Internet Marketing Digital_marketing_for_dummies | Page 89

Choose two to three of the following content types to deliver TOFU content that will raise
awareness about the solutions you provide through your products or services:
Blog posts: Arguably the most recognized form of online content, blogs are an
excellent way of raising awareness. For example, the fashion company J. Crew raises
awareness of the products it sells by creating blog posts about fashion styles and tips
for accessorizing. The J. Crew blog reader (and potential customer) gets some
inspiration and solutions to the problem of what to wear and how to look fashionable ;
the post also alludes to the fact that J. Crew carries the clothing needed to pull off the
look.
Social media updates: As with blogs, social media platforms (such as Facebook) are
fantastic at creating awareness. Whether it’s a Pinterest board by Dreyer ’s Ice Cream
that lists every flavor of ice cream the company sells, or a tweet by Airbnb about the
ten perfect Paris food experiences, these social media updates give their followers free,
valuable information while also bringing the solutions their company provides to the
forefront.
Infographics: Infographics are an interesting and engaging way to display content.
Typically, infographics contain fun images with contrasting, eye-catching colors, and
the way infographics break up text makes this form of content easily consumable by the
viewer. Infographics are highly effective at delivering content that is both entertaining
and educational, quickly. Whether it’s an infographic by IMDb about the best of the
year in movie entertainment, or an infographic by Casper Mattress providing tips on
better sleeping habits, this type of content delivers value that a consumer wants, and it
raises brand awareness effectively as well.
Photographs: Pictures are powerful because they can explain a lot in a single image.
Photographs also help to break up blocks of text in a piece of content, which keeps that
content from becoming boring or intimidating to read. With a photograph, a kitchen
design company can show completed projects that effectively demonstrate what the
company does while raising awareness of what the company can do for another
customer ’s kitchen.
Digital magazines and books: Digital magazines and books are popular, and are
another way to distribute content and raise brand awareness. E-books and e-magazines
are similar to the blog strategies discussed in Chapters 5 and 6. Therefore, you can
look to your blog to inspire your content for your e-book or e-magazine.
Audio and video podcasts: Another form of content that you can use at the top of the
funnel is a podcast. With a podcast, you package and distribute your content differently
from textual content. A podcast delivers consumable content on the go. Subscribers can
listen to the podcast on their commute to work or during their workout, or any other
time they choose. They have a more flexible way to consume the content, in contrast to
a blog post or a social media update that is less conducive to multitasking. Also, you
can use podcasts to effectively promote your product or service while providing value