According to the recent B2B Content Marketing Report by CMI, it is not unexpected that 88% of the companies surveyed incorporated Content Marketing into their practices in 2015. However, it is notable that merely 30% of these companies consider their Content Strategy as successful, and just 32% have officially documented their content strategy. This raises the question regarding what the remaining companies are doing with their Content Marketing strategies.
If you fail to track your progress, measure performance metrics, and document your strategy (or seek assistance from experts in inbound marketing services), you may find that your content production is futile. Additionally, it can be exasperating to realize that you are wasting excessive time and money on strategies that are no longer effective.
No matter if you’re assessing the issues with your content strategy from the previous year or crafting your initial content strategy, it is essential to consider abandoning these traditional Content Marketing tactics.
1. Stop keyword stuffing your content
During the initial period of SEO, a landing page that emphasized a particular keyword was highly effective. These pages, commonly known as “doorway pages”, were solely designed to entice search engine bots and enhance rankings on the search results pages.
It goes without saying that keyword density and doorway pages are outdated concepts from the year 2005. Google has advanced in its ability to determine the quality and credibility of a webpage.
It is important to emphasize that Keyword Research and Analysis remains crucial in the content marketing process. Nevertheless, understanding and integrating these high potential keywords into your overall strategy is vital. However, excessively using your target keyword in your content will not enhance your search visibility. In fact, it may even result in penalties and complete removal from search engine result pages (SERPs).
That being stated, allow your content to naturally flow. Analyze your keyword list, consider how these phrases are pertinent to your intended audience, and compose your content in a manner that addresses queries, stirs emotions, and connects with your audience on a personal level.
Ensure that your content is reader-friendly rather than search-friendly. Shift your attention away from keywords and instead prioritize engaging in discussions, addressing various topics, and providing answers to questions.
2. Stop creating short and easy blog posts
This is primarily relevant for B2B companies. In today’s era, where we encounter a constant flood of content in various forms on a daily basis, it’s simple to assume that brief, effortless, and easily scannable content is what busy and on-the-go readers would prefer. Undoubtedly, this approach has proven successful for many of us in previous years.
Writing concise blog posts, limited to 500 words a day, appears to be both easier and more successful. We strive to present content that is concise and simple in order to engage readers without overwhelming them.
Over the past year, there has been an observed change in Content Marketing trends, with increasing evidence from experts indicating that long-form content yields better and more enduring outcomes in terms of search engine visibility, traffic, overall performance, and return on investment (ROI).
Neil Patel provided a concise summary of why it is desirable to create content that ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 words.
- Majority of blog posts published are 500 words or shorter. You can stand out in the noise by putting in extra an 1500 words worth of work.
- Longer articles generate business leads for longer timeframe. Because they attract backlinks and organic traffic from Google timelessly.
- You’re perceived as an authority in your industry. Your audience appreciates comprehensive posts that delve into intricacies of their pain points. They won’t need to jump on 10 different websites to get the same information.
- Long-form is sustainable. You can launch a marketing campaign solely by repurposing these epic content pieces.
This practice is best suited for B2B companies, specifically those offering technical services. Creating extensive, in-depth content, as Neil suggests, will establish you as an industry expert and help gain the trust of potential customers.
Understanding your business goals and buyer personas is a wise first step, especially for B2C companies, as they may have varying scenarios where visual content or quick posts are more impactful.
3. Stop showing only partial posts on your rss and/or email feeds
While some bloggers choose to display only excerpts in their RSS feeds to compel readers to visit their blog for the complete post, others prefer to show the entire posts in their feed, enabling subscribers to read directly from their feed readers or email inboxes without the need to visit the blog.
Having a large number of page views is no longer as important as ensuring that people can access your content whenever and however they prefer. Although you may experience a decrease in traffic, rest assured that you will attract a larger readership.
4. Stop blogging daily
After witnessing numerous debates and arguments, we firmly believe that producing high-quality content regularly holds more significance than daily blogging.
If you happen to be in charge of a news website or even someone as notable as Seth Godin, it is indeed crucial to blog on a daily basis for the sake of your business. However, in the case of corporate blogging, you can accomplish more by producing thorough content on a weekly basis rather than publishing mediocre content on a daily basis.
