If you haven’t heard it yet, here it is: content is king. With the Hummingbird feature and the (Not Provided) Keywords update, Google’s algorithm changes in 2013 set a new standard for SEO tactics moving forward. This year in particular, content marketing will be a significant game changer for business’s SEO strategies.
If you want to establish more customer interest and loyalty for your brand, then follow these tips to avoid content marketing fails:
Be a goal-digger: Imagine walking into a store that has items scattered all over the place, with no clear layout or guidance. Your shopping experience becomes unpleasant because the store’s layout is messy. Think of your website the same way. How can a customer understand the benefits of your business, if your website does not reflect them?? A major problem for businesses is forgetting to develop and express a clear set of goals.
In order to meet the content marketing standards of 2014, create a list of goals and apply them. Note what you think your content should deliver:
- Benefits of your products and services
- The unique qualities of your brand
- Topics that drive customer engagement
When you set goals for your content marketing strategy, creating content will be easier because your intent will be clear.
Less talking, more listening: Stop your sales pitch already! Nobody wants to hear it. Instead, listen to what your customers are saying about your brand and what they want to see. Use your content to address your customers and potential customers’ wants and needs. Focus less on driving traffic to your site, and more on customer satisfaction. You will see a natural growth in site visits.
Engage with your customers by asking questions, answering questions, and participating in social networks regularly. Remember, raising brand awareness should never be the main focus of your content-marketing. Rather, with a focus on your customers, you should touch on every part of your business and the benefits it offers your customers.
Less talking, more visuals: In this fast-paced age, people are increasingly image-centric. A single eye-catching visual can draw more attention than even the most well-written blog post. Add infographics, videos, eBooks, webinars, and podcasts to your marketing agenda. Make your brand memorable with images that resonate with customers.
Make all departments pieces of the puzzle: Picture Customer A searching for products relating to your brand. Through a quick search, Customer A finds useful information on your website. Later on, Customer A searches for similar products and also lands on your page, but this time, the information is different from the first search. Why did this happen? Because you are working in silos; another major fail.
Avoid confusing your customers with inconsistent messages. It is absolutely essential that all content creators from each department are communicating with each other, so that content is not duplicated or disjointed. How can you fix this? Meet with all departments and create an editorial calendar together.
Be as professional as your suit and tie: So, you have it all down: goals are in place, content is compelling, and everything is consistent. What could possibly go wrong? Here’s a clue: your actual content-writing could be a deal breaker. In the midst of creating content, getting wrapped up in the content itself is inevitable. Businesses tend to forget about professionalism in this process. Not only should your content be engaging, but grammar and sentence structure should be correct and clear. Your business must be taken seriously to garner sales.
In Google’s algorithm game, content is king and you’re the queen. Only you have the ability to make the king your leader. Avoid common content-marketing fails by setting up the right plan to start.