8 Catastrophic Content Marketing Mistakes

Content marketing involves the creation of fresh, relevant content that utilizes the keywords potential customers use to find your small business online. This is the good news. The bad news, however, is that many small business owners commit one or more of the following eight deadly sins that sink their content marketing strategies before their content can truly come alive.

Content Does Not Equal Selling

Never use your content marketing platform to pitch products and services. Your customers visit your small business website to learn how to solve problems and gain insight into how to accomplish specific tasks. Tone down the sales voice; it’s not as effective anymore. You primary goal is to build trust, not alienate website visitors by publishing blatant sales pitches.

The Guest Blogger No One Likes

Very few of us have the mental spigot flowing 24 hours a day. Therefore, we need to find guest bloggers who possess knowledge about our small business niche. Your content marketing strategy can flourish with the right guest blogger, but you must ensure he or she does not run off your readers because of insolent responses to comments and insulting content.

No Supermen or Superwomen Required

You run a small business, which means your hands are in several pots simultaneously. A common content marketing mistake is trying to manage a content marketing strategy yourself. You should delegate responsibility to other team members who have the ability to write compelling content about your small business. You can even hand over the entire content marketing strategy to an employee who may have a lighter work load.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Did you know that showcasing videos on your small business website and social media is a key element to a strong content marketing strategy? Do not fret if you do not know this, since most small business owners make the same content marketing mistake. Uploading “How to…” videos on YouTube or even sharing them on Twitter or Facebook can turn a mundane content marketing program into a sparkling addition to page one of Google’s search engine.

Using the Shotgun Approach

Another common content marketing mistake entails small business owners using the information shotgun approach to reach their website audiences. Concentrate on your area of expertise and target your audience with useful information about topics you understand. If you want to cast a bigger net to reel in more website traffic, then recruit qualified guest bloggers in other niches to broaden your content.

Recycling is Good for More than “Being Green”

Too many small business owners make the mistake of writing about a topic and then never revisiting the topic down the road. You should never revisit a topic that you wrote about last week, but wait a few months and apply a different spin on a topic that received an above average number of comments or visitors. Recycling content keeps important issues in the minds of your potential and loyal customers.

Stand Up and Stand Out

The formulaic approach to writing small business content does nothing to set you apart from the competition. Although following a few blog-writing standards and introducing seductive titles and verbiage makes sense, you must integrate your unique personality into your content and try varied approaches to writing creative content. A consistent and established tone is important. Putting your personality into your content is the best reason to market your small business.

Cheapskate

You can make the mistake of running your content marketing strategy on a cheap marketing budget or devote the necessary financial resources to introduce your small business to a larger audience. There is no such thing a just a “little bit” of content marketing. You’re either in it to win it, or you’re not. Start getting financially serious about your content marketing strategy and get ready to put into the investment. You won’t be let down…unless you choose to make these deadly content marketing mistakes.

One of the most neglected common content marketing mistakes involves toll free vanity numbers. Small businesses that acquire toll free vanity numbers should list the numbers on every blog and web page. This provides your website visitors with a free and convenient way to contact you and learn more about your small business.

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