After interviewing industry colleagues about how they've failed at content marketing, I've learned one surprising fact: Just because you're a good writer or producer doesn't necessarily mean you're a good content marketer. Also, successful content marketing requires rigid planning and discipline.
It's not because we're willfully ignorant of the right or wrong thing to do, but that it is simply easier to do the wrong thing in content marketing. You'll see what I mean after you watch the video, below, summarizing 16 real-world mistakes in content marketing.
On the face of it, most of the mistakes don't seem that awful, and they're things you've done or seen others do. But what makes them mistakes is that they are the result of taking the easy or lazy approach to producing content, without having the bigger picture in mind about what makes for an efficient or successful content marketer.
For example, it's simply easier to...
- Create shorter vs. longer content
- Not create an editorial calendar
- Just do one edit round or not copyedit at all
So, let's take a look at the video of all 16 easy, real-world mistakes in content marketing:
Now ask yourself whether you've at least a few of those mistakes. I'd be stunned if you haven't.
Every action in content marketing requires rigid discipline to see whether you're achieving your goal—which is, often, to drive sales. Take a step back and look at your entire editorial and production process, then ask yourself how and where you're falling short.
And if you've taken steps at your organization to prevent yourself from falling into the "easier, but wrong" trap of content production, share your stories below, in the comments.
For more insight and to hear the full tales of what practitioners have done wrong, read "16 of the Dumbest Content Marketing Mistakes We're Still Making."
