Welcome to the twenty-first century where recycling is a thing and Donald Trump is president. Say goodbye to the good old newspaper as we now breathe, live and eat information off the worldwide web. As evolve along with the rest of the world, are your content marketing efforts falling short of ROIs?
It’s no secret that becoming an authoritative voice for your industry builds consumer trust in your business. It's the mob mentality really. If it's published and talked about by enough people on the web, it must be wise advice! Truth is however, you could write your socks off to world peace but still fall short on ROI. You need a solid content marketing strategy to translate your content into conversions. See if you can identify with any of the common pitfalls in this article.
#1: You Don’t Analyze
Your Struggle: You have an excellent website and awesome content but no ROI.
Solution: Identify the funnel that is “leaking” with Google Analytics metrics. Learn about your visitors’ behavior and harness them as part of your strategy.
To explain simply, a funnel is the step-by-step process flow of your customers from the discovery of your brand to purchase. Identifying which stage your consumer drops off the process will help you to improve your strategy. Don’t shoot blanks. The key to solving any problem is identifying the root cause. Analyzing your website’s metrics will do your ROI wonders. If you don’t already have Google Analytics installed, it’s about time!
Google Analytics is a powerful digital marketing tool. It captures insights on your site’s acquisition, visitor behavior, and conversions. Valuable metrics such as unique visitors, bounce rate, organic and paid traffic are important in helping you identify and optimize your content marketing strategy. Even digital experts use these insights to conduct A/B testing to determine which keywords or content work better. Understanding which specific metrics are not performing will help you to identify which solutions in this article might work for you.
#2: You Don’t Strategize
Your Struggle: You post fresh content frequently but fail to draw traffic to your site.
Tips: Use keyword research tools such as Google Ads Keyword Planner and Longtail Pro. Plant effective keywords into your meta tags, main content, and title.
Someone once said that the best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of a Google search. Research has shown that being ranked first on Google search can get you a click-through rate of 30%. Content is moot if it doesn’t get picked up! Getting ranked high organically is your golden ticket to higher traffic. Although Google's algorithm is constantly changing, the basics remain the same.
Google Ads Keyword planner suggests a list of terms and tells you how often they are searched. You might also want to consider adding SEO keywords that are 3 to 4 words long. Long tail keywords are important in segmentation. The average conversion rate for long-tail keywords is a whopping 36%! If you don’t mind investing a little, give Longtail Pro a go. It helps you find less competitive keywords that can give your conversion rate a boost.
But like everything else in life, too much of anything is counterproductive. Make sure to sneakily sprinkle keywords in your content. Google dislikes keyword stuffing as it is considered a dirty hat-trick to beat the system instead of giving users what they want.
#3: You Don’t Segment
Your Struggle: You have healthy traffic but your conversion rate is low.
Tips: Identify your target consumer’s demographics and needs. Generate content from their perspective’s needs and interests.
Casting a wider net means more fish, right? Not necessarily. You might be afraid to shave down the masses, but quality trumps quantity when it comes to traffic in the digital world.
Instead of hurling an endless stream of content in all directions, identifying two or more personas can help you to shape the language and interests that will resonate deeper with your end-user. This has been a reported tactic supported by 71% of marketers.
For example, writing content for a B2B client would be very different from writing one for, say, a working-class woman. Think about what your customer’s lives revolve around and choose topics that fulfill the need for that information. This will drive prospective conversions to your website.
#4: You Don’t Sell
Your Struggle: You have low traffic to your site despite promoting your content on other channels.
Tips: Use short, accurate and titillating titles that sell and are optimized for search
Titles might just be more important than the content you are selling. Think of it as the packaging of your content. Your audience might merely be “window-shopping”, or searching with an intent when they stumble across your content. If your packaging does not resonate as a need or want, it’s not going to get picked off the shelf.
Here are several ways you can get creative with titles.
1) Be cheeky and use sexy language:
Use strong language instead of lukewarm sentiments. For example, “7 Things your Dog Hates” is a lot sexier than “Things your Dog Dislikes”.
2) Sell a value proposition:
Create a dream of grandeur in your reader's mind. For example, “Travel while Earning a Six Figure Income”.
3) Intrigue:
This strategy works especially well for your “window shoppers”. For example: “5 things Brand Agencies Don’t Tell you” or “The Shocking Truth about Fad Diets”.
Lastly, don’t be an old nag! Keep it short and sweet. This means 8 words or less or no one will give you the time of the day.
#5: You Don’t Compel
Your Struggle: You have a high bounce rate and the average session duration on your website is low.
Tips: Use tools such as Google Trends to find topics in demand. Make sure your content is relevant to its title.
“Content marketing is the gap between what brands produce and what consumers actually want.” a wise Michael Brenner once said. Is your content mostly focused on how awesome your business is? If so it’s going to be a snooze fest to your readers. Humans are self-absorbed by nature and care only about content that resonates. Direct marketing and hard selling are hence becoming exponentially ineffective as consumers become wiser.
Consider taking a shot at solving common life problems in your industry as seen from your consumer's perspective. Then, find that sweet spot that overlaps the solution with your business. Assume the role of subject expert on the topic and steer your audience towards a conversion. Content such as product reviews and life hacks are perfect for drawing traffic to your websites. Such indirect marketing fills the dearth of information your consumer is seeking.
If you are out of ideas, Google Trends might help. It is a free tool that helps you identify trending keywords, phrases and subjects that are popularly searched for. This way you can always stay on top of your audience and meet the demand for information they seek.
To Sum Things Up:
Doug Kessler said that “Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.” Selling is no longer just about being able to write a catchy jingle. It’s a bout striking a chord with your audience. Don’t initiate content marketing without a strategy. Here’s a quick recap:
1) Use Google Analytics to identify problems to retune your content marketing strategy.
2) Understand your market segment and speak their language.
3) Never underestimate the importance of effective keywords.
4) Use catchy titles to sell your content.
5) Write to compel and convert.
Bear in mind that conversion always takes time so don’t you give up. Follow these steps and you’re on your way to reaping the sweet fruits of your efforts!