Content marketing is one surefire way to expand any business. It provides awareness of the brand and or product to potential customers and also promotes engagement from existing customers. A study done by the Content Marketing Institute found that 92% of marketers consider content marketing as an asset for the companies they market for. However, it’s much easier said than done, there are common mistakes that can be made. It’s imperative for brands to be strategic when creating and posting content, or it can easily become a waste of time and effort. Here are some common mistakes seen with content marketing and ways to avoid them.
Common content marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
1. Not creating content that can be repurposed
Quality content that will give companies the results they want requires time, energy, and additional resources. It would be most efficient to create content that can be reused for various purposes across several platforms. This is one way for companies to maximize their ROI.
2. Not identifying the target audience
In order for content to resonate, it needs to address a need or desire that the target audience has. However, it is difficult to effectively do so when the marketer doesn’t know much about the audience. Each piece of content should be personal and demonstrate empathy, which requires the gathering of data and knowledge on that demographic to craft a message that shows that they’re understood and their preferences are a top priority. That way, marketers can position the product or service as the most optimal solution.
3. Only creating content for potential customers
As humans, it’s extremely common for us to constantly strive for more, which sometimes leads to us neglecting what we already have. Having a community of loyal supporters is crucial for longevity and is often overlooked. Creating content that is only geared toward potential customers can discourage existing customers, making them feel undervalued and decreasing engagement. Most content should be customer-focused to meet their needs and standards and to maintain the connection and engagement rate. Those loyal customers will then pull in new ones, as long as they’re not neglected in brand-to-customer interactions.
4. Ignoring customers
It’s a bad look to leave customers who reach out with concerns, questions, or dissatisfaction on “read,” especially when they can take it to social media for everyone to see. In addition to the content, customers should also be given a point of contact that is easily accessible and will be seen by the company in a timely fashion. According to SearchEngineJournal.com, “ The 2020 National Consumer Rage Study found that customer complaints via digital platforms compared to phone or in-person complaints have tripled over the last 3 years. And since 48% of American consumers gauge a company’s worth based on their social media presence, that can pose a serious problem.”
5. Not creating content for the entire sales funnel
The buying process consists of several stages, which should all be addressed in the content created. Focusing only on the early stages of the process can cause missed opportunities to connect with prospects in the later stages and vice versa.
6. Not being consistent with content
The best way to create awareness and establish trust with the target audience is to demonstrate trustworthiness through content posted and promoted on a regular basis. With the internet being a vast ocean of endless pictures and videos, people need to be enticed over and over again for any kind of long-term effect to take place. One idea found to be effective is the 80/20 rule, meaning 20% of the time is spent creating content, while the other 80% is promoting it.
7. Creating irrelevant or low-quality content
In attempts to pump out as much content as possible, it’s common to see brands posting content that is poorly put together or completely irrelevant to what the brand is about. This leads to a decline in perceived value provided, which can impact the credibility of the company. This is why it’s helpful to create content that can be repurposed and to focus on promoting that quality content once it’s created.
8. Using a one-sided approach
It’s critical to have a diverse marketing strategy. Sticking to one tactic can be risky and ineffective, and with so many platforms and methods available, it makes sense to include several in the marketing process.
9. Not implementing user-generated content
User-generated content is organic content created by a customer, which includes pictures, videos, written posts, etc. A study done by Reevo concluded that 70% of people trust pictures from fellow consumers, rather than the ones created by brands. This builds trust within the target audience and can save time and resources.
10. Not tracking analytics
Creating and posting content is just one aspect of the content marketing process, and not reviewing how well or how poorly the content performs is a huge mistake. Without reviewing this data, there’s no way to know what is working and what isn’t, which is helpful knowledge to have for creating content in the future. When a specific tactic performs well, marketers and brands can focus on implementing that more often or finding ways to upgrade it, and of course, if something isn’t working, they’ll know to pull the plug and cut any losses. continuously. If something is performing better than expected, you can double down on that specific tactic.
Content marketing is no walk in the park, but it can be worthwhile if done properly. It’s important for marketing means to not be spread too thin in an attempt to try to reach every market on every platform, but also to do enough to increase visibility and awareness. The most effective content is informative, authentic, and empathetic, and there are various ways to go about achieving this.
