13 Mistakes - What went wrong with my content marketing last year

I had a real roller coaster ride last year for all the content marketing campaigns sent in market. Then as usual I started thinking what might have gone wrong, I should thank numerous internet articles which actually helped me to switch on my wisdom light.

Now my analysis might misfire or back fire my next year but at least I am happy that, I have something in my mind to work on than try to get a bull’s-eye in dark. Here are some pointers which I have already identified.

1. My Content tried to sell than wanted to increase the awareness, create new demand. So I missed the main reason why am doing this.
2. My content spoke about my company more kind of bragging, as we are this and we are that. Biggest mistake here I made is I forgot that my clients have the most powerful informative tool in this earth i.e. internet. And they have more, faster, accurate information about my company than I do.
3. My content spoke about what my company can do than what clients are looking for. In the process of doing it I tried to sort out issues which might happen and this is a solution. Wherein I should have work around on finding out what roadblocks my clients are facing and then help them by overlaying our products as per the need.
4. I worked in silos. I thought whatever I am doing is unique in my company. Wherein others are doing same or better job on the same field. I kept on putting my foot on others toes and vice versa which resulted into sabotaging each other’s campaigns without even knowing that we are trying to accomplish the same thing for same company.
5. I am speaking too niche. I forgot one simple point that marketing alone can’t bring business (on a regular basis) without sales. I went on speaking niche, more niche and more niche where in while I went dipper I kept on targeting lesser number of target area than my previous target market. Marketing works for creating the ground which is easier for sales to play on.
6. One content multiple channels. I didn’t take in a count that different contents sell themselves differently on different channels. So I should have kept on eye on the combination on, for an example the content made for social media, display ad, 30 sec commercial, or an email can’t be interchangeable. Content should be channel specific.
7. Overdo of marketing. I crowded the target market with contents in such a way that I would have felt suffocated by the same. If we have a cheap and effective way to sending out contents that doesn’t mean we have to juice it as hard as possible.
8. Success pressure. I thought I have to be successful with all my campaigns and by doing it sometimes below standard campaigns slipped out of my desk which eventually failed miserably taking down yearly success ratio.
9. Quantity over quality. I thought it’s better to get in market on time even if the content is not up to the mark and vague. Which kept clients thinking that even though the information/content is useful but what exactly I want to convey.
10. Minimum action points kept clients looking for what to do with this and how to contact the company.
11. Too much of importance to the analysis data. Because by the time I acted on the analysis it was no more real time analysis made on real time data. So it’s all historical data I am working on thinking that I am ahead of time. Instead I could have changed the analysis by doing something new.
12. Reactive than being proactive. I tried to think about countering my competitor’s campaigns than trying to make something for which my competitors should plan counter. By doing so I can save my time and get some new campaigns in market meanwhile to keep my competitors so busy that they couldn’t spread out the right kind of content into the market.
13. Finally I forgot that Innovation is all that matters. I kept on doing the same campaigns which were successful last year or previous quarter and in the process of same I forgot to try and test new ideas. Where in new ideas are like short lived king life and you can do whatever you want to during your kingship.

2014 Resolution against my 13 mistakes

• Reuse of existing content.
• More client centric and client issue centric content
• Will reduce the number of campaigns
• No vague messaging and clear action points for clients to want to take some action
• Will keep in mind that marketing is for awareness and information sharing to create demand
• Analysis will be an important part of decision making, campaign selection but will try out new thing on 80-20 ratio (Where ratio of innovation and trying out new things will be 20)
• Will plan more on my clients demand than what competitors are doing
• Will not be running behind 100% success ratio

One new scenario I want to try to create this year. Create demand of marketing content, where customers will wait for my content. Will not flood with information and will bring measure in madness. I understand that it’s not a year’s job but at least I can start putting the foundation stone. This scenario can place my company to a thought leadership role where we don’t have to think about competition and we can become niche not only in offering but as a company.

I have to accept that client knows their problem better than me, they have enough information about their problems. What they want to listen is how easily, securely, cheaply, and quickly they can sort it with what I am proposing.

This is a personal scribble ground. The opinions expressed here are all personal they do not express any direct or indirect linkage to the organization I am attached to. But I love changes so they might be changing time to time. :o)