What Would I Do Differently in My Content Marketing Journey: 11 Lessons Learned
Ever wondered what seasoned content marketers would do differently if they could turn back time? In this article, insights from a Marketing Specialist and a Founder & Creative Director are shared to provide a unique perspective on the world of content marketing. From prioritizing content distribution early on to simply starting to create content, this blog post compiles eleven invaluable lessons from industry experts. Discover what these professionals have learned and the advice they would give to their past selves.
- Prioritize Content Distribution Early On
- Focus on Original Thought-Leadership Pieces
- Show Your Face on Camera
- Segment Your Audience Effectively
- Understand Audience Needs and Preferences
- Simplify and Use Humor
- Use Data Analytics for Content Strategy
- Quality Over Quantity in Content
- Learn the Business Side of Content
- Embrace Storytelling and Learning
- Just Start Creating Content
Prioritize Content Distribution Early On
I would have prioritized building a stronger content-distribution strategy early on. While I focused heavily on creating valuable content, I didn't invest enough in amplifying it across multiple channels. My advice to my past self: Focus just as much on promoting your content as you do on creating it. Also, consistently measure and optimize based on performance data to maximize results over time.
Focus on Original Thought-Leadership Pieces
I've been producing content for nearly 15 years, and my approach is now based on the results of a single project... I should have focused on creating original and entertaining (key-word) thought-leadership pieces earlier. It sounds obvious, but we creators tend to forget this in the race to be always on, and visible. We have to take shortcuts, and post on-trend rather than taking the time to produce something unique, interesting, and helpful. The project that changed my mindset was an article about the use of Darth Vader in advertising; how such an iconic figure can be adapted to sell products from Pepsi to cough sweets. I complemented the article by creating a humorous video montage of these adverts, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views and directed thousands of visitors to the website. It was this additional layer of entertainment to the thought-leadership content that helped it to succeed beyond expectations.
Show Your Face on Camera
Don't be afraid to get in front of the camera. Many introverted people prefer to create content where they aren't visible, but in today's world, it's important to show your face and use your own voice if you want to stand out. With AI making content creation easier and more saturated, viewers now crave genuine human interaction. Showing yourself on camera helps build that connection.
Segment Your Audience Effectively
One of my biggest blunders in content marketing is probably skipping the segmentation step.
If you think your content will resonate with everyone, think again. And if you believe that reaching more people automatically means better results, you're mistaken. Let's be real: not all platforms reach the same audience. Nope, not even close.
Content marketing can be tricky to nail down. You've got to put some serious thought into it. It's all about crafting the right content for the audience you want to connect with and using the right platforms to deliver your message effectively.
From my own experience, I can tell you that LinkedIn and Facebook audiences are worlds apart, and your tone and approach need to reflect that difference. So, take the time to segment your audience and tailor your content accordingly!
Understand Audience Needs and Preferences
Looking back on my content marketing journey, one thing I would have done differently is to invest more time in understanding my audience's needs and preferences before launching campaigns. Early on, I focused heavily on producing a high-volume of content, believing that quantity would drive engagement. However, I later realized that truly resonating with my audience requires a deeper understanding of their pain points, interests, and behavior.
If I could advise my past self, I would recommend conducting thorough audience research at the outset. This includes creating detailed buyer personas, leveraging analytics tools to track engagement metrics, and gathering feedback directly from customers through surveys or social media interactions. By doing so, I could tailor my content to address specific needs, ultimately leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Additionally, I would encourage my past self to be more open to experimenting with various formats and channels. Early on, I was hesitant to step outside traditional blog posts and emails. Embracing video content, podcasts, and interactive formats would have diversified our reach and kept the audience engaged.
In summary, focusing on audience understanding and being open to experimentation would have significantly enhanced the effectiveness of my content marketing efforts, leading to stronger connections and better results.
Simplify and Use Humor
If I could travel back in time to give my past self a pep talk about content marketing, I would probably start with a dramatic pause and then say, "Stop overthinking everything!" When I kicked off my journey at Vortex Ranker, I thought I was the SEO wizard of the universe. My content was going to be so groundbreaking that clients would be knocking down my door, begging for help with their Google Business Profiles.
Spoiler alert: That did not happen. Instead, I unleashed a flood of articles that read like a manual for building a spaceship. Who knew people weren't interested in the intricate dance of keywords and local citations? I was cranking out content that even I wouldn't want to read on a Friday night.
