In marketing, good e-book design isn’t just about making something pretty; it’s about enhancing your viewer’s experience with your content. When you turn a boring cover into a stunning calling card, or a cluttered layout into a visual treat, or a confusing data set into an elegant visualization, you make it that much easier to grab—and, most importantly, keep—your audience’s attention.

We love it when we see brands from all industries up their e-book game by applying A+ design, and we think seeing others’ good work can inspire you too. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the most standout examples of e-book design we’ve seen lately.  

7 Excellent Examples of E-Book Design

If you’re facing an e-book design project and need a little inspiration, we have just what you need. Here are seven great takes on e-book design from both B2B and B2C brands. 

1) The Secret Sauce by LinkedIn

Why we love it: A great cover

We’re suckers for a bold visual, and this e-book cover hits the mark for several reasons. 

1. It’s a clever theme, demonstrating that LinkedIn has the literal secret sauce (bonus points for making it the only bottle with a label).
2. Its clean photography really pops, especially compared to most of the boring covers in the B2B space. 
3. It reflects LinkedIn’s brand identity via their signature bright blue (a visual differentiator). 

When you’re looking to make an impact, a visually arresting cover is the way to do it in an instant.

Note: While a cover is incredibly important, maintaining a design aesthetic throughout all of your content is equally as important. LinkedIn decided to promote the e-book by creating an infographic, which also carries the same visual theme. A+ all around.

Tip: Make sure your e-book design reflects your brand identity. To make it easier for content creators to replicate, find out how to craft a strong brand’s style guide.

2) Your Field Guide to Foraging Intent Data by Terminus

Why we love it: A clever theme

Gathering data is a crucial part of a marketer’s job, but you can feel like you’re lost in the weeds. Terminus does an excellent job of translating this metaphor into an exciting adventure guide. From the people and animals to the maps and trails, this interactive e-book is a perfect example of how a little creativity can drastically enhance a viewer’s experience. By giving it this unique twist, learning how to gather data feels like an exciting adventure—not a dull chore.

Tip: It’s easy to come up with obvious visual metaphors (e.g., lightbulb = idea), but challenge yourself to come up with a visual theme that is both relevant and interesting.

3) Break Free of Boring B2B by Ceros

Why we love it: Unusual imagery

This is a perfect example of super creative e-book design for a subject that can be notoriously, well, boring. This interactive e-book is an explosion of color, pattern, and surprising imagery that is totally unexpected. From a screaming bear to a soda-drinking cat, it takes Internet meme aesthetic to a whole new level while delving into the ins and outs of B2B content marketing. We love an eye-catching interactive, and this brings the best of animation and information together in one easy-to-navigate package.

Tip: Since you don’t have to be literal in your metaphors, think about the real message you’re trying to deliver. Ceros wanted to prove that B2B doesn’t have to be boring, so they created a totally surprising and whimsical e-book design to prove just that.

4) STFU Already by Unbabel

Why we love it: Bold palette and typography

Not all e-books have to be interactive adventures. Unbabel’s thoroughly entertaining PDF e-book proves you can make a big impression without a ton of bells and whistles. Its bright and bold color palette, playful illustrations, and beautiful typography make the subject matter that much more interesting. Whereas they could have taken the technical route, espousing their software benefits in a boring brochure, this technicolor approach generates excitement and curiosity about their offering. F yeah, Unbabel.

Tip: Bold colors can help you stand out from your competition, especially when you use them for your cover. If you’re not sure what fits your message, find out how to curate the right color palette for your brand. 

5) How EU Banks Can Ensure EPI’s Success by Feedzai

Why we love it: Pops of personality

Any time a brand can transcend their product offering and show us who they are, it’s a win for brand storytelling. Feedzai is a perfect example of this. For an e-book about financial safety, which may seem rather droll, they do a good job of adding personality via people-centric illustrations (which feature a balance of genders and more than one skin tone—thank you).

Tip: Depicting diversity is crucial. Be mindful of who you’re representing through imagery (be it illustration or photography).

6) How to Successfully Negotiate a Higher Salary in 4 Easy Steps by Her First 100K

Why we love it: Simplicity with style

Good e-book design doesn’t mean you have to design a custom font, create hand-drawn illustrations, or conduct a 5-day photoshoot to get the best images. This guide makes great use of photography, typography, layout, and negative space to deliver the information in a straightforward, cohesive package. If you wanted proof that strong design can elevate even the simplest e-book, this is it.

Tip: If you don’t have a ton of design resources, simple typography treatments and callouts can do a lot to make content easily digestible.

7) Einstein’s Guide to AI Use Cases by Salesforce

Alright, so this one isn’t technically an e-book, but it is a clever piece of lead generation. You answer a few questions about what type of work you do, and this interactive guides you to the most relevant case study for you. This is a very clever way to create a personalized, guided experience through strong design. The Einstein character animation, the simple and clean navigation, and the brand colors make this a clearly branded experience.

Tip: Simple interactivity can make all of your content more engaging, whether it’s an e-book, guide, or questionnaire. If you’re curious to learn more, find out how to brainstorm great interactive content ideas. 

How to Nail Your Own E-book Design

We want to see better e-book design in the world, so we’re always happy to share the tips we’ve learned from our own projects. If you’re looking for more tips to improve your e-books…

• Learn more about why design can make or break your e-book. 
• Follow our step-by-step guide to create an effective e-book from scratch. 
• Try these helpful tips to improve your e-book design.
• Get even more inspired by these 50+ examples of great e-books.

