We all have that one friend on social media who won’t shut up. They’re constantly posting about their kids, selfies, and motivational “quasi-self-help” advice. Imagine if your business was that friend – constantly shoving content down people’s throats without giving them a chance to breathe. It’s a surefire way to turn people off your brand.
The solution? Find a happy medium by sharing interesting and valuable content on social media, but don’t go overboard. Try to post things that will start a conversation, rather than just talking at your audience.
Here are eleven fatal flaws in your content marketing plan – and how to fix them:
(1) The Wrong Audience
We’ll keep referring back to that one annoying friend because it’s the perfect analogy for this fatal flaw.
We’ll just refer to them as Mrs. Blah Blah for this article.
Mrs. Blah Blah loves to talk, but she’s not really interested in listening. As a result, she often talks about things that her friends have no interest in whatsoever.
The same goes for businesses that try to target everyone with their content. By trying to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to anyone.
The fix?
Buyer Personas.
Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customer, based on real data and market research. When you know who you’re talking to, it’s a lot easier to figure out what to say.
If you haven’t already created buyer personas for your business, now is the time. Once you have a few archetypes in mind, you can start creating content that is relevant to them.
(2) The Pitch
Have you ever been in a sales meeting where the salesperson just wouldn’t stop talking?
They went on and on about their product, but they never really explained how it would benefit you.
It’s frustrating, right?
Mrs. Blah Blah is the same way – she’s always talking, but she never really says anything of substance.
The same goes for businesses that focus too much on selling their product or service rather than providing value. When you do this, your content comes across as a pitchy, self-serving sales message.
The fix?
Focus on providing value.
Be helpful, not salesy. Offer valuable information that your audience can use, and avoid pitching your products or services all the time. If you need to make a pitch, be subtle about it. Note the order in the infographic above- promote is last.
Keep your content helpful, and you’ll keep your audience engaged.
(3) The Bland Content
Imagine if every time you opened up Facebook, you saw the same boring status update from your friend:
“Just woke up. Going to work.”
“At work.”
“Eating lunch.”
“Heading home from work.”
After a while, you’d probably get pretty sick of seeing those updates, right?
The same goes for businesses that post bland, uninteresting content. If your content is boring, people are going to quickly lose interest.
The fix?
Make your content interesting and engaging.
How?
By creating content that is relevant to your audience and provides value. Take the time to plan out your content, and make sure it is something that people will actually want to read.
If you’re not sure where to start, try looking at what other businesses in your industry are doing. See what’s working for them, and adapt it to fit your own business.
Write headlines that will make people want to click, and use visuals to break up the text.
Focus on content that is valuable and informative and you’ll keep people coming back for more.
(4) The One-sided Conversation
We’ve all had those friends who only ever talk about themselves. You know, the ones who are always going on and on about their latest accomplishments or complaining about their problems.
After a while, it gets pretty tiresome, right?
We get it, Mrs. Blah Blah – you’re great. But can we talk about something else for a change?
The same goes for businesses that post content that is all about them. If your content is always self-promotional, people will start tuning it out.
Chew on this: Sixty-eight percent of buyers are highly influenced by sellers who listen well. But sellers don’t deliver. Buyers report that only 26% of sellers are effective listeners.
The fix?
Make your content about your audience, not you.
Focus on creating content that is relevant to their needs and interests. Write blog posts that answer their questions, and create infographics that offer valuable information. Write white papers and eBooks that offer solutions to their problems.
When you focus on creating content that is helpful and informative, people will start paying attention.
(5) The Irrelevant Content
Mrs. Blah Blah is the queen of irrelevant content. She’s constantly posting things that have nothing to do with her friends or their interests.
For example, she might post an article about the latest celebrity gossip, even though none of her friends are interested in that sort of thing. Or she might post a picture of her dinner, even though no one cares what she’s eating.
The same goes for businesses that post irrelevant content. If your content is not related to your business or your audience’s interests, people are going to start ignoring it.
The fix?
Image Source: Sprout Social
Create content that is relevant to your business and your audience.
If you’re not sure what kind of content to create, start by thinking about what your audience wants and needs. What questions are they asking? What problems do they need help with?
Once you know what kinds of content to create, focus on creating quality over quantity. It’s better to post a few pieces of high-quality content than a ton of low-quality content.
When you create relevant, helpful content, you’ll start to see better results from your content marketing efforts.
(6) You’re Talking Too Much
Hey Mrs. Blah Blah! Do us a favor and zip it, would you? We get it-you’re great. But sometimes, less is more.
The same goes for businesses that post too much content. If you’re constantly bombarding people with information, they’re eventually going to tune you out.
