Content marketers should shy away from these common pitfalls

December 5, 2016 by Annie
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Content marketing is a complex topic for even the most expert of strategists. Conducted incorrectly, this form of marketing can easily fall far from the mark when it comes to satisfying audience needs, instead just adding noise to an already cluttered space. It is, therefore, essential to get marketing strategies right from the outset. Although brands and strategists will continue to learn throughout the process and evolve their plans constantly, staying away from these common pitfalls can help position organisations for success.

Internal reorganisation can be a challenge

One thing that can be problematic, especially for larger firms, is implementing internal changes to facilitate the real-time content creative process. For example, Rachel Hawkes, the group social head for travel and holiday brand, TUI, said that working with international teams can result in duplicate work. As a result, the firm is focussing on trying to gain a more centralised approach to creating content. At TUI in the UK, there are 70 employees creating social, web and print content. Meanwhile, 30 creators are doing the same in Germany, whilst other locations have fewer.

By centralising all content creation, Ms Hawkes says that local content can be created more quickly and duplication can be avoided. “If we have 3,000 beds in New York, we can send internal teams out to create social content that can be disseminated through the group,” she explained.

Culling platforms shouldn’t be dismissed

Another aspect of modern content marketing that many strategists struggle with is trying to cover the multitude of social media platforms available. Creating content for all of these can be challenging, especially when each piece needs to be tailored to where it will be broadcast. In some cases, brands might simply become overwhelmed by the amount of work required. However, it’s important to recognise that platforms can, and should, be culled if needed.

As a case in point, oil firm BP previously identified seven key audience areas and began developing content for them. They quickly realised that simply picking the fastest growing platform, the largest one, or the place where competitors were found didn’t necessarily guarantee success.

Ben Jefferies, BP’s global head of digital publishing, concluded: “I’m not afraid of killing a platform.” In fact, despite their Facebook platform having around 250,000 followers, they’ve noticed some stagnation since its heyday in 2010. As a result, BP now produces more content for LinkedIn instead. “Map your content to the right audience, and build a framework around it,” Mr Jefferies said. “Take the relevance of your content and what the audience wants to figure out, and put the platform at the centre of that.”

Watching market trends is essential 

Finally, experts suggest that watching market trends is essential. This is particularly true for identifying emerging innovations for content marketing. Ogilivy & Mather’s head of innovation, James Whatley, suggests that bots are fast becoming the next brand experience. Instead of spending money on developing brand applications that fans then have to download, using bots in Facebook Messenger can offer high returns. The company, which helped develop campaigns like Stoptober, has noticed success here.

By taking an informed approach to content marketing, the most common mistakes can be avoided. And this can help brands achieve success far faster, whilst providing their audiences with the right material.

Annie