To shed light on the often overlooked elements in content marketing, we’ve gathered insights from twelve experts, including Digital Marketing Strategists and Content Marketing Specialists. From emphasizing consistency in content marketing to utilizing a customer journey map, discover the key elements these industry leaders believe deserve more attention.

 

• Emphasize Consistency in Content Marketing
• Understand and Address Audience Intent
• Prioritize Human Touch in Content
• Rely on Consumer Knowledge, Not Tools
• Personalize Content for Reader Connection
• Optimize Blog Posts for Readability and SEO
• Foster Consistent Audience Engagement
• Integrate Public Relations into Content Strategy
• Ensure Content Accessibility for All
• Reflect Reader Benefit in Call-to-Action Buttons
• Adopt Awareness-Driven Reputation Management
• Utilize a Customer Journey Map

 

Emphasize Consistency in Content Marketing

In content marketing, while quality and creativity are paramount, the true power lies in consistency. Beyond crafting compelling narratives, the regularity in publishing, maintaining a uniform brand voice, and delivering consistent value establish trust and will set the brand apart in a saturated digital landscape.

 

Shyam Nagarajan, Digital Marketing Strategist, TaxBandits

 

Understand and Address Audience Intent

A subtle yet profound oversight in content marketing is the underestimation of audience intent. While many focus on keywords and surface-level analytics, they often miss the deeper layer: human intent. This represents a genuine need, a burning question, or a heartfelt curiosity. 

 

By truly understanding and addressing this intent, content rises from being just another piece of information to a meaningful solution. Such targeted content has the power to turn passive readers into engaged advocates, bridging the gap between brands and their audiences.

 

Vrinda Vardhan, Senior Content Marketer, Locad

 

Prioritize Human Touch in Content

One key element that is missing today, especially with the widespread use of AI, is the human touch. More writing, whether internal or external, should still use a company’s brand voice and identity. Be it conversational and fun, or professional and an industry authority, all writing that goes out into the world should have a human touch. So, go over that AI with a fine-tooth comb, and enhance and grow that writing; don’t just hit publish!

 

Garrett Nutgrass, Marketing Content Strategist, Destify

 

Rely on Consumer Knowledge, Not Tools

I think many businesses get caught up in what a third-party external tool is telling them to write, rather than writing or producing what they already know will resonate well with their audience. Tools are no doubt important, but they just cannot beat the knowledge you already have of your consumer as a business owner who is active in the sector.

 

James Parkinson, Head of Marketing, Personnel Checks

 

Personalize Content for Reader Connection

One key element that’s often overlooked in content marketing is the ability to connect with readers through personalization. I feel this is a key element for content as it helps connect readers to your brand, no matter the industry. This means speaking to your readers instead of at them. 

 

Perfecting this tone depends on who your audience is as well. Are you able to be light-hearted about the content? Or is the topic more serious or professional? Either way, you can work on creating a tone that connects your content to the audience. This requires research about who your audience actually is, which can take time. Once you have this factor nailed down, it will be easier to write quality, optimized content.

 

Lark Allen, Content Marketing Specialist, Drive Research 

 

Optimize Blog Posts for Readability and SEO

Surprisingly, effective blog posts are often overlooked despite being the cornerstone of many successful marketing strategies. 

 

Blog content builds authority and drives traffic when it’s done right. However, many people don’t optimize their posts for the two things that actually matter: readability and SEO.

 

The article, above all, should be engaging and answer a question within your target audience. This aspect alone will generate traffic and build authority in your niche. Once this is done, SEO helps increase this traffic. It’s not a complex formula, but it’s often overlooked.

 

Aycen Zambuto, Founder, Vitality Media Co.

 

Foster Consistent Audience Engagement

Consistent audience engagement is often overlooked in content marketing, leading to a 30% decrease in customer retention rates. Data highlights that regular and interactive content fosters a 25% increase in customer loyalty. 

 

For example, actively responding to audience comments and queries in a timely manner resulted in a 20% boost in brand trust and credibility. By neglecting this key element, businesses risk losing customer interest and connection, leading to diminished brand relevance and market competitiveness. 

 

Incorporating interactive elements like polls, surveys, and user-generated content can invigorate audience participation, reinforcing a lasting relationship with the target demographic and fortifying the brand’s market presence.

 

Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing

 

Integrate Public Relations into Content Strategy

One element of content marketing that is often overlooked is the connection to public relations. By tying in public relations to your content marketing strategy, you can help your content go further and reach more people. 

 

To do this, you need to build connections with reporters, writers, and influencers in your local community or industry. Find visual stories to tell about your company and employees, and pitch them where it makes sense. Continue to build these relationships over time, so they’ll know to come to you when they need information on your area of expertise. 

 

Integrating PR into your content marketing strategy will help build brand awareness, improve your website’s SEO through backlinking, and, most importantly, help you connect with your audience.

 

Katie Sorce, Marketing and Content Strategist, Overit

 

Ensure Content Accessibility for All

You could make the world’s most beautiful piece of content, but it’s only valuable if others can understand it. Don’t forget to upload alternative text descriptions for photos and use #CamelCase (capitalizing the first letter of every word) in social media posts so that people who are using screen readers can understand the context you are providing. 

 

Did you know that the WHO estimates that there are over 1.5 billion people on the planet with some degree of hearing loss? Approximately 430 million of them have a disabling loss. That’s a lot of missed opportunities. 

 

Don’t forget to burn captions onto your videos (including important audio-only context clues), and place them so that overlaying text does not block them and profile information by the platforms the content is being served on. 

 

Nearly everyone who is accessing your content via mobile will do so with the sound turned off. Facebook estimates this accounts for approximately 85% of its users!

 

Fey Grimm, Social Media Manager, Starkey

 

Reflect Reader Benefit in Call-to-Action Buttons

Call-to-action buttons should reflect the benefit the reader will receive, not just the action you want them to take. For example, change “Download Now” to “Get My Guide.” This helps make your email/form more unique from others and creates a stronger feeling of ownership in the reader.

 

Tony Wagner, Email Marketing Manager, Strategic America

 

Adopt Awareness-Driven Reputation Management

In the bustling realm of content marketing, there’s a subtle yet crucial element that often slips under the radar: awareness-driven reputation management.

 

Today’s consumers deeply resonate with the causes they champion, influencing their purchasing choices.

 

For brands, weaving social responsibility into their narratives, be it through backing charitable endeavors or championing inclusive language, isn’t just commendable—it’s a strategic must.

 

Embracing this can elevate content from mere information to meaningful engagement.

 

Matias Rodsevich, Founder, PRHive

 

Utilize a Customer Journey Map

A key element often overlooked in content marketing is the customer journey map. It’s like delving into the story of customers: understanding their thoughts, feelings, and buying decisions.

 

Mapping out this journey offers a clear picture of customer experiences. This clarity aids in crafting content tailored to meet needs at every stage.

 

It goes beyond product knowledge, emphasizing the importance of grasping customer challenges and queries. The goal? To guide effectively and foster genuine connections, rather than just selling.

 

Tobias Liebsch, Co-Founder, Fintalent.io