ContentNavigating The Roadblocks of Content Marketing

Navigating The Roadblocks of Content Marketing

There are many forms of content marketing, though it typically poses the same struggles, such as budget and talent acquisition - for brands, no matter their industry and offerings.

As search engines continue to value high quality content, the need for SEO teams to connect content promotion to their content strategy becomes even more paramount. But when an agency brings up the term “content marketing” to a client, it can mean quite a few different things.

It could potentially mean professionally directed videos and large promotion budgets for Twitter or Facebook. It could also mean setting up a blog and sharing your articles through social profiles. Each brand or company varies in what type of content marketing strategy makes the most sense for them. Each brand also has a different path to getting a campaign live, but there are many hurdles that every company, no matter their industry, faces before getting something live.

Here are four of the most common issues brands face before getting their content marketing started:

1. Talent

You may be a marketing director with 25 years of experience, but you can’t possibly have 25 years of experience in every new channel and tactic that emerges. Finding the right talent, with experience in both the strategy and execution of content marketing can be difficult. Sure, many agencies have specialists in this field, but the average brand or company may have limited resources.

Content marketing talent needs experience across copy writing, SEO and paid media, as well as engaging with clients. These types of people aren’t just sitting around waiting for someone to offer them a job. People with skillsets across multiple disciplines are in demand and don’t come cheap.

So how do you go about finding the right talent? If you can’t afford to hire a rock star, consider investing in training. There are many conferences and online courses that can help someone get their feet wet. While it’s always best to get someone with experience, if you have a dependable person interested in expanding their knowledge to encompass this tactic, investing in this person with training may be your best bet.

2. Budget

You or your client may have champagne taste and a beer budget. Brands like Nike and Home Depot don’t have to worry about budgets, but many of you reading this right now may not be able to afford to have content created daily or film videos with star athletes. But thankfully, the roots of content marketing are perfectly suited for the average brand. It’s all about creating content that your audience wants.

This can be a simple blog post or tweeting a news article about your company. It does not have to be a program where millions of dollars are invested. Could having a big budget help? Absolutely. But research for the content that interests your audience does not have to be done by some $5,000 per month social media listening tool. Social media profiles are free to set up; you just need to create the content.

3. Industry/Product

Not every industry or product is perfect for this type of marketing tactic. But if you get creative, brands can create very engaging content. Earlier this year, Home Depot launched a campaign around its Garden Club. While most people really don’t care about the new flowers or tools Home Depot has in stock, they do care what their home looks like. Through an email newsletter and on-site content, Home Depot showcased many DIY projects for people getting ready to spruce up the outside of their house before summer arrived.

The important part is to not just think about how to get your product into the content; think about what people use your product for, and what type of content would they want related to your brand or product. For more information on leveraging social media to inform your content strategy, check out my previous article.

4. Legal and Regulatory

While not applicable to every industry, if you happen to work in finance or another regulated industry, getting these types of programs approved can be difficult. Leveraging channels such as social media for content promotion open you up to various liabilities.

There is no silver bullet when it comes navigating this potential roadblock. But what has been successful for many brands and agencies is the use of education. By ensuring the legal and regulatory team deeply understand your efforts, they will feel safer and more comfortable with your efforts. In my personal experience, showcasing examples of competitors executing similar types of programs can also be helpful.

Resources

The 2023 B2B Superpowers Index

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