Content Marketing: What Not to Do

You’re likely already engaged in content marketing – 82% of companies are, according to a HubSpot study.

But it’s vital to remember that there should always be a point to your content marketing. As with any element of your marketing, any content you produce should have an end goal.

Producing content without setting out what you want to achieve typically won’t drive the results you might hope for.

But even when you have your goal in mind, you could find yourself making certain mistakes when it comes to your content marketing. That’s why we’ve put together a list of common content creation concerns you should try to avoid.

Being too salesy too early

Content doesn’t exist in a vacuum. As we said, it’s there to fulfil a brief and hopefully achieve a certain outcome. What this outcome is should dictate what sort of content you go on to create.

The marketing funnel can provide a rudimentary framework for your content. For example, if you’re trying to attract leads who aren’t even sure if they can take legal action, you’ll be looking at the top of the funnel. That means helpful, informative content.

One of the biggest mistakes in content creation at this stage of the customer journey is being too salesy. Your prospect wants answers. They don’t necessarily want to know in detail why you’re the best option at that moment. If they don’t find the information they’re looking for, it could be a quick exit from your site and onto a competitor’s. So save the sales pitch for further down the funnel.

Not providing value

Marketing might be done to publicise your firm and attract more business, but it should also offer your website’s visitors something.

Content shouldn’t just be created to cover off a certain number of keywords – and it certainly shouldn’t be created just to repeat the same keyword multiple times. Offer your visitors something they want – something they’re looking for.

That could be letting them know whether they’re able to make a claim, providing them with the facts about how long a case can take or the reassurance that someone else went through a similar experience and got the result they wanted. Offer your site users value and they could then turn into leads and clients.

Doing what you’ve always done

You might be good at what you do. Your marketing might secure high numbers of quality leads. But think about whether you’re simply doing what you’ve always done.

Whether it’s producing the same report every year or attending the same conference with the same stall in the same place, it’s easy to find yourself stuck in your ways. Of course, you know your audience and what works best for them, so this might not be a problem for you.

But a case can usually be made for taking a fresh look at what you do. And this doesn’t have to mean an entirely new and untested approach. Analyse why your successful pieces have worked in the past and try to capture that essence again in your upcoming content. But don’t rely on a certain piece of content just because you’ve always done it. Fresh content could bring fresh engagement.

Irrelevant link building

We’ve discussed link building and how important it is to your search engine presence in previous guides. But there’s one thing to remember: relevancy is key.

The more relevant a site is to yours and your industry, the more weight its backlink will have. So even if a website is well-regarded and popular, if it’s totally irrelevant to your niche, it might not deliver the results you want.

When you’re looking at link building and digital PR, your target sites should be as relevant as possible. This will help search engines understand that your site is considered an authority in its industry, which can help give you a boost up the rankings. For more information on link building, check out our guide.

Following trends

Just because the rest of the world is hopping onto Tik Tok, posting about certain topics or producing podcasts, doesn’t mean you have to join them.

You need to ensure that your content is appropriate for your audience. For example, social media can be a hugely beneficial tool, but is it the best way of attracting new leads or getting your brand and your message out there?

It all depends on your firm and your marketing. It’s certainly worth testing out a new content format to gauge its effectiveness. But it’s not essential that you follow every trend just because it’s currently popular. Not everything is going to be relevant for your firm. The last thing you want is raised eyebrows when you position your firm somewhere it doesn’t fit.

Content to convince

Your content represents your firm to people who have yet to discover how you operate. It exists to help convince someone that your firm is the one for them.

So ensure you’re giving yourself the best chance of converting site visitors into clients by producing the best quality content you can.

And if you’re looking for more help generating quality leads, talk to the First4Lawyers team.