Content marketing is a valuable strategy, but too many companies make simple mistakes.
In theory, content marketing is simple. Write and produce content that people want to consume, and you’ll earn a better brand reputation, more traffic, and of course, more conversions. But sometimes that simplicity can be deceiving, tricking marketers and entrepreneurs into thinking that they can bluff their way through the strategy.
If you do that, you’ll end up making one of these all-too-common mistakes:
- You didn’t have a plan. If you jump into content marketing without thinking, you’re going to fail. It’s that simple. You need to have a full strategy, including who you want to reach, how you want to reach them, and what resources and investments you’ll need in order to do it—remember, you can always update the plan later.
- You don’t have a target audience. This is a huge mistake we see on a daily basis. You can’t write for “everybody,” even though “everybody” seems like the biggest possible audience. Instead, you need to focus your writing to appeal to one group of people.
- You’re repurposing old ideas. Don’t just copy or mimic what you see other brands doing on the web. If you want to stand out, you need to do something original.
- You aren’t integrating your strategy. The magic of content marketing is how it affects your other strategies in a complementary way; for example, it can greatly enhance your SEO, social media, email marketing, and other efforts. If you aren’t integrating it, you’re missing out on its full potential.
- You aren’t adapting. Things never stay the same for long—if you want your strategy to survive, you have to adapt with the times.
Avoid these content marketing mistakes at all costs if you want your strategy to survive. The more you plan ahead, and the more you’re willing to adapt, the better chances you have at achieving success.
