what you need.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Integrated Marketing Communications here.

37) The Social Organism: A Radical Understanding of Social Media to Transform Your Business and Life

Authors: Oliver Luckett & Michael Casey

In this book, Luckett and Casey make a fascinating comparison between social media and the biology of an organism. They explain how we can use our social media content to take part in the evolution of information on these platforms.

Why You Should Read It:

Do you know how to create shareable content that can go viral? It might seem easy to see other brands doing it, but developing viral content takes time and understanding your audience.

This book shows you how to tap into your consumers’ social DNA and create content they will replicate and share with you repeatedly.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Social Organism here.

38) The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, Period!

Author: Stoney deGeyter

The title of this book speaks for itself—it’s the ultimate guide to boosting your digital marketing. Packed with website strategies, it will help you increase your web traffic and improve your web presence.

Why You Should Read It:

Designing an effective website isn’t simply about slapping pretty colors and leaving it at that. It’s essential to focus on elements that search engines and your target audience will love.

Stoney deGeyter’s checklist covers web marketing strategies for design considerations, site architecture, conversion optimization, website optimization (SEO), website advertising (pay-per-click or PPC), content writing, and social media strategy.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Best Damn Marketing Checklist, Period! Here.

39) Top of Mind: Use Content to Unleash Your Influence and Engage Those Who Matter to You

Author: John Hall

John Hall uses his experience to teach readers how to build content-driven relationships that keep your brand in mind among consumers. With the tips in this book, you can make a lasting influence on your target audience.

Why You Should Read It:

The most loyal customers see you as a trusted friend, and Hall teaches you how to build this relationship with your consumers.

Successful businesses do so well because they are the first brands that come to mind when customers think of a particular product. If you want to rise in the ranks and join these brands, then give Top of Mind a read.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Top of Mind here.

40) Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention

Author: John Ruhlin

If you’ve never considered using gift-giving to boost your brand and connect with potential clients and influencers, then the concepts in this book will surprise you. Ruhlin believes something as simple as a handwritten note could brighten someone’s day and seal a deal.

Why You Should Read It:

You might not have realized this before, but branded gifts can boost your content marketing efforts. The trick is to give your prospect a gift they need precisely when needed.

John Ruhlin teaches his readers how to master the art of gift-giving. You can boost brand awareness and build brand loyalty by learning to give thoughtful gifts.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Giftology here.

41) Powering Content: Building a Nonstop Content Marketing Machine

Author: Laura Busche

When your new product is ready to launch, you want to shout about it from the treetops. But how do you create content that will shout loud enough to be heard above the noise and clutter? Well, you can start by reading this book.

Why You Should Read It:

You might have developed the best product in the world, but your marketing efforts will fail if your audience isn’t excited about your brand.

With Busche’s guide, you can learn to create content your audience can relate to, speaking directly to your customers and inspiring them to take action.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Powering Content here.

42) Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World

Author: Nick Westergaard

With the rise of technology, sharing the good news about your product will be more accessible than ever. On the contrary, since smartphones have transformed everyone into a content creator, you must find creative ways to break through the clutter. You can start by creating a memorable brand.

Why You Should Read It:

In this book, Westergaard explains how to build a brand that resonates online and offline. Written with wit and insight, brand Now will teach you how to give your brand an unforgettable personality with which your target audience can connect.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of the brand Now here.

43) Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends, and Friends into Customers

Author: Seth Godin

Seth Godin states, “Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages to people who want to get them.” His book teaches brands how to create content that people will miss.

Why You Should Read It:

Imagine how good it would feel to be missed by a customer who picks up the phone or emails you are complaining that they didn’t get their newsletter this week.

Any brand would dream of creating content that is missed by its audience. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Pick up a copy of Permission Marketing and learn how to create content your clients cherish.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Permission Marketing here.

44) The Age of Influence: The Power of Influencers to Elevate Your Brand

Author: Neal Schaffer

In The Age of Influence, Neal Schaffer explains the elements needed to create an effective influencer marketing strategy for your brand. Schaffer, a social media expert, offers many tips and tricks to help you navigate today’s constantly evolving digital landscape.

Why You Should Read It:

Influencer marketing is an essential part of content marketing. Partnering with influencers helps you create content that your audience can relate to.

A good influencer marketing strategy will help you turn your audience into fans, subsequently turning these fans into influencers. If this sounds good, you must buy a copy of this book.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Age of Influence here.

45) Brand New Name: An Unforgettable Brand Name

Author: Jeremy Miller

Jeremy Miller believes your brand name forms the foundation of your branding and content marketing efforts. With this book, you can create an unforgettable brand name that travels far and wide.

Why You Should Read It:

Your brand name is everything. It gives your brand a personality and helps your audience remember your core product or service.

Although many content marketing books focus on branding, this book will help you build a truly exceptional brand that people enjoy connecting with.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Brand New Name here.

46) The Definitive Guide to Strategic Content Marketing: Perspectives, Issues, Challenges and Solutions

Authors: Justin Kirby & Lazar Džamić

This book collects advice from content marketing experts worldwide. A treasure chest of theories, tips, and tricks, The Definitive Guide to Strategic Content Marketing is designed to educate content marketers of all levels and abilities.

Why You Should Read It:

Are you curious about the theories that have made content marketing work so well for brands today? This book is just that, with examples from brands worldwide. Understanding how content marketing theories have shaped today’s marketing world will help you adapt these theories to your brand.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Definitive Guide to Strategic Content Marketing here.

47) One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days

Author: Brendan Kane

In One Million Followers, digital strategist and growth hacker Brendan Kane teaches readers how to go beyond building an engaged social media following to gain dedicated fans.

Why You Should Read It:

Do you want to create content that inspires your followers to do more than mindlessly click the ‘like’ button and scroll to the next thing? Would you like to publish content that stops people in their tracks and drives them to check your website and purchase your products?

