Every Business Needs These 20 Content Marketing Upgrades
These days, who isn’t on the hunt for an upgrade or something to sweeten the deal? Content marketers and consumers alike are always looking for ways to make a statement and get the best of the best, no matter what industry or market they’re a part of.
When it comes to giving your marketing efforts that extra boost, you can’t forget about one of the key features that your blog or page should include: content marketing upgrades. These features will allow you to gain the trust of your audience and expand your overall reach.
So, what exactly is a content marketing upgrade? To put it simply, a content marketing upgrade is basically any valuable offer or content created to capture a visitor’s email address or get them to promote or support your brand. There are a number of ways you can elevate your existing content depending on your brand’s goals and target audience.
This article will explore the different types of content marketing upgrades to get your ideas flowing, and why you should consider implementing these methods into your existing marketing strategy.
Why Do Content Marketing Upgrades Matter?
You’ve taken the time to curate a blog, create a following for your brand, and provide your audience with high quality content. Shouldn’t that be enough when trying to succeed within content marketing? Unfortunately, creating quality content for your brand’s audience is just the first step in generating a real impact from your content marketing strategy.
Content marketing upgrades can help you exponentially grow your email list and audience base. By providing an incentive to your audience, you are more likely to secure their information and turn them into loyal followers of your brand’s content.
Additionally, conversion rates are greatly improved through the implementation of content marketing upgrades. This is mainly because these upgrades offer an immediate sense of reward or gratification for your site’s visitors. While a call-to-action at the end of your email or on a pop-up on your website can help you secure consistent subscribers, using content marketing upgrades give you a better chance of getting that information instantly.
Ideas for Your Brand’s Content Marketing Upgrades
There are so many different ways you can use content upgrades to up your content marketing game, and the good news is that many of these are incredibly easy to implement! Let’s take a look at some of the different ways you can exponentially increase your audience by investing in the creation of content marketing upgrades. Here are 20 ideas to help get you started:
- List of Resources
If your blog post or content features a bunch of different tools or other resources, you may want to create a master list of resources for your readers. Creating a master list will be especially helpful because it gives your readers a one-stop shop for all of the resources you provide and talk about throughout the rest of your content.
- Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet can be a useful upgrade throughout a variety of industries. It is a super simple offering that is bound to entice your readers. Most cheat sheets are attractive because they package all of your most important information in a compact, easily digestible way.
- Checklist
If you have a lengthy blog post or article, there’s probably a good chance that you can turn that content into a quick checklist for your readers. A checklist is a great way to engage visitors and give them another reason to invest time in your brand’s content. Your checklist can be anything from a how-to or a list of materials for a specific project. Ultimately, a checklist is something that your readers can hold on to and use on their own time.
- Infographic
Infographics are a great marketing upgrade, as they use the content and information that you already have. People love infographics because they take complex information and present it in a way that is easily digestible. Additionally, infographics are a great upgrade tool because there’s always a chance that readers will share your infographic with others and through other platforms.
- Audio or Video Recording
If you have snippets of audio recordings or video footage that are relevant to your blog or site content, you can definitely use that as an upgrade to entice your readers. You can even take some of the written content you have and repurpose it to be in an audio or video format. Repurposing your content in this way will help you attract viewers and increase your reach.
- A Beginner’s Guide
If you’re covering a complex topic or your content features different installments, consider creating a quick-start or beginner’s guide to get your readers started. This content marketing upgrade will allow you to connect with your readers by helping them tackle a new problem from the start. This kind of introductory content will help those readers who are looking for an easy and speedy way to get in touch with your brand’s offerings. They’ll also be inclined to trust you and return when it comes to further training on the topic.
- Printable
This upgrade is especially easy to provide your readers with. Printable content can feature diagrams, quotes, collages, or other eye-catching content. This kind of upgrade is great because it serves as a constant reminder for your readers of your brand’s value.
- Webinar
Another way to offer your readers an upgrade is to provide them with access to an exclusive webinar. Webinars are a great way to engage your audience in an innovative and timely way. You can even create a webinar series to keep your readers coming back for more and incentive them to invest time in your brand.
