There are still many companies that haven’t implemented a content marketing strategy. If yours is one of them, your reluctance may be based, in part, on some common misconceptions about what content marketing is, how it works, for whom it works, etc. Let us help you dig through all the misinformation you’ve received and get to the truth.
#1 Content marketing is only for consumer-focused companies with fun products.
Yes, the content marketing tactics that most often make the news for having “gone viral” are for “cool” B2C brands. However, two things to clarify here:
- Going viral is great if it happens, but that shouldn’t be your goal. Your goal is to produce high-quality, engaging content that helps you build an authentic relationship with your audience.
- Content marketing is very effective for B2B companies, even those with “boring” products and services. (And really, if you need a product or service to run your business, it’s definitely not “boring”!)
#2 Content marketing is easy—maybe it’s just a gimmick.
People who have a robust content marketing strategy in place and are putting out a significant volume of great content will laugh at this statement. Content marketing is anything but easy. It takes consistent effort and a commitment to excellence in the materials produced. And it’s no gimmick, as their impressive results will attest.
#3 Content marketing is focused on SEO—and we’re already doing OK there.
Sure, valuable content covering the right topics and including the right keywords will definitely help your SEO. But that’s not the only reason to get involved in content marketing. As stated above, this strategy helps you create genuine, trusting relationships with your audience, and those relationships will take you much further than any lift in your organic results.
#4 You can’t measure the results of your content marketing efforts.
Just. Flat. Wrong. Marketing automation tools like HubSpot can measure how your content is consumed with mind-blowing precision. Who downloaded a piece? When did they download it? How long until they returned to our site? What did they look at on their follow-up visit? The effectiveness of content marketing is absolutely measurable.
#5 Content marketing must be outsourced—and that sounds like a hassle.
Yes, an agency can provide guidance for creating and executing your content marketing strategy. And agencies have the resources to produce compelling content, precisely targeted at your buyer personas, quickly and efficiently. However, there is no reason you can’t do some, or all, of the work in-house. We actually advocate a collaborative approach to content creation. It works wonderfully for us with our clients.
So, if common misconceptions about content marketing have been holding you back, consider yourself freed! Start working on your strategy today so that you can start reaping the benefits tomorrow. And if we can lend a hand, and partner with you to accelerate your success, we’d love to help.
