Content marketing is perhaps the most hyped topic on the internet today. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the salvation for your business’s marketing strategy or the only way to make a million bucks online. Suffice to say, it has a pretty good reputation.
But like most things in life, success isn’t about just going through the motions: businesses also need to execute efficiently. The problem is that too many companies have broken content strategies, and it costs them time and money. Here’s why yours is a mess and how to fix it.
Stop Assuming People Understand The Value Of Content
Although content marketing has been around for a while, not everybody really “gets it.” The fact of the matter is that it’s a counterintuitive thing compared to traditional advertising. Rather than saying what you actually do and why people should buy from you, you’re effectively handing out free advice.
Team members need to understand the actual purpose of content marketing at a fundamental level. They need to understand that it’s all about creating funnels which try to direct users towards a product, without being explicit. Content marketing is inbound marketing at its most effective.
Stop Using Old Platforms
As the digital agency Mettro points out, the majority of content marketing materials is not consumed on mobile devices – laptops, smartphone, and tablets. As a result, it’s essential that content is tailored for these platforms. While a wall of text might be acceptable on PCs, the same isn’t true on mobile. People want bite-sized, snackable bits of information that get right to the point. Use these to take advantage of the mobile market.
Stop Using So Much Text
On a related note, try not to use so much text. The data suggest that most people prefer visual content to text format, and so pictures and images are usually preferable. It has been shown in studies that dwell time is higher on pages that have more images rather than less, even though text typically takes longer to consume.
You’re Not Linking Your Content And Business Strategy
The whole purpose of creating content is to draw people into your business, drive sales and grow your market share. But some companies pursuing content strategies seem to forget this and get carried away by the content itself. This is a dangerous strategy which rarely works in practice.
The main reason it doesn’t work is that undirected content often doesn’t appeal to your target audience. Sure, you may be getting a lot of hits, but it’s not from the people you actually want to attract to your site.
The other problem is the tone of the content. Ideally, the tone of content should reflect the culture of your business – or at least the perception you want your customers to have. But all too often, content is siphoned off to a third party outfit, either inside or outside of the company – which doesn’t have the same level of direction or oversight. Keep tabs on the tone of the content and make sure it matches up to your business.