Matching content formats to objectives

Information can be presented through any number of mediums, which is both an opportunity and a challenge faced by content marketers. Digital distribution allows for videos, images, interactive infographics and any number of other formats. To gain and keep the attention of consumers/users, it’s sometimes not enough to rely simply on text-based forms of content. The role of the content marketer is to select the right medium based on overall objectives, production capabilities, and the needs of the audience. Consider the illustration below.

As discussed in the Digital Marketing Strategychapter, determining your objectives is an essential part of your marketing planning, and should feed into your content marketing strategy. Understanding the journey your consumers go through as they approach your ultimate sales goal will enable you to match content formats to their needs. A humorous video may be successful in initially making potential customers aware of your brand. Once you have their attention, however, a research
paper or useful case study could be more effective in convincing them that you are the best choice in the market.

There are many examples of online journalism using multimedia to convey information most effectively to their readers. The New York Timeshas presented a number of different methods for conveying complex information in an engaging manner. ‘Snow Fall’ by John Branch is one example (http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek).

The New York Timesalso often publishes infographics that demonstrate this principle powerfully.

In order to take advantage of these various forms of content delivery, it is necessary to build the correct capabilities. But how do you determine what forms of content you need?