1. Quality content that no one gets to see
Mistake number one: you make quality content, work on it persistently and diligently, do your best to do pull it off immaculately, but then you don’t bother to work on – distribution. Just like you wouldn’t spend time and resources in printing a magazine only to keep it in a basement of your building, and then wonder why no one was coming around to read it, you should also be dedicating time and resources to bringing your online content closer to audiences and users and convincing them that it is worth of their attention. Social networks, newsletters, SEO, online (and also offline!) advertizing, bookmarking pages… Are you absolutely positive that you have used up all the means of promotion and distribution of online content accessible to you?
2. Underestimating the audience
We agree that you should be making quality, original content, designed to entertain and educate the audience and offer it something unique that we have decided it needs. If content quality is our goal, then our goal is also a quality audience that is not to be underestimated. A good audience will embrace content that maintains a standard level of excellence, and will also have no problem calling you out on it if you should fail to provide such content. What’s worse, a quality audience will not tolerate content of bad quality – they have given you a chance and if you do not seize it, you’re done. A quality audience is not composed of people blindly clicking on and liking catchy headlines with texts lacking substance; they are people who will take in your content and decide whether it’s worth being shared and recommended. Word of mouse is still the key factor!
3. Underestimating your own content
Why make quality content if you’re just going to hide it? Or, on the other hand, why make it and then use cheap and mundane ways to promote it? Headlines such as: You Will Never Believe What Happened in This Video, and websites with huge, screaming frames asking you to “get engaged” to a Facebook page or newsletter, while keeping the content in the back seat, speak to your lack of confidence when it comes to your own content. An audience which has been offered truly excellent content need no persuading to like your Facebook page – they will do it in order to keep following you. And the content itself will tickle the imagination of the potential audience with concrete titles – no cheap tricks necessary.
4. Race to the goal
Content marketing is not a race but a marathon. Its primary goal is to grab the audience’s attention, but its ultimate goal is to transform audiences into users and increase brand consciousness. In order to achieve those goals, you need time and considerable effort. There are no shortcuts in marathons, and even those who spend time in the rear can end up being winners. Persistence, a constant rhythm, and a dedication to the cause – these are the features of successful content marketing experts, who understand that they are in it for the long run. A race can show exciting but short-term results; anything else you need to think about long term.
5. Let your actions speak instead of your words
Everyone is talking about content marketing but it is more important to get down to business instead and start creating high quality content! In Storytelle.rs we were talking about content marketing as well as doing it back when it barely had a name – the 3Dmag magazine was founded back in 2008 (and it moved from the printed to the iPad and online edition in 2011), while Online.hr web magazine has been around since 2010; all thanks to a client who recognized the potential of content marketing and saw where the future was headed. And behind it all are passion and conviction that what you are doing makes sense and it is the right way to go about it – in the end this is recognized by clients as well as the audience. So let’s start creating!
