Small and midsize business (SMB) owners often don’t understand how a content marketing strategy works. Others wonder if content marketing can still be effective in an AI world.
We’ve created a series of articles to help SMBs be successful with content marketing.
In this article: Where Content Marketing Goes Astray in an AI World: 10 Common SMB Mistakes
We define:
- The Key Features of Content Marketing
- 10 Common SMB Content Marketing Mistakes in an AI World
The Key Features of a Content Marketing Strategy
What Is Content?
Content refers to the “stuff” that goes on the internet or in print materials. Online content includes videos, social media posts, podcasts, eBooks, webinars, infographics, images, and more. Content may also include printed materials such as sales aids or informational brochures.
Content Marketing Definition
The Content Marketing Institute offers the best definition of content marketing we have ever seen. It reads:
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
This definition does not contain “fluff.” Instead, every word is critical and packed with meaning. First, it’s a strategic approach. Also, note that the content should be valuable, relevant, and consistent.
Additionally, the intended audience is clearly defined. What’s more, it ultimately drives profitable action.
Fluff-free Content Marketing Definition
“Every word is critical and packed with meaning. Notice that content is to be valuable, relevant, and consistent.
Additionally, the intended audience is clearly defined. What’s more, it ultimately drives profitable action.”
Where Content Marketing Goes Astray: 10 Common Mistakes Made by SMBs
We see small and midsize businesses (SMBs) making these 10 mistakes in content marketing:
- Posting Content for Thumbs or Traffic.
- Creating Huge Volumes of Weak Content.
- Using AI to Write Content.
- Focusing on One Marketing Tactic.
- Not Understanding Website Page Structure.
- Missing Opportunities to Collect Contact Information.
- Waiting for Subscribers.
- Not Switching Viewpoints.
- Forgetting About Conversion.
- Being Inconsistent.
3 Most Common Mistakes Among Almost ALL SMBs
Numbers 5 (messing up heading structure), 8 (being company-centric), and 10 (not managing time and resources) are the three most common we see with SMBs.
4 Common Content Mistakes That Result From a Lack of Strategic Planning
Numbers 1 (not diversifying content), 4 (not diversifying tactics), 6 (lack of a big-picture outlook), and 9 (capturing leads) result from not developing an integrated strategy.
Don’t just go for the thumb . . . or followers . . . or website traffic.
You don’t want to just be popular. You want to be popular with potential and current customers.
Content Marketing Mistake 1:
Posting Content for Thumbs or Traffic
Posting content that is popular or gets “likes” or traffic is not enough. You want your content to be seen by a defined audience. This defined audience is your potential customers or clients. Not just bodies.
You might segment your content to appeal to two distinct audiences. But ultimately, your content should drive customer or client revenue in a stepwise fashion.
If you’re driving only thumbs or hearts, you’re not driving business. Likewise, if people visit your website but never become customers, you’ve wasted time and money.
Content Marketing Mistake 2:
Creating Huge Volumes of Weak Content
Many companies generate pages and pages of similar content with little information on each page. This “thin” content is ineffective in multiple ways.
First, visitors will not remain on your website page very long. With few exceptions, we believe engagement time is almost always a Google ranking factor. (A contact us page is an exception that comes to mind.)
In fact, Google recommends an average page engagement time of around 60 seconds. (You can find page engagement times in your Google Analytics.)
Second, the content isn’t valuable.
Thin content is redundant. Humans, chatbots, and search robots do not value multiple pages that tell potential customers very little.
Third, this content will lose out. It will compete with your other weak pages and with competitors’ robust content. People AND robots will find your contact lacking.
It will be ignored.
Fourth, the content will not drive revenue. You will not get a return on your marketing or time investment.
6 Reasons Why Weak Content Is Deficient
- Visitors won’t ENGAGE with it.
- It’s not VALUABLE.
- The competition will BEAT you.
- People and robots will IGNORE you.
- It won’t drive REVENUE.
- You won’t get an ROI.
Why AI Should NOT Write Your Content
- It’s fraught with ERRORS.
- It’s INAUTHENTIC.
- It’s UNORIGINAL.
Content Marketing Mistake 3:
Using AI to Write Content
Certainly, AI chatbots can help with idea generation or outlining. But the information they generate has three potential problems.
First, chatbots hallucinate. In other words, the content may be inaccurate. In simple terms, it is just plain wrong.
