Despite all the hype about content marketing and what it can do to inspire business growth, the adage “Content is King” is only a half truth. While content does deliver incredible results for some businesses, it seems to be an empty promise for others.
The problem is that content marketing is not a plug-and-play solution. It has to be adapted to the specific needs of a business, and many don’t have the resources or patience to make content work for them. If, however, you have decided to make a go of it, I can explain how to avoid the common pitfalls that prevent aspiring content marketers from realising the potential of this powerful marketing tool.
Create quality content that speaks to your readers
It’s not good enough to simply write content of any quality on any topic. People don’t have to read what you write. Their time is precious, and if they’re going to dedicate ten minutes to your thousand or so words, they had better be good. And if your industry’s content landscape is a busy one, you’re going to have to try even harder. Surrounded by so many other options, your content will have to be better than most if it’s going to get any attention.
So, what makes content good? Firstly, you must cover topics of relevance to your readers, and from angles that will help you achieve your business goals. Then you have to treat your chosen topic as you would any golden opportunity – that is, you have to make the most of it. Every keyword is precious in the sense that it represents a chance to be found by your readers. Your goal should be to generate as much time on page as possible for each keyword to build up a loyal audience. Aim to produce content that is more insightful, engaging, and comprehensive than articles written by your competition.
This factor tells Google that your content is deserving of a higher ranking, and it convinces readers that they should read more of your articles. Essentially your whole content strategy can benefit from quality content. My advice would be to hire experienced writers who know your industry and target audience, or better yet, write your content yourself, and get an editor to tidy it up for you (if you aren’t a natural Wordsmith).
Spend as much time promoting your content as you do creating it
It doesn’t matter how good your content is if you don’t promote it. People can’t read something that they don’t know exists. To make sure that your intended readers are aware of your content, you need to create a network of inbound links for every article.
The most widely used and most effective content promotion tools are the various social media networks. Almost everyone is on one or more of these platforms, and they’re sharing more than just pics of their babies, pets, and food. People want to share content that makes them seem intelligent and informed. You only have to give good content to them, and they will distribute it for you.
But content promotion is not limited to digital channels. One of the best ways to build a following is to pitch your content to bloggers and other thought leaders in your industry. If you get involved in the content creation community and share the work of others, they will reciprocate.
Practice proper SEO
It should never be a case of SEO versus content. If you are going to do content marketing, you need to do both. There’s little point in writing dozens of blog articles for strategically chosen keywords if the inefficiencies of your own website banishes them to the second or third page of Google.
My point is that you have to ensure that site speed, site maps, mobile-responsive design, and posting best practices are all utilised to ensure that you retain all the SEO credit generated by your content marketing.
And remember that no site develops authority overnight. You need to produce and post high quality content at a consistent rate for more than just a few months if you want to see results. Given the necessary investment of time and money, you might want to review what I’ve already said about strategy.
Formulate a goal-focussed content strategy
It’s amazing that the same generation of marketers who so willingly accepted the idea of incorporating Eastern philosophy and military strategy into their marketing approach, should get the fundamentals so terribly wrong.
Every content marketing campaign requires a strategy. And every strategy should start with your business’ goals. These will determine who you write for, what kind of content you produce, what keywords and topics you write on, and the best means of promotion. Without a guiding vision, it would be a bit like playing pin the tail on the donkey, except you wouldn’t even know what you are trying to do.
What is it that you should be trying to do with your content marketing? Brand awareness, brand loyalty, lead generation, lead qualification, upselling, and customer retention – all of these can be accomplished using content. You just need to decide what role will be played by your content.
Note that if your goal is lead generation & qualification, your content marketing efforts should be part of a larger inbound marketing strategy where social media, content, and email are integrated for the greatest impact and efficiency. To learn how inbound can deliver a steady stream of high quality leads, download our Inbound Marketing Guide, right here. 