The fix?
Shut up and listen!
Instead of always talking, start listening to your audience. See what kind of content they’re engaging with and what kinds of questions they’re asking. Use this information to guide your content strategy.
When you take the time to listen to your audience, you’ll be able to create content that is more relevant and more likely to be successful.
(7) The Content Is Inconsistent
Imagine if your favorite TV show only came on once a week, and you never knew when it would air. You’d probably get pretty frustrated, right?
The same goes for businesses that post content inconsistently. If people can’t rely on you to produce quality content regularly, they’re eventually going to lose interest.
The fix?
Create a content calendar and stick to it.
A content calendar is an essential tool for any business that wants to produce consistent, high-quality content.
When you have a content calendar, you can plan ahead and make sure that your content is being published on a regular basis. You can also use it to track your progress and see what’s working and what’s not.
If you want to improve your content marketing, creating a content calendar is a great place to start.
Decide how often you’re going to post and make sure you follow through. Consistency is key when it comes to content marketing.
And if your business isn’t blogging regularly, it’s time that you get started. Learn why in our recent blog post.
(8) Too Much Focus on Social Media
Social media is a great way to share your content and connect with your audience. But if you’re only focused on social media, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
The fix?
Image Source: Visme.com
Expand your reach by promoting your content in other places.
There are a ton of ways to promote your content, and social media is just one piece of the puzzle. You can also promote your content on your website, in your email newsletter, and through paid advertising.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. The more places you promote your content, the more likely people are to see it and engage with it.
(9) Not Measuring Your Results
You wouldn’t start a diet without first weighing yourself, right? The same goes for content marketing. If you’re not measuring your results, you won’t be able to tell if your efforts are paying off.
Mrs. Blah Blah loves to talk about herself, but she never really knows if her friends are actually listening.
The fix?
Key Performance Indicators
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for content marketing. By measuring your KPIs, you’ll be able to tell if your content is resonating with your audience and achieving your desired results.
Use Google Analytics to track your website traffic and see how people find your content. This will give you a good idea of what’s working and what’s not.
Use a tool like BuzzSumo to measure your social media engagement. This will help you see which pieces of content are being shared the most and what kind of reaction they’re getting.
Remember, if you’re not using data to measure your results, you’re flying blind.
(10) You’re Not Creating enough Content
On the opposite end of Mrs. Blah Blah is Mr. No Content. He never has anything interesting to say, and as a result, no one pays attention to him.
If you’re not creating enough content, you’re not going to be able to keep people’s attention. To be successful with content marketing, you need to share quality information consistently.
The fix?
Create an Editorial Calendar
That’s the second time we’ve mentioned a content calendar, and there’s a good reason for that.
By creating an editorial calendar, you can make sure you’re always sharing quality content that’s relevant to your audience.
An editorial calendar is a tool that allows you to plan and organize your content in advance. This way, you can make sure you’re always sharing fresh, original content that your audience will love.
If you want to improve your content marketing, an editorial calendar is a great place to start.
Not sure how to get started? Check out this post on How to Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Business.
(11) You Rely too Heavily on One Type of Content
Imagine if Mrs. Blah Blah only had one friend. She’d be pretty lonely, right?
The same goes for businesses that rely too heavily on one type of content. If you only ever share blog posts, you’re not going to reach people who prefer videos or infographics.
The fix?
Diversify Your Content
The key to a successful content marketing strategy is to diversify your content. By sharing a variety of content types, you can reach more people and achieve your desired results.
Some content types you can create are:
- Blog posts
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- eBooks
- Whitepapers
Diversify your content and share a mix of different types of information. This will help you reach a wider audience and keep people interested.
Not sure what content to create? Ask your audience! They’ll be happy to tell you what they want to see more of.
By diversifying your content, you can reach a wider audience and achieve better results.
Conclusion: The Power of Good Content Marketing
When it’s done right, content marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create a more effective content marketing plan that will help you reach your goals.
Now that you’ve learned about the eleven most common fatal flaws in content marketing, it’s time to take action and fix them. Use this guide as a starting point, and make sure you’re constantly tweaking and improving your strategy to ensure success.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to read our blog post about why your business needs an editorial calendar. It’ll save you a lot of headaches.
Add these tips to your content marketing efforts, and we guarantee that you’ll be one step closer to reaching your business goals.
Remember, good content is the key to success!
Do You Need Help with Your Content Marketing?
If you need help with your content marketing, contact us today. We specialize in creating content creation that is both effective and engaging. We can help you create a content strategy that will help you reach your target audience and achieve your desired results.
Don’t let content marketing mistakes hold you back from success. Contact us today to get started.
