Inspiration for Creative Content Formats

Every content marketer knows the problem. Deadlines are getting closer and closer, the pressure is mounting, but inspiration for creative content formats is a long time coming. The way in which the content is prepared can make a significant contribution to success. If you want to reach your audience, you are spoiled for choice. There are countless possibilities and it must be carefully considered which form is suitable for the respective topic. How can the target group best be addressed and how can content be remembered in an age of information overload?

Nobody is perfect: Using your own Fail Stories to Create more Empathy

Reading the success stories of others over and over again can be boring in the long run. For a change, it is exciting to list techniques that have not worked from our own experience and what we have learned from them. In addition to the added value for the target group, mistakes are admitted. This creates empathy and leads to identification. In addition, the personal hero’s journey can be told in this way. Fail stories are particularly beneficial if your own product or service can help to avoid failure in the future. Regardless of whether it is a company, a founder or a freelancer, a text about the don’ts positions the author as an expert who can pass on their experience.

This content marketing strategy now goes beyond the text level and is practiced in the form of events. The so-called “Fail Nights” or “Fuckup Nights” are already very well known. These are meetings where short presentations are given by coaches, founders or other business people. They tell those present about their personal mistakes that have damaged their company. The events are also a good opportunity to expand your own network and show that failure does not necessarily mean the end of your career.

Interactive Storytelling: Experience Content Up Close and Personal

Another way to reach recipients and stand out from the competition is to let them become part of the story themselves. Interactive storytelling is the keyword and describes content that is presented in a way that encourages active participation. The story is experienced with several senses by using auditory, visual and haptic stimuli. The audience also makes its own decisions. This in turn influences the further course of the chain of events. As a result, the target group receives personalized content and can identify better with the hero or the product. The unique emotional journey remains in the memory and thus binds the participants.

British adventurer, author and filmmaker Ed Stafford offers an example of interactive storytelling. He is the first person to have walked the entire length of the Amazon from its source to its mouth. On his website, users can join Ed on a survival trip in the wilderness. It’s all about making the right decisions when it comes to foraging and making a fire. The choice affects the protagonist’s chances of survival.

Brands can also benefit from creative content formats and use interactive storytelling to their advantage. So hat American Express in Kooperation mit der Sängerin Taylor Swift eine virtuelle, musikalische Erfahrung für die User in Form einer App geschaffen. This is a 360° interactive music video that takes place in a large villa. Users can walk through the scenes of the building and view and interact with rooms, objects and people.

Not just for Nerds: Games as a Content Marketing Tool

Everyone likes games. Mobile games, for example, have become an integral part of our everyday lives and are consumed on the go. But they are not just for entertainment, they can also impart knowledge and are therefore an effective content marketing tool. In addition to the fun factor, the format offers many other advantages, such as increased dwell time and traffic on the website, sympathy towards the company and possible dissemination via social channels.

For example, Deutsche Bahn has created its own game “DB Train Simulator”, which allows users to take on the role of the train driver. There are nine different routes. The aim is to reach the stations on time and in an energy-saving manner. Thanks to statistics and a high score system, players can compare themselves with each other. The Swedish company Ikea has also developed an app called LATTJO, which combines various memory games, puzzles and other applications. Users of all ages can play both individually and together.

By presenting content in a playful way, users connect with positive emotions and build trust in the brand. Nevertheless, it should be noted that games require a great deal of effort to produce and the corresponding skills. But regardless of which content format you ultimately decide on, the utility value for the target group and authenticity should always remain in the foreground.

You can find more exciting examples and inspiration for creative content formats in our article “Blog post, listicle and then? – 13 Digital content formats” read more.