Skip to main content
Strategy

Which Content Marketing Channels Are Most Effective?

A Black man smiles as he types on a laptop on a wooden desk. A plant grows in the background. he wears glasses and a beige turtleneck.

Marketers are constantly evaluating their resources, campaigns and budgets. It’s a necessity to stay relevant and create effective campaigns. Marketing channels change, too, just as consumer behaviors do. As a result, marketers are always tracking content channels to see which is performing best. But which content marketing channels are most effective?

What’s the reining content channel right now? Research shows 98% of B2B marketers see social media as the most effective content marketing channel, according to stats presented by Insider Intelligence. Email is also considered an effective tool, with 96% of marketers relying on it to engage customers. 

Videos, e-books and podcasts round out the top five content channels. 

Content Marketing Channels - Insider Intelligence

This report mimics data from HubSpot, which also shows social media as the most-used used channel among brands. The research shows 45.1% of marketers leverage social.

hubspot social media effective

What does this mean for marketers?

As more marketers rely on social media to reach customers and drive sales, you should lean into your social strategy and see if you can make improvements for a stronger presence. Start by taking these steps:

Evaluate your social strategy

It might be time to evaluate how you use social. Get the team together and review metrics. What’s working? What’s not? What do you want to do more of? Use this audit to create a new strategy that maximizes your social presence. 

Aside from reviewing metrics, you could also:

  • Review your social post calendar.
  • Delegate social responsibilities.
  • Review social ads and ad spend.

Use the information to adjust and improve your current social plan.

Give customers what they want

Customers have high expectations. Above all else, customers want honesty, according to a recent study from Neil Patel. Eighty-six percent of consumers expect a brand to be honest on social. Being friendly and helpful are also pretty high on the list.

neilpatel.com what customers want

Take a look at the posts you’ve created in the last two months and ask yourself, do they meet all three expectations? Are they honest, friendly, and helpful? If not, it might be time to tweak your content or tone.

Watch for one-sided conversations

Are you carrying on conversations on social media? If not, you’re doing something wrong. Some brands simply post content to their channels without monitoring or responding to the comments. It’s the equivalent of telling your co-worker about your weekend in the break room and then walking away. 

Make sure you have a designated person to post content and chat with customers. 

Evaluate your bore factor

Social visuals are attention-grabbing. They have to be to stop the perpetual scrolling of newsfeeds. How do your posts look? If your review of your recent posts is “meh” – it’s time to jazz up your content. 

Talk with your designer to create a new look using your brand guidelines or use a DIY tool like Canva to create scroll-stopping content. 

Tag followers to get them talking

If your engagement is lacking, tag some of your most active customers and ask them to join the conversation. By doing so, you not only give your engagement a boost but also amplify your content. 

You can pose a question on Facebook and tag a few customers or ask industry experts to share their insights on a certain topic. You could also gather advice on a certain topic, turn it into a blog post, and tag each participant when you share the link on social. 

Experiment with new social content, especially live video

If more marketers rely on social media, competition will increase. To stand out, you’ll need to experiment with different types of content. Set a goal to introduce one new type of content each month. Try a YouTube Short, test Instagram Stories that only live for 24 hours, or initiate an influencer marketing campaign.   

Experimenting with live stream video is a good idea too. Many experts say live video is the next social trend, which is already playing out in surveys. HubSpot found 33% of people say they watch live videos five-plus times a week and another 24% watch 3-4 times a week.  

You could go live to reveal a new product, interview the company CEO about a new initiative, or ask an influencer to take over your social channels with scheduled live streams throughout the day.

Social media is a powerful tool in a marketer’s toolbox, and if predictions are correct, its clout will only increase. While social media might be considered the most effective tool, it is just one piece of a holistic marketing strategy that varies by brand.