Imagine you set off on your dream vacation without a plan. You step off the plane with no local currency, no idea how to get from the airport and nowhere to stay. Then your adventure could quickly become expensive, frustrating, and a massive waste of time.
It’s the same with content marketing, you may have the germ of a great idea, but if you don’t invest the time to figure out where you are headed, and what obstacles you will encounter, you can spend a lot of time lost. Or going in circles.
Successful content marketing has everything to do with direction
“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.”
—Tom Landry, American Football Player and Coach
“Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them.”
—Stephen Covey, Motivational Writer
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien, Author, The Hobbit
“If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”
—Yogi Berra, Professional Baseball Player
Top 5 signs your content marketing may burn you and your budget
There are good reasons why companies struggle with content marketing and do not achieve the results they deserve:
Lack of Strategy: Many companies jump into content marketing without a clear plan or strategy in place. They create content without understanding their target audience, their pain points, or how their content can help solve their problems. Without a strategy, content marketing efforts can be unfocused and ineffective.
Poor Quality Content: Another reason why companies get burned by content marketing is that they create poor quality content. This can be due to a lack of expertise or resources to produce quality content, or a lack of investment in content marketing. Poor quality content is not only ineffective in driving traffic and leads, but it can also damage a company's reputation.
Inconsistent Posting: Consistency is key in content marketing. Many companies start off strong with regular posts and updates, but eventually, their posting schedule becomes sporadic, and they lose momentum. Inconsistent posting can cause a drop in traffic and engagement, leading to frustration and burnout.
Unrealistic Expectations: Content marketing is not a quick fix solution. It takes time to build an audience, generate leads, and see a return on investment. Companies that have unrealistic expectations and want immediate results may become disappointed and disheartened when they don't see the results they were hoping for.
Lack of Promotion: Creating great content is only half the battle. Companies also need to promote their content to reach their target audience. Without proper promotion, even the best content can go unnoticed, leading to frustration and burnout.
Overall, content marketing requires a strategic approach, high-quality content, consistency, realistic expectations, and effective promotion to be successful. Companies that fail to focus on these elements are likely to get burned. Got questions? Let's talk!
Claire Vorster
Writer, Copywriter, Coach. Value, added!