Avoid These 13 Content Marketing Blunders at All Costs

Content marketing has become ubiquitous, with the majority of B2B companies eager to produce more content, as per the Content Marketing Institute's research. However, diving in without adequate research, timing, and content strategy often leads to critical errors.

Many B2B companies are intensifying their content creation efforts, aiming for increased success. However, rushing into content creation without proper planning can result in unforeseen mistakes.

The success of content marketing hinges on factors like research, timing, and content relevance, often underestimated or misunderstood by many.

Mistakes are inevitable, yet they offer valuable lessons. By examining and understanding the pitfalls encountered by other companies, you can steer clear of similar blunders in your content marketing journey.

In the vast landscape of the internet, safeguarding your content from being stolen is crucial. Although preventing theft entirely might be challenging, adopting protective measures can deter potential content thieves. Utilizing tools like Google Webmaster Tools enables you to identify and report stolen content promptly.

Instances of content theft could lead to legal actions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a law that specifically addresses copyright violations on the internet. The repercussions of content theft, as seen in cases like PewDiePie's DMCA lawsuit, underscore the significance of copyright infringement consequences. Such legal disputes often generate negative publicity and can result in reputational damage, making them a costly affair.

Moreover, citing and crediting sources properly is pivotal when referencing or utilizing external content. It not only exhibits ethical behavior but also strengthens the authenticity and credibility of your content. The inclusion of backlinks to sources further underscores respect for intellectual property rights and diminishes the likelihood of copyright issues arising.

While collaborations and partnerships can offer mutual benefits, they also entail risks. Associating with other companies or individuals can significantly impact your brand reputation, either positively or negatively. Careful consideration is crucial to avoid any adverse repercussions that might arise from affiliations.

Notably, renowned entities like Disney encountered serious fallout following collaborations with certain online personalities. For instance, PewDiePie's involvement in a controversy involving an anti-Semitic video led to the termination of his contract with Disney. This situation demonstrated how associations with controversial figures could tarnish the brand's image and prompt drastic measures from larger corporations.

The termination of contracts is not an exclusive instance. Jake Paul, another internet influencer, faced similar consequences due to controversial actions, losing his contract with Disney. These incidents emphasize the severe implications that partnerships can have on brand reputation, irrespective of popularity or financial value.

Therefore, the lesson learned here is to exercise caution and diligence when forming alliances or affiliations. Prioritizing ethical considerations and brand alignment during partnerships is essential to avoid reputational damage and potential contract terminations.

Disney's contract terminations with YouTube stars highlighted the importance of not pushing boundaries too far. While creative expression is essential, excessive content or extreme portrayals can lead to controversies and divergent opinions, potentially undermining the intended message.

For instance, consider the Toyota Rav4 commercial featuring actor James Marsden. The advertisement, where Marsden embarks on an adventurous journey and forms a bond with a wolf pack, presents implicit suggestions that some viewers might perceive as exaggerated or questionable. The divergent reactions to such content highlight the challenge of striking a balance to appease diverse audiences without resorting to extremes.

Recognizing the need to avoid extremes is crucial, understanding that content may resonate differently among audiences. It's a delicate balance between creativity and maintaining a level of acceptability across various demographics.

The proliferation of fake statistics and information on the internet underscores the necessity of maintaining factual accuracy. Citing reliable and credible sources for statistics and data is imperative to prevent misinformation from spreading.

Rumors suggest a startling figure - 43.7% of statistics are fabricated.

While this statistic raises concerns, it's crucial to ascertain the credibility of such claims, considering the multitude of data available. Trusted sources like government websites (such as USA.gov or BLS.gov) provide accurate statistics on demographics, employment, and other essential factors, offering a reliable foundation for content creation.

Cross-referencing information from reputable sources helps avoid reliance on potentially dubious data. With misinformation rampant online, diligent fact-checking and verification of sources are indispensable. Always scrutinize and validate information before incorporating it into your content to ensure accuracy and maintain credibility.

My blog and videos consciously avoid delving into political subjects. Despite occasional interactions with political themes on social media, I steer clear of political discourse whenever possible. Politics can be a substantial stressor, as revealed by the American Psychological Association during the 2016 election, and it's a stress I don't want to associate with my brand.

Political engagement could inadvertently stress or alienate my audience, conflicting with the stress-free experience I aim to provide. Such entanglement could potentially damage my brand's integrity. Grubhub faced a similar scenario when their CEO's statement on the 2016 presidential election drew divided opinions, revealing the divisive nature of politics.

Companies should refrain from diving into political realms, a domain better suited for politicians. Instead, focus on the business and brand identity without getting entangled in political controversies.

A brand's reputation is paramount, akin to the importance of Disney's cherished image. Upholding this image is a constant task, essential for businesses and individuals alike.

Companies consistently create new content, but it's crucial to align this content with their brand's ethos to safeguard their reputation. Deviating from this core identity can lead to serious repercussions. United Airlines faced a significant brand crisis when a passenger was forcibly removed from an overbooked flight, causing a steep decline in stock prices and tarnishing their reputation.

The aftermath saw the company's CEO issuing a statement that further exacerbated the situation, resulting in a PR catastrophe and customer loss. Avoiding such mistakes is imperative. Ensure that your content aligns with your brand's values and image to prevent any adverse reflections on your brand.

