Search Marketing: 10 Rookie Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
Mistakes are a part of life. But you don’t want them to be even a small part of your best search marketing design experience. We know that providing valuable information via our blog, emails, and social media is the best way to attract customers and clients.
And by figuring out exactly what their pain points, needs, and desires are, we can create content that best meets their expectations.
People’s time is priceless. Don’t waste it with irrelevant messages. Engage them with messages that they are interested in.
Content marketing is the process of delivering brand value to an audience by publishing branded content designed to help or entertain to earn attention rather than pay for it.
Related: 12 Lessons from Ben and Jerry’s Marketing Strategies
Have you ever wondered if the content you are writing is run of the mill or just plain boring? If no one likes your content, you won’t get any social shares, linkbacks, or traffic.
Whether you write content for B2B or B2C sites, there is an art to content creation.
Follow the tips below, and you’ll increase the likelihood of your content being shared, which will help you generate traffic.
Content marketing is all the rage. It seems marketers are falling all over themselves to increase budgets, increase volume, and in many cases, decrease the value.
Like any other business initiative, content marketing is a STRATEGY, not a tactic. And as such, it should be planned and executed with well thought out processes and procedures.
While there are articles, books and a plethora of data on what content marketing IS, I’ve decided to discuss the mistakes to avoid in delivering content readers are clamoring for:
Search marketing … focus on the best content marketing strategy
Content marketing needs to put attention on the consumer, not on your business.
Content marketing strategy is not about you or the public relations of your business.
Make it difficult to share
It seems like common sense to have sharing widgets on your content so users can easily make a couple of clicks of the mouse and share your words with the masses, but so many people miss this all-important step.
And if you’re creating something like a brochure? Include the URL, so you can easily be found.
Expensive
Or at least it doesn’t have to be. Remember that your content marketing strategy sources can (and should) include: your brand, your staff, your customers and EVERYTHING else that surrounds your company.
With all of those sources, it shouldn’t take moving mountains to create something creatively good.
Too promotional
Examples of content marketing.
Successful marketers know good content aims to help, not sell. Be a help and avoid selling at all costs.
Remember selling is a component of marketing, but marketing is not selling.
Best content marketing design … a “Project”
Try an on-going process. It takes gobs of time to do it right, and if done correctly it’s never over.
Tackle it in an iterative manner and use reviewers to critique the work.
A Blog
While your blog is one way to create content marketing, it shouldn’t be the only way your company distributes content for your would-be clients to consume.
There’s also: social media, eBooks, case studies, informational packets and brochures, presentations, videos, podcasts, and workshops.
Everything to everybody all the time
Good content marketing efforts nurture prospects and lead through the entire lifecycle. It should continually aid current customers.
One piece of content won’t be helpful to everyone at every stage.
Boring content
The only way your content has a chance of going viral is if it’s perceived as EXTREMELY valuable. As in, you’re sharing jaw-dropping tips and tricks for your industry.
Otherwise, your story about the amazing service you received at the pancake house is just serving your need to see your name in the byline.
One-way communication
It’s not enough to push your content out.
To execute a content marketing strategy that is helpful, you’ll need to respond, comment, ask questions, and interact with the people who are consuming your work.
Solely from marketing
Not only should you consider having several departments help create content, you can’t rule out having your customers help you create great content, also.
Or at least ask good questions for you to respond to.
Remember this simple fact
Stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in. Let your content marketing success be your difference maker.
From maximizing quality to increasing your online entry points, eliminating these content marketing mistake will help build a foundation that will serve your customers, your brand and — perhaps most importantly — your bottom line.
What would you add? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
Need some help in capturing more customers from your marketing strategies? Creative ideas to help the differentiation with potential customers?
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Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improve your marketing, branding, and advertising?
Do you have a lesson about making your marketing strategy better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
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