Content in Marketing: Types, Formats, and Examples

In marketing, content means any information a brand uses to communicate with the audience: text, images, videos, podcasts, and other formats. Simply put, content is any piece of information on websites, social media, blogs, or newsletters that attracts and retains audience attention. Today, a large share of content is digital.

What tasks does content solve

Attracting a new audience. Useful and interesting content draws attention to a brand. For example, a person searches for information online, finds an article on a company blog, receives an answer, and simultaneously learns about the product. This can be the first step toward a purchase. In the early stages of the funnel, content builds brand awareness.
Customer retention and engagement. Content is important not only for attracting customers but also for retaining them. Regular post-purchase materials, such as product use tips or answers to frequently asked questions, maintain interest and encourage customers to return.
Building trust and showing expertise. High-quality content portrays a company as an expert. Analytics, case studies, research, and practical advice show that the brand is trustworthy.

By the way, here is a recent case study about how the Altcraft platform helped increase marketing ROI to nearly 250%.

Driving sales and conversions. Sales-driven content, including promotion announcements, product reviews, customer success stories, and landing pages, prompts people to take action: submit a request, ask for a consultation, or make a purchase. Well-written content addresses objections by answering frequently asked questions and removing doubts that may delay the decision.
Increased search visibility (SEO). When published regularly, high-quality content boosts a website's search rankings. Search engines recognize pages that provide a complete and clear answer to a user’s search query. If an article answers the required question, the reader stays longer, and the search engine interprets the page as more valuable and ranks the website higher. This may increase organic traffic.

Types of content

Content formats

Text content. This includes articles, reviews, news, posts for blogs and social media, interviews, case studies, instructions, and other materials where meaning is conveyed through words. This format allows for detailed coverage of a topic and is indexed by search engines, but it takes more time and attention to read.

Articles in the Altcraft blog

Visual content. This includes images, photos, graphics, illustrations, memes, infographics, diagrams, and comic strips. They immediately catch the eye and convey a message in a visual form. They can accompany text (for example, an image in a post or article) or serve as a standalone piece, such as a photo, banner, or infographic.
Video content. Video is one of the most popular modern formats. This includes YouTube videos, TikTok clips, webinars, live broadcasts, reels, and any other video materials.
Audio content. This includes podcasts, audiobooks, music tracks, commercials, and recorded broadcasts. This format is convenient because it can be listened to while doing other things, such as commuting.
User-generated content. This is content created by customers themselves: reviews, comments, product photos and videos, social media mentions, and posts from contests and challenges. This content is valuable because it is natural and serves as social proof of brand trust.

Types of content by purpose

Informational content. Its purpose is to communicate facts and events. This includes news, press releases, announcements, product updates, and reports. This content answers the questions "What happened?" and "What's new?". Examples: a post about a product launch, an article with a market analysis, a notice of changes to terms of service. The style is usually neutral and restrained.
Sales content. Here, the purpose is to encourage people to take action: leave contact information, make a request, contact a manager, or purchase a product. Such materials emphasize product benefits, promotions, limited offers, and clear calls to action. Examples: a post about a discount, a product description with a unique advantage, a case study on how the company solved a client's problem, testimonials with a call to action, and a landing page.
Entertainment content. Its goal is to evoke emotion and interest. Such content is most often used on social media and designed for a viral effect. This includes memes, contests, tests, comic strips, funny videos, real-life stories, or quizzes. This type of content makes communication with the brand more lively and human, and creates an emotional connection with the audience.
Educational (expert) content. This type of content educates and provides practical benefits. The company shares knowledge, advice, and instructions to help the audience better understand the topic. Examples: guide articles, masterclasses, analytical reviews, checklists. This format demonstrates the brand's expertise and addresses the audience's real-world needs.

Example of informational and educational content in a newsletter by Figma. Source: Really Good Emails

Interactive content. These are formats that engage the audience: surveys, polls, tests, challenges, contests, quizzes. Here, the user does not just read or watch, but interacts with the content. Examples: social media surveys, games, or AR filters.