If this is you, you should let Kane show you how in this book. Having built online platforms for A-listers, including Taylor Swift and Rihanna, he has what it takes to transform your social media presence.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of One Million Followers here.

48) Content Marketing for PR: How to Build Brand Visibility, Influence, and Trust in Today’s Social Age

Author: Trevor Young

Standing out from the competition and producing content that matters has become almost impossible today. Even so, with this guide, you can boost brand visibility and gain your audience’s trust.

Why You Should Read It:

As content marketers, we yearn to produce content that helps us break through the sea of voices crying out for attention. This is the only one of our 50 books that examines content marketing from a PR perspective.

This book combines influential content marketing and public relations theories to help you do just that. The right content marketing strategy is a series of good decisions you make for your brand. The first good decision you can make is to read this book.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of Content Marketing for PR here.

49) Ultimate Guide to Link Building

Authors: Eric Ward & Garrett French

Content marketing isn’t simply about producing brilliant content for your brand. You must also make sure this content is easy to find. Ward and French’s book shows us how to optimize our content for the web.

Why You Should Read It:

Your job as a content marketer doesn’t end when you’ve created unique content. To truly outshine your competitors, you must also ensure this content is visible on search engines. In The Ultimate Guide to Link Building, Eric Ward and Garrett French will show you how to make your audience happy while making Google happy.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Link Building here.

50) This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until you Learn to See

Author: Seth Godin

No, you’re not imagining things. Out of our list of 50 content marketing books, this is the third Seth Godin book we’ve recommended because he’s just that good. In another insightful book, Godin explains the importance of your audience in your content marketing efforts.

Why You Should Read It:

Many marketers make the mistake of using consumers to fulfill the brand’s needs instead of vice versa, which is how it should be. Seth Godin tells us, “You can’t be seen until you learn to see,” effectively saying that you must see your audience to produce valuable content.

Understanding your audience’s pain points is vital to this. With Godin’s content marketing tips, you can finally learn what it takes to produce content your audience values.

Where You Can Find It:

Buy your copy of This is Marketing here.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many good content marketing books. If you want to brush up on your content marketing skills, the 50 books above are an excellent place to start. Alternatively, a good content marketing course could be just what you need.

Knowing how to do a case study can help convince potential clients to buy your core product or service. When well done, case studies help you build trust with your audience. However, a case study is more than just good storytelling. To do it well, you need to understand which elements make it such an effective type of content marketing.

Before we understand how to do a case study effectively, let’s talk about what it is.

What Is a Case Study?

A case study is a relatable story about a client who solved a problem using your core product or service.

Imagine you’re shopping online for a new pair of shoes. You find a beautiful pair but are unsure if it’s worth the money. What do you do before you decide? You read reviews.

If you have friends who shop online, maybe you’ll ask them if they’ve ever shopped at this particular store. If the answer is yes, you will want to know their experience.

The point is that when buying shoes at a store you’ve never shopped, you will need evidence from other customers that these shoes are a good deal.

Imagine you’re a business looking for a solution to a specific business problem. As before, once you find a solution, you’ll need proof that it’s the best solution on the market.

This is where case studies come in. They’re essential pieces of content, especially in the B2B market. When a potential client is experiencing a problem, they usually spend a lot of time comparing different solutions before deciding. Ultimately, your case study could distinguish between a client signing up with you or joining your competition.

Why Do I Need to Use Case Studies?

At this point, you might ask, “Do I need to invest time and energy into developing case studies when I can just share reviews on my website?” The answer is yes. If you want to convert more leads into clients, case studies should be a priority in your content marketing strategy.

As a content creator, case studies can be a powerful piece of B2B content marketing. Case studies can help you in the following ways:

1. Creating a Relatable Narrative

Since a case study is a narrative, it follows the standard arc of a story. And, as we know, every story has a beginning, protagonist, conflict, climax, and resolution.

Following this narrative arc, a case study triggers emotions and creates a connection with your reader. Everyone loves a good underdog story, and this is essentially what your case study is. It is the story of a protagonist who triumphed over incredible obstacles thanks to your core product or service.

When done well, a case study helps your audience imagine themselves in your client’s shoes. They can imagine your clients’ problems because they face similar issues.

Similarly, like your clients, your readers seek solutions to these problems. A compelling case study drives empathy and helps your audience become emotionally invested in the outcome. Therefore, they will be more open to hearing about your solution.

2. Creating a Sense of Hope

A good case study will go beyond just helping your readers to identify with your client and the problem they are facing. A compelling case study will convince readers that your solution worked for your client and can also work for them.

In other words, a well-done case study should inspire hope and promote your brand. When potential clients read your case study, they will be convinced of the benefits of signing up with you.

3. Helping You to Stand Out

There are many good blogs but not as many good-quality case studies. Although case studies do an excellent job of showcasing a brand’s expertise, not everyone builds them.

For this reason, if you start building case studies for your brand, you will stand out from the competition. A proper case study can make a strong case for your brand and improve your brand image.

How to Do a Case Study in 3 Steps

Developing a good case study isn’t hard. To make the process less daunting, we’ve broken it down into 3 straightforward steps:

1) Select Your Case

You may have many clients to choose from, but not all of them will qualify for a case study. You must seek unique and memorable clients to build a practical case study. These are clients who:

• Are facing a unique problem.
• Are uniquely using your business solutions.
• They have switched from a competitor.
• They have experienced dramatic results with your solution.

Choose an unusual case first if you want your case study to stand out. Provided that a client meets one of the above conditions, they are a good candidate for your case study.

2) Do Your Research

Once you’ve chosen the perfect case, you can start gathering evidence. To be effective, your evidence needs proof that what you’re saying happened.

Most people assume that complex numbers are needed to prove their point. Even so, you can go beyond data when doing your research. Quality evidence can be as simple as a before-and-after description.

