9 causes why your Content Marketing isn't working yet and how to fix it
Recognizable? You've invested a lot of time in new content: thought about the content, put photos and text on your website and put up a post on your organization's social media and then ... nothing. Where are the inquiries, downloads or click-throughs? Read in this article 9 common causes why content does not (yet) achieve the desired results and how you can fix this.
Content marketing is more than developing fun pieces of video, podcast or blog content and sharing them, hoping for the best. It's more "constant marketing. Hoping this works is exactly the common mistake among many marketers, especially in today's fast-paced digital marketing environment.
To make sure your content marketing is going to get the results you want, below we highlight 9 common causes why content marketing is not working (yet) and how you can fix it.
1. There is no overarching strategy
Producing marketing content without a strategic plan is meaningless. Successful content marketing must be done from a higher-level corporate strategy that contributes to how you will connect with people on an emotional level. This only happens when your content consistently aligns with broader marketing campaigns and the strategy of the entire organization.
2. Your content is too focused on sales
Content marketing is not for hard sales, but for building a relationship of trust with people. Ask yourself if your content enriches your audience's knowledge and shows that you understand your audience's pain points and need. Answer the questions your audience has as comprehensively and honestly as possible. Content that only tells you what the features of your product or service are are seen as a sales trick and do not work as well.
3. Content focuses on only one aspect of the fan journey
You can't focus your content on just one aspect of the fan journey (also known as the "customer journey" or "sales funnel") and expect it to work for you. "Interest" is not the same as "Curiosity" and "Persuasion" is not yet a "Buy."
A good content strategy should connect to all aspects of the fan journey by providing different content that is relevant at each stage. This content strategy also includes knowing your target audience, knowing what questions your customers have, and what content answers those questions during each stage of the fan journey that people are in. Finally, you need to decide what metrics to measure to improve ROI.
4. The content is poor quality
Content is so easy to produce, anyone can do it, right? Wrong!
If your content is poorly developed, the video isn't done well or a blog is full of spelling mistakes, no one will take it seriously - let alone start buying your services or products. Remember, good content costs money because it is a reflection of your business and brand. Spend money, time and attention on your content development. Invest in good, specialized content producers who can translate your story into content in an engaging and relevant way.
5. You don't promote the content
Content is worthless if people don't know it's there. Content cannot promote itself, so make sure your strategy is clear about distribution channels and promotion. Set up organic and paid social media campaigns and add email marketing to ensure content spreads to your contacts.
Also make sure that other relevant platforms refer to your content (through so-called "backlinks" to your content) so that you become visible within with their audience.
6. Your SEO isn't quite right
SEO is tricky and Google is constantly changing the rules. Your content must contain the keywords you have identified as important to your brand. It is also essential that your content matches the key search terms people use when searching Google for information relevant to them.
Next, make sure your content is quality and fully aligned with the chosen keywords, so that people land on a page that really offers exactly the information they are looking for. Remember, engaging and relevant content is always much more effective than average content that is perfectly SEO optimized. So always focus on the content first and then optimize for better findability.
Not for nothing does Google see Content Marketing as the most important ranking factor.
7. You don't build an "identified fan base
Content marketing is a lost cause if you don't have a way to turn "unknown people" into "known people" by identifying them in a marketing/CRM system. Make sure your digital platforms are set up so that it is easy and attractive for people to sign up or sign up for something. Think of this as an e-book, online master class, online training or email updates (don't call it a "Newsletter") in which you regularly share information relevant to the recipient. You can then have a much more personal dialogue and share more in-depth information via email, for example.
8. You are impatient
Content marketing is a slow burn: it takes time. Start with a strategy, and continually adjust it based on what works and what doesn't. Think about building a long-term audience who trust you. As you build and strengthen your content, in a consistent way, engagement increases incrementally. Eventually, you will see a "snowball effect," where your content marketing genepricing so much traffic and engagement that it can reduce ad spend, improve the quality of contacts and shorten the lead time to a purchase.
9. You stop at publishing content
A common mistake made by marketers is to think that content marketing stops when the content is published. But then it only begins! Once your content is published, it's time for things like community management, retargeting and follow-up.
From your publications arise reactions, new questions or your content is forwarded to previously unknown audiences. Learnings can be drawn that in turn form the basis for new content or the choices for other channels.
So don't see publishing your content as the end point, but as the beginning of reaching people for whom the content is relevant!
Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard
Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this, we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth.
Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email!