And if you need a partner to help bring your next e-book to life, here are 12 tips to find a good content agency. You can always hit us up too.

Blend’s digital platform streamlines the journey from application to close—for every banking product. For this project, Blend was specifically interested in a report that would explore the state of the industry as it relates to the application process for deposit accounts, the keys to a good process, and how institutions can best serve their customers.

However, this wasn’t a standard data design project. Before we could bring the data to life, we needed to get it. So we crafted custom criteria to outline the key factors you need to create a successful application experience and audited a list of 100 financial institutions (including banks and credit unions) to score each. Of course, the challenge with all data storytelling is identifying the most relevant information (aka the real story). Because the primary goal of the report was to help readers improve their own application practices, we focused on identifying industry trends and the most interesting insights to turn into relevant takeaways for the reader.

The result was a high-value piece of content that establishes Blend’s authority and expertise in the industry, and positions the brand as a trusted resource to their customers—a content marketing win-win.

Content takes time, money, and resources to produce, which is why we believe you should get as much mileage as possible from anything you create—especially with cornerstone content like e-books. Unfortunately, marketers are usually sitting on an archive of great content that’s just gathering dust, either because it never had much traffic to begin with or because it’s been forgotten. This is a huge waste.

You can get a lot more from your existing assets by using them to create fresh content. This approach is called a divisible content strategy, and not only is it economical but it expands your reach, takes less work, and helps you promote other content, helping strengthen your entire content ecosystem. 

One of the best ways to breathe new life into old content is to create infographics. Things like e-books, reports, guides, research, and surveys are filled with valuable information and interesting data insights that can be used to tell many different types of stories—and infographics can help bring those stories to life in unique ways.

5 Ways to Create Infographics

If you’re not sure what types of infographics to make from your e-books, here are some of our favorite ways to extract stories and come up with new ideas.

1) Expand on a Topic

E-books and reports are full of valuable information, but they can only cover so much on a given topic. By exploring a related subject or doing a deeper dive into a single topic, you can create an interesting infographic that educates your reader—and encourages them to learn more by checking out the original e-book. Pro tip: Comb through the sidebars or callouts in your e-books or reports—those are often great subjects to explore.

Example: To promote their What DDoS Attacks Really Cost Businesses survey, we helped Incapsula create an infographic on the anatomy of a DDOS attack. While the survey covered how the issue affects businesses, it didn’t precisely explain how these attacks happen. Creating this infographic allowed Incapsula to further educate people while promoting the survey.  

2) Create a How-To

People are always eager to learn something, and if you can provide them with practical information that makes their lives easier, they will love you for it. Turning your best tips and tutorials from e-books or other cornerstone content into compelling infographics is a great way to provide value—in a highly shareable format.  

Example: We partnered with LinkedIn to create a fun infographic that offered tips on how to create a great marketing machine. The infographic was used to promote the brand’s e-book, The Marketing Skills Handbook, which included many more great tips.

3) Summarize a Chapter or Topic

Infographics are an effective form of storytelling because they help people process information visually, making them a great way to communicate concepts that may be complex or challenging to explain. Also, not everyone has the time to dive into an e-book or research report. Creating a condensed infographic version that includes the most important, interesting, or relevant information provides a great service.

Example: Education company Course Hero is dedicated to helping people learn online, so we partnered with them to create a series of infographics that summarize famous works of literature. These infographics are useful study materials for busy students, helping them learn in less time.  

4) Find a News Angle

Newsjacking can be a great tactic to give older content new relevance, as long as it’s done appropriately. (Follow these tips to make sure you do it the right way.) Think about the trending topics in your industry or in the larger media landscape. Do you have data that might shed light on an industry trend? Is there a social tie-in that might make your content more interesting?

Example: To promote their Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising, we helped Marketo create an infographic on the “Mad Men” of the millenium, showing the major trends that define today’s marketing landscape—contrasted with those of the Mad Men era. Thanks to the popularity of the show, it was an interesting, unique, and relevant angle that helped Marketo join the conversation in an organic way. It was also picked up by Ad Week, helping Marketo expand their reach.

5) Tell a Surprising Story

Data and research often contain interesting, unique, or surprising insights and discoveries that tell a very interesting story. Turning that type of information into a compelling infographic is an easy way to repurpose content and get more attention.

Example: We helped High Five craft an infographic based on their 2015 Workplace Culture and Communication Report. The story revealed the negative effect that tech has on the workplace—a surprising take that is relevant to people in all industries.

How to Make a Truly Great Infographic

Coming up with a strong infographic idea is just the first step. Once you’re ready to start creating that infographic, you must follow best practices at every stage of the process. To ensure your infographic is as successful as possible, follow these tips to nail everything from copywriting to promotion.

• Find out how to craft a compelling infographic narrative.
• Avoid the 15 most common infographic design mistakes.
• Optimize your infographic for SEO to get the most traffic.
• Use this tactic to get publishers to feature your infographics.
• Try these 19 tips to drastically improve your infographic marketing.

If you need a little help getting everything done, find out what to look for in an infographic design company. Or let us know what you’re struggling with. We’d love to chat.

