Do you have a little corner of the internet that offers valuable information about your niche or industry? Whether it’s an e-commerce site, blog, or forum — generating content is a great way to develop relationships, establish yourself as an expert, increase traffic and sales, and stay in front of your target audience. However, when going into content marketing, it’s easy to make a few mistakes. And when you’re a small business, the stakes are even higher.
Don’t let your potential online slip away from you due to a lack of knowledge. Below are the common mistakes that could be preventing you from getting the most out of your marketing dollar.
Not Having a Solid Content Marketing Strategy
A content marketing strategy is a plan for how you will create and distribute content. Without one, it will be challenging to determine what type of content you produce, who your audience is, and how often you should share the information with them.
When creating a content marketing strategy, your objective should be to align your business goals with the needs of your target market by providing valuable information that will help them solve problems or answer questions. It’s not necessarily to sell products directly; instead, it’s about establishing trust with potential customers, so they are more likely to purchase something from your company down the road.
Not Identifying Your Target Audience
This is a critical part of content marketing that many small businesses don’t get right. You need to know who you are talking to, what they want to hear, and what they need to know about your niche topic.
Once you’ve identified your target audience—including specifics about their age range, gender identity/expression preference(s), socioeconomic status level(s), etc.—you can better tailor your message to their needs or interests.
For example, if you run a travel blog and want to attract travelers planning their next trip, that’s who your target audience should be. They may not all be millennials, and they may not all be affluent, but they will all have one thing in common: they love traveling.
The more specific you can get with your target audience, the better equipped you will be to deliver relevant content that benefits them personally.
Not Investing in High-Quality Content
Content is a significant part of your business’s online presence—whether used to build a blog, create social media posts, or shared on LinkedIn and other platforms.
If you’re new to the game, it can be tempting just to throw some words onto a page and call it good. But that won’t get you very far. Your target readers anticipate something meaningful.
The first step toward creating quality content is having a good understanding of what constitutes “quality.” That means more than just getting your facts right; it means ensuring your posts are helpful and engaging for your readers. Don’t try to imitate other people’s style — instead, focus on making sure that your voice comes through loud and clear.
Sure, you want to prioritize quality over quantity, and you might think that producing one post per week or month is enough. But if you want to drive commendable traction with your new blog, please commit to putting out at least two pieces of content per week.
Ignoring the 80/20 Rule of Content Marketing
Content marketing is mainly about creating valuable content that informs and educates your audience. But you also want to convert those readers into customers by promoting your products or services. Finding the perfect balance is where most companies fall short: They spend so much time trying to sell that they forget the importance of educating potential customers first (or at least in addition). It’s wrong, and that’s where the 80/20 rule of content marketing comes in.
The 80/20 rule of content marketing suggests that 80% of your content should be educational, and only 20% should promote your products and services.
It’s a great way to approach content marketing because it helps you build trust with your prospects. They will learn about who you are and what you do, making it easier for them to trust your brand and buy from you. That’s why the best-performing landing pages have a lot more content than just a form to fill out.
People visiting your website don’t want to see an advertisement or sales pitch immediately; they want to learn more about what makes your brand special. And the more information you give them, the more likely they will buy from you.
Underestimating SEO
When it comes to content marketing, it’s easy to focus on the creative side of things and forget about the technical aspects. However, good SEO is essential for any website, especially if you want to attract traffic through search engines.
But you can’t optimize your content for SEO if you don’t understand how it works. Plus, Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, and if you don’t stay on top of it, it can negatively affect your rankings.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of creating content that is easily found by search engines like Google and Bing. In other words, it’s the art of making your site more accessible to people looking for the information you provide. This sounds simple enough, but in practice, many things can go wrong when writing content for SEO purposes. These mistakes can lead to pages that rank poorly or not at all in search results, which means fewer eyeballs on your business’ website and less awareness of what you have to offer online customers.
The most common issue? Creating thin or duplicate over-optimized pages with low-quality information that doesn’t provide any value outside of ranking well in Google searches—a blackhat SEO practice known as “keyword stuffing.” While this may provide short-term gains in ranking, people quickly become frustrated with seeing these types of sites appear when searching for relevant information on specific topics. They’ll move on to another website instead! Also, Google and other search engines penalize this technique by dipping your ranks.
Below are some ways to get your content discovered by more people:
Target keywords with high search volumes
Create rich media content (videos, images) with keyword-rich titles and descriptions
Create linkable assets (eBooks, infographics)
Optimize your website for mobile devices
Build links between your content channels
Creating Random Content on any Subject
Your target audience is likely composed of people with a need or problem they’re looking to solve. So, make sure your content offers value, not just information that’s interesting or different from what everyone else is saying.
