It seems everyone is jumping on the content marketing bandwagon these days. Even though we are indeed all publishers today, and that content marketing is now a core and growing part of the marketing toolkit for the majority of brands out there, there are times when brands need to say no.
There are quite a few reasons why some brands just shouldn’t be creating content as part of their marketing programs. Here they are…
Reason #1 – No Content Marketing Strategy
We should be blogging. We need an enewsletter. Let’s do a custom magazine Does this sound familiar?
For years (and into today) this is how the content marketing conversation was started. All tactics and no strategy.
Before you launch any content marketing tactic, ask yourself why. What’s the objective? What outcomes would you like to see? What are the customer behaviors?
Reason #2 – Lack of Executive Buy In
Even the best content marketing programs get killed because someone in the c-suite just doesn’t get it. Before you start your content marketing, make sure your bosses understand the why of content marketing. Probably the best reason to buy Get Content Get Customers is to help your key executives understand the fact that they need to be acting like publishers.
Reason #3 – No Plan for Consistency
Content marketing is not a campaign. It’s more like a love letter to your customers and prospects. It’s you, helping them, do something better. This positions you as a trusted expert.
If you launch a blog, an enewsletter, a webinar series…this is a content promise to your customers. It’s a pact. Breaking that promise is the worst thing you can do. Better not to have started at all.
Reason #4 – Content that’s Just Like All the Rest
If your messaging is just like your competitors, you have a problem Houston. What are you offering that is any different from what your customers can get elsewhere? Your content needs a higher purpose…it needs to take a stand. If it’s same ole same ole, kill it.
Reason #5 – It’s Great Information, But Has Nothing to Do with Your Product or Service
If you are a chip company, why are you aggregating pictures of babies and puppies? Why are you spending time and resources on content marketing that will have no hope of generating more revenue or cost savings in some way? Know who your customers or influencers are and help them, not everyone else.
Reason #6 – Me, Me, Me
Content marketing is not advertising. Stop talking about yourselves. Realize that your customers really don’t care about you. Your ISO certified gizmo magic machine really doesn’t solve world hunger. Make customers care by focusing on them, not you.
Reason #7 – Content Suffers Due to Lack of Resources/Expertise
Especially during this great recession, more companies have decided to put content marketing on the backs of marketing or communications. Write the blog. Create the video. Author the white paper.
Sometimes this works. Many times, it’s just plain awful. It’s bad to have no content marketing. It’s a tragedy to have crappy content that just clutters up the Internet.
Focus on what you do well and outsource the rest. That’s why Junta42 was created. If you can do it internally, great. Most brands outsource at least a portion of their content marketing. You should too.
I’m sure I missed a few. What are they?
If you need a kick-start getting started, try downloading this complimentary white paper on attracting and retaining customers with content marketing. You’ll see that it all starts with Why.
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