Providing people with high-quality, comprehensive content is a great way to build relationships, increase leads, improve SEO, and more. That’s why e-books are such a valuable tool for marketers. The problem is they are also one of the more difficult pieces of content to produce. From copywriting to e-book design, it can take a lot of time and energy to create something of quality. But there are always ways to work smarter, not harder. And we’re always on the hunt for the best tools, tips, and tricks to make your life easier. So let’s talk about one of the easiest ways to create quality e-books in less time: e-book templates. If you are a brand that produces a lot of e-books (or wants to), templates will change your life.

The Benefits of Custom E-Book Templates

When some people hear the word “template,” they think of a ‘90s PowerPoint slide. But well-designed templates don’t turn your content into a boring brochure. They are an efficient way to create content that is:

• On-brand: An e-book design template is designed around your visual language, including fonts, colors, logos, etc. You don’t have to get approval from an art director, and you can be confident that you’re producing something that always reflects your brand.
• Consistent: If you look through your archive, you will probably notice your e-book design reflects a range of styles and design aesthetics. This is problematic if you’re trying to build an instantly identifiable brand (and who isn’t?). Whether you’re working with a freelancer, an agency, or an in-house designer, templates ensure that everything you do will have a cohesive feel.
• Easy to replicate: Building an e-book design from scratch takes a ton of time. But you can reduce that time tremendously with a comprehensive template. You just pick and choose the elements you need, then plug your content in. This makes it easy for novice designers (or even marketers) to create something of quality with a quick turnaround.
• Economical: If you don’t have to create a brand-new design every time, you can reduce costs while increasing your output. That gives you a higher ROI for every e-book you create.

So, how do you create these magical templates?

How to Build E-Book Templates 

We know marketing teams are usually overloaded, especially designers. But remember that a little bit of work up front can save you a ton of time down the road—and make designers’ lives a lot easier. If your team doesn’t have the time, you might consider using a content agency (or baking templates into an engagement you already have). But if you’re going to DIY it, here’s the simple 3-step process to create an intuitive visual design system that anyone can use.

1) Go Through Your Existing E-Books

You might only have a handful of e-books, or you might have a huge archive (in which case you can choose, say, 10). Go through each to identify the common elements that you will need to build into your e-book design template. The goal is to build something that works for any e-book subject, so it should be comprehensive and scalable.

This might include things like:

• Cover design
• Data visualization (charts and graphs)
• Illustrations
• Diagrams
• Sidebars
• Callouts and pullquotes
• Images/captions
• Chapter breaks
• Headers/subheads
• Iconography

Identify the most common design elements in your e-books. 

Make sure to poll your team about what they might also need. You can also look at brands whose content you admire. (Here are 5 great e-book design examples you can learn from.)

2) Build Your Design System

Once you know what your design should include, start building those elements. At this stage, you’re building your visual system, such as:

• Grid system
• Typography (heirarchy, headers, bodycopy, bullets, hyperlink style)
• Color palettes
• Graphic elements
• Data visualization styles
• Photography style
• Illustration style
• Layouts

Everything should adhere to your visual language. Don’t have one? Here’s how to make one, as well as everything it should include.

3) Create Your Template

To turn your visual system into a practical guide, build out your design files, providing mockups of actual pages that reflect best practices. (If you already have an e-book design that works well, you might adapt it to the guidelines.) Examples:

The important thing is to offer clear explanations and visual examples of everything. Whoever picks it up, whether a freelancer or in-house designer, should be able to understand it and replicate it without asking questions.  

You might also include any relevant design tips. (And make sure you avoid these 30 common e-book design mistakes.)

Once you put your e-book design templates to work, you’ll see how much easier they are to produce, and you’ll be grateful you put the work in. 

Remember, too, that you can also make the most of your work by repurposing your e-books after their first run. (Try these 9 tips to do that, and check out this roundup of 101+ resources and tools to make better e-books.)

Look for More Ways Template Can Improve Content Creation

There are always ways to improve how you do things, so think about how templates might help in other areas of content marketing, including:

• Infographic templates
• Interactive templates
• Social templates
• Reporting templates
• Ad templates

We know that not everyone has the resources to tackle design templates, though. If you need a little help or someone to help lighten your content load, holler at us.  

If you don’t have video in your content mix, you’re missing out. It’s simpler to make than ever, and people really want to see it. (A 2014 Levels Beyond survey found that 51% of millennials would rather watch a video than read.) Now is definitely the time to dive in.

But we know you might be a little intimidated (or overwhelmed) to start, and you probably have a lot of questions. We’re here to help.

Our new interactive e-book, The Content Marketer’s Guide to Brand Video, covers everything (seriously, everything) you’ve ever wanted to know about brand video but were too shy to ask, including:

• Why are humans biologically wired for video?
• How can brands use video to deliver a strong message?
• What makes a truly great brand video?
• How do you measure the ROI of video?
• What does it take to produce video?
• How should you act on set?

It’s all there, plus great data, pro tips, and great examples of brand video. We also made it interactive so you can skip to the stuff you want to know—and bookmark it when you want to come back. Click below to check it out now. 

And if there’s anything we didn’t answer, we’d be happy to chat.

How’s your latest e-book doing? How’s your oldest e-book doing? Have downloads dipped? It’s frustrating, we know, but sometimes a few quick tweaks to your e-book design can really improve your readers’ experience, making them more eager to consume your content and connect with your brand. If the content in your e-book is gold, but people are tapping out before they get to page 2, consider how a makeover might help.

Does Your E-book Design Need a Makeover?

Design integrity has a lot to do with how content quality is perceived. First, print out your latest e-book. Take a critical look at what’s in front of you:

• What catches your eye?
• How does it flow?
• What do you feel when you look at it?