If you can’t think of anything valuable about your product/service, then don’t say it! Relevant content means sticking with topics related to your products/services (i.e., if you own a coffee shop, don’t write about dog grooming) and providing information that solves problems for potential customers. If no one has ever asked, “Where can I get great coffee nearby?” it’s probably not worth writing about.
Not Measuring the Results of Your Efforts
While it’s essential to have a marketing strategy for content, it’s also vital that you track the results of your efforts. If you can’t measure what’s working and what isn’t, it will be tricky to know if you need to change course or continue with what has been working so far.
So, how do you measure content marketing performance?
It depends on your goals for the campaign. If you want to increase website traffic and leads, then you need to measure those things. If your goal is to raise brand awareness, then brand lift should be part of the equation.
The good news is that there are many tools available to help you measure performance. Some are free, and some require a small investment. Google Analytics is one of the most popular analytics tools on the market. It includes real-time tracking of traffic, engagement, and conversions. You can also use it to track sales conversions based on whether or not they came from social media or other online sources like blogs or newsletters.
A few simple metrics will help you gauge the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts:
Traffic: The number of website visitors is essential for measuring content marketing success. You want to see steady growth in site traffic over time, which means new people are finding value in your brand and engaging with your content.
Engagement: Engagement metrics tell you how many people interact with your content — sharing it on social media or commenting on it in forums, etc. The goal is to get users involved in the conversation around your brand to feel like part of the community.
Bottom Line
We know that it can be hard to change your routine or reevaluate what you’re doing regarding content marketing. But we hope that by reading through these points again, you’ll identify where your business could make improvements and better serve customers looking for more information about your niche, products, and services.
When I talk with business owners about their biggest frustrations, one aspect always ranks high in the list: email outreach. But despite the endless rumors against this strategy, frustrations, and social media craze, email still works. A Barriliance report estimates that the average ROI for email is a whopping 3800%.
Cold email outreach could be the silver bullet to elevating your lead generation. It’s how you get in front of potential customers, partners, and influencers to share your story and inspire growth.
Outreach marketing centers around building genuine relationships that mutually benefit both parties. But if you’re going about it all wrong, your emails are more likely to get buried and ignored. Consider also that the average response rate for cold outreach emails is 1%. So, tread carefully with this digital marketing strategy.
This post will shed some light on the most common mistakes business owners make in email outreach campaigns. Use the mechanics provided to get better results.
1. Using Long, Un-Targeted Subject Lines
The first impression people get of your email will be the subject line. Treat your subject line as if it were an advertisement, making sure it’s clear and precise right off the bat. If there’s anything negative or confusing about your email, chances are you’ll lose the customer right there.
The best cold email subject lines provide details! Don’t just say “great offers” or “special discounts.” Tell your prospects why they should care! What’s in it for them?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to include the recipient’s name in the subject line. Highlighting a subject of deepest interest to the recipient, instead, can work. And that will depend on your research’s thoroughness.
Avoid sales jargon or slang. An influencer or decision-maker probably knows what to expect when they open your email. Save the “special offer” or “limited-time offer” language for your body copy.
Avoid all caps unless yelling is what you want to do. If you feel like yelling at people in your subject line to get their attention, that will only come off as a desperate attempt to draw attention to a weak offer.
As with all written communication, shorter is better in subject lines. Be succinct — keep your cold email subject line at 35 characters or less — and use action words that convey what’s happening. (“Save $100 on our new model!”) instead of vague statements (“We have exciting news”).
Once you’ve done all of this, you can feel free to add some flair with emojis- don’t go overboard, though.
2. Indicating You Aren’t Familiar With the Recipient
I recently received an email from a company I’ve never heard of about an unfamiliar product. It was targeted to someone named Robert, married to someone with the last name Jordin and has kids who have the first names, Ryan and Nick. The trouble is, I’m single and don’t have any kids. The email was sent to me by mistake, and I knew it. I doubt you would reply to let the sender know they erred.
One of the surest ways to get an email deleted is to address the recipient by the wrong name. It’s not only impolite, but it’s also a strong indicator that you aren’t familiar with the prospect.
If you want to be sure that your letter is read and taken seriously, take the time to familiarize yourself with the recipient. At least do a quick Google search or check out their website or LinkedIn profile and learn about them and their business/field/niche first.
Ensure you capture the prospect’s correct name and title, as well as their correct email address when reaching out via email. Don’t worry about knowing the recipient’s company in-depth — if you get the name or title wrong, your outreach efforts will likely flop regardless of how compelling your offer is.
