Four Content Marketing Mistakes to Avoid and Solutions to Achieve Success

Content marketing is a powerful tool in B2B marketing. From blogs to eBooks to whitepapers and more, content helps fuel many marketing and sales activities. When it comes to content, there are many things one can do to be successful. But, there are also mistakes to avoid as these can cause negative impacts on marketing and sales efforts. Avoiding these content marketing mistakes can take some initiative, but we offer a few solutions to achieve success.

Mistake #1: Content Is Not Relevant to Pain Points

Having an idea for a new piece of content is always great, but in some cases, it might not be a good idea if it does not speak to common target audience pain points. It is very common to make this content marketing mistake. A team member might have a thought to write an article about the newest trends in technology, but if the article is too vague or does not speak directly to your audience, it will not resonate with them, thus leaving them looking for more to solve their challenge.

Solution:

When doing any marketing activity, it should always be created to reach a specific target audience. It might not be the same audience every time, but it should be directed at an identified target audience. Each audience has different characteristics and pain points they relate to. An IT manager that works at a bank has a different role and pain points than the CFO of the bank. It comes down to who they are, what their role is and what challenges they face. Content should be created to address the many pain points of target audiences or speak to something relevant to them. For example, the CFO of the bank will most likely be interested in industry trends, emerging technologies and other big picture, strategic items that impact their financial-focused decision-making. Whereas an IT manager might also be focused on trends and technologies, their specialty may place their focus more on more tactical ways to simplify and streamline their daily operations.

Mistake #2: Content Does Not Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For some, it can be easy to sit down and churn out content asset after content asset, writing on topics that resonate with audiences and keep driving traffic to the website. But, with the rising importance of digital technologies, it is just as important to focus on SEO when writing the content. Failure to optimize content for keywords that matter to search engine rankings can negatively impact website traffic and more.

Solution:

SEO is not easy. But, putting in the time and effort to understand SEO and the keywords that matter to the organization and implementing it throughout content will make all the difference. For example, focus a content asset, like a blog, around one keyword that is important for your company to rank for on search engines and something the target audience wants to read about. Continuing with the banking example, if it is important to rank for the key phrase “Small Business Financial Services”, it might be a good idea to write a blog about the services that small businesses would be looking for. For more tips on navigating SEO, check out this blog on keywords and optimizing content for SEO.

Mistake #3: Content Is Not Utilized in Other Marketing Channels

You most likely use your content to populate your website, whether it be on the blog or in a gated resources section. Many stop there, which leads to another content marketing mistake. While it is crucial to put content on a website, it is also important to take it a step further.

Solution:

Content marketing is the foundation of other marketing activities such as email marketing and social media. Sharing new content on social media can spread awareness, increase engagement and drive traffic to the website. Promoting new content through a newsletter, nurture or announcement email does the same. It is always important to consider additional marketing channels to promote and share new content.

Mistake #4: Content Does Not Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

The information that makes up a content piece is incredibly valuable. While it is important to deliver relevant, useful information to audiences, it is also important to inspire them to take action. If there is no clear call to action (CTA), readers may question what to do next or how to get more information on the company, product or service.

Solution:

Focus a piece of content around one CTA. This gives those that consume the content a clear next step when they are done viewing it. There is no list of rules as to what the CTA must say or be, but it is best to keep it short, simple and to the point. Do you want the readers to go to your contact page or schedule a demo? Craft a CTA along the lines of “Looking for more answers to your small business banking questions? Contact us today” and link to the contact us page. Do you want them to download a gated asset so you can gather their lead information? The CTA could read something like “For more strategies and best practices on how to navigate the emerging industry of fintech, download our eBook” and provide the link to the eBook. These give actionable next steps to continue a visitor through the buyer’s journey.

While these are not the only content marketing mistakes that can be made, these are some of the most common B2B marketers make. It is important to avoid these and implement the above solutions to maximize the impact content has on audiences.

Looking to elevate your content marketing efforts? Contact us today or request a free marketing consultation. As an Austin-based B2B marketing firm, we have helped clients create content marketing plans, craft impactful collateral pieces and so much more.