If you’re reading this, it means either of the two: 

a) you’re preparing to avoid common content marketing mistakes from the start, or 

(b) you’re aware that you already made one (or more), and want to rectify the mistake(s) to get the desired result(s).

If neither of these fit in your case, then you must be a nerd like the Satans. 

Anyway, let’s begin. 

But not so fast! Note one crucial thing: just content marketing isn’t enough. It must be a STRATEGIC one. Because one can avoid setbacks caused by often-overlooked mistakes only strategically. Many people aren’t even aware of these mistakes, making it even more crucial to address them.

why is content marketing important?

We won’t go hard on this one, as this is a no-brainer. But, we’ll be spitting some facts here!

Research shows that businesses using content marketing experience a 6 times increase in conversion rates compared to those that don’t. 

We have a prime example of benefits of content marketing to help you understand better: 

Burberry launched the first-ever (known) user generated content (UGC) campaign "Art of the Trench" in 2009. The crux was how a luxury brand can effectively engage their target audience while maintaining brand authenticity. 

What they achieved was nothing but purely a strategic brilliance. 

They were able to build a “trenched” community by inviting their customers to submit photos wearing their trench coats, and as a result turning them into Burberry’s advocates.

What did Burberry achieve from this UGC campaign? Their Facebook audience grew to ~1 million by 2010 - a year after the campaign's launch. Not only that, their online sales increased by ~50% YoY. 

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Classy, strategic content marketing, isn’t it? Not only did Burberry celebrate its iconic trench coat but also strengthened its brand image globally. 

You can do this too. Hire the Satans.

‍(sorry, our blogster spends all his energy on research and didn’t put much effort into indirect sales pitch).

common content marketing mistakes

1. lacking proper research of target audience

Brands, startups, and/or businesses focus so much on what they’re doing that they don’t fancy for whom they’re doing it for. And this can be a mistake that may backfire in many ways. A 2022 study found 47% of content marketers reporting that researching their audience was the most crucial factor in avoiding content marketing mistakes that could’ve caused them a fortune. 

how to avoid mistake #1

Follow the 40-30-30 rule: spend 40% of your time in research, 30% in execution, and the remaining 30% again in reiterations or edits. The more you research & understand the behaviours of your target audience, the better you can utilise this information in creating impactful content for brand engagement that resonates with them.

2. creating content without a strategic planning

We agree that spontaneous adventures without any planning turn out to be the best ones of your life. But, it’s not the same with content marketing. Aimlessly posting content is one of the biggest content marketing mistakes and should always be avoided to save your time, money, and effort.

how to avoid mistake #2

Creating a content marketing planner will ensure you create the right content, for the right platform, at the right time, and ultimately, for the right target audience. Keep the following points in mind while creating a content marketing strategy template:

• Remember your brand voice and tone: consistency is key.
• Consider your target audience: tailor your content to their interests and needs.
• Maintain a list of useful keywords: this will aid in SEO and visibility.
• Define the goal of each piece of content: ensure each piece serves a purpose.
• Identify social media platforms: determine where to promote your content and how to do it effectively.
• Set content deadlines and plan for proofreading: timeliness and quality are essential.
• Recycle old content: refresh and repurpose valuable content.
• Outline topics/content pillars to cover: a decent amount of content pillars to A/B test will help.
• Assign tasks: clearly define roles for content creation, writing, and publication.
  

3. not following content creation trends

Satans don’t promote following every trend blindly, but neglecting them altogether is a significant content marketing mistake that can redirect your audience toward your competitors. Above that, failing to keep up with trends can make your content appear mediocre, which can tarnish your brand image.

how to avoid mistake #3

Familiarism is the key: audiences are more likely to engage with trending content these days because it feels relatable to them. This is one of the most avoidable content marketing mistakes. By staying up-to-date with content marketing trends, you can connect with your audience and speak their language — the game which the new-age brands have cracked successfully.

4. overlooking the power of storytelling

Ask yourself, what type of content do you love? The one that is emotional and relatable, or the one that is impersonal? In the answer lies the power of storytelling.

Storytelling transforms information into relatable, memorable content, making complex ideas accessible and builds trust with the target audience. If you overlook storytelling in content marketing, it neglects the emotional connection crucial to audience engagement, makes content marketing feel impersonal, ultimately reducing brand loyalty.

how to avoid mistake #4

An example a day keeps content marketing mistakes at bay. Here you go ⬇️

Volvo — world’s safest car manufacturers known to mankind — did a campaign “A million more”, that tells the stories of people whose lives were saved by the 3-point seat belt the brand invented. It doesn’t mention anything apart from what the brand has always stood for: road safety. 

Classic storytelling. No branding. No services mentioned. Pure emotional connection with the audience through a story.

Such an approach goes beyond simple branding — it resonates with people on an emotional level, turning a product/service/brand into a memorable experience. 

Similarly, by focusing on individual connections and authentic stories, you can avoid the common pitfall of neglecting storytelling’s impact like Volvo. As a result, you can reinforce brand loyalty, generating massive user-generated content and viral engagement worldwide, proving storytelling’s marketing power.

