With 92% of marketers reporting that their companies view marketing content as a business asset, getting content right is not always easy, but it is essential. Sometimes marketers become overwhelmed by passing trends, conflicting industry advice and widespread misinformation. Also, they get stuck in old ways if they’re not continually reviewing and applying best practices in an ever-changing industry. To keep your content marketing efforts on track, it’s important to avoid today’s common content marketing misconceptions.

Tips for Avoiding These 5 Content Marketing Misconceptions

Content marketing is a top priority for businesses, but misconceptions about best practices derail efforts. To optimize content marketing programs, consider the following misconceptions and our tips for avoiding them:

Misconception #1: Posting Content Should Be your Top Priority.

Content marketing does not mean simply creating and posting content without a plan. This is a trial-and-error or end-to-end approach that can result in a marketing disaster. Without a strategic plan, organizations will spend unnecessary time, money and energy. It’s important to understand that a plan isn’t just a list of tactics and initiatives you aim to implement. Instead, it requires a strategic foundation based on the company’s larger vision and mission. It consists of clearly identified goals, responsibilities, schedules, budget and metrics for measuring success. Further, even the best content can go stale if it isn’t distributed through the right channels. Ensure a defined strategy accounts for content distribution across the platforms and publications that connect with audiences who stand to benefit from your insights.

Misconception #2: You Can’t Measure the Success of Content Marketing.

Content often gets a bad rap for not having a clearly quantifiable return on investment (ROI). This simply isn’t true. Sales and marketing teams tend to obsess over revenue-generating projects that convert leads to new customers. Quality content marketing, however, accomplishes much more. Benefits include brand awareness, SEO, increased visibility, enhanced credibility and establishing your organization as an expert in the marketplace. Metrics for these objectives can include press and media mentions, social media engagement, website visitors and click-through rates, as well as converted leads from specific campaigns or calls to action.

Misconception #3: Content Is Always Written.

When asked about content, people most often think of books, articles, white papers or blogs. But additional modes of digital content continue to grow in use and demand. For example, consider that the amount of online videos watched has almost doubled since 2018. Similarly, 68 million Americans reported listening to online audio in 2021 through means such as podcasts, audiobooks and social audio. Businesses that are leveraging video and audio alongside written content are reaching broader audiences. Diversify types of content across multiple mediums and channels to deliver valuable insights to potential customers who need it most.

Misconception #4: Once Content Is Posted, Your Job Is Done.

Producing content requires time and resources. Many assume that once it goes live, the process is complete. This is a mistake. Content, both print and digital, is a living organism. After publishing a piece of content, distribute it through key channels, leverage it in sales conversations, use it as a lead generation tool and continually review and update the content. Evergreen content focuses on valuable expertise built to last. As long as the topic remains relevant and updated, search traffic will continue to compound, fueling SEO and uncovering qualified leads. Repurpose essential content and redistribute it via different mediums to reach new audiences. There is almost always more value to deliver and new ways to deliver it. Use content to consistently and continually explore new trends, position your organization within the context of current events and push the boundaries of your thought leadership.

Misconception #5: Your Own Content Is All that Matters.

When developing content, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of production, concentrating only on your own creation and distribution. Content has the power to position your thought leadership as a part of a broader conversation, but this doesn’t exclusively rely on producing and sharing your own expertise. A successful content marketing strategy includes engaging with and sharing the content of other thought leaders, connections, business partners, experts, prospects and clients. Seek out insights that align with your brand vision and mission. Share user-generated content from customers who have purchased and interacted with your products or services. Curate the content of other experts who can provide audiences with another perspective and further your own organization’s credibility as a reliable and valuable source.

The Road to Marketing Success is Never-Ending

To optimize content marketing programs, leaders and strategists need to commit to ongoing education, research and experimentation to identify what works best for their teams and organizational goals. Through continuous revision and an ongoing thirst for knowledge, content marketers can stay ahead of the curve and strategically determine how to integrate changing practices in a way that moves businesses toward growth goals.