Have you ever wondered how often we encounter content? Content is used everywhere these days. Read a post on social media, an article on a blog, or in the media? Watched a video online? All of this can be described under one general term – content. A lot can be said about content because it is a very broad concept. Therefore, in this blog article, we will discuss the main aspects related to content.

What is content?

Let’s start at the beginning: what is content? Content is a communication message in any format that is published on any platform or publication. Even the text on billboards and flyers is content. The most important purpose of content is to convey a certain message, so there is one basic rule to follow when creating content – create it in an interesting, engaging, and targeted way. For example, if your target audience is not academia, avoid using complex concepts. You can find tips on how to create different content online.

It is important to mention that the content can be in different formats, for example, visual, audio, or text. Often, several of them are used together, as this engages the users even more. Content can be created by professional journalists, content creators, and copywriters, as well as amateurs, various professionals, and influencers.

Why is content important?

Since ancient times, content has played a very important role in society. One of the first forms of content is letters, which were intended to convey information. In fact, the main purpose of content – to convey a certain message – remains the same to this day, but many new formats and types of content have emerged. It is worth knowing that it is important both for the general society and for business.

The society learns important information from a variety of content, and businesses can use content creation as a means to reach customers. In fact, no business is complete without content. However, its quality, quantity, frequency, and formats/types can vary greatly. For example, one business may use social media, post regularly, and actively communicate with the community, while another may only provide general information on a website.

Regularly creating content, in whatever format, can have huge business benefits. Here are the benefits of content creation for business:

• With the help of content, a business can build its awareness, develop a brand;
• With the help of content, the business can get more customers and advertise itself;
• With the help of content, businesses can effectively communicate with customers through comments under social network posts and blog articles;
• With the help of content, you can present your business, services, and products.

These are the general benefits of content creation for business, but it is crucial to understand that different content can serve different purposes. So, it is very important to choose what type of content you plan to use.

Main types of textual content

Perhaps the most popular content format is textual. Textual content is used by various types of businesses as well as individuals. It can be published on various platforms and media. In this section, we will discuss the main types of textual format:

• Website content. Basically, this is all the information found on the website. However, people usually associate this term with website sections about us, services/products, why you should choose us, and similar. Clarity and simplicity are key when creating this type of content;
• Article. An article is usually understood as a media article, such as a press release, but it can also be a blog article. The main distinctive feature of an article for media, press, and news portals is that the information presented in it is new and/or relevant, and the article itself has a traditional structure: an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Usually, article content creation takes a great amount of time;
• Blog content. Blog content is actually part of a website’s content if the website has a blog. Sometimes a blog can be a separate website, for example, a travel blog that is created by an individual person. Blog content creation is creating articles, but these articles are not necessarily new (the information they contain is not new) and may vary in structure and length. Companies write blogs mainly for advertising purposes;
• Social media content. Social media content creation is a relatively new field, and this content also has its own peculiarities. This content is called posts, which are short, clear, and focused messages. You should remember that different social networks may require content of different lengths or formats;
• SEO content. SEO content has one main purpose – to bring your website to the first pages of search engines. Therefore, SEO content creation is done after keyword analysis, as it requires the use of certain words;
• Promotional content. Promotional content creation is a general term that describes the creation of content for promotional purposes. This can be short messages, ads, or other promotions;
• Product description. Product description is very important to customers. It is part of the website’s content. Product description creation should be accurate and informative, for example, to name the main features of the product.

Content quality is also an important indicator that can build credibility and value for a business. So, provide qualitative content that will effectively attract customers.