Studies show that when it comes to marketing, people are tired of blatant ads. They block off promotional material and go straight to the content. This can prove to be difficult for marketers, whose primary goals involve self-promotion - or is it?
The growing interest in content marketing in recent years stems from the idea that creativity is what attracts people to your brand. Appealing to their interests before promoting yours is the key in this marketer-consumer relationship. But how exactly do you know how to engage with what people want?
With the multitude of data analyzing tools we have today, we can now determine what people wants to see, and how to want to see it. That leaves marketers with the job on how to frame and organize content so that their audience will be happy with what they make.
It's been proven that two of the best content marketing arsenals out there are stories and visuals. People are more susceptible to stories because it tugs at their heartstrings and a primal inclination towards narratives that have helped us survive in the wild. Meanwhile, visuals help process information faster than any form of learning.
Looking into the statistics, 65% of the population identifies as visual learners, and people want to hear great stories. Tapping into these two things can boost your page views, increase your following, and sell your brand.
Want an easy way to create brilliant content? We list below 7 excellent online tools that can help you create that engaging content - whether it's for creating images, writing a story, or producing multimedia content, we have you covered.
Whether it's about the layout, the color, or the image you're using, creating engaging visuals is necessary for the realm of content marketing. People who scan through your work can quickly be hooked by one great image, and may even stay on for longer engagement because of it.
Don't let the opportunity pass. Here are some of the content marketing tools available online that will help you create the best visuals to attract your target audience:
When it comes to designing images for publication and catchy posters, most people will look to Photoshop. But what if Adobe Photoshop is too expensive for you, or what if your editing skills still need a bit of brushing up itself? Then you can start with Canva first.
Canva is a great alternative to Photoshop. This online tool offers accessible materials, such as pictures and available layouts that any beginner can work with. Though some features may require payment, most of their free offers are already good enough to publish great visual content.
The best thing about Canva is its layout - you no longer need to worry about how to arrange your text and images in an appealing fashion, Canva has the templates ready for you. However, if you want to try out your unique layout, there's also a blank option on the site where you're free to put anything you like and arrange it however you want. If you like the premium design, you can buy one for $1 only.
Social media platform is a tricky place to navigate.
With the influx of images, information, and all forms of content flooding in, your work could easily get lost in people's notifications. However, creating something that stands out from the natural news feed material can get them to stop and take another look at your offer.
Pablo by Buffer creates the perfect images for your social media sites.
Wondering what the best filter for that photo is? A picture in Pablo already has that settled for you. For images with text attached, Pablo has a wide variety of tasteful fonts that appeals to people's visual senses.
Despite its expansive online library, Pablo also lets you upload your logo for a personal touch to that online marketing material. Add your mark on the finished product and get ready to download it or post it straight away on your page or site.
From writing up entire evergreen posts to thinking of engaging, catchy titles to attach to your blogs, these content idea makers will be your best friends in guiding you to creating great content:
Writing the Story
Good narratives that are also original can be difficult to think up. Often, you face stumbling blocks that get you stuck in a mental rut for days. However, there are already online tools available that will help you remove yourself from that writer's block and get back to developing a great content strategy.
As mentioned earlier, people's minds are wired to feed on stories and engaging narratives. Adding that distinct flavor in your marketing strategy could start turning heads in your direction. But, an excellent blog post 's hard to write.
The struggle with filler words, relevant content, and engaging topics, can ruin your chances at creating engaging yet substantial content. Thankfully, online services like Storify can help get you started, or help keep you going. Storify offers its professional services to give you the best blog entries you can write up.
In its site blurb, Storify aims to give its clients the best tools for evergreen posts, or posts that long outlive its publication date. From breaking the news to hashtag campaigns, Storify's got you covered. You also get a real-time collaboration with professionals who can guide you through the best ways to transform your topic into a winning pitch.
Tool #4: Portent's Content Idea Generator
Running out of ideas, or experiencing writer's block? This is one of the greatest challenges writers and online content creators face today, in particular with the growing demand to churn out good material in the shortest amount of time possible. However, it can be done. With the help of technology, anyone can overcome writer's block and get back on creating their great content marketing strategy.
