Five Content Marketing Myths Debunked
Content Marketing is viewed as one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. Here are the top five content marketing myths debunked.
Content Marketing used to be all about launching a new website, writing blogs and sending email newsletters. Not anymore! Today, Content Marketing is viewed as one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. Consistent, high-quality, engaging content impacts audience decision-making more than any other technique. Furthermore, Content Marketing generates X3 more leads than outbound marketing and costs 62% less than other marketing channels.
Here are the top five content marketing myths debunked.
It’s just about SEO; you need high keyword density to see results. Wrong!
A common myth for content marketing is that it’s just about SEO, leveraging blogs with high keyword density. However, whilst keyword research, placement and use will influence your indexing and rank, Google’s algorithm will penalise you for keyword stuffing. Moreover, awkwardly fitting keywords into your content results in low-quality readability which will cheapen the value of your brand.
Your goal should always be to write for people first. Providing good content is a non-negotiable part of any marketing strategy, as it flows throughout all activities and needs to make an impact. Accurate customer personas offer a path for any organisation to create good, effectively directed content that’s credible and educational and that acts as stepping stones guiding prospects through each stage of the buying journey.
Content Marketing is just Copywriting. Wrong!
Content marketing and copywriting overlap, as both involve content creation, but they are different. Copywriting focuses on writing advertorial content used to encourage action. Examples include pay-per-click advertising, landing pages, and call-to-action copy. Content marketing, however, focuses on creating valuable content your target audience wants to read - it should educate, answer the questions, and solve their problems. For content to deliver meaningful results, it should be hyper-focused on what the target audiences care about to compel them to take action. Examples include blogs, white papers, guides, case studies, e-books etc. If you confuse the two, you’ll end up with uninspiring landing pages and blogs full of overly sales-y jargon!
The site with the most content wins. Wrong!
This mindset insinuates a quantity over quality mindset, and it's a common misconception that creating and distributing content over your competitors leads to better results. Quality trumps quantity, as one piece of exceptionally high-quality content can generate significantly more traffic and leads. In contrast, hundreds of low-quality articles will lose traffic, trust, and authority. You’re better off having ten well-written, relevant, valuable, credible pieces versus fifty uninteresting, value-void articles.
Content Marketing only works for some niches. Wrong!
Content marketing is more accessible for some niches than others, but all niches support valuable content. Consumers turn to the internet for almost anything. More than two-thirds of B2B buyers conduct independent research and want to find the information they need without speaking to a salesperson.
The most effective way to develop content ideas is to undertake keyword research to base your content on actual search engine intent data. Keyword research is one of the best ways to truly understand what type of content best appeals to your target audience. When you know which keywords your audience is searching for, you can fine-tune your content to meet the most common search intents. For industries with lower entry barriers and high competition, an effective content marketing strategy can help you cut through the noise and stand out as an industry expert.
Visuals don’t matter. Wrong!
Text will always make up the majority of content creation, but you must avoid writing for Google rather than the target reader. While images, infographics and videos may not add as much to your content’s initial rank, they generate far higher levels of engagement, meaning that Google will recognise you as a reliable and trusted source for that topic. Furthermore, using images will help you create a stronger connection with your readers - having relevant images in your content gets 94% more views than those without. The key here is relevant images, where the image reinforces the message you’re trying to convey.
The Truth about Content Marketing
The 2021 Content Preferences Survey indicated that the top content formats consumed were Webinars and eBooks (57%), with White Papers coming a close second (55%). Moreover, 54% of audiences research product quality, and 42% research customer services before purchasing. Content marketing is inexpensive, safe, available for anyone in any industry, and beneficial in many different areas. The sooner you start investing in it, the sooner you'll see results.
How can Zone 4 help you?
My superpower is translating ideas into action by adopting an outside-looking-in, customer-centric approach to B2B Lead-generation Content Marketing. I’ve helped tech-enabled AI, EdTech, and IoT start-ups accelerate their growth by designing and executing structured inbound marketing activity programmes that achieve results. Get in touch today to see how B2B Lead Generation Marketing can be a powerful tool to help you reach your target audience and generate more business.