Several decades before people started making money off of online content Bill Gates proclaimed that content would be king in the age of information technology. We now face an over saturation of content, but this marketing strategy is still relevant and should be included in your campaigns. However, the over saturation has created intense competition and therefore you need to go the extra mile to stand out in the crowd. Here are some of the common content marketing mistakes you need to avoid if you want to be successful:
- You have Short-form Content
Research reveals that search engines prefer long-form, well-written content because users gain more information from these pieces. Short 200 to 400-word pieces are no longer considered effective and don’t bring in enough engagement. However, some short-form content pieces still draw audience and rank high. This is because they answer the user’s question satisfactorily. In short, you should use as many words as you need to answer the user’s question. The most popular content online have anywhere between 1,200 and 2,400 words.
- You have Grammatical Errors and Misspellings
Writers often make mistakes and don’t realize it, even after they read the content repeatedly. If you create your own content, you need to hire someone to edit it and correct any grammatical or spelling errors. A reader will immediately notice the mistakes and that will disrupt their reading experience. An editor or a second pair of eyes will ensure your content doesn’t have many errors in it to disrupt the flow.
- You Don’t Cater to the Short Attention Spans
Modern readers have short attention spans and don’t have the patience to read through an entire piece of content. They will skim and try to understand the gist of it without wasting too much time. Your content format should cater to that and have the right structure. This means you should have a good number of content breaks, reasonably short paragraphs, headings and subheadings, bullet points, etc. All of these factors make the content easier to read. Your target audience won’t have to wade through a solid block of text to understand your point.
- Your content doesn’t Benefit the End-User
You need to find harmony between the content you want to create and the content your target audiences want to read. Study your target audience, consider their common complaints and queries, look into their social media presence, and do your research before you choose a content topic. You should also do your best to ensure the information is current, relevant, and accurate.
- You Don’t Showcase Authority
Your content should sound confident and authoritative. If it sounds too uncertain or tentative, you won’t gain the trust of your target audience. Your voice and personality should shine through in your words so keep your language causal and conversational. If your tone is too stiff and formal, you’ll lose your audience’s interest quickly. These mistakes can kill your content marketing strategy and damage your reputation. You’ll also experience a drop in rankings if you’re not careful and don’t plan your content well.