We’re only human. We all make mistakes.
That being said, we need to learn from the mistakes we make and constantly improve upon them. Here are some of the most common mistakes content marketers make.
Neglecting Headlines
In the ever-evolving world of publishing, there remains one constant, and that is the importance of headlines. The very same thing that sold newspapers in the past, is driving blog post traffic today. SEO might make your post visible, but if your headline isn’t relevant, people will keep on scrolling.
Once your headline is right, make sure it’s directly relevant to the article; or else you will lose that trust that is the essence of content marketing.
Writing without Formatting
Your content might be amazing, but if you don’t format those long pieces of content correctly, then it’s going to be difficult for the short-attention-spanned consumer on the bus to continue reading.
Use sub-headings to break up an article, and make sure references to other websites or blog posts are available via hyperlinks. Insert some pulled quotes, italicized words, and even embolden certain important words for all those skim-readers out there. CAPLOCKS are also an option, but can look CHEAP or unprofessional in some contexts.
War of Words
Words are what it’s all about, but they aren’t the only way of telling a story. The Internet is a multi-platform beast, so treat it like one. Take the time out to find videos and podcasts to break your articles up into consumable pieces, and if you talk about a great tweet, don’t be lazy and embed it into your post. If you’re worried people will leave your blog post as a consequence of these ‘extras’, then maybe take a look at your actual content, and try to make it more appealing.
The Measure of Success
Your blog posts might be getting the traffic it aimed for, but is this translating into actual sales for your company? Although it can be difficult to measure what exact benefits there are from your online performance, it is crucial to working out what your next step is, and what content works for you.
Good traffic but low conversions may also be the product of marketing for the wrong audience, or no audience at all.
For No One
Every Content Marketing Rockstar knows that every piece of content needs to be directed at an individual member of a company’s target audience. If you haven’t made use of buyer personas then you should start now. If you already make use of buyer personas and they don’t seem to be yielding any results, try reviewing your personas, and checking what you could be missing. The point is, if your content is written for no one, no one will identify with it.
A little Beatles inspiration while you work…
If you want help avoiding these mistakes, get in touch!
Zahra Media Group:
Tel: +353 (01) 255 7566 Email: hello@zahramediagroup.com
