Successful Content Creation
To succeed in digital marketing means to succeed in content creation. The root of all digital marketing channels lies in content creation. SEO, paid ads, social media marketing, and so many other channels all operate under the same goal: produce compelling content that generates leads and drives conversions. Writing ad copy, shooting a promo video, optimizing a web page to be more attractive to the consumer, these all fall under the same broad umbrella that is content creation and digital marketing.
Common Content Creation Mistakes
Because the term is so general and spans across all channels of digital marketing, there are many ways to be successful in your campaigns, whatever route you choose to take. Depending on your goals and how you measure them, two content creation campaigns can look drastically different and both be considered successful. With that said, mistakes in content creation tend to look very similar. For this reason, we compiled this list of common mistakes in content creation.
These will serve as a great reference point when planning and executing campaigns, however, the best way to ensure success is to partner with an experienced digital marketing agency like Nxt Era Marketing who can help guide you through each step in the process and let you rest assured that your content is in good hands.
1. Forgetting the audience
First and foremost, as content creators (and digital marketers) we need to understand the audience. Everything else is secondary to this. A deep understanding of your target audience and their buyer personas is crucial to creating effective content. How can you expect to connect with them if you don’t know who they are, what they like and dislike, and how they interpret your content? Learn the language they speak in and how they move through the marketing funnel. From there, you can build a campaign on the solid foundation you’ve established.
The Fix: Conduct thorough research into your audience before, during, and after your campaigns. This could come in the form of keyword research, competitor analysis, or any number of strategies to identify who your audience is and how to reach them.
2. Publishing lazy, boring, or stale content
One of the most common and most tragic mistakes we’ve seen is producing content that truly belongs in the garbage. Whether it’s lazy, boring, or just plain stale, there’s an epidemic of poorly made content. In marketing, you get one chance to hook and sell your potential customer if you’re lucky. To publish anything less than your best work is disrespectful to your audience and yourself. Regardless of your industry or niche, the competitive landscape in digital marketing is immense. Consumers are inundated with ads and videos and different websites on search engines and social media. No one wants to consume content that isn’t stimulating or compelling.
The Fix: If you’re writing a blog, make sure it either takes on a new subject matter that your competition hasn’t already exploited, or at least, present a new point of view to challenge and interest the audience. If it’s a video, make sure it grabs the attention early and never lets it go. Take your work seriously and be fresh. Otherwise you won’t be creating content for very long.
3. Pitching the sale too often or too hard
Though you can’t forget to include CTAs or to make the sale, don’t sell too hard or you'll lose your audience. Again, content should be fresh and compelling. It should not be an infomercial that bores people to death. The modern consumer is smart and impatient. Don’t try to trick them or oversell. Your content should focus on an emotional appeal that engages the audience and integrates direct and indirect sales throughout. Not all of your content has to be nominated for an Oscar or Pulizter, but there’s plenty of room to balance creativity and sales.
The Fix: Balance. Don’t sell too hard, but don’t forget to let your creativity shine. More often than not, a consumer will choose the company that was able to tap into their emotions over the company that threw a bunch of stats and prices at them.
4. Not creating or sticking to a content calendar
One of the easiest ways to improve your content, reach, and awareness is to simply make a content calendar and stick to it. Posting content regularly ensures that your audience will remember you again and again. Consistency is huge in content marketing. A content calendar will help you stay consistent as well as ensure that you have a solid plan so that you aren’t just “winging it”.
The Fix: Create a content calendar before your campaign begins and adhere to it as strictly as you can. Publish content around the same day each week at around the same time. It’s alright to deviate from the plan occasionally, but the more consistent you are, the more successful your campaign will be.
5. Publishing one dimensional content
This can come in a few different forms. This could mean you’re only producing content around a few similar subject matters or it could mean you’re only utilizing one channel- whether it be a particular social media platform or the fact that you only publish a blog or video instead of using an integrated approach. The landscape is so competitive these days that you need to be sure you’re taking advantage of all possible avenues. This is not to say you become distracted and forget that the main focus should be producing interesting content; it means you need to go where your audience is instead of hoping they find you.
The Fix: Utilize multiple channels to ensure you have the widest reach possible. Multiple forms of content will also help you stay fresh and relevant as you continue to grow and publish more content.
6. Not making your content personal
When you’re producing content, there should be a story and a purpose behind it. Consumers want to connect with something and it’s your job to make that possible. Be creative and be personal. Adding a unique spin or voice to your content is the best way to be sure it’s always fresh and always personal.
The Fix: No one wants to hear the same story told in the same way, so find a way to connect it to your brand and audience. This is another area where you just have to let your creativity and personality shine through. Sometimes your audience won’t love it, but therein lies the risk of content creation: you have to be willing to take a chance in order to produce anything interesting.
Contact Nxt Era Marketing For Your Content Creation Campaigns
Above all else, the biggest mistake you can make is not partnering with a skilled content creation agency like Nxt Era Marketing. Our creative and experienced team has a proven track record of success in content creation. We will guide you every step of the way to guarantee your continued success. All you have to do is reach out to schedule your free consultation.