3. No Introduction
No introduction is a mistake? That’s a little harsh. Maybe not. In my experience, this is among the gravest email outreach mistakes.
Here’s how it looks: I get an email from “Sender” (or “Company”) with a salutation that reads “Hello,” The email includes a brief message about something I wrote on my blog and why they liked it. The email concludes with two or three sentences asking me to check out their site and consider writing about them as well. I re-read the email to identify the sender, realize there’s no introduction.
Wouldn’t you move on to the next email?
The initial sentences of your cold email should highlight who you are and what you do. You may include how you know the recipient and why you’re reaching out right now. 2-3 lines are enough to get right to the point.
Here’s an example of an introductory paragraph:
My name is ______ (your name) and I’m working with/for ______ (company). We’re interested in finding someone who can help us promote our business through content marketing. We’ve seen some of your work in ___________ (blog topic), and we thought you might be the person for us.
4. Reaching Out to the Wrong Person
Let’s start with a disclaimer: there’s no magic email for reaching out to anyone. The most important thing is to be genuine and make the recipient feel like you’re reaching out because you have something to offer, not because you want something from them.
But there are plenty of ways to screw it up. Prominent among these email outreach mistakes is trying to get the attention of the wrong person. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people do it.
If you’re sending a cold email to someone who doesn’t directly influence decisions in your target company, they probably won’t take your desired action.
I recently received an email from an emerging writer who wanted me to read their book (and provide feedback). I’m not a literary agent, and I have never worked in publishing, so I had no idea why they sent me this email. They could’ve avoided the mistake if they had taken some time to research my background.
Emailing someone who doesn’t even need your product is detrimental to both sides. You waste your and their time by sending irrelevant information, jeopardizing your chances of getting an effective response. Still, you come off as spammy, and the recipient will have no choice to ditch your email in the trash.
5. Formatting Your Outreach Copy Wrongly
No doubt, outreach emails are a great way to attract prospects’ attention and start a conversation about your product or service. But how you format your outreach copies can mean the difference between someone caring about your product and being turned off by your email.
Follow this outreach email structure to ensure your correspondences are readable and aren’t sent straight to the trash:
Subject line
Craft catchy (not clickbaity) subject lines that pique interest and demonstrate you know the prospect in some way.
Email introduction
Write a brief and personalized introduction that builds trust between you and the recipient. Start with a friendly, casual greeting. It could be something like “Hi {First Name}.”
Don’t be too formal, though. So avoid things like “Dear” and “Sir/Madam”. Next, introduce yourself and mention a referral right away (if you have one).
Opening line
Personalize your opening line with everything you know about the recipient, including their recent blogs, achievements, and social media activity. Blend creativity and humor to trigger a quick and positive response.
Email body
The body of your cold outreach email should be brief, include a pitch that provides value, and encourage recipients to take action.
Because the prospect has no idea who you are, build credibility by highlighting your niche expertise, actual results, achievements, or professional credentials.
Call to action (CTA)
Getting prospects interested in your offer is only half the battle. A well-crafted email should always include a clear call to action so that recipients know precisely what they need to do next.
It could be a simple question like, “Do you have 10 minutes for a video call next week?”. Use only one CTA as too many requests will confuse the recipient. Feel free to incorporate urgency in your CTA by assigning exclusivity or deadline to your offer.
Signature
Use this real estate to lend more personality and credibility to your cold emails. You can choose between simple and elaborate signatures.
A simple signature will include your full name, company name, and role. An intricate signature may include your:
Picture
Website URL
Phone number
Social icons and links
Opt-out
Your outreach emails should include a straightforward way for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. It’s common courtesy, but more importantly, it’s a simple way to keep your cold emails compliant and sustain an excellent sender reputation. We recommend formatting your opt-out in a text line as links/buttons make emails appear computer-generated.
Be compliant, else…
6. Missing a Personal Touch
Another major email outreach mistake is sending generic emails to everyone. You see, every day, tens of sales representatives send out cold emails requesting a favor from your target prospect. And considering that the average professional receives over 120 emails daily, generic influencer outreach email templates will hardly get you noticed.
Understand that cold email campaigns don’t operate like sales funnels. This is because cold emailing has low response rates (1-3%). So, you must use the most effective techniques to get a response and build relationships.
Whether you are a marketing person, a salesperson, or an entrepreneur hoping to get your business off the ground, it’s critical to learn how to write an outreach email that appeals to the prospect’s needs and desires. If you send a marketing strategist in your target company a pitch about dog-shaped pasta forks, they aren’t going to care — so how are they going to care about the rest of your product line?
