Content Marketing Types

Updated April 30, 2025

Reading Time: 5 minutes

What Drives Prospects into Action? 

Much of B2B content underperforms—not because it’s wrong, but because it’s misaligned with how buyers search, decide, or act. Some companies publish regularly but do not see results. Others are early in their content journey and unsure of where to focus. In both cases, expectations keep rising.

Senior leaders want a clear impact. Marketing leads need clarity on what’s moving the needle — and what’s not. The questions are getting sharper: What’s working so we can invest more wisely? What’s not working so we can reallocate those resources elsewhere?

Not every content format delivers equal value. Yet a handful of proven types continue to help B2B teams build trust, support sales, and drive meaningful action.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• Where to start (or what to fix) based on what your audience actually needs
• Which content types are still worth your time
• How to align formats with search intent and the buyer journey

1. Search-Optimized Articles

Despite all the buzz around video and AI, blog content is still the backbone of most B2B SEO strategies — but only when built with purpose.

Too many teams treat blogging like a box to check. They publish regularly without clear goals, keyword alignment, or next steps. The result? Traffic without traction.

What works now:

• Keyword strategy tied to buyer intent — not just what people are searching, but why
• Meets Google’s Helpful Content standards — content that’s written for people, not just search engines
• Layered CTAs — give readers multiple ways to engage: watch a video, download a guide, or schedule a demo
• Strong internal linking — connect to related topics, service pages, or next-step resources
• Analytictually tell you something — GA4 shows behavior, not just pageviews

💡 Be familiar with Google’s documentation on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content 

2. Short-Form & Explainer Videos 

Buyers don’t just want information — they want confidence. And there’s no faster way to build that than a video that features “the face behind the brand.” Expert-led videos—whether from a founder, product lead, or subject matter expert (SME) —help build trust faster than static content alone.

What works now:

• Short-form explainers (60–90 seconds)
• Screen shares or demos
• Vertical video formats optimized for LinkedIn or YouTube Shorts
• Repurposed webinar clips or sales conversations
• Captions and SEO-friendly descriptions

💡 Tip: Embed short videos into high-traffic blog posts or service pages to boost engagement and buyer confidence.

3. White Papers & Guides That Add Value

Long-form content still plays a role—but only when it’s useful, relevant, and connects to your audience’s challenges. The best-performing guides do more than explain. They offer insight into industry shifts, customer pain points, and risks your audience won’t want to ignore.

What works now:

• Offers strategic insight — helps readers make sense of market shifts and pressure points
• Solves real problems — provides practical takeaways, not just summaries
• Provides flexible access — downloadable and skimmable
• Guides the next step — encourages the reader to book a consult, try a tool, or share with their team

💡 Tip: Don’t gate everything. Preview insights in a blog post, then offer the full guide as a downloadable next step.

Interactive Content 

Once your core content is working, interactive content can deepen visitor engagement and support your sales process. That doesn’t mean you need custom code or overly complicated web pages. Even basic, low-code content can help users explore their needs and understand your value.

What works now:

• Simple quizzes or checklists
• ROI or cost calculators
• Tools built with Google Sheets, Outgrow, or Typeform
• Comparison charts
• Instant insights — show value before asking for a form
• Optional follow-up — allow deeper interaction without gating the experience

💡 Tip: Start with a question your sales team hears often. Build a simple worksheet or calculator around it.

Case Studies Show Results (Not Just Process) 

Readers don’t just want to know that you deliver — they want to know you’ve done it for someone like them. Even if client names are under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), you can still tell a powerful story by focusing on the challenge, solution, and business impact.

What works now:

• Short executive summaries up top
• Business context in plain terms
• Quantified results or clearly stated outcomes
• Pull quotes or visual breakouts

• Used by sales and leadership to support conversations

💡 Tip: Even without names, direct quotes — attributed to a title or function — can boost credibility and bring the story to life. Enlist the support of sales and leadership to fill in the specifics. They’ll want to use these case studies in their sales conversations. 

Customized Pages for High-Intent Searches

When someone searches for a specific solution, they’re not browsing — they’re ready to act. Your content needs to meet that moment. Tailored pages that match a user’s intent can turn passive visitors into qualified leads.

Matching user intent to content first requires an understanding of the difference between keyword types:

1. Informational — broad topics or “how-to” questions
2. Problem-aware — visitors looking to solve something specific
3. Solution-ready — high-intent keywords like “inventory tracking software for manufacturers” or “compliance audit service for healthcare providers”

What works now:

• Clear, relevant headlines
• Focused content with no extra scroll
• One strong CTA (consult, download, or contact)
• Fast, mobile-friendly experience
• Connects to the buyer’s journey — link from blog posts, ads, or emails

💡 Tip: Want help building a page matching what people search for? Download our free SEO Content Template to plan content that aligns with search intent and drives action.

Thought Leadership on LinkedIn

72% of B2B professionals say they trust thought leadership from individuals over brand messaging.* LinkedIn remains one of the most effective platforms for building visibility, credibility, and connection — especially in industries where trust drives action.

The goal of thought leadership isn’t to simply increase vanity metrics. It’s about connecting and engaging with a real point of view — whethes offering a new way to look at a challenge or reframing how to solve a sticky problem.

What works now:

• Posts that speak from experience
• Quotes or clips adapted from other content
• Carousels, short posts, or brief videos
• Content written in the voice of execs or subject matter experts
• Clear takeaways — not self-promotion

💡 Tip: No time to write? Transform a paragraph from a blog or client conversation into a first-person post.

AI-Assisted Content Creation & Repurposing

AI can’t (and shouldn’t!) replace your voice — but it can help you move faster, repurpose smarter, and reduce creative bottlenecks. Used thoughtfully, tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Notion AI can speed up early drafts and help you adapt content without reinventing the wheel.

What works now:

• Draft faster — create rough drafts so you focus time on editing and strategy 
• Repurpose content — adapt long-form content into social, email, or video outlines
• Summarize clearly — break complex ideas into digestible, reader-friendly pieces
• Research smarter — explore a topic, trend, or common questions, then validate insights with trusted tools like SEMrush or Google Search Console
• Stay consistent — keep tone, voice, and terminology aligned across content marketing types and formats

AI is powerful — but only when directed by a human who understands the audience, the message, and the goal. It can accelerate production, but it can’t replace strategy or judgment.

💡 Tip: Every AI draft should pass the “Would I say this in a meeting?” test. If not, revise until it sounds like you or your brand.

What To Do Next

You don’t need to create every content type — and you definitely don’t need to do it all at once. The most effective B2B teams don’t chasing all content marketing types and formats.They choose ones that reflect how their audience searches, evaluates, and decides.

If your content feels misaligned or it is underperforming, it’s time to pause and reassess. A focused audit can help clarify what’s worth keeping, what needs to reworking, and what pieces are missing. No guesswork. No long-term contract. Just insight you can act on.Let’s figure out what’s moving the needle for your organization — and what’s not. Schedule a $2K SEO & Content Audit →