These gut reactions and first impressions are what your reader probably experiences, too. We hate to see you give off the wrong impression, so we’re here to help. All it takes is a little creativity to turn a blah design into something beautiful. Here are 6 ways to do it.

1) Choose a Theme

The problem: Your design is totally generic or all over the place, mixing clashing styles, imagery, and visual metaphors right and left.

The fix: E-books are awesome because they give you a nice creative canvas to tell your story. The best, most effective e-books deliver a single story, and use every element of design to support it. Choose a single theme or concept to ground the design, then use your creativity to bring it to life.

2) Rehab Your Cover

The problem: The cover is the first thing people see, but too often marketers miss the mark. The most common mistakes: too cluttered, no imagery, irrelevant imagery, boring typography, generic design.

The fix: Let your content be the guide. Use high-quality imagery to catch the reader’s eye and draw them in. The cover should match the content theme and infuse a little brand personality into it. There should also be an intuitive grid-based layout and logical header hierarchy so that everything is clear at a glance.

3) Add Personality with Imagery

The problem: Your e-book looks like a PowerPoint: generic templates, boring iconography, etc.

The fix: Consider both the tone of the content and your brand personality. The images you use should help cultivate a feeling that supports your message. Is your e-book about employee collaboration? Let’s see people working together. Is it about increasing revenue? Let’s see some tasteful data visualization.

4) Condense and Trim Down Copy

The problem: Someone got a little carried away in trying to build suspense, so you have to flip through 5 pages of “teaser” content before you get to the meat of a section. Conversely, they packed so much in that you’re facing a cluttered mess on each page.

The fix: Know two things: Negative space is your friend, and pages should be used economically. While chapter breaks may deserve their own page, condense content to deliver the message efficiently. Oftentimes this means trimming down content on a page. Removing an extraneous pullquote or sidebar can make a huge difference. Also look for opportunities to let design do the heavy lifting. A paragraph explaining a process can be visualized in a single diagram. A stat in a callout can be turned into a chart. These are great ways to break up the text. 5) Kill the Visual Junk

The problem: Some designers hear the word “visualize” and go nuts, packing every page with illustrations, photos, charts, or iconography.

The fix: Look critically at every visual element. Ask yourself:

• Does this enhance the story? Things like illustrations are often added arbitrarily without much thought.
• Can it be condensed? Data visualization can sometimes make things even more confusing if, say, you’re trying to compare three bar charts when a single grouped bar chart would do it better.
• Does it make sense? This is especially true for icons, which can be far too abstract to represent anything meaningful.

If the answer isn’t yes, say bye.

In addition visual elements, colors can sometimes overwhelm. A helpful tip: Use 1-2 main colors and 2-3 accent colors.

6) Tame Your Typography

The problem: There are so many fonts and sizes it looks like a teenager’s notebook.

The fix: Limit the number of type styles (the combination of kerning, leading, point size, etc.) to create consistency and harmony. Also, don’t use more than 2 typefaces, and do follow a grid. For more of our tips on great e-book design, here are a few posts you might like:

• Learn about the elements of great e-book design.
• Avoid these 8 design mistakes in your visual communication.
• Find out how to design the most common charts and graphs.
• Learn everything you need to know about visual content marketing.

If you need an expert to help you out, let’s chat.

Content marketing is all about diversity: high-value evergreen content that informs, mixed with high-impact, real-time content to bring awareness to your brand. But content marketers are often pulled in every direction, tasked with creating a high volume of content to fill each bucket while ensuring that every piece feeds long-term brand goals.

With limited resources and ever-increasing demands, how do you create content that is economical and impactful? Enter microcontent—an effective approach to content creation that requires little effort and provides maximum value.

In this e-book you’ll learn:

1. What microcontent is: Learn about the different formats to get an idea of what you might want to experiment with.
2. Why microcontent supports your content strategy: From long-term goals to day-to-day publishing, learn how microcontent helps support your efforts
3. How to create effective microcontent: Whether you’re just starting to create content or have an enormous archive, find out how to produce a high volume of content with minimal effort.

DOWNLOAD THE E-BOOK

How do you get the most results from your content marketing? With a killer content marketing strategy. Of course, in a real-time world, it can be hard to plan ahead. When news stories break or a product launch gets postponed, you have to adapt your content while keeping your long-term goals in mind. And no matter what you publish, you also have to keep everyone from your sales team to your social following happy. It often feels like you’re serving two masters—or five or six. But with the right planning, you can create a long-term strategy that saves your energy and your sanity.

A well-crafted, long-term strategy has built-in flexibility and a solid foundation, letting you fill in your content needs as you go—even if (and when) your larger goals change. It means you can stay agile enough to react to the latest trending hashtag while scheduling production for your next evergreen infographic. (Trust us, we did it last week.)

Want to know how? Check out our new e-book, How to Build a Long-Term Content Strategy in a Real-Time World. We cover everything you need to know to create a strategy that works for you, including: 

• Why a long-term strategy saves you time, energy, and money
• How to identify your objectives
• What type of content will serve your objectives
• How to map content to your objectives
• How to effectively schedule content

Check out the e-book, and let us know your tips for creating a content strategy.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY OR CONTENT CREATION? LET’S CHAT.

Though content marketing is the new frontier, marketers are still facing the age-old question: How do you get your brand’s content in front of an audience? Thanks to the proliferation of new media, with the right distribution strategy, you can reach more consumers than ever before.

