Mistake: Quantity of content over quality
I’ve done this, created content because I feel I should publish something, rather than creating something to meet a specific goal. I’m now better at being more targeted, though.
Yes, regular content is a good thing, but publishing for the sake of it doesn’t deliver on goals; it’s just adding to the noise.
Every piece of content needs to have a specific aim.
Before you create, define the content’s purpose. What do you want people to do as a result of engaging with this particular piece of content? What goal is it supporting? If you don’t have a clear answer, then either reframe it or ditch it.
Mistake: Focusing on the wrong thing in your B2B content
This is probably the most common mistake I see. It’s easy to talk about what is interesting to you and your business, what you’ve done, etc., but content is about the audience, not you.
For content to land, what you say has to align with what your audience wants to hear.
We are all selfish when it comes to what content we consume; if we are giving it our time, it needs to give us something in return.
For example, talk about the impact of what you do – problems solved, benefits or risk avoided – rather than simply about what you do.
Focus on creating content that is genuinely interesting and helpful to your audience.
Mistake: Creating content for everyone
It is likely you’ll have different target audience groups, but trying to frame your content to appeal to all of them risks appealing to none.
In the built environment sector, this might be trying to cover a topic to appeal to the public and private sectors simultaneously, when what is valuable and interesting to each group is likely to be different.
Understanding and honing your target audience for each piece means you can not only angle your content for that audience but also choose the right language and tone to better engage them.
If you service different groups, consider doing a series focusing on specific audiences for each piece.
Mistake: Sounding like everyone else
Following the crowd just makes you part of the crowd.
Using the same jargon, sharing the same beige viewpoints, following the same style and content marketing strategies of everyone else in your industry won’t make you stand out; it just makes you blend in.
The landscape has changed. There are far more content channels, which means more choice.
There is more content, full stop and AI makes it easier to churn out vanilla articles.
Harness individual voices and the unique set of experiences that your team brings. Be bolder in your views (have at least a bit of an opinion) and look outside your industry for ideas and inspiration.
Mistake: Not planning content distribution
Content creation is time-consuming, but getting it seen takes just as much work. Writing an article and then posting about it on LinkedIn is not ‘job done’.
Not all your followers/connections will see that one post. They may not even be on LinkedIn.
Instead, create less but distribute it better. Use a hero piece of content and repurpose it to fill different channels. If your content is worth sharing, tell people about it again and again.
You might also like to read
- Writing for conversation: A different approach to LinkedIn content
- It’s no joke: The power of using clear and simple language in business
- How to leverage value from trade shows and conferences with B2B content
- Audience and content reach: Does size matter?
- Make it an event: Delivering successful round tables
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