Gap Analysis In Content Marketing
- Written by Jeff Walcoff
- Published in Demanding Views
By Jeff Walcoff, Content Development Director with Demand Creation Specialists
Simply acknowledging the importance of content marketing and actually using it effectively to drive thought leadership and inbound leads are proving for many marketers to be two very different things.
Joe Pulizzi, Executive Director of the Content Marketing Institute, addressed this gap during a recent webinar hosted by DemandGen Report, titled, “The Role of Content in Driving Leads.” During the presentation, Pulizzi pointed out that simply having content isn’t enough. What you offer your audience has to be relevant, interesting, and also frequent.
Companies already in the content marketing game seem to know that it takes thought and consideration. In a recent survey referenced in the webinar, 36% of marketing executives said their biggest content marketing challenge was producing engaging content. Another 21% said quantity was their primary problem, while 9% said variety was their biggest issue.
That’s 66% of respondents that said their biggest content marketing challenge had nothing to do with budget, technology, or selling the cause to higher-ups -- but with the content itself!
Pulizzi shared several helpful tips to address the near-two-thirds of those surveyed who expressed issues with quality and quantity of their content. For example:
· Find and Address Pain Points: Think of who you’re targeting, what difficulties they might be facing, and how your products can help.
· Be Fun: Blogging especially shouldn’t be formal unless it’s appropriate for your audience. Be creative with your content. Tie in current events, pop culture, etc.
· Go “Super Niche”: Don’t be afraid to get specific with the knowledge you can offer. There’s bound to be people on the web looking for it.
· Have a Unique and Established Point of View: Your content shouldn’t be about what you sell, but what you stand for.
· Plan Ahead: Create a content calendar that follows a logical path for your readers.
It all points towards the fundamental content marketing adage of “thinking like a publisher.” If you treat your content like a press release, it’s likely to garner few results. If you aspire for a creative and unique perspective, you might be shocked at the results.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to view the webinar on demand, here is a link.