Content Marketing: Pitfalls to Avoid
Today’s business climate is hypercompetitive and one way to stand out from the crowd is with effective content marketing. Modern consumers are tech-savvy, consumption-conscious, and have abundant options for the goods and services they desire. Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar retailer, a dentist, or a service-based business, developing a solid content marketing strategy is a must for any enterprise. Before you begin drafting and publishing content, it’s important to develop a clear path forward by conducting research, determining your brand’s identity and how your content should align with it. One way to approach content marketing is to avoid three common pitfalls: short-sightedness, relying too heavily on intuition, and getting stuck in a rut.
Top 3 Content Marketing Pitfalls
Short-Sightedness
Focusing only on your short-term goals or only on your company’s image could backfire. When developing a content strategy, it’s important to assess consumer- and industry-related trends. Taking a deep dive into your competition’s marketing tactics helps, too. A broad view of what consumers want and how companies in your industry respond to consumer needs will help you avoid the pitfalls of short-sightedness and develop a content marketing strategy that resonates with your audience. When looking to the competition for inspiration, bear in mind the importance of authentically portraying your company and its mission. You can replicate the success of your competition without losing your voice.
Relying Too Much on Intuition
While intuition is a helpful skill for marketing professionals, trusting intuition alone is a recipe for stale content. The best way to approach a content marketing strategy is to pair an experienced marketer’s intuition with reliable data to back it up. Studying metrics like engagement and response rates along with evaluating the success of companies’ marketing efforts can go a long way in developing a strategy that builds a brand and solicits consumer engagement.
Getting Stuck in a Content Rut
It can be easy to fall into a content marketing rut. Sometimes, coming up with new topics can be cumbersome. When things are hectic or new ideas aren’t doing as well as you hoped, it can be tempting to accept stale content and stagnant results.
Avoiding ruts is difficult but it’s not impossible. We recommend dedicating time to developing a long-term editorial calendar, with plenty of alternatives to ideas or topics that may not resonate well with your audience. Having a clear and detailed plan can fan the flames of inspiration instead of burnout.
Beyond selecting topics is the need to select the right type of content. While a blog and a video can share the same message, the success of either can vary wildly depending on the demographics you’re trying to reach and the industry you’re in. The type of content you produce also depends on which platform you’re using. For example, short informative videos do well on Instagram while long-form, text-heavy posts with images do better on Facebook.
Taking time to develop a content strategy makes a world of difference in your cross media marketing efforts. The experts at Pel Hughes can help with database services, campaign automation, graphic design, and print advertising like direct mail. Give us a call today (504) 486-8646 to discuss your print and digital marketing needs.
