Your Website Review Checklist: Why Content Marketing Isn?t Working

Website Review Checklist and Content Marketing

So you’ve taken the leap and started your very own content marketing campaign? Good for you! According to Content Marketing Institute, nearly 94 percent of all small businesses and 93 percent of all B2B marketers used content marketing in some form. If you’re not using it, you’re falling behind your competitors.

However, just because you’re using content marketing, doesn’t mean you’re having success with it. In fact, a lot of companies say that they don’t really see any benefits from their content marketing efforts. More than a few reach the conclusion that, “content marketing just doesn’t work.”

That conclusion couldn’t be farther from the truth. Content marketing does work, but, just like any other marketing method, it has to be done right. If you go at it the wrong way, you’re unlikely to see results.

If any of the four?items in the below website review checklist sound familiar, you may be making some serious mistakes in your content marketing efforts. If so, it’s time to take a step back, evaluate your strategy, and make any needed adjustments.

Your content isn’t very good.

This is a common problem with content marketing. There’s a widespread belief among many marketers that any content will do. Like all you have to do to get results is put words on your website. Would you put a sub-standard commercial on television? Or put a shoddy billboard up next to the highway? Then why do the same thing with your online content?

The most effective content is well-written, focused, and targeted. It speaks to a specific need for a specific client, and it adds value outside of selling a product or service.

A website review checklist can help you take a look at your content and see what’s working and what isn’t.

You don’t?promote?your content.

Just post new content and visitors will come, right? Not quite. If nearly every other business is using content marketing, then you have a lot of competitors for your audience’s attention. You have to promote your content to maximize its ROI.

Social media is a great avenue for content promotion. Paid online advertising can also be effective. Also, don’t be afraid to go offline and encourage your sales and service reps to promote online content in their conversations with prospective clients.

You don’t have a content strategy.

Content isn’t something you should just throw at the wall and hope it sticks. That’s exactly what many companies do, though. They post to their blog or their social media accounts with little overarching strategy or mission.

Instead, create a content mission statement and use it to guide your content strategy. Create personas so your content can speak directly to your ideal client. Develop an approved topic list so all of your content stays relevant to your mission. Use your strategy to guide your content’s direction and deliver results.

You’re impatient.

Content marketing isn’t designed to get quick transactions overnight. It’s a long-term project that builds long-term customers. You’re asking your clients to trust you because of the authority that you project online. That takes time.

Before you give up on content marketing, consider whether you’ve really given it a fair shot. Content marketing results should be measured in years, not months or weeks. If you haven’t given it that much time, it may be too early to give up.

To see where you can improve. ?Sign up for a free Inbound Marketing Assessment. We’ll review your marketing efforts, provide a website review checklist, and recommend how you can improve your content marketing results.