- Report or White Paper
If you have a plethora of informative content regarding a specific topic that your readers may find interesting or useful, you may consider compiling it all into a detailed report or white paper as one of your content marketing upgrades. One key benefit of providing longform content is that it helps increase your credibility and makes you look like an expert within your industry.
- Detailed Guide
As opposed to a beginner’s quick-start guide, a full, detailed guide can also be a smart upgrade to offer your readers. Creating an all-encompassing guide for your audiences can help you walk them through processes or ideas in a step-by-step manner. While it may be longer than your traditional content, readers who are looking for a more in-depth explanation or walkthrough will greatly benefit from this kind of content.
- Completable Worksheet
Worksheets are another excellent way to engage your readers using an upgrade. If you’re teaching a high-level concept, you can use worksheets to exemplify your content in real life. By going beyond a simple explanation of your ideas, worksheets allow you to show how your readers can benefit from your content after they’ve finished reading. You can even include challenges and ways to share progress and work completion as another incentive for your upgrade.
- Case Study
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be a part of an Ivy League research team to create a case study. The main reason people read case studies is that they want to learn from what others have thought, said, and done. In that respect, developing a case study for your brand is a great way to pull in readers looking for more from your brand’s perspective.
- Template
When it comes to creating templates as an upgrade, you can offer things like email templates, budget templates, business card templates, blog templates, and more. You can even create templates from things you already use within your brand that you think your readers will find useful and engaging. Chances are that if you find something valuable and useful, so will your audience.
- Free Trial or Product Teaser
If you are gearing up for a launch of a product or have just dropped your latest offering, you can offer a free trial or teaser to your readers. By offering an enticing first-look at your product or service, you’ll get the chance to connect with your audiences while gaining useful information about them. Whether you choose to offer your entire offering or just a sneak peek, this kind of content marketing upgrade will help boost your engagement and product awareness.
- SlideShare
Instead of presenting your content in a long listicle or traditional blog format, consider using a SlideShare as an additional upgrade for your readers. Some members of your audience may understand your information better when it is presented in a different way. In general, SlideShares feature fewer words than a full blog post and are easier to take in, ultimately making them great content upgrades.
- Free Course
Another way to build your credibility as an expert in your field is to offer a free course to your readers. A course is a great way to educate on a variety of relevant topics that are meaningful to your brand’s other offerings. The course can be offered through a series of videos or even something like an eBook. Regardless of the format, the goal of your free course should be to teach something that your audience will find interesting and valuable.
- Images
A picture is worth a thousand words. You’ve definitely heard that one before, but I’m saying it again because it’s something you should keep in mind when creating your content marketing upgrades. If your brand’s site features images that others may find useful or beautiful to look at, take advantage and offer them to your readers through an upgrade. People love looking at beautiful, striking images, and that desire doesn’t stop when people leave your site.
- Spreadsheets
If your content contains a huge amount of information that can be difficult to navigate, consider compiling a spreadsheet as a potential content upgrade. This will give your readers a more digestible way to work through your information on their own time, while also giving them a resource to consult and refer to whenever they need it.
- Special Email Series
As opposed to offering a free email course, you can also use a special email series to present your content in an engaging way. Creating an email series allows you to focus on a certain set of topics over a specific period of time. This gives your readers something to look forward to when they open their inbox.
- PDF Alternatives
This one may be extremely simple, but it’s often one of the most useful for your readers. Formatting your blog or website content into easy to download PDF files allows your readers to hold on to your content. This upgrade will take you seconds to create and helps your readers access your content whenever and however they want to.
The World of Content Marketing is Your Oyster
It’s important to note that these 20 upgrade ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can use to entice your readers to better engage with your brand.
While content marketing upgrades are often sidelined, they are some of the most important tools you can use to expand your brand’s reach and gain momentum within your industry. Next time you create a piece of content, think of how you can repurpose the information you have to create an attractive upgrade for your readers. The options are pretty much limitless when it comes to what you can provide your readers with, as long as it’s something they will value and enjoy.
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