We’ve all heard the phrase “content is king” too many times to count, and that’s because it’s true....
At the end of every month, do you find yourself experiencing a sense of déjà vu? It’s that sinking feeling that you’ve seen these same results before—and they aren’t good. Without a robust content strategy and the proper ideas about seeing it through, you can end up stuck in the same rut month after month. You’re producing content and making posts, but you just aren’t grabbing more readers or making more sales. Is this Groundhog Day, or is there a way to escape the cycle?
There are half a dozen simple mistakes that content marketers can make, which result in lackluster results that don’t achieve the goals you laid out for yourself. Understanding these mistakes is the first step towards avoiding them and ultimately fixing the issues they introduce into your campaigns. What’s holding you back?
1. Missing Out on Content Tracking or Misusing Analytics
How can you know whether to improve if you aren’t watching your KPIs—or if you’re looking in the wrong places? From bounce rates and time spent on your page to the click-through rate you get on your calls to action, there are many aspects to watch. You can’t afford to overlook it, and investing time in learning what all these numbers mean will pay dividends in the future. If you don’t, you’ll miss important data on what content works and, more importantly, what doesn’t.
2. Creating Too Much Content at One Point in the Funnel
When you find something that works and gains traction, it’s natural to want to keep at it. For example, with 8% of all searches phrased in the form of a question, there’s much room to grab the reader’s attention at the research stage of the sales funnel. Offering quick tips and how-tos can earn you clicks, but is it earning you sales? If you never create content that pulls readers deeper into the funnel and targets other search users, they’ll move on—possibly even to your competitors. Create diverse content for readers at all stages to avoid becoming stuck.
3. Spending All Your Spare Time Making In-House Corrections
It’s important to get things right—to ensure your voice comes through, that your brand persona is accurate, and of course, that your spelling and grammar are on point. You probably won't generate noticeable results if you spend so many hours editing that you end up neglecting content production. You can quickly fall behind on your calendar, miss deadlines, and disrupt your posting schedule, making gaining traction very difficult. Better writing and a professional approach to editing can help.
4. Producing Single-Use Content That Sticks Too Close to Your Niche
“Write what you know” only carries your blog so far. If you continue producing the same types of content that all cluster tightly around your specific niche, you’ll bore readers over time. Your blog will look like it offers little besides this area. Simultaneously, you’re missing out on opportunities to stretch your marketing budget by not producing content you can repurpose for other channels. A high-performing blog post could seed a more extensive white paper or inspire an infographic you share on social media. It’s time to start thinking outside your box regarding content.
5. Missing Out on Seasonal Topics and Social Trends
If a major holiday such as the New Year rolls around and you don’t capitalize on the opportunity with seasonal content such as a year-end review, you’re missing out on valuable engagement. Evergreen content is highly valuable over the long term, but if it’s all you produce, your blog will lack character and relevancy to many readers. Ultimately, that can leave you looking at metrics stuck on a plateau or slow decline. Make your posts more relevant by sprinkling in a content strategy that relates to readers at different times of the year.
6. Making the Same Calls to Action Again and Again
Are you capping off your content with the same boring routine time and again? If so, your calls to action probably won’t result in much action. If you’re using text that borders on boilerplate, Google might penalize your pages for showing duplicate content. Even if you rely on the exact phrase as a call to action, you won’t convert as often as you should—leaving your content in a cycle of ineffectiveness. Consider that research by HubSpot found that personalized calls to action outperform non-personalized calls by over 200%. Adding some extra flavor to your content could go a long way here.
Define and Refine Your Strategy to Avoid These Pitfalls
Refining your content strategy to escape the monthly déjà vu of poor performance requires a close look at what you’re doing and why. You might suffer from many of the missteps described here, or it could be a single problem that’s keeping your campaign from greatness. By recognizing that you have great control over your campaign and its performance, you can avoid a slump and invest your time in continuous improvements—rather than endless confusion.