Still, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Sure, you can create content, but how do you know if it’s serving your marketing goals? Once it’s created, where do you publish? And how do you optimize content for maximum results? Over the last few years, we’ve heard these concerns from all corners of the content marketing globe. And, in many ways, things have only become more confusing as more platforms pop up.

Because we’re in the business of making confusing things easy to understand, we thought it was time to help make sense of it all. At Column Five, we’ve assembled a pro Communications team to help some of the world’s biggest brands reach the right audience. We’ve also made friends over at Onboardly, a PR agency that specializes in content marketing for startups. Our brands have learned plenty over the years (both the easy way and the hard way), so we joined forces to create the new e-book, The Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution.

Whether you’re a PR pro or DIY content marketer, this e-book covers everything you need to know about content distribution, including all our insider tips and tricks. Want to make the most of your content? Download the e-book to learn about:

Crafting a killer content strategy: Get tips for strategic ideation to make sure your content serves your objectives.

Content formats and types: Curate your content marketing mix to include a variety of formats primed for different platforms.

Tips for making media contacts: Learn how to cultivate relationships with journalists and social influencers to expand your content’s reach.

Choosing the right distribution channels: Learn about how each channel can serve your goals and identify which channels to target.

Measuring your ROI: Find out which metrics help track your content’s success at every stage of the sales funnel.

Good content deserves to be shared. With a little bit of structure, planning and foresight, your content can make a major impact.

• Find out how to get the most mileage from your content by Maximizing Your Publishing with Microcontent.
• Learn everything you need to know about visual content in The Ultimate Guide to Visual Content Marketing.

Outlook for the future.

When you’re trying to reach different groups of people—and move them to act—you need good content and a clear call to action to finish the job. A well-crafted CTA can lift conversions across the board. The problem? Weak CTAs still sink plenty of campaigns. You don’t have to write award-winning copy, but a few simple tweaks to wording and placement can make a big difference in how people respond to your content. Here, we’ve rounded up some practical tips and real examples that show what types of CTAs work (and why).

As you read, watch for strong examples and action-ready prompts. Use them to spark ideas for your own approach.

But first, a quick recap.

What Is a Call to Action (CTA)?

Each piece of content you create can start a real connection with the reader, but you need something to keep that interaction going. A call to action is an invitation to take the next step.

A CTA can be a button, link, or short message that nudges someone to do something specific, like sign up for a demo, schedule a consultation, or download a guide. They are prompts designed to drive a specific behavior.

The best CTAs are:

• Clear
• Concise
• Compelling

Whether someone skims a blog post, watches a video, or checks the pricing page, using a simple CTA will help them move through the next stage on the path to purchase.

7 Tips to Write an Effective Call to Action

Because CTAs carry so much weight, you need to give them extra attention. No matter your industry or budget, use these simple tactics.

1) Use a command verb.

Strong verbs help people act right away. Marketing copy can set the scene, while the CTA gives direction. Imperative verbs make that direction clear (think commanding verbs like sign up, try, get, book, download, start, or join).

These types of words cut friction and guide the click.

Examples of command verbs:

• Claim your free trial now to start enjoying our premium features.
• Get your free e-book download today and learn how to boost your productivity.
• Try our limited-time offer!
• Join our community of like-minded individuals and start achieving your goals.
• Register now to secure your spot in our upcoming webinar.
• Upgrade your account now to unlock additional features and benefits.
• Start your 30-day challenge now and transform your life.
• Download our app today and enjoy instant access to all our services.
• Book your appointment now and take the first step toward a healthier you.
• Sign up for our free newsletter.
• Schedule your custom consultation.

Example: Bombas pairs “Go ahead, make yourself comfortable” with products built for comfort. The command matches the promise.

Example: Half Magic Beauty also uses an imperative command with “Take your glitterpill,” a cheeky play on words to encourage site viewers to shop their glitter cosmetics. 

2) Speak to your audience’s desired future state.

A good brand tells a good brand story, and that is directly tied to the promise you’re making to your audience. What will they get by buying your product/service? How will they benefit? How does your product speak to their wants or needs, solve a problem, or improve their lives? Crafting a CTA that promises their ideal future state (in which they’ve bought and are now enjoying the desired results) will always make them want to click.

Connect your call-to-action to that future:

• “Streamline your workflow today”
• “Maximize your productivity”
• “Transform your life”
• “Achieve your goals”

A little energy helps. Even one well-placed exclamation point can really lift the mood.

Example: Mailchimp skips the feature pitch and goes straight to impact: “Convert more customers at scale.”

3) Speak to their pain points.

Relief motivates. If a product removes friction, say that. Show that you understand the pain and offer a clear path out. This is a smart way to not only present your brand as the problem-solver but also reinforce the pain that the user is currently experiencing.

Example: HubSpot uses “Migrate without the migraines.” The promise is simple: move fast without the headache.

4) Create a sense of urgency.

Urgency can help when it’s honest and relevant. Words like “now” and “today” help, as do limited-time offers, countdowns, or limited quantities.

Not every offer fits a flash sale, though. If timing isn’t the hook, use energy and emotion:

• “Turbocharge your sales!”
• “Save a dolphin’s life”
• “Give a child a lunch”

Add intrigue to spark curiosity when appropriate.

Example: Glossier uses the mystery of “What’s that?” in its CTA to prompt the click and reveal.

5) Use a number.

