Andriana BoyrikovaMy foot got broken during a Krav Maga training in December. But that wasn’t the only damaged thing. Content marketing is broken, too. However, unlike me, it is running straight into more injury, covering it up with cheap trickery. If you want content success, it is time to do a proper rehab of your content marketing. And three long-forgotten practices will get you back on track, with no more limping in circles.
Just as my foot got broken without anyone asking me whether I was prepared for the consequences, no one is asking you whether you are prepared for today’s online landscape. AI search results are slashing your website traffic; self-proclaimed experts are proudly flooding your niche with second-hand information generated by AI; LinkedIn algorithms are burying your thoughtful posts to prioritize dramatized stories or clickbait masked as value thanks to LinkedIn engagement pods; and your audience is becoming more and more mistrustful.
You need to adapt. Fortunately, you still have a choice on how to do that.
33,3% humanity success
Out of my twelve trips on crutches to the waste container, only four times did a passerby stop to help me. That is a 33,3% humanity success rate. The other pedestrians and cyclists didn’t seem to notice me even as they glanced at the figure hopping on one leg, a crutch in one hand and a garbage bag spinning wildly in the other. Fortunately, I am a strong woman who can manage a lot on her own, so I succeeded in my ventures.
Yet, I have become a strong proponent of asking for help when one needs it. So, when snow started covering the streets, I skipped my trip to the waste container (I didn’t fancy the picture of breaking my other foot while hopping on the ice) and asked my neighbor to take out the garbage for me. She helped me with the utmost kindness. A small gesture that pulled at my heartstrings. Isn’t that what makes us human?
#1 Content marketing secret
Before you go about executing a content strategy and creating content, you need human input. The source of strong concept and insight is communication with your customers. Your customers are the smartest consultants you will ever have because they are the ones using and paying for what you sell.
Drawing on elaborately devised AI prompts to understand your customers’ needs can make you a professional AI prompt-writer, but it won’t connect you with your customers. What will is organizing monthly live Q&As or webinars where your prospects and customers can ask questions and share feedback. When you prioritize two-way interactions, listening to what they are literally telling you, you build a relationship.
As your customers feel they are heard, seen, and aren’t just a number for you, their commitment deepens. And that generates value over time. Word-of-mouth marketing remains your strongest accomplice. “Whether face-to-face or digital, word of mouth has a more substantial impact on sales than other elements of marketing, such as advertising and personal selling.” The more positive word of mouth is, the more the brand image of a small or medium-sized company increases in quality.
People are more likely to promote a company when they feel emotionally involved with it.
Real life
A broken foot meant no running, no power yoga, no long walks through nature, no organizing of the writers’ meet-up I have lovingly been hosting since 2019. For a person who is on the go all the time that was sheer hell. I descended into a dark spiral. Luckily, I got bored of my negativity after a week. That was when my mind, like an attic kept in the dark for too long, opened up for all the things I could still do.
I could write, read books, drink coffee with friends who came to visit me, call friends abroad, and work — I was juggling a couple of gripping freelance assignments. And I didn’t need Instagram, LinkedIn, Netflix, or a TV. (I don’t own a TV, and I am not subscribed to any streaming service, of my own volition.) In other words, I engaged with the world as we used to in the 90s.
#2 Content marketing secret
That is your opportunity: drawing from lived experiences and authentic human connections. You can still keep your finger on the digital pulse without losing yourself in its obsessive distractions. But to succeed, you need to accept you will never be able to catch up with all the content you want to consume: that new webinar, the ten podcast episodes you missed, the endless LinkedIn newsfeed, the twentieth newsletter in your inbox today. Shift your priorities, starting from people-first communication:
- Gather insights from real conversations with your team, partners, and industry professionals. For example, record a conversation about a challenge your team has solved, pull out the main lessons or most striking quotes, and use them for a blog post.
- Create content that doesn’t exist in search yet. You can conduct small-scale surveys or internal data studies and publish the findings with your commentary: “Things we wish someone told us before using our [product/service]”, “What we discovered from 100 support tickets.”
- Build a community where your prospects and customers share feedback and tips. That is possible on platforms like Slack, Discord, Substack, and LinkedIn. Besides fostering a sense of belonging and brand loyalty, it provides a plethora of content ideas: “How feedback built our latest feature”, “5 ways our users are solving [problem].”
No one can create content based on your unique solution and human experience.
Inside out
My foot was in a cast for 42 days. That was a period of experimentation with one-leg strength workouts; walking on crutches around the block; sleeping with my foot elevated on cardboard boxes; and working from home full time, which brought back a lot of unpleasant memories from the COVID-19 days. Having the cast removed, however, wasn’t the finishing line. It took six months to return to pain-free walking and running.
I accepted and adjusted to the limitations. “Right now, it is like this,“ became my mantra. That stretch of time taught me more patience than any mindfulness app ever will. But isn’t that what growth is? Continuously stepping outside your comfort zone and adapting, without losing yourself.
#3 Content marketing secret
You aren’t in control of Big Tech’s decisions, the economy, and your customers. But you are in control of the value you bring, your adaptability, and persistence. And these are crucial for content marketing success. Content marketing leads to positive sales-related outcomes, but significant results often take several months to a year. A documented content strategy is the compass ensuring your time and money are invested in what makes most sense for your business.
You have published 10 blog posts you consider valuable. But if that isn’t what your target audience looks for, they will leave and not return.
“You waste your money—and your team’s time—creating and promoting disjointed pieces of content that don’t align with your business goals.” A content strategy supports you to stay on course when results are slow but you want to go fast, and to pivot when you are moving but not in the right direction.
Every year brings new platforms and trends. But not all of them serve your business goals. Marketers are the first to get bored of their tactics and want to try something novel: launching a podcast, a short‑form video channel, a private community. A documented content strategy — knowing who you want to attract, what you want to achieve, how you measure success — prevents you from throwing good money after bad.
What about generative AI tools? You are using them. Your competitors are using them. But what is your company’s stance? Being transparent about your generative AI practices enhances your company’s credibility. Aside from what you say publicly, how are you using it behind the scenes? Have you documented internal guidelines on generative AI use across your business? Is everyone, from interns to C-suite, on the same page about what is acceptable, and what is not?
Finally, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Jumping on the bandwagon — as CNET did, and it backfired — can bruise your company’s reputation. New trends might sway you. But with strong roots, such as a documented content strategy, you will be able to withstand whatever doesn’t serve you and stay patient in earning and keeping your audience’s trust.
Conclusion
Today’s state of content marketing is fractured and blotched with cheap shortcuts. While you can’t — and shouldn’t — fight against generative AI and algorithms, you shouldn’t give in to the brokenness either. There is still a path to recovery, and it starts with going back to the fundamentals:
- The source of strong concept and insight is your communication with your customers.
- Unique content is based on your lived experiences and authentic human connections.
- A content strategy is your compass for deciding what to invest in and how much money and time to spend.
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I hope you will make the most of these practices. What is your biggest challenge in today’s broken content marketing? Let me know in the comments.
Featured image: Unsplash.
Do you need help with your content strategy? Email me, I would love to help you.