A cold email will only work if your pitch is relevant. That means conducting thorough research on the folks you’re targeting and ensuring that your email content addresses their unique needs and interests.
How to Personalize Cold Emails
Below are the best ways to personalize outreach emails:
Building buyer personas that summarize the key characteristics of your ideal customer (demographics, interests, business goals, pain points, etc.)
Mentioning the prospect’s name in the subject line and salutation
Focusing on the prospect’s interests and pain points
Highlighting a mutual connection
Including visuals (like GIFs and screenshots of your recipient’s website)
Using compliments (touch on their award, blog posts, achievements, etc.)
7. Not Being Clear Enough About Your Intent
We’ve all experienced it.
You’re in the middle of a hectic day at the office or home when an email pops into your inbox. It’s from a sender you don’t recognize, and the subject line reads “Hello.” Who is this person? And more importantly, what do they want?
The sender’s intent isn’t clear. Your first instinct will likely be to delete the email immediately. However, if you could identify their specific need, crafting a response that speaks directly to their underlying problem couldn’t be easier.
There’s no substitute for knowing how to communicate well when reaching out to someone who has no idea who you are. Whether you are conducting email outreach for backlinks or social mentions, let recipients know right away what you want and what you’re offering in return. If you want an introduction, say so explicitly.
Don’t make it too broad — instead, be as specific as possible. The more detailed your message, the better clarity you provide about your most wanted response.
Incorporate this tip in your subject lines, too. So instead of “Book Proposal,” try “Book Proposal (on x topic).” This way, the recipient knows what they’re getting into without ever having to open your email.
Pro Tip: 1) know your most wanted response for every cold email you intend to send, and 2) don’t waste time asking prospects if I’m interested in working with you — show them why they should be!
8. Writing Long Emails
I used to blast professionals’ inboxes with long emails every day. Often it didn’t work, and I took the lessons seriously. Nowadays, I write a few paragraphs and wait for a reply or follow-up later.
Prospects will hardly read or reply to long-winded messages that ramble on about how great you and your business are. You want to get right to the point and let the interest come from your prospects instead of you trying to sell it.
However, many cold emails out there make business owners look unprofessional and lazy- like they just dashed off a quick email and hit the send button. Much as we insist on keeping it short and sweet, never rush your emails. Taking your time with an outreach email is easier than having to regret sending a bad one.
What’s the ideal length of a cold email?
In 2015, Constant Contact (a digital marketing tools provider) analyzed over 2.1 million customer emails to determine how email images and length impact email click-through rate (CTR). The study found that emails under 20 lines of text generated the highest CTRs from subscribers. That translates into roughly 200 words.
Boomerang data suggests that emails between 50 and 125 words generate over 50% response rate. Generally, 125-200 words are enough to pique a prospect’s interest and begin a conversation.
Here are some tips for writing snappy outreach emails:
Have one goal per cold email
Use bullet points
Use a question format rather than a statement format
I receive a lot of emails. I have had to sign up for newsletters to keep track of what’s going on in the world (and also because I like free stuff). The thing is, unsolicited emails are often unwelcome.
There are only two reasons a company should send you an email: 1) they’re adding value, or 2) you signed up for it. Email outreach campaigns are no different.
Treating your cold email list like a begging avenue will only get you lousy results. Instead, let prospects know what’s in it for them. Put another way, provide value before soliciting for favors.
Your lead magnet should be something your target customer will want and appreciate— not just something you want them to have.
So, before you ask a prospect if they want something or tell them about something great happening at your company, think about this one question: Would anyone care if that email never arrived? Then ask yourself: Why would they care? Only send an email only if it’s valuable or necessary.
10. Not Following Up
There is a common misconception that recipients aren’t interested if they don’t reply to the first email. However, this isn’t necessarily true.
There are many other reasons why someone might not respond to your email. Perhaps they are too swamped with tasks to craft a response. Or they simply forgot.
When building the foundation of a valuable business relationship, the first email is only part of the equation. The follow-up is vital!
According to WoodPecker, a single follow-up can elevate your initial response rate by 40%. For example, if your first email scored a 6% response rate, a follow-up email could increase the score to 8.5%. A Propeller CRM study revealed that campaigns with 4-7 emails per sequence generated 3X more responses than sequences with 1-3 emails.
It’s essential to track when you send an email and follow up if you don’t hear back from your recipient within a reasonable amount of time. The rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 days before following up on your initial email, then extend the waiting period by a few days for the subsequent emails.
Don’t use follow-up emails as constant reminders that your recipients should respond to your original email. Always provide additional value with each subsequent email. That could be a link to a case study, customer testimonial, or anything else that builds value or credibility.
