Big Mistakes in Content Marketing... 6 Tips on What to Avoid

 Every month Click Docs asks content marketing experts a key question. I'm always learning something from these experts. Here's the question they ask today: What's the Biggest Mistake to Avoid in B2B Content Marketing?

Be sure to read the post. I'm in good company with Ardath Albee, Brian Carroll, Rebel Brown, Maria Pergolino, and Mac McIntosh.

Here's my tip:

Everyone knows this joke: A celebrity runs into a friend who politely asks, “How are you?” The star takes off on a 5 minute monologue all about his success and his last film. Not completely insensitive, the star stops himself and asks the friend, “Oh, enough about me! How did YOU like my movie?”

It happens in online content marketing when professionals talk too much about themselves, their products, their services and not enough about the problems and challenges of their audience.

In a sense not much has changed in marketing except it’s easier to get your message out to customers. But the message has to be about your readers and their problems. What’s in it for them if they spend time reading your stuff?

First be of service, and don’t waste people’s time. It’s alright to tell a story about yourself or your company, people expect that. But keep the audience first, entertain them and help them.

Nobody cares about you unless you care about them and their challenges. Your job is to inform them and entertain them. If you aren’t doing that well, hire a good journalist who can help with your content marketing.

Recommended reading:  The Content Marketing Two-Step Trap

Ardath Albee's B2B Marketing Content Turn Offs

YouTube Video to Watch:

B2B Marketing Fundamentals Don't Change

Comments

[Jenny Pilley]

Well said Patsi. I think it is easy to get into a panic trying to get everything written about your company and the benefits of choosing you over others. But like you say, people want to know what is offered to them and to do this online content needs to be written almost selflessly.