Content marketing isn’t something you do to a business, it’s something a business does to itself.
We’re all over the content marketing bandwagon. Marketers have been asked to come up with five ideas for whitepapers and eight ways to be sure your startup is on track. Well, if you’re taking a step back to look at the whole picture, you might see things differently. In fact, bad content marketing is actually worse, in some cases, than no content at all. It’s the ultimate backfire.
We’re all in some sort of content marketing cult. And there’s no denying that content marketing, done right, can generate a ton of leads for your business. But, is it worth your time when you want to pursue another marketing tactic? In other words, will it have a better ROI?
Content marketing is a medium that describes a range of different marketing activities, like blogging and social media. It’s a great option for small businesses that want to maintain an active presence while also keeping expenses under control. But the problem with marketing is that good strategy isn’t always a prerequisite for success. Bad content is created every day, but it might be worse than no content at all.
You’re not supposed to be a writer. No one is. There are a plethora of writers out there who would love to take your blog posts and social media copy out of your hands and into theirs. If you can’t be a writer and a good marketer, a bad writer is not an option. You have to find a way to write well, whether it’s through the assistance of an AI, a professional copywriter or a cadre of in-house marketers, or you’ll only end up hurting your business.
Content marketing is a moving target. It can change at any time. If you don’t know this already, you soon will learn. One day, Google is obsessing with the volume of content on the internet. The next day, it’s all about the quality. If you don’t change with the times, you could waste an entire year or two writing content that will never help you increase your ROI. Going with the flow of the content marketing industry can be difficult when you’re busy with the rest of your business, which is why it’s better to bring in a professional.
Tell a good story, and you’re golden. Storytelling is a popular strategy in content marketing because it’s an effective way to draw your customer in and help them visualize your product or service. A good story is easy to remember and share with friends. It’s engaging and captivating. Bad stories, however, are the exact opposite. Everyone remembers them and they become the prism through which your business is seen. You can’t afford to have your client base remember your business in the same way they might remember an actor in a bad movie.
Content marketing is hard. Really hard. If you’re looking for a way to create content without putting in the effort to create a quality piece of content, you might as well give up now. If you’re looking to cut corners, you can’t afford to be in content marketing. If you want a quick fix to your marketing strategy, go with a different tactic.
No one wants to spend money on a strategy that doesn’t work. In fact, many businesses cut content marketing out of their budget the first year they implement it because it doesn’t work the way they’ve been told it should. If you’ve bought into the content marketing idea and are ready to reap the rewards, don’t spend any time thinking about doing it on your own. Subscribe to an AI writing service or hire a professional writer and content marketer to get the results you need.
Content marketing is a great strategy when used correctly, but it can lose its effectiveness if you don’t know how to harness it. Make sure you’re not wasting time and money on bad content. In fact, it’s better to have no content at all than to have bad content.
The SimpleMarketing.AI Content Engine generated this post (with a little human editing).
To learn how you can reduce your own Content Marketing burden with AI assistance, visit SimpleMarketing.AI