Content Marketing: You're Doing it Wrong

In the internet world after the Panda and Penguin algorithms have been released, content marketing has been seen as a beacon of hope to make things user-friendly again. The web is no longer overrun by spam, bad links and black hat SEO. But just because content marketing is the right direction to go, doesn’t mean that all good-intentioned marketers are doing it correctly. Whether you’ve been in the business for a while, or you’re just getting started, it is beneficial to know the mistakes you need to avoid or stop doing. Let’s break down the five things you might be doing wrong as a content marketer:

Boring Headlines

No matter how amazing your content is, it doesn’t matter if it can’t make the right first impression and pull people in. Remember, it only takes about 15 seconds for internet users to decide whether your content is worthy to be read so you need to make those first few seconds count. This doesn’t mean a shady clickbaiting headline, but there’s ways to make your headline enticing without misleading readers.

Not Defining Your Audience

Before you can create compelling content and have it seen by the right people, you need to know who you’re creating content for. Who are they? What are their pain points? How can you help them in their journey toward making a purchase? All of this information goes into building your buyer personas, and they’re who you need to be writing to.

Forgetting About SEO

It’s time to optimize your content to maximize your SEO efforts. Keep in mind that search engines are getting smarter and faster so optimization doesn’t mean keyword stuffing. It means using a few key phrases to attract the right readers and let Google know exactly what topic you’re writing about. With the right mix of words, design and SEO sense, your content will be moving up with rankings in no time.

No Benefit to the Reader

Make it your mission to create content that works to prove your ROI. Make it your priority to offer beneficial, relevant and engaging information. Your content should always funnel down to a proper Call To Action (CTA), giving the reader a way to further their journey. Do not force them to navigate your site to find what their next step should be; many will not do this, and your conversation rates will be non-existent. Give your readers an opportunity to subscribe, download, view, or click on exactly what you have prepared for them.

Not Sharing

All of your hard work is limited if you don’t share your content afterwards. Get active on social media and get noticed. With so many amazing platforms available, it’s really just a matter of finding which ones will work best for you. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are all great places to get started. So begin sharing your content and start seeing your following grow, even sharing your great pieces with others!

Work hard on understanding what your audience needs and how they are searching for it so you can provide them with what they are looking for- quality content. Google is increasingly rewarding content creators who understand the meaning of valuable content, and that can be you! Content creation is a crucial piece of your inbound marketing strategy, but it won’t be very helpful if you’re not doing it properly. For more expert tips and suggestions, download our free eBook The Beginner’s Guide to Inbound Marketing.