Avoid exhausting yourself by feeling obligated to blog every day. Instead, establish a manageable and consistent blogging schedule that you can adhere to. Dedicate yourself to producing fewer, yet more significant, posts. Remember, quality over quantity. The vital element is consistency, not necessarily daily output.
5. Not putting the user first
This point holds the highest rank for me as it is connected to all the other points. It could even be considered as interchangeable with the previous point.
One of the main reasons why companies often experience a failed content marketing operation is due to their disregard for understanding the online behavior of their potential customers. This involves the lack of alignment between the content provided and the demand in online searches, insufficient consideration of the preferred social media channels by customers, and the failure to acknowledge that a majority of individuals prioritize impartial media brands over the perspectives of a specific brand like ‘brand X’.
By envisioning yourself as your potential customer and developing customer personas, consider their online behavior and identify their specific requirements. By doing so, you will surpass many companies engaged in content marketing.
6. Bad user experience design
Web developers often prioritize content sections of websites last, with typography being a prevalent issue. Specifically, commonly encountered difficulties involve illegibly small text presented in a regular font.
I am amazed at how widespread this problem is, considering how simple it is to solve.
In addition to typography issues, there is also a prevalent lack of integration between a WordPress site and the primary platform. This is often a situation where many marketers overlook the fact that content marketing can serve as a sales tool.
7. Bad headlines (and subject lines)
Bad headlines are a frequent reason for poor blogging; however, encountering issues with content headlines also impacts SEO and social media.
One significant discovery when analyzing content marketing in the fashion ecommerce sector was that the majority of editorial headlines in the industry lacked clarity in conveying the full meaning of the articles. This poses a significant challenge for search and social distribution.
8. Lack of diversity
An excellent illustration of this is when messaging is solely focused on sales, without exploring the plethora of online formats that are readily accessible and often inexpensive or even free to utilize.
Companies utilizing Facebook should explore alternative avenues for engaging their fans, rather than solely relying on photos and links. Conversely, those engaging in blogging have the opportunity to venture beyond written and pictorial articles and experiment with various styles. While it is crucial to maintain consistency, companies can diversify their content formats while still delivering a consistent message.
9. The consistent oversell
David Ogilvy’s mantra is ‘We either sell or nothing.’ While it remains the ultimate objective for marketers, encountering such extreme sales-driven content upon logging into a Facebook page is not what most users had in mind. The temptation to oversell is hard to resist for companies with a significant online presence.
With numerous other topics they could engage their audiences with, fashion ecommerce websites are especially notorious for neglecting this aspect, resulting in a significant decline in Facebook page engagement rates.
10. Bad formatting
Creating a style guide that adheres to commonly accepted web standards and insisting on its thorough implementation is essential, as persistent examples of subpar blogging warrant special attention. No valid justifications should arise if the guidelines have been appropriately followed.
11. Bad channel selection
While it may be simple to establish your brand on various social media platforms and be present, effectively doing so is an entirely different challenge.
Why not ask yourself the reason behind it? Although certain brands may choose to experiment with less popular social networks like tumblr, it doesn’t mean you have to. Instead, focus on reaching out to your potential audience by sticking to the platforms they are more likely to use.
12. Inconsistency cross-channel
Many individuals enjoy witnessing brands engage in absurd conversations on Twitter, and sometimes they even try to participate themselves, while their website maintains a rigid corporate image. Although certain platforms can be used to experiment with new approaches, it is crucial for your messaging to align consistently across all channels.
It is crucial to pay special attention to this in your copywriting, as it should be a straightforward issue to resolve.
13. Lack of objectives
If you neglect to complete your homework early on and ask questions like ‘where are we currently?’, it will negatively impact your ability to answer ‘where do we want to be?’ This lack of understanding will likely result in an undefined failure. If you’re unsure about what to measure, take a look at Chris Lake’s comprehensive range of Content Marketing Metrics.
14. Lack of initial research
The main idea conveyed in this passage is that content marketing activities are frequently unplanned and impulsive. Adopting a “just do it” attitude is not beneficial. When starting to formulate a plan, I always turn to Google’s keyword planner as a primary resource – it’s only logical to do so.
By identifying user needs, it enables you to understand the way people explore a specific area of interest, which in turn helps in devising more effective content strategies.
