Do you expect good news or bad news firstly?
Wait a minute, you don’t need to answer. The good news is bad news and vice-versa.
So, Want to know Real News?
We asked the professionalists presenting at the Content Marketing World to name the biggest threat to Content Marketing Success.
They are mostly the biggest threats to the Content Marketing Success which come from your company as Content Marketing destroys from the inside first.
That is why, it is bad news as well as good news. While they are serious threats, the solution is into your grasp.
Following are the 16 biggest threats that will fall outside the internal problem theme, along with the ideas for how to fix it.
Threat 1: - Fear
Fear presents itself in a senior person who has very much on their plate, not giving the content team leader to publish the content without their review and final approval. This results in water down content designed that not to offend anyone or to appeal to the possible customer personas.
How to Fix It?
Present documents to decider-in-chief and let them know that they are designed to help you and create content that aligns with the business goals and won’t require to take up as much of their time as the current process. You will build the trust to make a case for it in time to check over to you.
Threat 2: - Stakeholder Misalignment
It is a chronic killer of all.
How to Fix It?
Manage and align stakeholders before you bring the stuff to review. This means surfacing misalignment and getting it upfrontly sorted out.
Threat 3: - Expectations for Immediate Results
How to Fix It?
Marketers must have a data-driven strategy about content i.e. well documented and measured against the business metrics that contribute to revenue.
Threat 4: Silos
I see silos particularly across large organisations. Whether you are talking about marketing, sales, public affairs, legacy, etc. when people are not on the same page about an initiative that it creates chaos.
How to Fix It?
All the relevant parties require to be at the table at the beginning of the content marketing campaign. If they might not be required later in the process that should be made aware at the outset.
Threat 5: - Not Communicating Internally
How to Fix It?
Every month you must persuade your internet marketing and communications staff that content marketing is worth doing. Even a simple email will do it.
Threat 6: - Inconsistency
It’s hard to believe that we are still talking about the inconsistency, but it seems we can’t destroyed it.
How to Fix it?
Create a strong foundation in the form of a solid strategy with the clear goals. This strategy is the backbone that will make you evaluate each and every project and help you to determine if it fits the goals.
Threat 7: - Easy, Cheap and Fast Expectations
How to Fix it?
It is just like the exercise and dieting, long term profits will override short-term pain. Find and invest in the little wins along with the path to a bigger goal that will get you there overtime.
Threat 8: - Budget Cuts
Brands think about the cheaper content that will help them weather economic storms. But brands delivers the content that seems to be cheap and will lose the attention and loyalty of their clients.
How to Fix It?
Brands must be doubling down on their content and focusing the attention on delivering high quality designs. Today’s audiences have discriminating eyes and expect that the media see is delivered at the same blockbuster quality at Netflix. Those who focus on the craft and a bespoke experience will see a windfall of engagement.
Threat 9: - Generic Content
When we are afraid of generating controversy, we will end up playing it too safe. It sounds like we don’t have any point of view. When content is consumed, audiences want to feel like they are with their people. They won’t feel the way if the content sounds like it was created by the committee.
How to Fix It?
Take the time to connect each and every content creator to organizational values to ensure the alignment between the work and the purpose of the organisation. Content should live at the intersection between the brand values, audience interests and product application. That’s the kind of content people want to engage with, and it is definitely not boring.
Threat 10: - Self Satisfaction
How to Fix It?
Depending on the nature of the content team, it can be frustrated if they can’t be convinced to try the latest things or to look at the data to ensure that the things are working as well as they think they are.
Threat 11: - Lack of Focus
It’s a lack of focus on your goal, a lack of focus on your audience and on core identity. All this plays a huge role in your success.
How to Fix It?
You have to drive forward by knowing exactly WHO you are and from there, you have to always stay in touch with WHO that your audience is and understand the intersection of your brand with your audience.
Threat 12: - Audience Attention
Audience Attention is in low supply and high demand and that ratio is getting worse.
How to Fix It?
Rethink short lived campaigns and invest in the long term building an audience on your owned media, one subscriber at a time.
Threat 13: - Company Focused Content
How to Fix It?
We have to set high standards and must take great responsibility in producing the great product or providing great service and we should follow the same principles when it comes to the content. Be responsible to your audience, honest, engaging and informative. Because we are building trust and want our audience to keep coming back for more.
Threat 14: - Failure to Adapt to Change
How to Fix It?
Priorities have changed, that’s why people are nervous. They are desperate for inspiration and yes humor. It’s easy to be scared and keep doing the serious business that focuses on the company rather than meeting customers where they are at. Where they are at a base level humans require for comfort and psychological safety - they want to be reassured. If you think, humor isn’t appropriate, it’s because you are unable to understand what it is and what it can do.
Threat 15: - Starting with Format
I see content brainstorms begin with the format: “We need a video idea.” or “Let’s come up with something for the blog.” But when we begin with the format, we risk forcing our stories into the format which becomes easier and there’s much a better chance that two will be paired successfully.
How to Fix It?
Start with brainstorming the stories that you want to tell and the messages that you want to share, and then ask which format would be best to bring this story to life? If you will swap the order, choose the right format which becomes easier and there’s a much better chance that the two will be paired successfully.
Threat 16: - Wrong Metrics
Too many teams is being measured by the quantity and frequency of content.
How to Fix It?
Measure the content’s ability to help buyers that will make decisions.