Second, people value authentic content. Write like a human. Not a bot.
Third, chatbots have been trained on existing content. This means the content technically belongs to other people. Google has long stated that it prefers unique content.
Don’t simply regurgitate what others have already said. Not only does it reek of being inauthentic, but it also borders on being unethical.
Instead, be original. Showcase your expertise or publish a study or viewpoint from your own experience or data. Avoid generic pablum.
Content Marketing Mistake 4:
Focusing on One Marketing Tactic or Platform
We mentioned a step-wise process of driving revenue. Often, SMBs focus only on social media, which is best for generating awareness—not revenue.
Awareness of your product, service, or company among your target audience is just one stage in the buyer’s journey.
You’ll want to address all the stages in your customer’s buying journey, including Awareness, Early– and Late-stage Evaluation, and Customer Support and Loyalty.
We discuss this in depth in another content article.
Similarly, you want to create many types of content, not simply written posts or blogs, but also including authentic videos, which drive engagement.
Many of our SMB clients avoid video. It’s time-consuming and “personal.” However, many potential customers prefer short, engaging, authentic content, such as impromptu videos featuring you and your team.
Marketers refer to multiple platforms and content types as an integrated strategy. An integrated marketing strategy achieves synergistic results.
3 Reasons to Diversify Your Content
- You’ll ENGAGE potential customers at ALL STAGES of the buyer’s journey.
- You’ll be more SUCCESSFUL.
- You’ll generate REVENUE.
Content Marketing Mistake 5:
Not Understanding Website Page Structure
Many businesses (and web designers!) don’t understand the importance of properly structuring website pages so they can be crawled and indexed. Appropriate headings are especially critical in an AI world.
A logical, well-thought-out heading structure of H1s, H2s, etc., helps not only humans understand your content but also search bots and chatbots.
Content Marketing Mistake 6:
Missing Opportunities to Collect Prospect or Customer Contact Info
Being able to communicate with potential customers is extremely important—particularly in the late evaluation stage. Collecting their contact information is critical, so you can communicate with them and take them to the next step in the buying journey.
Many SMBs don’t think of this in the beginning. Only later do they realize they have no way to communicate with their prospects or customers.
Content Marketing Mistake 7:
Waiting for Subscribers
When SMBs do realize the importance of communicating with potential and current customers, they ask for subscribers.
People used to subscribe to newsletters. But today, most people ignore newsletters and other subscriptions.
Why Give Up Their Email or Phone When They Can Get the Content for Free?
Potential customers are reluctant to provide their contact information. This reluctance is increasing, particularly since so much content is available to your potential customers for free.
Ungate? Upgrade?
Many enterprises have resorted to ungated content (providing content without collecting contact information). They are also investing in expensive applications, such as interactive calculators. Of course, most SMBs cannot afford to create their own apps.
Create Value
As an SMB, you must create content that is not available for free and is so valuable that potential customers willingly provide their contact information.
Content Marketing Mistake 8:
Not Switching Viewpoints
To be relevant to your target audience, you need to adopt their viewpoint.
Don’t create content that just tells users what you want to tell them. Instead, tell them what they want to hear about.
Are they likely to be looking for content you’re creating? You need to conduct keyword or topic research to see what’s relevant to your users.
Remember: It’s about them. It’s not about you.
“It’s them. Not you.”
Content Marketing Mistake 9:
Forgetting About Conversion.
Remember to include a way for your readers or followers to become your customers.
Marketers call this a call to action (CTA).
Ask for the business. Move people to the next stage in the buying journey.
Content Marketing Mistake 10:
Being Inconsistent.
If you don’t update your content regularly, it will be ignored.
This is a challenging one for SMBs. Who has time?
For example, Google search robots (Googlebot) crawl websites that change frequently. If you launch your website and then ignore it, Google will ignore it, too.
We see this with incoming clients. Therefore, it’s important to keep information up to date. Daily changes? Not necessary. But you do want to establish and keep the same cadence.
Is it challenging? You betcha.
Full transparency? We’re like our clients; we also get caught up in the day-to-day business of helping our clients to the detriment of our own marketing.
Like you, we prioritize our clients.
You have a serious advantage. Our marketing agency can help you.
Reach out for a mini-marketing consultation.
“Who has time?”
Nancy Burgess