5. not promoting your content

You’re Batman!🦇

Not really (prove us wrong by mailing us your profile here), but imagine for a minute… 

… and your brand’s promotion is the bat signal.

But, how do one send out these signals? Through social media posts, ads, email newsletters, backlinks, etc. that showcase your existence, allowing people in need of your product/service to discover and connect with you.

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Now, what if the bat signal’s light was broken? Nobody’s going to know you or your product/service. Such a shame. Boo-hoo!

how to avoid mistake #5

Use all the relevant digital and phygital platforms like Kiosks, Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Medium, WhatsApp, etc. (wherever your target audience exists) to promote your content. Your target audience can be found across various channels, so it’s important to share your content in the right places at the right times. 

With 63.7% of the world's total population currently using social media, leverage this reach to maximise your impact. Because, “jo dikhta hai, wahi bikta hai.” (what is seen, sells).

6. overlooking SEO best practices

Let’s say your business’ social media presence is solid, top-notch! But search engine results don’t show your business anywhere in the first few pages.

You’re pouring all your effort into research and writing to target your audience. Unfortunately, all this won’t be effective unless you incorporate SEO into your content. 

This is one of the most common content marketing mistakes that marketers keep shouting from the top of their lungs. But, not every business owner gets it. Are you one of those stubborn ones? If not, then read on.

how to avoid mistake #6

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), especially on-page SEO, can be your ally in establishing brand awareness in the digital realm. Conduct keyword research, create plagiarism-free content without jargon that even a 5-year-old can read and understand (unless it’s machine learning or Web3 stuff), build backlinks, and incorporate optimised Meta titles and descriptions. 

Tip from the Satans:

Use keywords up to 5-7% of the total words on any major page of your website. Avoid keyword overstuffing as it can lead to poor results. 

7. making content solely for the purpose of pitching sales

In the beginning of this blog, we made an indirect sales pitch. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to shy away from sharing, in fact over-sharing our knowledge on content marketing mistakes with you. Even though Satan is considered evil, but, Social Satan is different. You’d want to work with these honest, creative Satans. 

Our point? Exactly that — that the purpose of your content should be to serve the customers honestly. Do the sales pitch but in a limit. Also, creating content without considering how your audience perceives your brand, startup, and/or business can be a major turn-off. 

Constantly pitching sales in every headline may alienate potential customers and drive them to competitors who avoid this approach.

how to avoid mistake #7

According to a survey, 71% of business executives say that a sales pitch at an irrelevant place puts them off. 

(Are we hypocrites? No, we’re just targeting the remaining 29%.😆)

Jokes aside, another research shows that 96% of website visitors are not ready to buy. So, avoid attempting to pitch sales in your blogs, social media posts, newsletters, etc. — you don’t want to scare off potential clients. 

You can definitely talk about your product/service without rubbing it in your potential clients’ faces. And if you’re desperately wanting to make a sales pitch, try & keep it subtle, rare, and interesting.

8. not reviewing content marketing performance

Here comes the technical aspect of content marketing that includes data analytics, measuring performance through set metrics and KPIs, etc. Reviewing content marketing performance helps brands, startups, and/or businesses to understand what ‘actually’ works & what doesn’t.

On the contrary, not reviewing will keep you in a denial and maybe unaware of the fact – what needs to be continued, doubled-down on, and/or stopped right away!

how to avoid mistake #8

Set a fixed time period to review your content marketing performance. For instance, let’s take 3 months. Reviewing how your content is performing every 3 months will provide valuable insights and save you from investing effort into irrelevant content that may not yield the desired results. Focus on creating more of the content that is actually working for your business.

Remember one crucial thing: your audience is self-aware and will indirectly guide you in producing the right type of content. You just need to keep looking carefully.

9. failing to consider customer feedback

Sorry, we’re misinforming you. :( 

This is not a content marketing mistake, this is a SERIOUS BLUNDER! 

Feedback is one of the most valuable resources for creating effective content. Failing to take it into account and focusing solely on your own vision — while ignoring what your customer wants — can seriously impact customer retention. 

how to avoid mistake #9

Listen to your customers’ feedback. Acknowledge them. Keep a track of them in a sheet or a document. Apply the possible ones in your content marketing strategy. That’s all. It’s that simple.

Well, it is so simple that businesses tend to not mind this crucial thing. And start valuing WHAT they are building so much that they seem to forget FOR WHOM they are building it for. 

10. ignoring the benefits of outsourcing content

We may seem biased, but we are honestly going to show you some data-backed results.

62% of companies in a survey that outsourced their content marketing experienced a significant increase in both the quality and quantity of their content, resulting in improved engagement and conversion rates.

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The graph shows that in-house content teams generally have smaller team size, higher costs, limited scalability, and slower time to market. Whereas, content media houses/agencies offer larger team size, broader skill sets, faster scalability, and quicker time to market.

Not considering outsourcing to a team with expertise in the same discipline and a proven track record can hinder your content marketing efforts. 

how to avoid mistake #10

Hire Social Satan. End of the story.