7 common content marketing mistakes and tips on how to get better

Content marketing has been seen as an effective tool in online marketing for years. How exactly your content marketing works is ultimately up to you, but there are some common content marketing mistakes that you should avoid.

1. Your content is just not good enough

When content arises from the compulsion “We have to publish a blog post again!”, Then the quality can suffer. Good content cannot be shaken out of your sleeve quickly. If this content does not offer any added value for your users, you better think about it again. Of course, this point is also largely related to the other content marketing mistakes: Without correct goals, success control and a plan, your content will hardly appeal to your target group and also not better.

Our tip:

Before creating a new blog post or other content, think about what exactly this piece of content will bring your users.

2. Content marketing without fixed goals

Just produce content and it will bring something? What exactly should blog posts or videos achieve? Content marketing is the means to success in online marketing, you read it everywhere, but what exactly does it bring?

Every content strategy should start with a goal. Because the strategy is geared towards this goal and decides which content formats are right for you.

Two examples of specific goals:

Lots of interactions in social media so that you become better known to your target group? Video content that goes viral as possible and reaches your potential customers by being shared online and thus spreading by itself is ideal.

Do you want to be found on many relevant topics and become an opinion leader on one topic? Then a knowledge area or a suitable blog can be the best tool.

Just getting started without defining fixed goals is a common content marketing mistake. Without goals, it is not possible to monitor success later, which makes it all the more difficult to learn from mistakes.

3. You produce content without controlling its success

Continuous monitoring is important in order to be able to assess what your content marketing activities really bring. Content marketing is a never-ending process that can be continuously improved. Of course, in times of GDPR and the waiver of cookies, it is more and more difficult to generate reliable data and, as is so often the case in marketing, many effects are difficult to measure, but success monitoring is still essential. For example, ask yourself these questions:

  • How many people did your content reach?
  • What was the interaction rate?
  • Who is sharing your content?
  • What can you do better than the competition? What is the competition doing better?
  • How has a new content strategy affected real sales?
  • What channels did users use to find you and what role did content marketing play in this?

Tip:

In the next step, you should also react to the findings that the analysis of your content marketing activities brings you. If a post is less well received, for example too seldom read to the end or a certain type of content generates significantly fewer interactions, you should ask why.

4. Too high expectations of content marketing

With just a few blog posts, it’s unlikely to go viral and get top rankings right away. Of course there are exceptions and even a single post can achieve top rankings, but it often takes patience. Success depends first on the competition. Are there many competitors who are actively involved in content marketing? Then your content just has to be better. If the expectations are too high, disillusionment occurs quickly and in the worst case it is decided to stop all activities.

5. Content without a call-to-action option

Content marketing shouldn’t be promotional. Nevertheless, it is important to give the user at least one option to convert. A call-to-action element for the corresponding product, service or entry in your newsletter mailing list can be installed inconspicuously in many formats. The option to share the content should also be made as easy as possible for users and, for example, appropriate buttons should be incorporated.

Sure, not every content format is suitable for this, but a little push in the right direction can definitely help. It is important to find the right balance. If your content shows an interest in your services or if further information is desired, you should make this next step as easy as possible for users.

CTA tip:

Whoever thought your blog post was great might want to read more about it. So why not offer that the user won’t miss a future post on the same topic via your newsletter? Don’t make this content marketing mistake and give your users a call-to-action element.

6. Content not regular

If you run a blog, you do more than just publish new blog posts every now and then. As a blogger, you also enter into a relationship with your readers, even if the blog is kept rather impersonal. A reader expects new articles on a regular basis, suddenly there is a yawning emptiness, so doubts about the work ethic and seriousness of the company arise.

Our tip: Work ahead and first create an editorial plan in which you plan contributions for the next 12 months. It is better to have less regular new posts per week or month instead of running out of breath after a short time.

7. Insufficient seeding

Do you publish elaborate tutorial videos, very detailed blog posts or do you have a sophisticated tool for free use on your website, but hardly any views? The best content is wasted if nobody knows it. Of course, high-quality content can also be spread via organic search, but this may give away potential for greater reach. Even good content must be seeded on the right channels and thus reach the largest possible target group.

The PESO model can also be used for content seeding:

  • P: Paid Media (advertise content via Google Ad or Facebook Ads)
  • E: Earned Media (good content is also shared by itself and spreads this way, for example by influencers, bloggers or the press)
  • S: Social Media (shares your content in social networks – here it can be seen, liked and shared by your users)
  • O: Owned Media (Your content should of course also be shared via your own channels, use all appropriate sources, such as newsletters, blogs, print products, etc.)

In addition to increasing reach, content seeding can also have a positive effect on rankings. For Google, social signals are a positive criterion and so the seeding also indirectly influences the reach of your content. The better that works, the more likely you are to be perceived as a brand and many interactions strengthen the trust at Google.

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