Grasping content marketing can be quite hard, especially when you are not sure how to improve your content performance. Content creation can be a powerful way to further your business and marketing objectives while engaging with your audience.
However, it can be really frustrating when your content isn’t performing as well as you had hoped. A lot of the time, people wonder “What went wrong?“, “Why is my content not working?”, “How can I engage with more people?“.
There are obviously several factors influencing the answers and that’s why it is always good to ask an expert.
As marketers for several businesses, we have often come across the same missteps. Common mistakes in content creation and content marketing can be summarised in 5 Ps: “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”.
But what does it mean to plan “properly”?
- Do research!
A marketing audit is always a good idea to start planning. What are your competitors publishing on social media, on their website, and in their newsletters? Social media can give you an idea of the most engaging posts and their relative messages and you can often get really good insights for free based on what’s working and what isn’t for your competitors too. Also, you can great ideas for future content by just looking at a calendar and seeing if any topics link with your services/products or your audience.
- Know your audience
As part of your marketing plan, you should also know your target audience (i.e. your clients or customers). Think about what communication channels work best to engage with them, what type of content would they find more interesting, what call to action (CTA) would work best in your messages, and what time should you send it. Poor performance is often associated with unclear messaging, unenticing CTAs, and irrelevant content.
- Think about more than one communication channel
Social media is not the only way to share content! Emails, SEO-friendly blog articles on your website, and even direct mail. There are so many ways you can try reaching your target audience. Though with limited resources, it is better to focus your efforts only on the best-performing communication channels.
- Plan in advance
Do not leave your content planning and scheduling to the last minute. This usually makes it harder to create great content, as it is created in a hurry or under a lot of stress. While it is good to leave some space for flexibility and last-minute news, preparing your content weeks in advance gives you more time to proofread it and optimise it for each communication platform. Users are usually not fans of typos as it makes any content look unprofessional.
- Check the right metrics
Website analytics, trackable links, social media conversion rates, email readership, email bouncing rates, and many more. Metrics can offer amazing insights into what is working and what isn’t, why, and what to change. And if you need a marketing eye, we’re always here to help.
Finally, for your content marketing campaigns to succeed, do not forget what your audience loves to engage with. Remember, retaining a client is easier and cheaper than finding a new one.
If you enjoyed this post and want more juicy marketing tips, here are some more resources for you:
Join our mailing list to receive marketing tips and updates straight to your inbox
Follow us on Instagram for more marketing tips, reels and lives
Follow us on LinkedIn for marketing tips
Discover the ONE social media channel you need to focus on to stop feeling overwhelmed
Or if you’re ready to take a fresh approach to finding and retaining clients in your business, book a discovery call to find out more.