While the type of evidence you use isn’t carved in stone, there are two essential steps in the research process.

a) Developing an Introductory Questionnaire

An introductory questionnaire explains the purpose of your case study to your client. More importantly, it is a place where you ask a few preliminary questions to help you begin your research.

b) Interviewing Your Case Study

The interview is the most essential part of the case study since this is when your research starts. An interview allows you to not only ask more questions but also get clarification on any vague answers in your questionnaire.

Preparing for the interview in advance is always a good idea, instead of just winging it. Thinking through the necessary information and writing questions will help you get more relevant information.

3) Write Your Story

Once you have all the relevant information, it’s time to sit down and write your story. As we stated before, every good story has 5 different parts:

• Beginning: This is where you give background information on the case study.
• Protagonist: Your chosen client. Introduce them and explain what they do.
• Conflict: The problem they are facing
• Climax: How the problem is affecting the client and what makes it unbearable
• Resolution: How your solution helped the client to overcome their problem

Your case study must follow this structure closely so readers can follow along easily. However, you can break the standard narrative arc into 6 different parts so that you can add important details to your case study:

Headline: Create a compelling headline for your story to attract attention.

Summary: Develop an overview of your case study. 100-200 words is sufficient.

Subject: Introduce your client and explain what they do.

Problem: Explain the situation. Why does it exist? How does it affect your client?

Solution: Describe the solution. Offer supporting evidence for why it was the best solution.

Results: Explain how your solution helped your client to overcome the problem.

Case Study Format

Once you’ve written your case study, you can tell your story in various ways.

• Downloadable PDF.
• Webpage.
• Slideshow.
• Video.

How to Do a Case Study: Best Practices

A case study that follows the above structure can be a powerful piece of content marketing. Even so, we want to go beyond simply helping you to do a case study and show you how to write a case study that will stand out.

Here’s how to write a case study that people will remember:

i. Use Evidence to Back up Your Claims

People will get emotionally invested in a good story, but you still need evidence to back what you’re saying up. One way to do this is by using complex numbers from your client. Alternatively, you could create and compare a “before” picture with an “after” picture.

ii. Make It Visual

Visual elements always add value to a good story. Think about it. What do you look for if you’re reading a book but don’t want to focus on masses of text? Pictures! Visuals can help retain a reader’s attention and break down complex information.

Using the “before vs. after” model, you can effectively present this information using an infographic or an image. If you’re presenting figures, you can simplify the data using graphs.

iii. Choose a Fascinating Angle

Since you want people to remember your story, you must make it memorable. You can choose a client who does something differently or has a unique problem.

However, you must relate the problem to most readers even when writing a unique story.

iv. Follow the Standard Narrative Arc

Using the standard narrative arc will help you write an emotionally engaging story. If your story engages, your audience will follow along until the end. Moreover, an engaging case study equals a higher conversion rate.

v. Use Quotes From Your Client

Using quotes from your client will help in three ways. Firstly, it’ll make the story more unique and relatable. Secondly, it will highlight the protagonist of your story. Finally, it will help you back up the claims you are making in your case study.

vi. Repurpose Your Case Study

A good case study doesn’t start and end as a formal one. Once you have developed one, you and your team should feel free to mention it whenever you talk to a prospective client.

Quote your case study to a client who has called to inquire about the effectiveness of your product or service. This will help you convince the client that your solution works since it has worked for a different client.

A good case study can convince a potential client that your business solution is worth investing in. Now that you know how to do a good case study, you can showcase your brand to potential clients.

Understanding crafting a captivating headline is crucial for creating compelling content that resonates with your audience. Your headline serves as the initial engagement point for readers, drawing them into your writing. It’s pivotal to grasp the essence of composing a headline that grabs attention and piques curiosity, compelling readers to delve deeper into your article.

Whether you’re penning a blog post, an eBook, or a white paper, a well-crafted headline can increase your content’s traffic. Conversely, a lackluster headline may prompt visitors to swiftly navigate away from your page in search of more enticing material.

As evident, the headline stands as a cornerstone of any written piece you produce. The encouraging news is that, with practice, you can master crafting engaging headlines that enhance clicks and draw in more interested readers.

Examples of Winning Headlines

In our quest for the perfect headline, we came across 5 categories of headlines that tend to perform well:

• Making a promise

For example: “Do your Business Accounts Faster with this Simple Formula.”

• Drawing a picture

For example: “Design Visuals that Will Turn Heads“

• Stating a fact

For example: “This is the Best Diet for your Dog, According to Veterinarians.”

• Asking a question

For example: “Have you Heard what Carrots can Do for your Skin?”

• Disputing common knowledge

For example: “Here’s why Drinking Milk is Bad for You.”

Before we move on, all the above headlines are purely hypothetical. We don’t believe milk is terrible for you, so don’t quote us.

How to Write a Headline That Will Capture Attention

1) Do Your Research

You must first know what you’re writing about to write an engaging headline. Your topic should appeal to readers, so knowing what they want is essential.

Before crafting your headline, consider doing some preliminary research to understand your target audience’s pain points. Understanding their needs better will guide you in writing a headline that resonates with them.

Kick off your research by exploring what prompts people to turn to Google. What specific queries do they type when seeking assistance in your niche? By analyzing prevalent keywords, you can uncover the topics your audience is eager to explore.

Feeling lost? Start typing your chosen keyword into Google’s search bar and observe the suggestions before hitting “search.”

Alternatively, leverage tools like Google Trends to gauge the popularity of various keywords. This resource offers insights into trending terms and related search queries, shedding light on what topics currently capture audience interest.

For example, here’s what appears when I use “DIY Decor” as a search term. As you can see, this search term is not as popular as in November. You can also see that Google Trends has suggested some related search terms, which I can compare with my original search term.

