May 10, 2023
Content marketing isn’t always smooth sailing– while there’s so much advice out there on how to do it, there isn’t much conversation about the ways businesses trip up. We’re here to talk about the three most common mistakes that companies make with their digital content and marketing strategies, and how to go about fixing them.
Challenge #1: Content Not Relevant
You might be surprised at just how many businesses and marketing teams actually struggle to create content that their ideal customers truly want to see. Some businesses may lack an understanding of what their target audience wants to see, or what type of digital and online content will resonate with them. Other companies may suffer from insufficient research on their audience and difficulty keeping up to date with online trends.
Solution: Know Your Audience
You can't just create any content and hope that your audience will find it interesting. To make sure your content is relevant, you need to first understand your audience. Try researching their needs, preferences, and pain points. Create buyer personas, which are detailed profiles of your ideal customers. Don’t forget to use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to gather data about your audience's demographics and behavior.
If you’re really struggling, take a look at your competitors' content and social media channels to see what they're doing, and what's working for them! It might just shed some light into what your audience is looking for, and what they find engaging.
Another way to create relevant content is to involve your audience in the content creation process. Ask for feedback on social media, run surveys or polls, and engage with your audience to understand what they want to see from your brand. This can help you create content that resonates with them and addresses their pain points directly.
Lastly, it could be useful to map out your customer journey, which is the path a user takes from discovering your brand to making a purchase on your site. Understanding this journey can help you identify areas where your content could add value and support to your audience.
Challenge #2: Inconsistent Content
Consistency is key when it comes to content marketing. Posting sporadically or infrequently can lead to a lack of engagement and a decrease in your audience's interest. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle to maintain a consistent content schedule due to time constraints and a lack of digital marketing resources and know-how.
Solution: Create a Content Calendar
When it comes to inconsistent content, having a content calendar can be a lifesaver. A content calendar is a schedule that outlines the types of content you'll produce and when you'll publish them. By planning ahead, you can ensure that you have a consistent stream of content that meets your goals and resonates with your audience. There are many tools and templates available for creating a content calendar, and it's important to find one that works for your specific needs and resources. With a content calendar in place, you can focus on creating high-quality content that engages your audience and supports your marketing goals.
Begin by setting a practical posting schedule based on the goals and resources of your business. This could be once a day, once a week, or a few times a month. It depends on the type of content and the distinct goals of your brand.
It’s okay if you can only share content every so often! Consistency and value are key here, not necessarily frequency. Plan your content in advance, including blog posts, social media updates, videos, and other content types like email campaigns. Take note of when they’ll be posted and how much time and resources they’ll cost you.
To maximize efficiency, consider repurposing content across different channels. A blog post can be transformed into a social media post or a video can be made based on a popular blog topic. You’ll be capitalizing on your already successful ideas while saving effort on the creation of completely new digital content.
Challenge #3: Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can be a real headache for content marketers. Not only can it harm your search engine rankings, but it can also damage your reputation with your audience. It happens when you publish content that has already been published elsewhere or when you repurpose content without making significant changes.
Solution: Create Original Content
As a savvy content marketer, it's essential to stay on top of this issue. One way to do this is by regularly checking for duplicate content using tools like Copyscape or Siteliner. If you do find duplicate content, don't panic! Instead, take the time to rewrite and restructure the content to make it unique and valuable to your audience.
Repurposing content can also be a great way to save time and resources, but it's important to do so in a way that adds value and offers something new to your audience. You could turn a popular blog post into a video or podcast, or use social media to highlight key takeaways from a longer piece of content. As time goes by and some of your older blog posts lose relevance, revisit, refresh, and repost selected posts to bring them up to date. By prioritizing originality and adding value, you can create content that stands out and resonates with your audience.