3 Types of Digital Content to Grow Your Business

When consumers want to know more about something, they go online. So when you want to increase customer engagement for your business, it makes sense to turn your attention to digital media. However, if you’re limiting your business to social media shares, you’re selling yourself short. If you’re really committed to growing your business, you need to invest in these popular types of digital content.

1. Video Content

Video Content is one of these three types of digital content. No longer relegated to the realm of entertainment, video is now one of the most powerful digital marketing tools. Video not only gives shoppers a dynamic view of your product or service, but it also breaks down the barrier between seller and shopper. Video gives shoppers a behind-the-scenes look into a business, building trust, authority, and authenticity in the process.

Video content comes in a variety of formats, including:

• Brand videos to tell your company’s story.
• Demo videos to showcase a product.
• Case studies of satisfied customers.
• Animated videos to explain complex information.
• Behind-the-scenes videos to give a peek into your company’s operations.

For large-scale video content creation, contract the services of a video production company. For smaller projects, a part-time or freelance video content creator should suffice.

You’ll also want to make sure your video content is accessible to all users. Vision-impaired users can follow most videos using audio content, but if your videos contain visual instructions, include an audio description track. Captions are ideal for hearing-impaired users, who can read along to follow the content. Since caption standards are regulated by the FCC and ADA, it’s safer to hire a captioning service that guarantees accuracy rather than do it yourself.

2. Blog Content

Blog content is one of these three types of digital content. Most customers prefer video to written content, but that doesn’t mean business blogs are dead. Blogging is still an effective way to drive traffic to your website, both through organic search and shareable social media content. Paired with a compelling call-to-action, a good blog post can even generate leads.

Don’t have time for blogging while running your business? Hire a content marketing agency or freelance content writer to produce blog posts for you. The right content creator should be knowledgeable about your industry — with the portfolio to prove it — and have experience creating a variety of content including short-form and long-form posts, newsletters, infographics, and case studies, among others. You can hire content writers on job boards like Upwork. And if you’re in need of more help, online job boards are useful for hiring all kinds of freelancers, whether you’re looking for a virtual assistant or web developer. 

3. A Mobile App

A Mobile App is one of these three types of digital content. Not every business needs an app. If your website is optimized for mobile use and there isn’t a pressing problem that an app will solve, investing in a business app won’t do much more than clutter up customers’ phones.

However, some businesses reap big benefits from mobile apps. If your business relies on repeat customers, an app could increase customer loyalty and satisfaction by delivering a seamless shopping experience. With a business app, customers can store payment information, accrue rewards, and get personalized recommendations based on their purchase history.

Developing an app is a big undertaking, with 52 percent of businesses spending over $25,000. Most businesses that lack the in-house expertise hire a freelance app developer; however, an app development agency may be better suited to complex apps.

Where to Find Freelance Content Creators

It’s clear that freelancers can meet a lot of a small business’s digital media needs, but where can you find them? Posting on job boards is certainly one way to find part-time or temporary help. But if you’re hiring a freelancer, you may have better luck using a gig economy app. These apps give you access to a wide pool of professionals, and some of these candidates have already been screened.

If you want to bring customers to your business, you need to meet them where they already are: online. With digital content, you can deliver information and calls to action in the way your customers want to receive it. So what are you waiting for? Start investing in these 3 types of digital content and watch how it improves your business’s bottom line.