“DIY Ghost Decor” is an even less popular search term than “DIY Decor” right now. This is valid since this search term would’ve been popular around Halloween, not in the middle of March. Let’s try one more.

As expected, “Easter Decor” far outperforms “DIY Decor” as a search term at this point in the year. So, writing about Easter decor would be a great idea if you were a company that sells home decor accessories and runs a blog. As before, Google Trends has listed related search queries and their popularity. These queries can help you refine your headline to make it more focused.

2) Know the Ideal Length of a Headline

Once you have an idea of your headline, you must know how long the most impactful headlines are. According to Kissmetrics research, people only process the first three words and the last three words of a headline.

For this reason, keeping your headline to 6 words long makes it easy to digest. If you need to write more than 6 words, you shouldn’t exceed 10 words. If you write those 10 words, you must make the first and last 3 words good because they will have the most impact.

Likewise, your headline should be 50-60 characters long. Packing too many characters into your headline will make it chopped in SERPs. Few people will click on your search result if your headline is incomplete.

3) Brainstorm a Selection of Headlines

Crafting the perfect headline isn’t an instant task; it requires patience and time. Rather than hastily settling on the first headline that comes to mind, it’s crucial to give yourself room to explore. Take a moment to brainstorm at least three different headlines, allowing yourself to uncover the one that truly captivates.

Some well-known blogs, such as Upworthy, go even further by generating a whopping 25 headlines. While it might seem excessive, this method increases the chances of discovering a gem. Once you’ve compiled your list, begin the process of elimination, discarding those that don’t quite hit the mark. With this approach, selecting the winning headline becomes straightforward, setting the stage for success.

4) Get to the Point

A good headline gets straight to the point rather than beating about the bush. Many brands make the mistake of crafting vague headlines because they believe the mystery will draw readers in. On the contrary, readers who can’t make heads or tails of what your article is about are unlikely to stick around and find out.

Be direct so that people can see the value in your article immediately. Including keywords in your headline is one way to immediately communicate value to your reader.

5) Size Your Headline to Stand Out

When you want your headline to grab attention, make sure it’s in a larger font than the rest of your text. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to overlook details like font size when rushing to meet a deadline.

Luckily, many content editors come with pre-set heading sizes that you can apply. If yours doesn’t have this feature, adjust the size manually to ensure your headline gets the attention it deserves.

6) Use Visually Impactful Alignment

The way you align your headline also determines how prominent it is to the reader’s eye. Centering your headline will have the most impact, while a left-aligned headline seems more formal. Whatever you do, don’t justify your headline, as this leads to imbalanced spacing.

7) Write for SEO

When writing your headline, it would be best to appeal to human readers and search engines. Search engines also “read” your article to categorize it properly. For this reason, you need to optimize your headline to help the search engines understand your content.

As you’re writing for SEO, including the keyword in the title is essential. Moreover, you should include it as close to the beginning as possible. Ensure your headline makes logical sense, as you’re also trying to attract human readers.

Including your keyword in the headline will help search engines understand and include your article in the correct SERPs.

8) Use “You”

Addressing your reader directly is a good strategy if you want your headline to grab their attention. Instead of speaking abstractly, say “you.” For example, in the titles we listed previously, we said “Do your Business Accounts Faster,” when we could just as quickly have said “Do Business Accounts Faster.”

Adding the extra word – “you” – is worth it because it helps you develop a more personal headline that will stand out in SERPs.

9) Highlight the Value

Regardless of the headline style you choose, it’s essential to highlight the value you’re offering the reader. This is an excellent way to convince them that your article is worth reading.

You can do this by discussing a problem that your article solves. For example, you could mention “The Best Way to ABCD.” You can also present your headline as advice or mention interesting research data within your article. Finally, you can promise to teach the reader something useful.

10) Use Statistics

Including statistics in your headline will pique your reader’s curiosity, especially if it’s a surprising statistic. Include the figures as close to the beginning of your headline as possible so that it grabs a reader’s attention right away.

11) Use Numbers

Our brains are attracted to numbers, so adding numbers to the beginning of your headline is a surefire way to stop someone in their tracks. Numbers are especially effective if you are writing a “how-to” article. Remember to use digits instead of words to help your numbers stand out more.

12) Avoid Clickbait

As a content creator, the last thing you want is to earn a reputation for being pretentious or making exaggerated claims. This is precisely what clickbait will do to you, so steer clear.

All a reader needs to do is click on your grandiose headline, only to discover that you’ve misled them with clickbait. This kind of dishonesty will cost you a reader’s trust. This person is unlikely to click on any of your headlines in the future, no matter how interesting they seem.

13) Use Interesting Words

Headlines containing “X Tips for ABCD” are a dime a dozen. Instead of promising your reader some tips, use a less common word. For example, you can offer “X Secrets for ABCD” or “X Reasons to ABCD.”

Less commonly used words will help you stand out from the crowd.

14) Check Your Competitors Out

You shouldn’t settle on a headline before you’ve checked your competitors out and seen what kind of headlines they’re using for your chosen topic. Having an idea of what your competitors are doing will give you a good idea of how to write a headline that stands out.

15) Do A/B Testing

There is no single magical solution to writing headlines that stand out. Ultimately, it would be best to experiment with several strategies until you find one that works for your audience.

You can test your headlines in two ways:

a) Twitter

Once you’ve published your article, you can choose your two most potent headlines. Use them separately to promote your article and see which headline gets more clicks.

b) Email Marketing

Again, once your article is published, please send it to your mailing list using both headlines. Divide the people on your mailing list by half, and send the article to those people using one headline. Send the other half of your mailing list the other headline. Whichever headline gets more engagement should give you an idea of how to craft your headlines in the future. That’s email marketing made easy.

As you can see, learning how to write a headline that will stop people in their tracks is an essential part of content marketing for your brand. Follow the tips above and quickly write outstanding headlines.

