In the grand scheme of things, content marketing is still a relatively new concept. The general idea behind it is easy to understand: you create valuable content that attracts attention, builds buzz, and establishes trust. However, as with anything new, there’s a learning curve.
This article will walk you through five of the biggest mistakes I see business owners and marketers making with their content marketing strategy. I’ll also provide some practical tips for how to avoid these common mistakes in the future.
1. Right content, wrong audience
This is perhaps the most common mistake I see businesses making. Among the businesses I work with, it’s rare that I see content that’s factually incorrect or poorly written. What’s far more common is seeing great content that’s just not right for its intended audience.
There are many ways content can miss the mark in terms of audience targeting:
- Content that doesn’t take into account the format that the audience prefers (e.g. text, image, video, short form versus long form, etc.)
- Reading level mismatch (content that’s too ‘dumbed down’ or too difficult for the audience to understand)
- Content that doesn’t address the needs, interests, pain points or budget of the audience. For instance, if my audience consists largely of small business owners, writing content on expensive marketing automation systems is likely going to miss the mark.
How to avoid this mistake: This mistake can easily be avoided by testing out a variety of content with your audience. Consult your analytics to see which content has performed well in the past, and emulate that in terms of format, readability score and promotion and distribution methods.
2. Not tracking and measuring the results of your content marketing efforts
According to the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends report, 49% of B2B business owners are still having trouble measuring the effectiveness of their content. So, despite the fact that we’re investing more time and money into content creation and distribution than ever before, many of us still have no idea whether that content is working.
How to avoid this mistake: Tracking the effectiveness of your content isn’t overly challenging, but it does mean setting goals and tracking the corresponding performance metrics. First, determine which goals you want to achieve through your content. Some examples may be increased sales, lead generation, or brand awareness. For each goal, think about the metrics you can track to determine the effectiveness of your content. For instance, if you want to increase leads through your blog content, you’ll want to track which pages on your site result in the most email opt-ins or completed contact forms. If your goal is brand awareness, you’ll likely focus on softer numbers like social media followers, engagement and ‘buzz’, as well as page views and website traffic.
3. Assuming your readers can’t see your motivation
We’re constantly being bombarded by commercial messages. Your blog readers and social media followers know you’re running a business, and that your ultimate goal is to make sales. There’s no need to hide or sugarcoat this fact.
When creating content, don’t hesitate to be transparent in revealing your motivation. Your audience is usually able to quickly deduce what your motivation is anyway, and being transparent about it can help build trust.
Merrill Lynch was one of the first to successfully use this strategy in their marketing materials. In 1951, they took out an ad in the Pittsburg Press and gave it the title, “What Everybody Ought to Know About This Stock and Bond Business”. The full-page ad opened with a section called “Why We Are Publishing This Information”. One of the main reasons they stated? To offer information to people who would otherwise be too afraid to invest.
How to avoid this mistake: Don’t be afraid to tell your audience why you’re offering free information or products (e.g. “So you can try us out and hopefully buy from us”). Realize that your website visitors and social media followers understand the motivation behind your content; so where appropriate, disclose your motivation to allay skepticism and build trust. This is particularly important when promoting goods or services on an affiliate basis, as not disclosing affiliate interests can be against FTC guidelines.
4. Not knowing how your content fits into your funnel
Your content should be part of your overall marketing funnel. As mentioned previously, you should have a good idea of what goals your content is supposed to accomplish and how you’re going to measure its effectiveness.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of producing content for content’s sake. But if your content doesn’t lead readers to the next stage in your funnel, it’s unlikely to ever produce the results you’re looking for.
How to avoid this mistake: One of the best ways to make sure your content works within your funnel is by using the appropriate calls to action (CTAs). For each piece of content you create and promote, understand exactly what you want the reader or viewer to do next. Do you want them to join your email list? To read another piece of content that moves them further along the path to purchase? Do you want them to visit a product page and make a sale? Determine exactly what you want to happen and then use your CTAs to encourage movement to the next stage of your funnel.
5. Not paying enough attention to the distribution of your content
Effective content marketing involves content planning, content creation and content distribution. Unfortunately, it’s very common for marketers to get the first two right but to neglect the third.
According to Contently’s State of Content Marketing report, this is the year when content marketers will finally understand the need for a distribution strategy: “The newspaper companies used to have two things that gave them control of the world’s information: printing presses and delivery trucks. Tools for creation and publishing online have given brands the virtual press; this year and forward, they’re going to need to start investing more intelligently in the trucks.”
How to avoid this mistake: Consider all the channels available to you in terms of promoting your content. Determine which ones are best suited to each piece of content. Possible distribution channels include:
- Your email list
- Social media
- Organic search (with a particular focus on mobile SEO)
- Reaching out to influencers in your niche
- Obtaining free PR
- Guest blogging on well-respected sites
- Paid media (social ads, native ads, etc.)
For more information on how to effectively distribute your content, see my recent article, Are You Missing This Critical Element In Your Content Marketing Initiative?
What are the biggest content marketing mistakes you see marketers making? Which ones do you struggle with the most? Share below!