Numbers add specificity and trust. They set expectations and make outcomes tangible:

• “Make 50% more sales”
• “Save 4 hours a month”
• “Join 1,000,000 people getting fitter”

Example: LegalZoom taps social proof: “Join the millions who launched their businesses with LegalZoom.”

6) Keep it short.

CTAs work best when they get to the point. Aim for under 10 words when you can. Focus on clarity over cleverness.

Example: Grammarly says everything you need to know: “Brilliant Writing Awaits.”

7) Speak to your audience’s generational drivers.

Different age groups respond to different cues. Tailor the call to action to what motivates them.

Baby Boomers: quality, reliability, service
They respond well to CTAs that emphasize the quality and durability of a product or service.

• “Invest in quality that lasts”

Gen X: independence, practicality, value
They want control, straight answers, and no fluff.

• “Make your mark”

Millennials: innovation, convenience, experiences
They respond well to CTAs that emphasize the latest trends and technologies.

• “Join the future of fitness”

Gen Z: impact, community, authenticity
They choose brands that act on their values and speak like real people.

• “Make a difference with every purchase”

Example: ColourPop speaks native slang—“Don’t get FOMO”—to drive urgency and connection.

CTA Examples and Best Practices

CTAs turn passive readers into people who act. To work, they need to be obvious, specific, and aligned to what people want.

1) Start with your primary CTA.

What do you want most: newsletter signups, demo requests, or free quotes? Lead with that, then add a secondary CTA for those not ready yet:

• Primary: “Learn more”
• Secondary: “Get a free resource”

2) Use proven templates to move faster.

You can then refine the language to match your customer and your offer. Keep testing. Small tweaks add up.

3) Use CTAs across the buyer journey.

They should show up wherever people interact with you:

• Landing pages: “Get your free download”
• Blog posts: “Start your journey”
• Emails: “Claim your spot”
• Social: “Shop now”

Match the CTA to the moment and the action you want. When the timing feels right and the ask is obvious, more people say yes.

Of course, landing pages are one of the most important places to optimize CTAs, so pay special attention to those.

Landing Pages that Inspire Action

A landing page has one job: turn visitors into customers or leads. Make one primary call to action the focus, then design everything else to support it.

• Use a single, clear CTA with a strong verb: “Sign up,” “Get started,” or “Call now.”
• Keep the layout clean. Cut anything that doesn’t help someone take that step.
• Add an exit-intent pop-up to catch people before they leave. If scarcity is real, say it: “Only 5 spots left.”

Think about how people are viewing your landing page, too. For example, most people visit sites on their phones, so the CTA needs to be mobile-optimized, easy to see, and responsive.

• Place the CTA where thumbs naturally reach. Make buttons large enough to hit without zooming.
• Use short, action-first language that fits mobile behavior: “Tap to get your estimate,” “Shop the sale,” “Download the app.”
• Consider a sticky footer button so the CTA is always within reach.
• Test on different devices. Check speed, spacing, and how the page feels in one hand.

Most importantly, keep it simple. Aim everything at the one action that matters and make it effortless, especially on a phone. Take a critical look at all your channels to make sure you’re offering the same experience. Pay extra attention to your social media, too.

Social Media CTAs

CTAs work when they match why someone opened that app in the first place. On mobile, they should be native, fast, and easy to act on.

Design CTAs for the format:

• Stories: use link stickers, polls, and “DM for details” to start quick chats.
• Reels/TikTok: add on-screen text and captions with the CTA in the first 2-3 seconds.
• Feed posts: put the action in the first line of the caption and mirror it in the creative.
• YouTube: use end screens, pinned comments, and timestamps to drive the next step.
• LinkedIn: end with a simple ask that fits work mode (e.g., “Save for later” or “Comment with your take”).

Match the action to the moment:

• Discovery content: “Save this checklist” or “Follow for next week’s tip.”
• Consideration content: “Watch the walkthrough” or “Compare plans in two clicks.”
• Conversion content: “Book a table for Friday” or “Start a free trial today.”

Use social CTAs to build momentum, not just clicks:

• Spark conversations: “Reply with a question” or “Vote and tell why.”
• Encourage sharing: “Tag a friend who needs this” or “Share to your team chat.”
• Nudge micro-wins: “Add a reminder,” “Save this template,” or “Turn on notifications.”

Make it effortless:

• Keep the CTA and the value side by side in the creative.
• Use short links or native buttons to avoid extra taps.
• Add captions and subtitles so the ask lands with sound off.

Test where it counts:

• Swap CTA verbs by format: “Try,” “Watch,” “Book,” “DM,” “Save.”
• Rotate placement: first line, end card, sticker, or comment.
• Track with UTMs and compare by post type, not just by platform.

Keep it human, keep it native, and ask for the smallest next step that fits the moment.

How to Ensure Your CTAs Are Successful

If you want to write CTAs that always hit the mark, there are a few more ways to ensure your copy always lands.

• Keep personas up to date. Review them every six months so messages reflect real needs, pains, and motivations. Revisit your marketing personas.
• Inject your brand voice. Keep CTAs clear, but let your personality show where it helps. Familiar labels still work for high-intent actions. For example, “Contact Us” remains a strong, simple choice. But you can play with your brand voice elsewhere to add more personality.
• A/B test. CTAs are easy to test and quick to learn from. Experiment with verbs, benefits, and formats to find the most effective version for your people.
• Consider design. Use CTAs with strong visual cues, clean headlines, and smart placement to guide action. Sales pages, especially, benefit from clear prompts that remove guesswork.

