Content marketing is
one of the most ubiquitous components of modern business.
Graced with an
invaluable tool known as the internet, marketing gurus and managers around the
world saw a wide-open window of opportunity to expand this promotional facet as
one of the effective strategies for reaching business goals.
Hardly anyone could have
predicted the sheer scope of the expansion and the size of an impact content
marketing had on the consumer-marketing dynamics. Naturally, marketers and
writers have come to face many challenges in such a prolific, ever-developing
field, and if you are not vigilant, these content marketing mistakes can easily
hurt your business.
1. Lack of authenticity
It’d be prudent, to begin with, the broadest of mistakes that are easy to spot. The lack of authenticity in content marketing is sort of an umbrella term that includes the lack of transparency (due to the lack of knowledge), as well as bland or downright drab writing which can take many heinous forms.
Information needs to
be valuable, to the point and clear. The leading way to ameliorate this issue
is to get involved with content marketing in new ways, by thinking outside the
box.
One of the winning
formulas is to look up to companies or groups that have not only garnered
experience from the service-end of the dynamic but also have years upon years
of skill by bolstering their products. A good example of this is SmashDigital.com,
a team that ‘risks their hide’ to stay on the razor-edge of SEO.
2. Insufficient visual aid
If the written content is cement, the accompanying visual aid represents bricks. While this is not a particularly novel invention – it has been known for centuries that ideas represented through imagery attract attention better than those represented in the text – this has never been as important as it is today.
It has become a form
of art to represent complex ideas . This visual aid
breaks up the text and brings a welcoming breath of fresh air, a respite from
the bombardment of ideas through words.
Of course, the same
rule applies to imagery, especially in the age when content marketing is
funneled through social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest. Remember:
brands and their quality is recognized through a distinct visual style that
usually entails a combination of colors, brand symbol and photographed snippets
of employees in their work environment.
Lack of images and
insufficient visual updates (both in terms of photos and overall site design)
leads to a product/service that disappears from the spotlight, pure and simple.
3. Unattractive site
formatting
As it has been firmly
established above, humans are visual creatures and they tend to judge at first
glance. This is pure instinct and we cannot control it. This is a reason enough
to make an effort to properly format a website so it appears like an easy read
and a smooth scroll.
The fastest way to lose the attention of any site visitor is to have a page that looks spammy, with improperly formatted text, misjudged images, and awkwardly implemented videos.
There is only so much
one can do with presence alone: user experience on-site has to be prioritized
and each client has to collaborate closely with their SEO team to assemble
assets into a web page that is as pleasant to scroll through as it successfully
communicates mission and vision behind the product/service.
4. Formatting for smartphones
is obligatory
That being said, the
site has to work like a charm both on smartphones and desktops equally.
Optimization for mobile phones is not only a marketing trend, but it also rides
on the lifestyle tidal wave since more and more people use their small,
portable devices to browse the internet.
When you come down to
it, the trick is to choose between three options – responsiveness, dynamic
serving (which is difficult and costly to implement and maintain), and separate
site configuration. While it is true that Google favors responsive design, all
three options can work like a charm if they are implemented properly.
5. Poor grammar can destroy
you
You’d be forgiven for
thinking that humanity has overcome this issue. After all, proper grammar and
spelling are a mandatory feature of marketing since the first posters were
nailed to boards on town squares centuries ago.
Alas, in a digital
realm oversaturated with content in ways that have no historical precedent,
mistakes sneak up on people more than ever. On the other hand, the potential
clientele has become more savvy and sensitive when it comes to grammar and
spelling.
Therefore, you’d
better use every external tool at your disposal – such as online editors and
natural language processors – to keep your text as clear as possible.
Conclusion
Content marketing is a
particularly resilient beast. It evolves with the fickle currents of the
digital age and the ever-shifting sensibilities of potential clientele. In such
an amorphous, dynamic field, strategies become obsolete and mistakes become
more common than they should.
New ‘types’ of
mistakes crop up with a rapid turnaround as new trends and algorithms emerge.
Therefore, it is crucial in the field such as this one to stay on top of
everything and learn from mistakes around every corner.
This mindset decides
whether your business floats or sinks!
