Knowing what type of content to create, whether written, visual, video, or live is important. But there is another way to categorise content that most people never think about, and it is arguably more important for building a brand and making sales.

Beyond format, every piece of content you create serves one of four purposes; to educate, to entertain, to inspire, or to persuade. The most effective content creators understand this and mix all four strategically. The creators who struggle are usually heavy on one type and neglecting the others entirely.

This article breaks down each of the four content purposes, shows you when to use each, and helps you build a content strategy that actually moves your audience.

Content Type 1: Educational Content

Educational content teaches your audience something they did not know; a skill, a process, a concept, or a framework. It is the workhorse of content marketing because it builds credibility, earns trust, and creates genuine value for your audience.

Examples:

• A step-by-step tutorial on how to use a tool or technique
• An explanation of a concept your audience finds confusing
• A breakdown of common mistakes and how to avoid them
• A “how it works” post about your industry or area of expertise

When to use it:

Educational content should make up the bulk of your output, roughly 40 to 50 percent. It is the foundation of authority. When you consistently teach your audience useful things, they begin to see you as the go-to person in your field.

Nigerian context example:

A tax consultant in Lagos posts a weekly thread explaining one tax rule every Nigerian business owner should know. Over three months, she becomes the person thousands of entrepreneurs follow for tax clarity and her consulting bookings triple.

Content Type 2: Entertaining Content

Entertaining content makes your audience feel something; laughter, surprise, delight, nostalgia. It does not always have an obvious lesson or call to action, but it creates connection and makes people enjoy spending time in your world.

Examples:

• Relatable memes or humorous observations about your industry
• Funny behind-the-scenes moments from your business or daily life
• Storytelling content that draws people in through drama or humour
• Challenges, trends, or playful takes on current conversations

When to use it:

Entertaining content should make up about 20 to 25 percent of your content. It humanises your brand and makes people enjoy following you, not just learn from you. People who enjoy your content stick around longer and people who stick around are more likely to eventually buy.

Important note:

You do not have to be a comedian to create entertaining content. Entertainment is about relatability as much as humour. A story that makes someone nod and say “that is so true” is entertaining even if it is not funny.

Content Type 3: Inspirational Content

Inspirational content motivates your audience to believe that something better is possible for their business, their career, their life. It is emotional content that taps into aspiration and speaks to the gap between where people are and where they want to be.

Examples:

• Success stories and transformation narratives
• Honest accounts of struggle and how it was overcome
• Powerful quotes paired with genuine personal context
• Progress updates that show the journey, not just the destination

When to use it:

Inspirational content should make up about 20 to 25 percent of your output. It reminds your audience why what they are working toward matters, and it keeps them emotionally invested in your brand. When you share your own journey honestly, including the hard parts, people root for you, and people who root for you become loyal buyers.

Content Type 4: Persuasive Content

Persuasive content is sales and promotional content posts that directly presents your offer, explain its value, and invites your audience to take action. It is the content that converts followers into buyers.

Examples:

• Product or service announcements with clear benefits
• Testimonials and results from happy customers
• Limited-time offers with genuine reasons for urgency
• Direct calls to action: buy, register, book, sign up

When to use it:

Persuasive content should make up about 10 to 15 percent of your output. This may feel surprisingly low, but it is intentional. If too much of your content is promotional, your audience will tune out. The trust you build with educational, entertaining, and inspirational content is what makes your persuasive content convert.

The Power of Mixing All Four

The reason most people’s content does not work is not that they are bad at creating it. It is that they are only using one or two types when they need all four working together.

Think of it like a conversation with a good friend. The best friends are not the ones who only ever teach you things, or only ever make you laugh, or only ever try to sell you something. The best friends do all of these things in the right measure at the right time and that is why you trust them and enjoy spending time with them.

Your content strategy should work the same way.

Teach generously.

Entertain genuinely.

Inspire authentically

Sell confidently, knowing that the first three have earned you the right to the fourth.

Click on the link below to have access to all our free classes and resources, as well as someone from the SPN Team who will guide you in your content creation journey. Don’t be left out; https://linktr.ee/salesandproductionnetwork2

Action step: Look at the last ten pieces of content you have posted. Count how many fall into each of the four categories. If your content is heavily skewed toward one type, plan to create content from the neglected categories this week