During the 2016 election, Uber's CEO ventured into discussing politics, a move that garnered heavy criticism. The company, previously under fire for inadequate driver pay, faced an avalanche of discontent, prompting the #DeleteUber campaign. Consequently, in January 2017, the Lyft app surpassed Uber in downloads for the first time, steadily gaining market share thereafter.

This illustrates how bad publicity can significantly impact a company. While Uber users didn't immediately switch to traditional taxis, many shifted to Lyft's app. It's crucial not to replicate Uber's misstep and instead, learn from Lyft's success.

Fortune magazine predicted in July 2017 that Lyft would soon outpace Uber as the market leader. With over 320 million internet users in North America, maintaining positive relationships online is critical because discontented users can hold grudges.

Even deleted content can resurface through the Wayback Machine on archive.org, which holds a massive index of removed web pages. Therefore, ensure that your content won't harm your brand before publishing.

The timing of content publication can significantly impact your brand. Content marketing heavily relies on timing.

For instance, an article about Christmas gifts in March might seem odd, but certain scenarios can be far worse. Cinotti's Bakery's promotion of Hurricane Irma donuts faced criticism for capitalizing on a disaster, with customers finding it in poor taste considering the devastation caused.

Similarly, Adidas received backlash years after the Boston Marathon attack for a tweet congratulating survivors. These instances, whether due to poor timing or bad taste, show the potential damage to brand reputation.

Steering clear of such campaigns is essential to avoid issuing subsequent apologies, preventing your brand from being linked with such mishaps by customers.

A digital advertising campaign devoid of qualitative data is futile. Calculating your Return on Investment (ROI) demands a structured approach.

Platforms like YouTube offer in-depth analytics via tools like the Creator Studio.

However, not every platform provides such performance reports. For instance, articles published on platforms like Huffington Post or Forbes might lack comprehensive analytics. In such cases, leveraging Google Analytics becomes pivotal to assessing website performance.

But what about assessing guest posts? Tools like SEMRush help analyze traffic generated by guest posts by entering the URL.

This data can be integrated into Salesforce or other analysis programs to obtain a broader view of your marketing Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS). Without these analytics, making informed decisions about the effectiveness of advertising strategies becomes challenging.

While many aspire to manage multiple content channels simultaneously, the reality is demanding. Research from the Content Marketing Institute reveals that approximately 90% of B2B companies utilize content marketing across an average of 13 channels concurrently.

Handling numerous channels simultaneously poses challenges; it's impractical to manage all of them effectively. Overloading yourself with content creation can deteriorate the quality of your output.

Successfully executing numerous marketing strategies concurrently requires practice, discipline, and often, external support. For instance, I ensure the quality of my YouTube videos by working with a production company. However, assembling a team involves inherent risks.

Therefore, focus on maintaining quality rather than overwhelming yourself with excessive content creation across various channels.

Maintaining communication among team members scattered globally is integral to smooth operations. Platforms like Slack serve as a pivotal tool, offering a cloud-based messaging system that enables group chats and seamless communication among employees situated in different time zones.

This technology facilitates not only real-time messaging but also file sharing and organized conversations through different channels.

For my extensive writing projects, I also rely on Trello. It provides a structured approach to managing my blog content. When I finish drafting an article, it goes through a series of stages involving different team members before it gets published. Trello, with its project management functionalities, helps in orchestrating these tasks by enabling collaborative workflows and facilitating coordination among larger teams.

Underestimating your customer base can lead to detrimental outcomes in your business strategies. Each generation holds unique characteristics, interests, and preferences. Making light of certain trends or ridiculing particular interests, such as the fad around fidget spinners, might inadvertently alienate segments of your customer base. It's crucial to create content that is supportive, informative, and valuable, rather than patronizing or dismissive.

Disregarding the intelligence and preferences of your audience can lead to damaging missteps, as seen in the widely criticized Pepsi advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner.

This instance highlights the repercussions of disregarding the values and sensibilities of your audience, ultimately impacting brand reputation and consumer trust.

Expressing opinions openly requires robust substantiation. It's crucial to back your viewpoints with thorough research and credible arguments. Instances such as Pepsi's mistake, which resulted in a favorable outcome for Heineken due to their well-executed advertisement, underscore the significance of expressing opinions and ideas that are not only well-founded but also resonate positively with your audience.

However, openly expressing opinions often invites criticism and scrutiny. I encountered this firsthand when discussing education in a Forbes guest post. Despite experiencing significant backlash, I stood by my opinion and arguments.

It's vital to ensure that your expressed opinions are not only defensible but also enduring, considering they persist in the public domain and have long-term ramifications similar to tattoos, some of which may age poorly.

Content marketing stands as a cornerstone in the realm of digital marketing, offering an effective means to engage with your target audience while bolstering brand visibility and recognition. Its versatility spans across various mediums, including magazines, televised features, and live events, promising significant profitability when executed meticulously.

However, diving haphazardly into content marketing sans research could yield catastrophic outcomes. The missteps and blunders showcased in this article serve as cautionary tales, urging a strategic approach and diligent planning before embarking on content-creation endeavors. Engaging in current trends should align harmoniously with your brand ethos and image to avert potential pitfalls.

My career journey has been dotted with numerous errors, which is why I've highlighted specific mistakes within this article. Learning from these anecdotes can help sidestep similar pitfalls in your content marketing endeavors.

Have you encountered any content marketing mistakes in your journey? Learning from shared experiences can enrich our understanding and fortify future strategies.