4 Content Marketing Mistakes You Should Avoid in 2018
by Robert Borden
Are you satisfied with how your content improves brand reputation and sales? If you’re falling short of expectations despite putting in hours into creating content you think is valuable for your readers, then you may want to start reformulating your strategy.
In 2017, the Content Marketing Institute reported that 65 percent of businesses have increased the success of their content marketing strategy compared to the previous year. This trend is expected to carry over to 2018—and you can bet that content marketing will be more important than ever in terms of attracting targeted leads.
The problem, however, is that most businesses commit grave errors in their strategy without even knowing it. To make your content resonate better with your audience, be sure to avoid these top four mistakes.
1) Failing to create a documented strategy
It’s easy to say that you’re going to create a certain number of posts for a month, but actually doing it is a whole different story. The biggest mistake for most businesses is not having a documented strategy for content marketing.
Learning how to blog only marks the beginning of your journey. You need to come up with a solid and actionable plan which you will follow to the tee. Be sure to highlight what steps you must take to achieve your goals. Documenting your strategy helps you stay focused and motivated instead of aimlessly creating posts just for the sake of it.
2) Ignoring the power of SEO
Did you know that over 90 percent of all internet traffic comes from search engines? This may come as a surprise, especially when you consider the enormous user base of social media platforms. It only highlights the power of search engines, particularly Google, in terms of generating traffic.
Not integrating SEO into your content marketing strategy can be the reason why you’re not seeing any visitors on your site. Just imagine the number of sales you’re losing out on by failing to rank in the organic search listings. Start with the basics by targeting longtail keywords, writing high-quality posts, and building relevant links from reputable sources.
[Read:Â 7 Content Marketing Case Studies That Will Make You See More Organic Traffic]
3) Not using different online platforms
Search engines have the potential of driving a massive amount of traffic to your site, but this doesn’t mean you should rely on them exclusively. There are other ways to promote your brand online, which could be just what you need to increase your online reach.
One of the most overlooked ways to increase brand recognition is using press releases. Even with a single press release distribution, potential customers may become more familiar with your brand, thus increasing your chances of making sales. Remember that improving brand visibility can have a huge impact on conversions since online users tend to trust the branded content.
4) Forgetting about call to action
As noted, you should never publish posts just because everyone does it. Your content marketing strategy needs to have a specific goal to achieve. For most businesses, this goal is to bring their products or services in front of their target market. But simply exposing them to your offerings may not bring the results you want. You also need to tell them what to do next.
Excellent content and quality traffic wouldn’t mean anything if you’re not getting people to purchase. A simple way to avoid this is by creating a clear call-to-action. Every piece of your content marketing puzzle should lead visitors toward buying your products or services. The last thing you want is for potential customers to reach the end of your content and then hit the back button to visit the competition.
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