If I could send a message back to my former self, it would be all about simplicity and humor. You know, make it relatable. Picture this: Instead of complex SEO terminology, I could have been sharing hilarious anecdotes about a client who thought they could rank higher by simply sprinkling glitter on their storefront. Seriously, I might have actually found a way to connect with my audience.
I also wish I had learned to ask for feedback earlier. Instead of living in my content cave, I could have opened the door and asked my clients what they really wanted. Maybe they needed tips on how to take a better business photo or ideas for clever posts that could attract customers.
In short, keep it light, keep it real, and maybe include a few dad jokes. Content marketing is about building relationships, not just throwing around technical jargon like confetti. So, my advice to my past self? Lighten up and have fun with it!
Use Data Analytics for Content Strategy
When I first started my career in content marketing, it was the era of writing about anything and everything related to what your brand has to offer. In those days, it was about volume versus quality.
These days, it's about using data analytics to not only see what types of content are performing already that you can speak to but also limit the amount of content you're creating and focus on over-delivering when you do share something.
For instance, when you're looking to start writing something new, you could pull a list of your biggest competitors and jump into SEMRush or Ahrefs and see exactly what their top-performing content is and then use Brian Dean's Skyscraper Technique to one-up what they share. Then you even get access to their backlinks where you can then reach out to them and share something simple like, "I saw you linked to an asset about XYZ. I just wrote something that's a lot more relevant and pulls in current sources. Take a look and if you like it, would you be willing to share it?"
Another strategy, as I typically work in SaaS but can be universal, is writing content that aligns specifically with the problem you are solving but presents this content at different stages in the buyer's journey.
What I mean by this is the content you create for someone who doesn't even know they need your solution is going to be entirely different from content for someone who is trying to decide between you and your competitor.
Having content that addresses problems you're solving at different stages allows you to have content to share on social media and in email nurtures that speak to potential buyers exactly where they are so you can connect and then educate them on why they need to choose you.
In a nutshell, back in the day, my content strategy was all over the place, more spray and pray versus now it's very calculated because, let's be honest, who has time to create endless content unless you want to hire an army of content marketers?
Quality Over Quantity in Content
If I could go back, I'd tell myself that quantity isn't always better than quality. When I started my content-marketing career, I fell into the trap of having a robust content calendar and being able to proudly show off all the new assets we had coming. Inevitably, our SEO rankings and engagement tanked.
After starting a new job, I was able to shift the approach to researching high-impact topics, optimizing for SEO, and prioritizing value-driven content that users actually wanted to read. I took time to think about the long-term usage of the content and if it would actually drive results. This not only improved our ranking but enhanced our engagement.
My key advice to my former self or new content marketers is that less can be more. Your audience would rather read one piece of thought-provoking content rather than five blogs that spell out what a simple Google search could.
Focus on creating content that serves a real purpose and is evergreen rather than just filling your content calendar for the sake of doing so.
Learn the Business Side of Content
If I could go back, I would do almost everything differently. Specifically, I would immerse myself in every aspect of the startup ecosystem—from understanding how venture capital and private equity work to grasping the business side of startups—learning how they all interrelate and where content marketing fits within this landscape.
In my first few years as a content marketing contributor, I thought I had made it as a whimsical writer and gave little thought to the business side of content marketing. I had zero understanding of the differences between lead generation and demand generation, and I didn’t consider how my work should contribute to go-to-market growth.
The advice I would give my past self (and anyone in content marketing) is to dive deep into learning everything you can about the business you’re in. Because, especially as technology continues advancing, your acumen in how you can help a business grow with content will keep you employed for as long as possible—or at least until the AI robots take all our jobs.
Embrace Storytelling and Learning
"Storytelling is an art that doesn't come easily to everyone; it takes dedication and persistence to master. If I could go back, I would ask more questions, take more chances, and embrace the learning that comes from trying and failing—and then trying again."
Just Start Creating Content
Honestly, the main thing is to just start. Your first few blog or content posts are going to be rubbish—that's a given.
But over time, you'll start to develop your own voice, your own style, that will better reflect your personality and how you like to communicate.
Until you begin, however, all those thoughts will be in your head.
I'm naturally quite introverted and quiet, so it's weird to put my own writing on the Internet. Even if I'm anonymous, the self-doubt and scrutiny are really unjustified. I know I'm not alone in this, as there are plenty of longtime listeners, first-time callers.
The amazing thing about starting to write content is, you'll also become a better real-life communicator. You'll learn how to structure an argument in several different ways, how to articulate an idea in short or long form, and most importantly, your brain will start thinking in this way naturally!
So for those who are reading this and still haven't started their own blog or even just personal writing stored only on your laptop, just start.
