11 Modern Content Marketing Myths
Content marketing is an amazing area that is talked about and written about a lot, promising long-term business prospects. In reality, only 38% of companies get results from content marketing. About how not to fall into the number of those who are less fortunate and would like to talk. So to speak, to dispel some myths about this miraculous direction.
Myth #1. write as much as possible
You do understand that you can write as much as you like. But if no one can find your creations on the Internet, then your work will be useless. No need to focus on the amount of written material, you need to expand distribution channels. At the same time, supplement them with sources from the outside, groups in social networks, third-party sites.
Myth #2. Content marketing should be outsourced
It is impossible to give everything without looking back to outsourcing companies (performers). You are mistaken if you think that freelancers or marketers in agencies have a better understanding of the internal processes of your company than you do. As practice shows, attempts to distance themselves from the process do not lead to a positive result.
The best option is when ideas and terms of reference are compiled by the CEO. In this case, he is the main carrier of valuable information about the company. In small firms, this can be done by a marketer. Large companies transfer the entire process to the marketing department headed by their boss.
Myth #3. Company first, content creation second
Content needs to be created long before the product itself is created. The main thing here is to warm up the audience in advance, preparing for the appearance of a new product. How right people are not ready for what you are going to offer them. Therefore, you only have to talk about the product, explain its value and prove that this is exactly what they need.
Myth number 4. Content effectiveness cannot be measured
This statement was popular among marketers 5-7 years ago. Then the marketing agencies promised 2 things:
- Secondary metrics will grow (reactions, number of subscribers).
- The subjective parameters will increase.
In reality, neither the first nor the second has anything to do with real business. But just like SEO, publications and content can be measured. In this case, the costs are man-hours, and the results can be tracked using UTM tags. Thus, you can count the number of leads received from the channel and see their path through the funnel.
Myth number 5. A large number of reactions indicates the exponential content
No matter how great the content is, sales and only sales will be an indicator of quality.
Myth number 6. Come up with ideas for content
Perhaps the most amusing myth. For the most part, people cannot generate knowledge. Often they work with facts created by someone, and thanks to them they generate information. And there is nothing shameful in this. This is more logical than sucking topics for publications out of your finger. The best thing:
- Follow trends, select topics that are gaining popularity. To do this, you can use the services Content Сuration, Google Trends.
- Use multiple sources when making your own unique material.
The classic strategy that works most effectively is:
- 30-40% - materials from their own research, newsworthy companies.
- 60-70% - intelligently borrowed information from reliable sources, so to speak, from industry experts, but in your proprietary "wrapper".
Myth number 7. Content marketing does not require investments
Social networks, search promotion, content and all that stuff are far from free activities. Plus, at first, you will have to look for and train people, develop an effective content plan, look for suitable distribution channels, and establish contacts with publishers and journalists. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that the costs at first will be significant.
The return on your work will not be long in coming. The harder you work, the greater the effect will be. In a year organic traffic will grow up to 30% at least. They will write about you, they will discuss you on the net, but without any effort on your part. As a result, the cost of customer acquisition will decrease.
Myth number 8. You can hire students to work with content marketing
Statistics say that the cost of attracting a client using inbound channels is 61% less than the rest. Keep in mind that these are just statistics. Behind this figure are hidden both successful campaigns and unsuccessful ones. A content marketer must be able to maneuver at the intersection of marketing, copywriting, journalism and design. The result will be sad if your staff does not have the above abilities.
Myth number 9. Materials should be voluminous and interesting.
This is where the statement “size doesn’t matter” is true. Creativity and how big the text will be here are not important, sales and leads are important here. Give out the text often and little by little, and what is now interesting to the client.
The amount of textual content on the web is so great that people increasingly perceive it as information noise. They do not read, but “run” through the text, clinging to headings, pictures, highlights and other verbal elements. This is why infographics are more likely to be viewed to the end than a sheet of textual content.
Myth number 10. Blogging is effective for content distribution
Distributing content through blogging is a thing of the past. Own blogs on websites are no longer a distribution channel, but rather the basis for creating content.
Myth number 11. The last word in the choice of content is up to the user
The assertion that a person chooses what to read will soon also become a myth. The interests of the reference group are becoming more and more significant. Recommendation algorithms also matter. It is based on 3 trends:
- More than half of users are interested in content on social networks. Accordingly, most often they “consume” what is chosen and approved by their reference group (colleagues, friends).
- Social reactions are an indicator for PS. For several years now, the main indicator of positions in the PS has been social reactions. Those. if this or that content was approved by a wider audience, then it will definitely appear on the first lines in the issue.