You are fully aware that you need content to grow your business and you’ve been trying to do your part. Yet, writing that quality content that engages and converts is tough. And maintaining consistency is a struggle, even for the best of us. But what mistakes are you making that you’re not even aware of?
Here are 5 Content Marketing Blunders You Can Fix Quickly
1.) Email Mistake: Using the N Word (Newsletter) in Your Subject Lines
Hear ye, hear ye! Stop using the word “Newsletter.” It has a negative connotation and guess what? The last thing anyone wants is yet another newsletter. They don’t want to read a newsletter, subscribe to a newsletter or open an email that says newsletter in the subject line. Seriously, think about it. When was the last time you eagerly opened and read an email titled newsletter? Exactly. The word “newsletter” in subject lines is killing your opens.
According to Adestra, there’s a 18.7% decrease in open rates when the word “newsletter” is used in subject lines.
2.) Social Media Posts Mistake: No Interaction or Call to Action
Congrats! You’re tweeting, posting, going live and sharing stories. That is fantastic. But are you interacting with your audience? Interaction could be asking questions and commenting on responses. It could be having a conversation via direct message. At the least, it could be as simple as including a call to action. “Click like if…” statements work wonders. Try using the words “get” or “get started.” These are action words proven to convert. Just be sure that your readers actually GET something. That’s just wrong and deceptive if they don’t. Speaking of deceptive, that’s our next mistake.
3.) Email Mistake: Writing Deceptive Subject Lines
The fastest way to ruin your credibility is being deceptive. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to trick someone into opening their emails. A popular way people do this is by putting a RE: or FW: in front of their subject line. The idea is to make the reader think they already read something or making them think they are expecting something. In short, do not do this. It’s a slimy tactic of yesteryear. Emails with fw: in the subject line were opened 17% less than those without (Source: getsidekick.com).
4.) Social Media Posts Mistake: No Visual (Pictures or Video)
This blunder is fairly common too. You’re being highly productive and scheduling your social media posts in advance. Kudos for being proactive and organized. Unfortunately, in your haste your scheduled posts are text only, which is killing your engagement. The numbers don’t lie. According to Hubspot, posts on Facebook with images get 2.3 times more engagement than posts without images. On Twitter, tweets with images received 150% more retweets than tweets without images. Use stock photos if necessary but use some sort of visual.
5.) All Content Mistake: Using Words or Jargon Your Prospects Don’t Use.
Often when marketing a business, we assume we know the right words to use. Or we’ve heard a phrase uttered in the industry and we repeat it. But do your clients use those phrases? Take the time to listen to your clients. When they are expressing the problem, what words are they using? For example, the SBA may say “access to capital” but your clients are saying “loans to grow my business” or “money to start my business.”
These are just a few of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make with content marketing. Which one are you guilty of and what change will you make? Drop a line in the comments.