Ask Yourself: Is Your Content Marketing Strategy Dying?

Content marketing – two words that by now you’re probably as sick of hearing about as you are dependent on. You’ve heard the advice of the industry’s best, you’ve accepted it’s of crucial importance and you’ve made the decision to make content marketing work for you – bravo indeed!However, none of the above in any way guarantees that your content marketing plan is or will be successful – have you ever taken the time to realistically look at how things are going?What so many business owners fail to understand is just how much hard graft and dedication a genuinely strong content marketing strategy involves. There’s a big difference between a complex and multi-faceted content marketing strategy, and one that’s interpreted as being little more than a daily blog entry and the occasional Facebook post. A content market strategy is not the kind of push that does the hard work on your behalf – you’ll only ever get out what you put in and you’ll need to be willing to put plenty in before getting anything out at all.  Ask yourself the following questions and take a minute to think about whether or not your content marketing strategy is alive, dying or dead already:1 – What’s Your Primary Motivation?A simple question with a simple answer – you want to increase sales, boost audience numbers and generally make yourself a success, right? But here’s the thing – content marketing is all about the long-term greater good for your business and not the kind of quick-fix conversions you might be motivated to go after. When it comes to blogging for example, the minute you decide to slip a bit of purely promotion text or sales spiel into the post, you’ll lose favour and credibility. Seriously – a recent study produced evidence to suggest that even a salesy sign-off at the end of a blog post will turn off at least 30% of its readers.If you’re working toward the greater good for the long-term, this is a habit to kick ASAP.2 – Are You Exploring Enough Avenues?Technically speaking, the scope for a content marketing campaign is infinite. No matter how many blogs you’re writing and social media accounts you’re updating, you could always be doing more. This is why if you ever fall into the trap of thinking your half-arsed attempts at blogging and the like will eventually pay off, you’re kidding yourself.The best brands in the world go so much further than the obvious. Say for example you’re selling hair products – solid content management could include a variety of facets like industry news, a YouTube account demonstrating products, educational resources for those interested in the industry and so on. The more you build and expand your brand by way of content, the better.3 – Are You a Genuine Expert in Your Niche?An online business can be one of two things – a web-based vending machine for goods and services or a wall-to-wall resource for all things related to the subject or niche. Take a look at any two brands on either side of the spectrum and you’ll have yourself a comprehensive insight into what content management is all about. Being an expert means being the oracle of genuine information and abundant resources your target audience has an interest in – anything less and you’re effectively just another vending machine with little more to offer.