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Organizations are finally starting to get it. More and more businesses are developing ongoing content marketing programs that attempt to attract and retain customers and prospects.
In the past, content marketing initiatives meant a print or e-mail newsletter to customers, usually delivered on a monthly or quarterly basis. Now, the idea of delivering content to customers is taking on a whole new meaning and becoming central to companies’ overall marketing programs.
What is content marketing? An excellent definition can be found on Wikipedia: “all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. In contrast to traditional marketing methods that aim to increase sales or awareness through interruption techniques, content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action.”
And the idea is catching on. Recent research from BtoB Magazine, Junta42 and the Custom Publishing Council shows that of the average marketing budget (in both business-to-business and consumer markets), more than 25 percent is now dedicated to custom content. That means one in four dollars spent goes toward the creation or execution of “home-grown” content initiatives. And we’re only in the first inning of the content revolution. If the industry continues to grow at more than 11 percent per year (the current rate of growth, according to private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson), who’s to say how much businesses will be spending on content in the future?
How do we account for this recent and rapid rise in the importance of content marketing to a company’s marketing strategy? Search engine optimization (organic search) and search engine marketing (paid search) have put content in the spotlight, even though the marketing industry has been around for centuries. Unfortunately, many marketing executives, as well as many advertising and PR agencies, still treat their content more like advertising and less like what it should be: information that builds trust and relationships with current and prospective consumers.
What are the mistakes that businesses make regarding their content strategies? How can they fix them and avoid making them in the future? Here’s a look at the most frequent mistakes organizations make with their content marketing initiatives.
Asking the wrong questions
Most companies begin their marketing strategies by asking questions like “What do we need to tell our customers?” or “How do we communicate how wonderful our products and services are?”
Content marketing goes wrong immediately when the focus is on the brand and not the customer. The right questions to ask include: “What are the information needs of our customers, and how can we meet them?” and “What types of content will provide the most benefit to them professionally and personally?”
Any question that does not have the customer at the center of the content equation is usually the wrong question. If you focus on fulfilling your customer’s content needs with valuable and compelling information, you position yourself as a trusted content provider.
Writing, delivering, and then deciding on measurement
Even with the variety of efficient measurement tools available on the Web today, many companies still have the marketing process backwards. Motivated marketers and agencies get their creative juices flowing and immediately write and distribute marketing materials without identifying how each specific piece of content will deliver on marketing objectives.
When developing content marketing material, marketers should first develop a clear understanding of what content the customer needs, and then form a specific plan for how each piece of content will deliver on marketing objectives. Your plan should address questions like: What behavior do you want to produce in response to each piece of content? Is it a download, a transaction, a phone call, a bridge to another piece of content? Knowing the specific purpose of each piece of the content package will enable you to continually define and develop the program as you go. If you don’t know the function of each piece of content, how can you make the content program better?
Not understanding how to tell a story
Content marketing needs to do one of two things: inform or entertain. To do either effectively, content developers must be trained to write a compelling story.
A growing problem in corporations is that the “burden” of content creation is being placed on everyone from marcom managers to IT personnel. Although some understand the art, most do not know the basic journalistic tenets of how to tell an engaging story; these tenets hold true regardless of the medium.
If your content is not making the grade, hire a journalist or find an outside custom publisher to oversee your content marketing program. Some things are better left to the experts.
Failing to take off your sales and marketing hat
Do customers really want to know how great you are? Possibly, but only if it solves their problems.
Today, when you visit most organization’s web sites, you’ll see a flashing neon sign that says “WE ARE GREAT! BUY OUR PRODUCTS!”
The days when this strategy worked are long gone. The solution? Create valuable, compelling and consistent content (articles, blogs, videos, white papers) as the core of your web site. There is no better way for you to show prospects that you are a trusted expert.
Asking the wrong people for help
Many brands go to their existing marketing agencies first when seeking content assistance. Although there are some incredible agencies out there that understand the content process, most have built their businesses on traditional forms of marketing and advertising and are still stuck in the 20th century media universe.
Find journalists and publishers in your industry who know how to tell a story that will make a positive impact on your customers and your business.
Creating a social content marketing plan without testing the waters first
Distributing content through social media channels is an essential strategy in today’s marketing environment. Unfortunately, many brands jump into social media without a true understanding of how it works.
Before distributing any content through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs or your industry’s vertical social site, first take a deep breath. Assign someone in your company who understands social media and enjoys the opportunity to work in this medium to begin researching options and sites. Start by commenting on other key blogs in the industry. Get the executive team in your company on Facebook and Twitter. Once everyone starts to use the tools and understand the impact they can make, then (and only then) find a way to integrate social media into your content marketing plan. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Failing to close the deal
The most common reason content marketing programs fail is that they are prematurely terminated. The creation of valuable content is an investment in your customers, and it takes time.
Yes, you need to continually review the content program, but be sure to give it a chance. Too many custom magazines, newsletters and other content marketing programs are dropped after six or nine months—barely giving them a chance to succeed.
There is nothing worse than telling your customers you care about them by delivering great content and then abandoning the project. What does that say?
Joe Pulizzi is founder of Junta42, a content marketing education and content vendor matching site. He is also co-author of the book, Get Content. Get Customers. Joe blogs regularly at Junta42. |