User-generated content marketing is like having your customers become enthusiastic ambassadors for your brand. It not only enhances brand loyalty but also significantly boosts brand awareness. When you share content created by your customers, it’s akin to receiving a free advertisement for your brand. It’s a powerful strategy that seamlessly complements your traditional content marketing efforts.

What Is User-Generated Content?

User-generated content is essentially from individuals who have engaged with your brand. These folks typically become familiar with your brand by purchasing your main product or service, or they might belong to your target audience.

Regarding user-generated content marketing, the idea is to share this content across your platforms. By doing so, you’re aiming to create a buzz around your brand and garner positive attention.

Why Do You Need User-Generated Content Marketing?

Why do content marketers need to add user-generated content marketing to our overflowing to-do lists? People don’t like or trust traditional advertisements. 7 in 10 people use advertising avoidance strategies such as ad blockers.

It’s true. Humanity has become very suspicious of advertisements that seem to promise heaven on earth. The Fyre Festival is only one of many reasons for this distrust.

In April 2017, Fyre Media co-founder Billy McFarland started selling people tickets to a once-in-a-lifetime experience – a luxury music festival set against the backdrop of a tropical island in the Bahamas.

An average of 5,000 people spent thousands of dollars on these tickets, which should include luxury accommodation for the festival’s duration.

These people arrived on the island excited to mingle and party with celebrities like Ja Rule and Kendall Jenner. They were astounded to find that all the A-list musical acts had dropped out of the festival. To make things worse, their five-star accommodation had transformed into dilapidated tents soaking wet from the rain.

Advertisements for the Fyre Festival had promised “a place where the tropical sun shines all day, and our celebrations ignite the night.”

Unfortunately, the reality was like something out of a nightmare. In addition to scamming 5,000 festival-goers out of their money, McFarland scammed investors out of $26 million.

Image source: METRO

User-Generated Content Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising

Marketers have been breaking hearts worldwide since the beginning of time. Yes, the Fyre Festival scam is a dramatic example of this, but it always happens. Advertisements promise us the sun and the moon but deliver an anticlimactic experience.

Our burgers always look juicier on a billboard than on our plates. Our resorts look better in the photos on the website than in person. Red Bull promises to give us wings.

Image source: Business Insider

Image source: Architecture and Design

Unsurprisingly, people will trust what one of your customers says about your brand more than an advertisement from your brand. User-generated content marketing is seen as more authentic than traditional marketing. This is why your brand needs it.

User-generated content is a form of social proof for your brand. It helps you strengthen your relationship with current customers and reach a wider audience.

Here’s how sharing user-generated content can boost your brand:

1. It Is Authentic

User-generated content is created by people who don’t work for your brand. This content presents an authentic perspective on your for a potential customer because it is produced by someone just like them who has had first-hand experience with the brand. For this reason, people will trust your user-generated content marketing more than they will trust your traditional advertisements.

2. It Creates a Content Community

When you share content from one client, you encourage others to create similar content. This results in a community of people who love and enjoy advocating for your brand. A content community is a source of valuable publicity for your brand.

3. It Generates Brand Loyalty

Speaking of content communities, user-generated content marketing also inspires brand loyalty. If you encourage people to share what they love about your brand, you will remain at the top of these clients’ minds. This increases the chances that they will return to you the next time they look for a similar product or service.

4. It Drives Sales

Sharing content created by people loyal to your brand boosts brand awareness. Ultimately, more brand awareness generates more sales.

Read Also: Why is Content Marketing Important for Your Brand?

5. It Is a Source of Valuable Feedback

User-generated content is an excellent place to find out what people love about your brand and what they don’t particularly enjoy. The feedback won’t always be positive, and that’s not bad. Instead, negative feedback is an opportunity to tweak what isn’t working for your clients, allowing you to build a product that they truly love.

Taking this feedback seriously will help your clients feel seen and heard. If your customers believe you value what they say, they will stay with you long.

Examples of User-Generated Content Marketing

1) Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign

In 2011, Coca-Cola launched its “Share a Coke” campaign in Australia by printing people’s names on the sides of their bottles. Coca-Cola encouraged people to buy a friend a bottle with their name on it and share the Coke.

Image source: StoryBox

While the original campaign was launched in Australia, it became a multi-national campaign. Images of the Coke bottles were widely shared on social media, and the company tailored the campaign to each new culture. This approach allowed them to create a personalized campaign in each new country.

For example, in Israel, the company greeted people personally by name on giant billboards. Similarly, in China, nicknames were included among the original names.

With this campaign, Coca-Cola built a personal connection with consumers and spread some joy.

2) Aerie’s #Aeriereal Campaign

In 2014, American Eagle’s loungewear and lingerie line – Aerie – launched the #AerieREAL campaign to encourage women to appreciate their natural beauty. Since our adverts are filled with retouched photos of flawless women imposing unrealistic expectations on real women, this campaign is still relevant today.

With #AerieREAL, Aerie hopes to promote body positivity and confidence in women. This is a noble goal, especially in an industry with ridiculous beauty standards.

When Aerie launched this campaign, it also committed to stopping the editing of photos of its models. In addition, it encouraged its customers to post unedited images on social media with the accompanying hashtag “#AerieREAL.” Aerie donates 1 to the National Eating Disorders Association for each photo shared on social media.

Image source: Forbes

In 2020, Aerie launched #AerieREAL Changemakers, a program that recognizes women who are helping their communities and changing the world. #AerieREAL Changemakers awards these fierce and inspiring entrepreneurs, advocates, and humanitarians $20,000 each to support their selfless projects. These women are now brand advocates for Aerie. Moreover, Aerie has gained publicity as a brand that cares about humanity.

3) Starbucks White Cup Contest

2014, Starbucks launched its white cup contest to build a deeper connection with its customers. They wanted to develop a new design for their cups and invited their customers to submit designs using the hashtag #whitecupcontest. These customers, who enjoyed drawing on their cups, were eager to participate.

