Bearing in mind a myriad of ads popping in front of our eyes, is it surprising that we ignore most of them? You favourite TV programme is interrupted by commercials for a detergent, newspapers are full of ads promoting weight loss products, while the entire city is covered with posters. People are increasingly using online blockers, and we go to walk a dog during a commercial break and forget what we have been watching in the first place. People don’t perceive ads in the same way as they used to.

However, we are eager to get new information every day. We want to be inspired and educated, to laugh at jokes and be annoyed with controversies. We look for advice on what to eat, buy, wear. People search for authentic content that helps them make decisions. That is why brands, having recognised that change in consumer behaviour, change their marketing strategies. That’s where content marketing comes in.

Research has shown that 47 percent of customers read online copies, blogs and reviews of products before contacting a sales rep, while content costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing.

It’s a win-win situation, right?

Not really.

A content strategy you have once defined does not last forever. It has to be flexible and to evolve. Brands grow, expand, change. A client base can be changed overnight. Products are cancelled and new one are unveiled.

If you want to be ahead of your competition – you should regularly check and update your content strategy.

Or, in case of failure… recreate it. Sometimes over and over again.

These are some of the reasons why your content marketing does not bring desired results:

You don’t plan ahead and don’t post regularly

We’ve often had an opportunity to work with brands that had no strategy or plan and that posted content erratically. In order to make content marketing successful and reach expected results, it is necessary to plan content in advance – what is posted, where, when, how often and for whom.

Regular posting is a key to success in content marketing because the audience is demanding and wants to consume content they like and find useful as often as possible. 

Irrelevant, unwitty and visually unattractive content creates more damage than lack of content

Content you create has to offer a solution and be clear and appealing. Bear in mind that social media are not an online shop where you directly offer your products; it is a place where potential customers learn about your vision and method of work and establish trust towards your product.

Flooded with content from all over the Internet, potential customers very well know what is useful and what they like. Instead of posting randomly something you think someone will like, learn what your audience likes, because you can never be liked by everyone.

Ignoring significance of SEO 

After all, marketers are creative, not technically-oriented, right?

This line of thinking will get you nowhere and will definitely set back all your efforts to achieve success in content marketing. SEO is an important part of content marketing and should not be neglected at all. Engage a SEO expert when creating your website and make things easier for yourself in later stages of a marketing strategy.

You expect instant results from content marketing

One of the most common mistakes we encounter is giving up on creating and placing quality content too soon. Since many expect miracles from social media, they are prone to backing down in moments when it seems that no one consumes content they have posted and when they think that everything lasts much longer than it actually should. Content marketing is a continuous process with no expiration date and requires knowledge and resources to be invested in it.

The new millennium customers have more information about a product than ever before, learn actively and want to somehow participate in creating your brand. If you provide them with quality, relevant and positive content and focus on them properly, you will create loyal customers who will always come back to you.