Has your content marketing strategy gone by the wayside? Do you lack a formal strategy altogether? If you feel like your content marketing isn’t where it needs to be, then now’s the time to get back on track. And temporarily working with a specialized consultant may be the answer to your woes.
Signs your content marketing efforts are struggling
When you first launch a content marketing strategy, it’s easy to feel as if everything is going to be great. You read case studies about the ROI companies are receiving and hear story after story about the transformational power of organic content. However, what nobody tells you is that content marketing rarely comes easy. It can take months – even years – to see the results that you’re hoping for.
But how do you know if your content marketing efforts are on the wrong track? When is it time to come to the realization that something is wrong? Let’s check out a few of the telltale signs:
- No increases in traffic. Perhaps you look at your analytics report each week and don’t notice any uptick in traffic. This is a problem. “Content marketing should affect your traffic from a number of different sources. It should increase your search rankings along with organic search traffic, attract more social media visitors from your social profiles, and even help you get recurring direct traffic from returning loyal readers,” marketer Atul Rai says. “If you don’t see your traffic numbers rising, after a few months, your campaign could be failing.”
- No reader-side activity. Content marketing is designed to engage your customers. If you aren’t seeing any reader-side activity – such as comments on posts, social media shares, or other forms of direct feedback – then it’s possible that your content is falling on deaf ears.
- There’s no buy-in. Are you the only one in your organization supporting content marketing? “Content marketing doesn’t work well if only one person, or one department, in the organization believes in the efforts,” inbound marketing specialist Kevin Phillips says. “All too often, companies see content marketing as a marketing department specific strategy. When this is the case, failure is almost certain.”
Do these issues sound familiar? If so, then something has to change. You have some important decisions to make and can’t afford to keep moving in the wrong direction. Thankfully, there’s one solution that seems to work in most cases.
Five reasons to hire a content marketing consultant
Self-help guides and ebooks will only get you so far. If you really want to achieve maximum results, you need specialized assistance in the form of a content marketing consultant. You can either find consultants in your area or search for them online. Most agree that it’s easier to find one online, as they’re more cost-effective and you aren’t limited to a specific city. But regardless of how you find one, you need to find one. Here are some reasons why:
1. Strategic development
You may be a good writer (or have access to good writers), but content marketing isn’t just about typing words. In order to be successful, strategic development is something that has to be considered.
“Any business needs to work on both short term and long term goals,” consultant Jon Rognerud says. “However, if you’re only planning one month ahead, you’re definitely a poor planner and strategist. Therefore, if you don’t have the time to concentrate on long-term projects and growth, it might be time to hire an outsider to help you to launch and double your business over a decided period.”
2. Audience understanding
Writing high quality content is one thing. Writing compelling content that engages your target audience can be a completely different animal. If your content isn’t getting much of a response, then it’s possible that you don’t have an accurate understanding of who your audience is.
A content marketing consultant can help you to clarify your audience and develop reader personas that can guide your content writing efforts moving forward. The result is highly targeted content that delivers a tangible return.
3. Access to insights
One thing today’s content marketing consultants are really good at is looking at raw data and extrapolating keen insights from the information. If you’re struggling to make sense of the data you have and don’t know what it’s telling you, then a consultant could be helpful in interpreting what’s really happening.
4. Outside connections
You probably have your own connections – however, you probably don’t have nearly the number of connections that you need in order to develop strong inroads with other publishers, marketers, and industry professionals. You know who does? A consultant.
Content marketing consultants didn’t get where they are simply because they felt like assuming the title. They spent years in the industry and have a long list of connections that they rely on to serve their clients. When you work with a qualified consultant, you get access to their network.
5. Cost-effective
Above all else, content marketing consultants are cost-effective. You may not have the money to hire a full-time team of writers, editors, and marketing experts, but you don’t have to. With a consultant, you get all the information you need from one source.
What makes a consultant so cost-effective is the fact that you don’t have to pay them when you don’t need them. As opposed to a full-time employee who gets paid the same amount regardless of output, a consultant is usually hired on an hourly basis. Need him for 20 hours one week? Pay for 20 hours worth of work. Don’t need him at all the next week? Don’t pay a dime. You’ll save a lot of money by using this setup.
Get back on track with specialized help
Content marketing doesn’t have to be this complex puzzle that you’re unable to solve. It’s difficult, yet conquerable. Sometimes you just need a little nudge in the right direction. Working with a specialized consultant for a limited period of time could be the solution you desperately need.
If you want to get 30 effective techniques to master content marketing along with valuable insights from 10+ influencers like Mark Schaefer, Rebecca Lieb, Lee Odden, Jason Miller or Ian Cleary, download our free eBook now!
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