June 4, 2024
Why Your Content Doesn’t Perform: Ineffective Strategies and How to Fix Them
In the words of Joe Chernov, “Good marketing makes companies look smart. Great marketing makes customers feel smart.” With this focus in mind, we see time and time again brands pouring time and resources into their content strategies, though oftentimes they fall flat, lacking any emotive response from their audience. If you’re lacking this responsiveness, you’re not alone.
Here are some common reasons we’ve seen why content can fall short, and some tips on creating compelling, engaging, and emotive content that makes your customers feel smart and in charge of their decisions.
1.Lack of Audience Understanding
The Problem: One of the primary reasons content fails is because it doesn’t resonate with its intended audience. Businesses often create content based on assumptions rather than data-driven insights. The fact of the matter is that generic content that tries to appeal to everyone often ends up appealing to no one, so backing your content with insight is more important than ever.
The Fix: Conduct thorough audience research. Use tools like surveys, social media analytics, and customer feedback to understand your audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. Create detailed buyer personas to tailor your content to the specific interests and challenges of your audience. Answer their problems without them having to ask you for a solution.
2. Inconsistent Branding and Messaging
The Problem: Inconsistent branding confuses your audience and dilutes your message. This inconsistency can stem from a lack of clear brand guidelines or varying tones and styles across different platforms.
The Fix: Develop (and stick to!) comprehensive brand guidelines. Ensure your brand has a consistent tone of voice and style across all content. This extends from everything you put out: social posts, your email marketing, blog banners, and print collateral.
3. Salesy Content
The Problem: Content that focuses solely on promoting products or services can turn off your audience. Today’s customers crave value and authenticity, not constant sales pitches. A soft sell is proving to be more and more effective in the social landscape.
The Fix: Adopt a value-first approach. Share informative, educational, or entertaining content that addresses your audience’s interests and needs. Implement the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should provide value, and only 20% should be promotional. This allows you to talk with, not at, your audience.
4. Ignoring SEO Best Practices
The Problem: Even the best content won’t be effective if it isn’t discoverable. Neglecting SEO means your content is less likely to appear in search engine results, reducing its reach.
The Fix: Implement SEO best practices, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and quality backlinks. Create content that answers common questions and solves problems your audience might search for. Regularly update and optimise older content to maintain its relevance and ranking.
5. Failing to Engage with Your Audience
The Problem: Content is a two-way street. Businesses often forget to engage with their audience, resulting in missed opportunities for building relationships and fostering loyalty.
The Fix: Encourage interaction by asking questions, responding to comments, and sharing user-generated content. Use social media platforms to create conversations and build a community around your brand. This doesn’t always mean responding to your content either, just look at Stanley’s response to their customers’ viral social outcall.
Creating content that works requires a deep understanding of your audience, consistent branding, a value-driven approach, SEO knowledge, and active engagement. By avoiding these common pitfalls and implementing these strategies, you can create content that not only attracts but also engages and retains your audience.
Remember, great content is about how you make your audience feel.