That said, CTAs work best inside a strong content strategy. For alignment across your content, grab our free guide to content strategy. And if you want help bringing that strategy to life, see what it’s like to work with us on content strategy or reach out.

A good content marketing machine is a thing of beauty, each piece well-oiled and optimized for smart production. But like any machine, if a piece isn’t working—or is missing entirely—the whole system struggles. Content teams are often plagued by both issues.

• The tool that doesn’t work effectively.
• The missing perspective that could have turned a basic blog into a cornerstone asset.
• The social plan that needs sharper targeting and timing.
• The analytics setup that doesn’t track what matters.
• The process friction that drains hours.

It’s no surprise, though. Most marketing departments face headcount limits and lean budgets, so work piles up.

54% of B2B marketers only have between 2-5 people on their content marketing team. 24% don’t have anyone dedicated to full-time content marketing.

—CMI’s 2025 B2B Benchmarks Report

But just because you have limited headcount doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful content team. Whether you have two people or twenty, you just need to shift your perspective from the number of people on your team to the type of roles those people are filling.

Job Titles vs. Roles in a Content Marketing Team

Checklist hiring is common in marketing. A team needs social, so they look for a social media manager. A team needs copy, so a writer joins the team. The result often mirrors a standard marketing organization on paper, but this type of hiring means important roles or responsibilities go uncovered—and that’s a liability.

That’s why it’s important to think about roles in terms of skill sets, not titles. One person may carry several skills:

• An editor can also be a tight project manager and copy shaper.
• A marketing manager can be both data literate and social savvy.

When team members get room to use their superpowers, collaboration improves, experimentation follows, and the whole content marketing operation levels up. That’s how a small team can outperform a larger one.

So which roles matter most to build a resilient content team structure?

The Roles You Need on Your Content Marketing Team

Every brand shares the same core duties: planning, production, and distribution. Cover the full arc—from content calendar ownership and ideation to pitching and performance analysis—and quality rises. The key to covering your bases is understanding what roles need to be filled and who on your team can fill them.

This role breakdown comes from our years in the trenches. Each role drives a strategic function, fills gaps, and maintains quality control so your content marketing efforts are successful (and always aligned to your business goals).

Again, this isn’t a comprehensive list of people you need to hire but rather a list of what you need to cover with the resources at hand. Organize for efficiency, have collaborative conversations about responsibilities, and bring in support partners when needed.

For your convenience, we’ve mapped these roles to the stages of the content cycle: strategy, creation, and distribution.

1) Content Strategy Roles

Strategy anchors the entire content marketing strategy. You need to build a documented strategy that aligns to business objectives and clarifies audience segments, themes, and key performance indicators. (If you need a framework, see our ultimate guide to build a content strategy and grab the content strategy toolkit.)

To be successful, you need to include the right stakeholders.

Marketing Leader

Whether a founder, a chief marketing officer, or another senior leader, someone must steer. This role connects business development, sales, and marketing, ensuring the content strategy aligns with company goals and reflects brand voice and visual identity. The leader protects focus and ensures the marketing function supports the sales funnel and the full sales cycle.

Marketing leader resources:

• Chief Content Officer: The monthly print and digital magazine from the Content Marketing Institute.
• The Content Strategist: Contently’s publication, covering content marketing news and analysis.

Marketing Manager

A marketing manager keeps the engine running. This person aligns plans to the marketing strategy, directs team members, manages timelines, and clears blockers. They help translate the content strategy into briefs, coordinate content production, and connect distribution with campaigns. Strong operators here often have a proven track record of shipping high-quality content on time.

Marketing manager resources:

• Basecamp: A project management tool with clear visibility into project status.
• Marketing Brew: Marketing news worth reading.
• American Marketing Association: Strong resources, including the piece on the 5 types of marketing managers.
• HubSpot’s Blog: News, trends, and tips for marketers at all levels.

Data Expert

Measurement turns a content marketing strategy into a learning system. The data expert sets up analytics, defines key performance indicators, and pulls valuable insights for optimization across marketing channels. This role informs content ideas, validates keyword research, and spotlights content that drives lead generation.

Data expert resources:

• Google’s Analytics Academy: Training to make analytics useful.
• How to Determine ROI: Smart ways to calculate ROI.

2) Content Creation Roles

With goals set and keyword research in hand, production kicks off. Creation is labor-intensive, so tight planning matters. A strong content team blends editorial judgment with design and technical chops to ship quality content consistently.

50% of B2B marketers rely on multiple teams to create content.

—CMI’s 2025 B2B Benchmarks Report

Managing Editor

The managing editor owns the content calendar, keeps cadence, and ensures every piece maps to the content strategy. This role coordinates contributors, enforces voice and standards, and balances written content with visuals. It’s the bridge between planning and content production.

Managing editor resources:

• CoSchedule: Editorial calendar, social scheduling, and task management.
• Feedly: Organize sources for faster ideation.
• Stormboard: Digital whiteboard for collaboration and brainstorms.
• Editorial Calendar Template: A practical planning tool.

SEO & AEO Expert

Search engine optimization and answer engine optimization fuel sustainable growth. This expert audits the site, prioritizes opportunities, and ensures content aligns to search intent. Duties include research, technical fixes, on-page best practices, and continuous testing across search engines.

SEO expert resources:

• SEMRush: Tools, guides, and training for SEO.
• Search Engine Land: Daily coverage of search marketing.
• Neil Patel: Practical traffic and conversion tactics.