The #whitecupcontest united Starbucks customers and encouraged them to achieve a common goal. This contest resulted in thousands of cup designs being shared on social media. In addition, Starbucks enjoyed more publicity and brand loyalty.

With the pandemic confining many people to their homes more than usual, brands are reaching out to reassure their clients. By keeping clients’ companies online, brands can create a sense of community during a trying time. Here are two brands that are doing this well:

4) Recreate a Piece of Art at the j.paul Getty Museum

When COVID hit back, the fact that the J.Paul Getty Museum had to close its doors didn’t stop them from engaging with the public. The museum called for people to recreate works of art while quarantined at home.

“We challenge you to recreate a work of art with objects (and people) in your home,” the museum tweeted. Contestants had to:

• Choose their favorite work of art
• Find objects and people in their homes
• Recreate the piece of art
• Share their creation on social media

Twitter users joined the fun and encouraged their families and friends to participate. The result was a series of exciting and amusing submissions and increased publicity for the museum.

Image source: CNN

5) the Perfect #Stepowknd

To celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week 2020, Stevens Point Area invited the public to vote for the perfect way to spend a #StePoWknd. The campaign was designed to engage locals and former guests.

Image source: Stevens Point Area Blog

People submitted different must-haves for the perfect weekend. Stevens Point Area then used these submissions to curate the ideal weekend. The final perfect #StePoWknd was divided into drinks, food, and adventures.

With this campaign, Stevens Point excited their community about having a new adventure over the weekend. The public appreciated this excitement, especially given how isolated many people were at home.

User-Generated Content Marketing: Best Practices

Now that you understand user-generated content marketing let’s discuss how to do it for your brand.

1. List Clear Requirements

If you ask your audience to submit user-generated content, you must be clear about what content you’d like them to offer. For example, the Starbucks white cup contest had a list of rules.

Even so, sometimes, your audience will post unexpected and unscripted content. This is good because the content someone posts spontaneously reflects your brand more authentically. So when this happens, enjoy the moment and share this content with the rest of your network.

2. Ask for Permission

Before you share user-generated content, it’s essential to ask the content creator for permission. By asking for permission, you show this person you respect them. Ultimately, clients who feel appreciated will speak highly about your brand.

3. Offer Something in Return

It’s not enough to ask for permission to use someone’s content. If you share someone’s content, offering them something in return is only fair. This person will appreciate feeling valued as a brand advocate. You can provide your content creators with branded gifts, event invitations, or discount vouchers for your core product or service.

User-generated content marketing can sound very technical and unfathomable at first. However, as you have seen, it’s pretty easy in practice. With the above tips, you can boost engagement with your current clients and increase brand awareness among potential clients.

Do you need help brainstorming the perfect content marketing strategy?

Visual content marketing helps you create fresh, unique content and increases engagement with your audience. It is also an excellent way for a content marketer to add personality to their content.

Ultimately, customers find brands with personalities relatable, memorable, and easy to engage with. Investing in visual content marketing builds trust in your brand over time. And clients who trust you can become lifelong clients.

What Is Visual Content Marketing?

Visual content marketing strategically uses image-focused content to promote your company’s core product or service. For example, you can use infographics, videos, photos, and memes to educate or entertain your audience. In time, this creative use of content helps you build engagement and trust among your audience members, who eventually become paying customers.

Why Is Visual Content Marketing Such a Huge Deal?

Let’s be honest for a second. Would you be excited to read a blog post that contained only paragraphs and paragraphs of information? Or a white paper composed of only pages and pages of text? No, you wouldn’t. So, why would you expect your target audience to hang onto every word of that 3,000-word blog post?

Since we are drowning in more and more information these days, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. The average person’s attention span was 8 seconds the last time they checked.

As a digital marketer, these findings present a unique challenge because you need to find ways of communicating to make the most of those 8 seconds. While sharing information about your brand is essential, you need to talk to your audience in a way that will not only capture their attention but also retain it.

Visual content can help you capture the attention of your target audience. People stop to look at visual content 94% more than they stop to look at text-only content. Specifically, Tweets with images lead to 150% more shares than those without. Similarly, Facebook posts with images get 2.3 times more engagement than those without.

In summary, visual content marketing is good news. You need to develop high-quality visual content to capture attention and increase engagement.

How to Use Visual Content to Grow Your Brand

There are many articles about the different types of visual content you can use as a content marketer. We’ve even talked about some of these types of content marketing before. We don’t want to keep singing the same song.

Instead, let’s talk about how you can creatively use your visual content to develop your brand’s personality and connect with potential clients.

1) Repurpose Your Content

If you need inspiration for your visual content, look no further than the text-based content you’ve produced. Blog posts are usually an excellent place to start. Once you’ve written a blog post, converting the information into visual content is easy.

For example, you can take the points you’ve covered in a blog post and put them in a video or infographic. Your editorial calendar is an excellent place to list how to repurpose an original blog post.

Similarly, you can transform long-form content like a white paper or eBook into a series of video tutorials.

The point is that you don’t have to create all your visual content from scratch. Giving your evergreen content a makeover will help you to keep producing fresh, exciting content even when you’re running low on inspiration.

2) Use Non-traditional Types of Content

Infographics and videos are a lot of fun, but they’re also ubiquitous pieces of content. To stand out from your competition, you should also try to use non-traditional forms of visual content.

It might seem scary to do something unconventional. Be that as it may, if you’re a bit adventurous, you can create viral content simply due to its uniqueness.

What non-traditional types of content can you experiment with?

a) Memes / GIFs

Many content creators shy away from using memes or GIFs because they worry their content will look unprofessional. On the contrary, memes and GIFs can help you seem more down-to-earth and relatable when used well. Over time, this fosters trust among your audience.

