When it comes to content marketing, most of us are pretty pleased with the articles we produce. But are our readers/customers thinking the same thing?
The fact is that a lot of content marketing is little more than, regular marketing dressed up in article form and your readers are well aware of that fact. This topic was recently addressed in an article on SEO Journal by Kathy Katz that is a must read for content producers of all sizes.
One of the biggest content marketing crimes that’s committed on a regular basis is simply creating content that doesn’t offer value. If your message is a message that your sales force likes hearing, you might also want to run it by an actual customer, too.
When your message is all about what’s best for the company, and not what’s best for the customer, your content marketing campaign is certain to fail.
Another method for turning off customers with content is by simply saying too much. Your content needs to be clear and concise.
You’re not writing the Great American Novel, or a think piece for the New York Times – you’re trying to sell something. When you’re selling something, you need to come right out and tell your potential customers exactly why your goods and services are a good fit for their lives. And the fewer words you use to tell that story, the better off you’ll be.
There’s really no deep, dark secret to creating content readers want to read. Just write something you would want to read yourself.