Subject Expert

Expertise builds credibility. Subject experts bring depth, data, and stories that resonate with a target audience. They sharpen outlines, validate claims, and elevate thought leadership.

33% of B2B marketers say they have trouble accessing subject matter experts.

—CMI’s 2025 B2B Benchmarks Report

Resources to increase expertise:

• Expertise Finder: Connects experts, writers, and businesses.
• Qualified data sources: A roundup of free data sources to boost credibility.
• ClearVoice: Find expert writers and creatives.

Editor

Editing still gets overlooked. A sharp editor improves clarity, structure, and polish. This role enforces brand voice and ensures quality content across formats, including blogs, reports, scripts, and social media posts.

Editor resources:

• Grammar Girl: Quick editing tips.
• Grammarly: Handy plugin for catching errors.
• Upwork: Find freelance editors.

Designer(s)

Design makes complex ideas easy to grasp and preserves brand integrity with every piece of content they create. From infographics and e-books to video and interactive content, a strong designer translates information into visuals to increase appeal, comprehension, and retention.

Designer resources:

• Behance/Dribbble: Portfolios to find the right talent.
• Data Visualization 101 e-book: A primer on chart and graph design.

Note: Depending on your content mix—static, interactive, or video—you may also need:

• Developers: You can also see our keys to make great interactive content.
• Video pros: See our tips for choosing a video agency.
• Audio pros: You may need additional support for things like podcasting.

Writer

A strong writer turns insight into narrative. This role crafts clear, compelling copy that reflects brand voice and connects to the target audience. Great writers collaborate with subject experts and editors to deliver high-quality content that drives marketing campaigns.

Writer resources:

• Ann Handley: Practical writing insights.
• Headline Analyzer: Score headlines for impact.
• Hemingway Editor: Improve clarity and flow.
• Tips to Write Compelling Messaging: Build brand stories that convert.

3) Content Distribution Roles

Great content needs reach. Distribution puts the right message in front of the right people at the right time. These roles grow channels, build partnerships, and turn content marketing efforts into measurable marketing outcomes.

Distribution Strategist

This role designs the go-to-market plan for content, including paid, earned, and owned. The strategist develops partner lists, pitches publications, coordinates influencer collaborations, and aligns distribution to the overall marketing strategy and business objectives.

Distribution strategist resources:

• Muck Rack: Find relevant journalists.
• Boomerang: Schedule and follow up on pitches.
• Respona: How to find influencers.
• The Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution: A field guide to distribution.
• How to Pitch Like a Content Agency: Tips to secure publisher placement.

Email Marketer

Email builds durable reach. The email marketer drives list growth, segmentation, and testing. They design journeys that support the sales funnel, connect content to offers, and improve conversion with clear CTAs.

Email marketer resources:

• Sumo: Tools for conversion optimization and list building.
• HubSpot: All-in-one support for automation and analytics.
• Unbounce: Rapid landing page testing to drive lead generation.

Social Media Expert

Social media marketing evolves quickly. A social expert tracks platform trends, tunes content formats, and balances organic with paid. They protect tone, plan social media posts, and report what performs, feeding insights back into the content strategy.

Social media expert resources:

• Social Media Examiner: News, tips, and tools.
• NUVI: Real-time social monitoring.
• BuzzSumo: See what’s getting shared.
• Guide to Choose the Right Metrics for Your Social Strategy: Measure what matters.

The Other Folks

Beyond the core team, pull in partners across the marketing organization and even operational professionals.

• Customer advocate: Sales and service teams surface pain points and proof. Use those insights to create relevant content and stronger campaigns.
• Tech support: Keep your site fast, stable, and flexible—essential for embeds, interactive stories, and your content management system.
• The wildcard: People outside marketing often bring fresh angles. A product marketer, a creative director, or even operational professionals can unlock stories and data others miss.

How to Support Your Content Marketing Team (Even More)

Even strong teams need extra hands or a fresh perspective. Bring in a content marketing manager or a content strategist on a project basis, or work with content marketers who can span planning and production. Integrated marketing wins when other teams collaborate across goals and channels.

• If you’re not sure what to outsource, here’s how to figure out if you need an agency or freelancer.
• If you need a content agency, here are 12 things to look for in a content marketing agency and our best tips to collaborate effectively once you find the right partner.

Remember: The goal is to create a flexible team structure that supports a durable content marketing strategy, fuels marketing efforts across channels, and gives most businesses a competitive advantage through quality content that compounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to structure a content marketing team?

Organize by roles, not titles, across the full content cycle:

• Strategy: Marketing leader, marketing manager, data/analytics expert
• Creation: Managing editor, SEO, subject expert, editor, designer, writer (plus dev/video/audio as needed)
• Distribution: Distribution strategist, email marketer, social media expert

Prioritize complete role coverage over headcount; one person can own multiple roles. Anchor everything to a documented strategy, editorial calendar, and clear KPIs.

2. When should we outsource content—and what should stay in-house?

Outsource when bandwidth or expertise is the constraint (e.g., design, editing, specialized writing, dev/video/audio). Keep the core in-house: business-aligned strategy, voice/standards, briefs, and final editorial control, so that outside work still advances your goals.

3. What does a Managing Editor actually own?

Editorial calendar, cadence, and quality. They translate strategy into briefs, coordinate contributors, enforce voice/standards, balance copy + visuals, and ensure each piece maps to objectives.