Think about this for a moment. Your target audience uses memes and GIFs to communicate on social media. Since this content is relatable, using memes and GIFs will help you build a connection with both potential and current clients.

b) Interactive Content

As we’ve already said, we’re bombarded with content from brands clamoring for our attention daily. For this reason, another good way to stand out is to create interactive content. Interactive content creates a unique and memorable experience for your target audience.

Interactive content encourages your audience to actively engage with it instead of passively consuming it. For example, you could build interactive quizzes, landing pages, websites, and videos. This content invites people to click along and be part of the story from beginning to end.

Interactive content generates higher levels of engagement than static content. Therefore, it is one of your brand’s most potent storytelling tools.

Read Also: Why is Content Marketing Important for Your Brand?

c) Visual CTAs

A good call to action invites your audience members to engage with you further. While most calls to action are text-based, making them more visual can capture someone’s eye.

For example, you could use an infographic or a button as your call to action. Or you could go one step further and design a video or GIF call to action.

d) Visual Emails

If you want to boost your email marketing, you can use eye-catching visual content. An excellent place to start is by designing a professional header that reflects your brand. Additionally, you could include other elements like photos, videos, and infographics. Of course it wouldn’t hurt to use some of the best email warm up tools can also help improve deliverability so your beautifully designed emails actually reach your audience’s inbox.

Most people sign up for your email marketing to hear from you. However, they will only consistently open these emails if you make it worth their while. Take time to design fun and engaging emails, and you will have an excellent open rate and high engagement with your emails.

e) Quotes / Questions

Quotes that reflect your brand values are a good source of inspiration for visual content. Similarly, questions—whether for or from your audience—can help you create beautiful visuals.

Both quotes and questions can generate conversations addressing the topic you’ve raised. In other words, they are an excellent way to get your audience talking. Next time you want to spark a conversation on Twitter or Facebook, try sharing an image with a quote or a question.

3) Apply Consistent Branding Across Platforms

Whether creating content for your company or a client, building a solid and consistent brand identity is essential.

You can achieve this brand identity using the same voice across different platforms. Whether you write a blog post or publish a social media post, your content should sound like you.

If you’re funny in your blog posts, you should carry the same humor to your social media platforms. If you’re suddenly serious and no-nonsense on your social media, your audience will get confused about who you are and what you stand for. Use a consistent brand voice so that your audience can confidently say they know who your brand is and why you matter to them.

Secondly, you should consistently use branded visual elements to create visual recognition. These elements include text placement, font use, brand colors, and logo.

Don’t forget offline touchpoints. Branded stationery and mailers extend your visual identity beyond screens and can spark delight on first contact. For tactile touchpoints, translate your brand’s fonts, colors, and imagery to print collateral like letterheads, packaging inserts, and outer envelopes. Teams can create envelopes online to match your visual system and design unique envelope styles through Canva, turning every mailer into a mini billboard that boosts recall. Include your logo, consistent typography, and a clear visual CTA (QR code or short URL) to seamlessly bridge print and digital experiences.

If you can use your visual content the same way every time, you will build a strong brand identity that your target audience can easily recognize. This is a big deal because if your brand stands out, you will remain at the top of your mind among potential and current clients.

4) Align All Your Visual Elements

When designing visual content, aligning images and text is essential because this helps you look professional. Polished and professional visuals contribute to your social proof and make it look like you know what you’re talking about.

Producing professional visual content will attract an audience that trusts you to solve their problems.

5) Be Authentic

Indeed, you can always recycle and share visual content from other brands. Nevertheless, designing authentic content will help you connect better with your audience.

Instead of using stock photos, consider taking pictures of your products and your work family.

Showcasing original photos of your products will help your audience trust you more.

Likewise, giving people a sneak peek of your team at work will humanize your brand. This ultimately creates a genuine connection with your audience, who will feel like they know the faces behind your brand name.

6) Use Alt Tags

If you use images in your content, you should include alt tags to optimize them for SEO.

By using alt tags, you’re boosting your content in two ways. Firstly, you’re helping Google to understand what your images contain. Secondly, you’re helping low-vision or blind people understand your images’ context.

As you can see, visual content marketing is worthwhile for boosting engagement with your brand and eventually boosting sales of your products or services. When in doubt, remember that 60% of consumers reach out to a brand when a visual shows up in local search results.

Using suitable types of content marketing is a crucial element of your success as a marketer. Sometimes, figuring out what content works for your brand takes a few tries. With our handy guide, content marketing should be more enjoyable and less stressful.

What Is Content Marketing?

Before discussing the different types of content marketing you can use, let’s define content marketing.

Content marketing strategically uses creative and informative material to promote your company’s core product or service. For example, you can produce podcasts or blog posts to increase awareness of your brand. In time, brand awareness creates leads. It also results in a higher conversion rate from potential client to actual client.

How Do I Get My Content Marketing Right?

To nail your content marketing, there are a few things you should always keep in mind:

1. Figure Out Who Your Target Audience Is

Drawing up a profile of your target audience is a crucial first step in content marketing. If you don’t know who your audience is, how will you know where to find them?

Understanding your target audience will help you determine what they care about and what content they seek. Additionally, a profile of your target audience will help guide you on where to find them.

2. Produce Content That Your Audience Values in a Format They Enjoy

If you want to win your audience’s trust in the long term, finding out what kind of content they value and how they prefer to consume it is essential. Do they choose blog posts or infographics? Should you look into developing a white paper or a DIY video tutorial?

You have a few tools at your disposal to understand the kind of content your target audience values. You can use surveys or social media analytics tools on your platforms to determine which previous content has performed well. Alternatively, you can look at Reddit threads or other social media threads to perform social listening. Evaluating the conversations on social media will help you figure out what kind of content your target audience is talking about.

Alternatively, you can use tools like Buzzsumo and Google AdWords to figure out the kind of content people are searching for and the most popular search results that pop up.