Portent's content idea generator is a fun way to stimulate your thinking into coming up with better campaign ideas or storyboards. Just enter your topic, and this quirky and interactive site can generate a suitable title for you. Well, one that will catch people's attention anyway.
Aside from its idea generator, Portent provides other tools for online marketers. Its wealth of online resources ranging from articles to tips on formulating an effective strategy will turn your idea from a thought bubble into a full-blown plan just waiting to be executed.
Videos, infographics, and even gifs are gaining plenty of traction in the online market. Maximize each of their potential by making use of them if they prove to be relevant in your campaign. Explore the other options available to you through these sites:
Mixing the Media
Aside from just plain old blog posts and images, there are other visual media and narrative strategies emerging in the market's plane of interest. Tools that create engaging mixed media for people to enjoy revolutionizes the idea of content marketing.
Gifs are a growing online phenomenon. These brief moving pictures, often cut-outs from longer films or videos themselves, are entertaining, engaging, and relatable. Notable sites that have gained fame by using them in their listicles and brand are Buzzfeed and Tumblr.
If your site's image aims to be a fun, quirky voice, then Giphy is the tool for you. The premise of Giphy is just as its name suggests - to provide gifs for anything, everything, and at any time.
Make your gif with Giphy and then upload it to your site for followers to see. If you're not one to make a gif, then Giphy still offers a vast resource of relatable gifs that people love. Arranged by topic and relevance to your search, Giphy provides a moving reaction for any occasion.
ThingLink is an excellent online site that seeks to create, share, engage, and even measure the reception of your interactive videos and images. Since audiences love interacting with the material and getting to know it for themselves, presenting content that they can engage with is an excellent way to appeal to their senses.
Excite your visitors and followers with images that pop right out at them. ThingLink isn't just a tool for marketers; it can also serve multiple purposes, one of which is better student engagement.
To address the number of visual learners out there in the market, ThingLink utilizes the best tools to create interactive, entertaining, and informative media.
The shift towards visual content and storytelling has also increasingly drawn attention to the power of infographics.
In just a few minimalistic images and diagrams, infographics can convey so much to so many. This widely shared content can make an impact on your image if you pull it off correctly. Fortunately, tools like Easel.ly exist to help content marketers out.
Design can be a tricky thing when it comes to infographics, but Easel.ly fixes that for you by providing fresh templates, icons, images, and color palettes that's why You don't have to worry about it yourself.
Once you're through and happy with your final output, you're free to share it to your online accounts, or on your website.
Through the power of interesting stories and engaging visuals, you can also attract people's attention, as long as you have the right tool in your arsenal. Create good visuals and share them on your site or social media account with the help of Canva or Pablo.
Write your best story yet, or just ease yourself out of an impending writer's block and jump back on the content marketing strategy track with idea generators like Storify and the content creator on Portent. Since other forms of media are also gaining public attention, opt to explore the possibilities there as well. Building Your Brand through Online Tools
Create a fun, engaging atmosphere on your site or blog posts with Giphy, engage viewers with great videos and photos set up on ThingLink, and finally, draft up your informative and attractive infographics through Easel.ly.
Marketing has shifted its focus in recent years from just promoting one's brand, to reaching out to the customer base. In a customer-centric society, business should be done with the client's interests always in mind, meaning that the content we make should always cater to them while meeting our interests.
The Takeaway: Great Content Reaps Great Rewards
Marketing may seem like it's taken a more challenging turn in recent years due to its focus on the customer, but it's gotten easier with the help of online tools.
You're no longer limited to do everything manually; instead, you can collaborate, interact, and ask the help of other professionals to create a great strategy with compelling content, simply by logging online and exploring the vast resources available to you.
Use any one of these examples, and increase your audience views and lead conversion today!
Author Bio: -
Joan Selby is a productivity coach at Edugeeksclub.com. Former ESL teacher and fancy heels fan. Proofreading obsession and writing tips blogging. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.