You’ll be told, from any source you give the time of day to, that content marketing is the thing you should be doing with your business. We are firmly in the social media age. Content is king they say. All well and good. What content should you be making? Well if your audience is Zimbabwean we’ve got a list of the hottest content with Zimbabwean audiences that your business should know how to execute well. Not everything is for every business so you’re better off choosing what you can do well.

Product placement

You will see this most frequently through skits that feature a comedian, using or recommending the product to someone else. It is better done when the product is shown in use but this is not possible for every product. What you should get from this is that people prefer to see products in use (or recommendation) than watch you rattle on about your product.

User-generated content

This is the gold standard of content and the desire of anybody creating content. Pretty much as it sounds, user-generated content is content that is created by social media or product users. Coca Colas campaign with putting names on their bottles is a good example of this at work. The idea is to get the audience to create relatable and real content around your product.

Infographics

Probably the least popular type of content on this list but I will gladly stick my neck and say that I love infographics. Infographics are works of art that communicate multiple different types of data around a subject. They are great for customer education and the creation of awareness. The best infographics make good use of both graphics and colours to visually tell a story.

Testimonials

Testimonials are one of the oldest types of content. They work well because they show people who have experienced the product expressing their views and sharing their experiences. They can be written, video or audio. Video is the best because of how much information a video can convey. Remember to match the tone of the testimonials with your brand voice.

Guides

How-to guides are absolute gold when it comes to content marketing. You can have them in many formats including text, images, audio and video. In them, the idea is to show people how to do things related to your product or industry. It’s one thing to sell a product but showing customers how well you understand the terrain will put you a step ahead in their minds.

Memes but be careful

Memes are really powerful. So much so they have become a whole category on the Internet. Memes are images that make references to popular culture, usually with flamboyant or hard-hitting statements. They play on humour a lot. You just need to make sure that your Memes do not offend people no matter how small the group as the consequences can be quite drastic.

Educational content

Spending time creating content that educates your audience on product usage could pay off big time. Skip the motivational Monday quote and instead show people how to access your product or what they combine it with. Generally spending time educating your audience about your industry can give you a leg up in the industry too.

Influencer collaborations

Influencers have come a long way and influencer marketing is a huge industry worldwide. Zimbabwe too loves an influencer and you can work with them to relate your product to their massive audiences. It’s normal for people to look to people they trust for information on products. When working with influencers just remember that the right influencer for your product is more important than the most popular influencer. So check if their audience matches your business. No poi t selling power tools through a make-up influencer, unless you play it very creatively.

Polls

I love a poll and I must confess when scrolling through social media I will vote on any poll I see. I suppose not everyone is like me but polls still make for great content. If you want your polls to work you need to have emotionally polarising options in the poll. Answers such as “I don’t know”, “I don’t care” and “I just want to see results” should never be included. Find subjects that interest people and are topical.

This is the hottest type of content for your content marketing. It is proven to work in Zimbabwe with great results. Consider adding some or all of these to your content strategy.