Finally, you can try the trial-and-error route, where you test specific types of content and see how your audience responds.

3. Focus Less on Attaining Attention and More on Retaining It

When working as a marketer, it’s easy to assume that achieving a certain number of views or clicks on your content is the ultimate goal.

As lovely as getting views and clicks is, attracting an audience that will stay with you long-term is more important. How do you do this? By promising a worthwhile experience and delivering it.

4. Stop Trying to Promote Yourself and Start Trying to Help Your Audience

People are very wary of blatant advertising, so don’t use your content as a tool for advertising. Focusing more on the value you can offer your audience is a more effective way of earning their trust in the long term. Remember, trust is a valuable currency in any industry. Over time, people who trust you will likely purchase your core product or service.

What Types of Content Marketing Can I Choose From?

Given the buffet of options, developing a content marketing strategy that works for your brand is not too complicated. Let’s look at the options at your disposal:

1) Blogging

Blogging is an excellent way to share informative content and build a reputation for your brand. Provided you can offer valuable information, your blog can help you establish positive relationships with your readers, who will soon rely on your wisdom.

To run a successful blog, you must optimize your content by writing for SEO, using the cluster model, and writing consistently. Writing for SEO and using the cluster model will help your blog rank higher on Google’s results for keywords and topics you’ve written about. Similarly, writing consistently will help you rank higher on Google and build a reputation as a reliable source of information.

Your blog will be more effective if your published articles focus on topics related to your industry instead of your core products or services. At the same time, dropping a few calls to action in each post by mentioning your core product or service is a good idea.

2) Infographics

Infographics are a fun, simple way to simplify statistics and other complex data into a more understandable form. Since they are visually appealing, your audience is bound to enjoy them.

You could go one step further to give your infographic more weight by quoting data from other thought leaders.

3) Video

Like infographics, videos are an enjoyable and engaging way to teach your target audience how to do something complex. If the content you’re sharing is a tutorial, DIY guide, or guide for using your product, video is a great format.

4) Case Studies

No matter how many impressive figures you quote, real-life stories about how your product has changed people’s lives will always have a more significant impact. With time, your case studies might just be the social proof you need to build trust with potential clients considering your products or services.

Real stories about clients you’ve worked with before are more relatable than impersonal facts and figures. Potential clients can put themselves in your client’s shoes and picture how using your product will add value to them.

You can make your case studies even more effective by talking to clients who will allow you to use their “before” and after “metrics” of success. While it’s true that numbers aren’t everything, they will still help you build a solid case for your ability to help clients achieve their goals.

5) eBooks

eBooks are a more informative, long-form version of blogs that educate your target audience or help them solve a problem. They can be independent content or a combination of blog posts you’ve already written and published.

If your eBook is very long, it’s best to have a table of contents to guide your readers. You can display this table of contents on a landing page to entice curious website visitors to read the rest of your book.

You can offer someone an eBook in a gated format in return for their email address or other contact information. This helps you build a target audience to which you can market your core products or services in the future.

6) White Papers

Similar to eBooks, white papers help your audience solve a complex problem. However, they are more focused on data. White papers are the ideal type of content to use if you operate in a B2B environment.

As with eBooks, you can also use white papers to build an audience of contacts to pitch your core business.

Ebooks and white papers help you build a reputation as a trusted authority in the industry. Use them correctly; people will rely on you for information and guidance.

7) User-generated Content

User-generated content can be just what you need to generate long-term engagement with your brand. For example, retweeting a client’s tweet can create a conversation about issues surrounding your industry. Engaging in this kind of conversation further solidifies your status as a thought leader in the industry.

8) Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to reach people on the move with educational or entertaining content. With the right equipment and content marketing strategy, they can humanize your brand and make your founding team more relatable to your target audience.

9) Webinars, Training, or Demos

Webinars, trainings, or demos are a creative way to teach your audience something complex related to your industry. Alternatively, you can use these types of content marketing to familiarize people with your product or service.

If potential clients know you can help them understand how to use your products or services, they are likelier to try what you’re selling. Overall, people who know you offer industry support through webinars and training are more likely to trust you.

10) Interviews or Q&As

When done right, interviews and Q&As are an excellent way to share your expertise and engage your audience.

You can encourage engagement by allowing them to ask questions beforehand and answering them in a video or audio interview. Alternatively, you can invite your audience to ask questions in real-time and answer them on a live stream.

Now that we’ve discussed the different types of content marketing available to you let’s discuss how to make your content marketing stand out.

Content Marketing – Best Practices

To give your content the boost it needs, consider using some of these strategies:

1. Repurpose Your Content

Did you know you can boost traffic to an old blog post by summarizing it in the form of an infographic or video and sharing this on social media? Repurposing this content will make people curious about the original content, boosting traffic to your website over time.

2. Find Gaps in the Market

Doing things differently from your competitors will help you stand out as a content marketer. For example, the crypto industry is saturated with long-form textual content such as blog posts or white papers. If the client you’re producing content for operates in this industry, videos and infographics will help them stand out.

3. Adapt to Your Platforms

While deciding which types of content marketing work well for your brand, it’s essential to consider the platforms you’ll be using to distribute this content. For example, on Instagram, visual content like photos, infographics, and videos would work well. However, textual content would work better if you’re using LinkedIn to reach your target audience.

4. Ask for Feedback

An excellent way to boost engagement among your audience is to ask for feedback. Take time to find out how they feel about your content. Find out what isn’t working as well as you thought it would and what they want to see more of. You’re helping your target audience feel involved in your content creation process by asking for feedback. Clients who think they’ve been heard start to trust you over time.

Ultimately, when done right, content marketing should give your or your client’s brand the boost it needs and build trust among your target audience. Once you’ve developed a content marketing strategy, you can use a creative brief to work on your project as a team.