Marketing channels

Website and blog. A corporate website is a brand's primary platform. It hosts everything from product descriptions and FAQs to news and expert articles.
Search engines (SEO). While search results themselves cannot be considered a channel, they often become the entry point for users.
Social media. Facebook**, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other platforms are key content marketing tools. They offer a wide variety of formats: short posts, images, videos, stories, live broadcasts, polls, and announcements. Social media content is particularly diverse and dynamic. Users most often expect entertaining content: photos, videos, and stories. However, an effective strategy also includes other types of posts: news, expert materials, reviews, and user-generated content.
Email newsletters. Email marketing remains a classic channel for direct contact. Brands use emails to send news, article collections, reviews, and promotions. Unlike social media, email is a personal, one-on-one communication. For emails to be opened and read, the content must be relevant and engaging for the recipient. A well-designed newsletter retains customers and encourages repeat purchases.
Messaging apps and chatbots. WhatsApp**, Telegram, and other apps have become convenient platforms for communicating with audiences. Companies are launching newsletters and chatbots that send content directly to users as personal messages: notifications, curated articles, daily tips, and news. The advantage is that such messages are almost always read.
Video platforms. For example, YouTube is one of the most popular search engines: brands post reviews, educational videos, live broadcast recordings, and advertisements.
Traditional media. Despite the dominance of digital channels, traditional offline marketing channels are also used to distribute content. TV ads and sponsored segments, printed articles and magazine interviews, radio broadcasts, and outdoor banners constitute content in the broadest sense.

** Owned by Meta, recognized as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation.

How to create a content plan

1. Define goals and tie them to your strategy. First, decide what you want to achieve with your content. Goals should be part of your overall strategy. If your plan is being developed for a specific marketing campaign, such as a product launch, include a series of content to generate interest. Goals may vary: increasing awareness, driving traffic, generating leads, increasing sales, engaging with your audience, or building a community.

2. Research your audience. A content plan is based on understanding the audience for whom you write and create content. Define segments: who these people are, what tasks and questions they have, and what formats they prefer. Use survey data, web analytics, comments, forum discussions, and customer feedback. Find out which articles or posts are getting the most engagement.

3. Analyze your competitors and the market. Explore what your competitors and influencers are publishing: topics, formats, post frequency, and design. This will give you an understanding of which niches are already occupied and how you can stand out.

4. Choose channels and formats. Decide what to focus on: blog, social media, YouTube, newsletters. Do not spread yourself too thin: it is better to publish on fewer platforms, but provide regular, high-quality content.

5. Plan frequency and schedule. Create a publishing calendar for all channels. Consider audience activity, include holidays, industry events, and newsworthy moments in your plan. As a result, you will have at least a month's worth of planned content with a date-by-date schedule.

6. Determine categories and a balance of topics. Set up permanent categories: for example, "Cases", "Market News", "Useful Tips" for a blog and "Reviews", "Stories", and "Infographics" for social media. Each category should have a purpose: informational, entertaining, or sales-oriented. Maintain a balance: approximately 80-90% of posts should be useful and entertaining, while 10-20% should be promotional. This approach maintains interest and avoids overloading your audience with advertising.

7. Create a content plan and calendar. Once you have defined your goals, audience, topics, and frequency, compile everything in one document. This is usually a spreadsheet with dates, channels, topics, formats, and responsible parties. To do this, use Excel, Google Sheets, a calendar, or other planning services to visualize the plan and make it easy for your team to use it.

8. Launch and analyze. Publish content on a schedule and track metrics: reach, engagement, traffic, subscriptions, conversions. The data will show what works best. The plan should be flexible: replace less effective formats and develop successful topics.

Marketing content checklist

Define your goals — why you need content: traffic, sales, awareness, loyalty.
Research your audience — their questions, interests, preferred formats.
Research your competitors — what topics and formats work for them, how can you stand out.
Select channels — website, social media, email, video, podcasts.
Determine the types of content — informational, educational, entertaining, sales-oriented, interactive.
Create a calendar — dates, categories, formats, and responsible parties.
Maintain a balance — 80–90% useful and entertaining, 10–20% promotional.
Monitor the results — analyze reach, traffic, conversions, and adjust your plan accordingly.