It is easier to get the budget to create content, but without the proper strategy in place, it is very easy to focus on the content that does not serve the buyer. The first step toward preventing a mistake is knowing about it early enough to avoid it. On that note, here are some common content marketing missteps, and some advice on how to avoid them.
Creating too much content – More organizations are increasing their spend on content marketing, but only 30 percent can demonstrate the ROI from this spend. When product-focused marketers are the only group tasked with creating content, you run the risk of having that content focus on features and benefits rather than the buyer’s needs at every step of the journey. Creating content shouldn’t be an exercise in volume, it should focus on quality and it should be something the buyer wants to read, not that you hope the buyer will read.
Establishing credibility with the top of the funnel – Your content may do a fantastic job of describing the benefits of your solutions, but if you have not established yourself as a trusted advisor who understands the buyer, they may be hesitant to invite you to the table. The “SPIN” in SPIN Selling stands for Situation, Problems, Implications, and Need payoff. Many companies create plenty of content talking about the payoff without showing their buyers that they understand their situation, and the problems they face. If you can create the content that shows that you have insights into the real issues they face on a daily basis, and then help to educate them on the implications of not acting to correct those issues, then you will do a much better job of capturing leads earlier in the buying cycle and positioning yourself as a partner when they are ready to begin the process of change.
Not outsourcing writing – Sometimes the thing that you need to kick start a stalled content strategy is an outsider to help break down a difficult barrier to communications with your buyers. If you believe that your value proposition is too complex to trust with an outside writer, than you may need to hire an outside source to help you simplify that complicated scenario. Getting an outsider’s take on what your company brings to the table can be a creative exercise that will pay dividends in the long run.
Skimping on design and creative – Throwing your new whitepaper into your old template and relying on stock photos may be easy, but will do nothing to help your content stand out. Having a capable designer create custom images that tie directly into the content is going to increase your chances of getting shared, and will get your content seen by more buyers.
Lack of diversification – The thing about content formats is that everyone has different preferences. Some people love video content and are more likely to watch a video than read an article, while others just want to skim some bullet points. B2B buyers act in groups, and if you don’t have a wide array of content offers in different formats you may miss the boat on the one influencer that you need in your corner.
Jason Stewart is the vice president of strategic content for Annuitas, a B2B demand generation strategy firm. You can reach him at jasonstewart@annuitas.com
