top-content-marketing-mistakes-to-avoidContent marketing is a very popular strategy in the modern business world and for good reason: when done well it can be extremely effective. The right content marketing strategy can help you build a loyal audience and encourage that audience to become customers of your business. There are numerous parts to content marketing and you may need to work through a few methods and strategies before finding the one that works best for your business.

While you are planning and initiating your content marketing strategy, it’s wise to do some research to learn from others. One of the best things to learn is what not to do. Learning from other people’s mistakes and avoiding making the same ones can give you a head start on an effective content marketing campaign.

Not Taking SEO Seriously

You may not like thinking that your business success is closely tied to a ranking in a search engine’s algorithm, but that is the reality. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital to your business. SEO refers to methods designed to improve a website’s ranking in the list of unpaid search engine results. The vast majority of clicks-throughs go to the top 5 listings on the page, and if your company’s site isn’t part of that top 5 it will be struggle to find customers.

There are numerous SEO strategies, and many of them require a good deal of time to learn and practice successfully. You can spend the time to figure it out yourself, but there are also numerous SEO marketing companies so you can hire the task out to professionals. It’s usually best to hire a marketing firm to handle your SEO strategy for you rather than spending your valuable time trying figure out all the steps yourself.

Using a Single Medium

Blog posts are not the only format for content marketing. Depending on your company and your target audience, blog posts may work well, but it’s not a good idea to only stick to a single medium or type of content. Just like it’s important for your company to have a web presence in several different areas of the internet, it’s good to have a variety of content as well. Using multiple types of content will attract a broader audience and also enable your content to be shared in numerous areas of the internet.

Along with blog posts, some options for content include: videos, infographics and slide decks. These types all focus on visual content to attract an audience. There are also audio options such as podcasts, that will work well for auditory learners, and those who prefer listening to content rather than reading it. Depending on your target audience, you may also consider physical books or online courses related to your industry.

Creating Low-Quality Content

Few things will destroy your online following faster than lousy content. Articles with numerous instances of keywords, or keywords used out of context won’t inspire anyone to follow your company. In fact, even search engine algorithms are changing to place higher priority on coherent, high-quality content that uses keywords in proper context. You should, of course, ensure that all your content is free from typos and grammatical errors, and is geared toward your target audience.

One key to creating content that will draw a loyal audience is publishing things that are useful. Your audience and potential customers will appreciate content that is entertaining, engaging, and even instructional. A good example of helpful content is the recipes and videos published by HamptonCreek. Their recipe videos show innovative ways to use their products, and they are short and fun to watch, which helps keep their audience engaged.

Not Pushing Your Content

Creating and publishing good, high-quality content is only half of the marketing equation. You need to get people to see and engage with your content. The internet is saturated with content and the vast majority of people don’t actively search out your blog or profile. That means you need to push your content. You can share it on multiple social media platforms, or trade guests posts with other influential blogs in your industry. Create visual content with the goal of making it go viral. Pushing your content will help you garner the audience you need.

Content marketing is a complex area, and one that is constantly changing and evolving. You need a content marketing strategy that will engage your target audience and encourage them to share your brand with their own network. Common mistakes such as creating low-quality content or not using SEO methods can cripple your business. Learning from others’ mistakes can prevent you from making the same ones.