5 Myths of Great Content Marketing

1. Creating great content doesn’t cost a lot

@ sigh converted into a shopping cartWhile it’s true that writing a page of perfectly optimised copy for your website is a lot more cost-effective than a print or TV ad, too often brands cut corners in an attempt to cut costs. Many even try hamming out quality, engaging content themselves. Remember, when it comes to great content marketing, what you put in is what you get out. Just because you have a paintbrush, it doesn’t make you an artist. The same way a stethoscope doesn’t make you a doctor and Microsoft Word doesn’t make you a writer. Quality content created by a SEO savvy content writer is an investment that pays off. Skimp on the writer and you’ll pay for it later.

 

2. More is more

Since Google crawls a site every few days, we need to create fresh content all the time, right? Creating content for content’s sake can do more harm than good. It’s better to have smart, relevant content that’s targeted to your audience, than reams and reams of content that has little or no bearing to your business or your customers’ needs at all.

 

3. The it’s-better-than-nothing approach

Creating content if and when you can is just not good enough. Great content marketing takes planning, strategising and implementing. Consistency is key if you want to rank as an authoritative website. It’s better to do a little bit each month than loads one month and nothing the next.

 

4. It’s all about SEO

Smartphone screen with application iconsGreat content marketing comprises of a number of different channels. And integration across all channels, as part of a broader content strategy, is important to your rankings. SEO helps your content to be found by the right users. Although it’s vitally important, it’s not the be-all and end-all of great content marketing … it’s more of an organic-traffic-driving enabler. Kind of like the flashing signals on motorways that tell you what to expect on the road up ahead.

 

5. Ranking number 1 is easy

Chalk board with SEO and UX in a heartIf anyone ever guarantees a number 1 ranking, proceed with extreme caution. What with Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird and the rest of the Google Zoo, number 1 rankings are never a guarantee. The Google Algorithm is the best kept secret since KFC’s mysterious 11 herbs and spices. And like Area 51, only a handful of people are privy to its inner workings. The only thing we do know for sure (because Google keeps telling us), is that quality content that centers on the user is key to online success. After all, isn’t user optimisation what great content marketing is all about?