Five content marketing mistakes you’re making right now

We all use content marketing, right? Did I sense some hesitation just now?

I’m going to assume that you all do and if you need a reason before you start, how about you check out Content Marketing Institute’s 2017 content marketing research, which says that 85% of B2B marketers state that content marketing was the number reason for increased sales.

However, you might be making some content marketing mistakes that might be reducing the success of your campaigns or actually just making you waste money and effort. Now, you might not be to blame. You have limited resources, time and a boss that’s breathing down your neck at all times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do the right thing now.

Here are 5 simple mistakes that many of us seem to make all the time.

Read more: A beginner’s guide to content marketing

Mistake #1: Ignoring the strategy

Guys, planning to write ten articles a month and knowing a few keywords to include isn’t a content marketing strategy. It’s not bad but it is sort of like having a business plan that is to sell a product for more money than it costs to make it. It isn’t wrong but it is probably missing a few steps in between.

Having a content marketing strategy helps in guiding your team’s efforts through the hassle of having to write enough content to stand out in a crowded digital battleground which is the internet.

Want to find out more content marketing tips? Check out content marketing tips for startups.

Plan out your strategy by identifying the following: 1) the who, 2) the why, 3) the what, and finally, 4) the how.

Contact us to find out how we can help you build your strategy.

Mistake #2: Making content marketing a standalone piece

We love content marketing, but even we know it can’t be a standalone activity. A common content marketing mistake we all make is to keep it separate from your overall marketing strategy. Content marketing is an integral part of inbound marketing but is only one part.

There are several aspects of marketing that directly impact the success of your content marketing strategy. There’s the SEO audit, website development and so much more.

Make sure you get your team together and have a common goal. Include sales, your interns, customer service and even the guy who changes the printer toner. We can’t stress enough about the need for a fully aligned team.

Get a free consultation to find out if you’re doing it right. 

Mistake #3: Forgetting about a content calendar

A really common content marketing mistake that brands make is forgetting all about the content calendar.

What is a content calendar you ask? It is basically your content in an easy-to-understand document that makes sure everyone knows what’s going on and what content is coming up next. It also has those pesky things like deadlines attached to it.

It is really, really important.

Speak to a SYNC consultant now at [email protected] to build your content calendar.

Mistake #4: Forgetting about the value and focusing on technology/product

Guys, we know you think your product absolutely crushes your opponents and is awesome. We agree, but your customers probably don’t know your product or service, or frankly, don’t care. What they care about is how they can solve a problem they have.

When we forget about the solution and the value your product or service can bring customers, and focus on writing about the product only, we miss the point of content marketing. Our goal is to solve a problem, by making the product/service the solution. Just remember to talk about the solution.

Mistake #5: Forgetting about the dissemination of content

We have a saying at SYNC – content is great, but basically, it is just a quarter of the job. Getting it in front of your customers is the most important bit. That’s why we offer both PR and content marketing, however, that’s a completely different blog post.

Speak to a SYNC consultant about PR and we’ll assess your brand for free, no strings attached.

Use your content platforms to get the content out to as many people as possible. This includes all your owned media like your own Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest to name a few. Even create video and visual content on YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram if you’ve got the capacity.

Sending your content to your email list is kind of the minimum that you can do.

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Success can be fleeting or hard to achieve. With content marketing, any mistake we make could derail our entire business strategy. So always take time and rely on experts to help guide you through the process.

Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about how to prevent making such content marketing mistakes for your brand.