Experts recommend sending up to 6 follow-up emails within 3-4 weeks. If you don’t receive a response within this timeframe, move on to new (and possibly interested) prospects.
11. Doing Email Outreach Manually
You wear many hats as an entrepreneur. You have duties to delegate, clients to contact, deals to close, and possibly a startup idea that will revolutionize your industry if only you can find the time.
You might get some free time on your hands, but rather than relax or catch up on some reading; you might use that time to set up an email outreach campaign. Maybe it’s for your current business. Maybe it’s for a product or service you want to launch soon. Whatever the reason, this is probably a bad idea.
Here’s why: it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming.
You’ll need to build an email list and research your prospects. You must craft compelling subject lines and relevant email body copy that distinguishes you from your competition while still being useful and interesting enough to prompt a response. This takes time and practice—time you spend on other important matters.
Outreach email automation comes in here.
Most email outreach platforms are freemium models, where basic features are free, and advanced features come at a cost. But all of them can save you hours and hours of manual work while helping you build meaningful relationships with influencers and decision-makers.
The best email outreach tool takes care of all the hard work associated with your outreach marketing campaigns under one roof. That includes:
Building a list of verified email addresses
Customizing outreach email templates
Scheduling emails
Setting up sequences, and
Tracking vital metrics
All within one window and a few clicks.
How to choose an email outreach tool
Below are critical features to look for in email outreach software:
Customizability: Most tools, including Postaga, can automatically insert unique data for every recipient.
Email scheduling: Look for a platform that allows you to schedule outreach emails and follow-ups.
Integrations: The best cold email outreach platform integrates several email providers, productivity tools, CRMs, and other vital apps.
Analytics: A good outreach tool should provide insight into critical email metrics, including delivery rates, open rates, CTR, and bounce rates. It becomes easy to adjust your campaigns to be more effective.
Scalability: Look for a platform that can grow with your business needs.
Compliant: Spam is not only impolite, but it’s also illegal. A reputable outreach marketing tool ensures all your emails are compliant to keep you off the spam denylist.
That’s All, Folks
When done right, outreach marketing is a terrific way to grow your business. However, there are plenty of ways it can go wrong—or right, as the case may be.
Most of these email outreach mistakes are fixable with some thought and preparation. Put forth the effort, and you’ll have an easier time attracting the attention of valuable influencers and decision-makers to your business. Ultimately, you grow your business’s exposure and sales.
The year 2021 sounds so futuristic, right? But is this just a marketing gimmick, or is there something else to it? You’re smart; I’m sure you can guess the answer. There’s always something up our sleeves, but more on that later. Now, let’s focus on what brought us here – improving your web traffic in 2021.
You might be expecting a lot of web traffic from search engines, but that may not happen tomorrow. It requires more work from your side. These four strategies will help you steer clear of clickbait and grow your traffic organically in 2021. Let’s dive right in.
Video Marketing
Videos are taking over the internet. According to statistics, more than 68% of consumers prefer videos over other forms of content when looking for more information about an offering. So, if you want to drive this effect, you must use video marketing in your business in 2021!
Video marketing will give you the edge your business needs. It’s a high-value way to connect with customers and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Don’t create videos just for the sake of sharing them on YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook. Of course, you want to engage your prospects and come up with something that they’ll watch. But wouldn’t it be great if they found your videos when looking for a solution to their problems? Your audience wants relevant, helpful information about a topic they’re interested in, preferably from the most trusted voice on that topic. You can be that voice.
You may consider hiring a video expert to create thrilling tutorials, about us, or customer testimonial videos that resonate with your audience and drive traffic to your website. It’s also essential to optimize the video descriptions for search engines.
The best way to capitalize on business videos is to integrate them into your other marketing channels, and embedding them into your blogs is an excellent way to start.
People love to browse the web on their mobile phones. Mobile traffic accounted for 54.8% of global web traffic in the first quarter of 2021. That means if your website is not responsive-friendly, you might be losing out on valuable organic traffic.
Smartphones are the wave of the future.
In 2018, 38% of the world’s population owned a smartphone. The smartphone penetration rate is growing fast, with Statista projecting that 87% of all mobile phone users in the U.S will have a smartphone. This, together with a growing trend in mobile searches and mobile-friendly web pages, are some statistics that prove the demand for an optimized site.
If you’re just getting started online, start with a mobile-friendly site and then create your desktop version.
By getting your mobile site up and running first, you essentially optimize your website for the majority of internet users – those using their phones. You give your audience easy access to your product or service and make it easier for yourself to reach them.
Consumer-oriented Content
Good information doesn’t just disappear. People are using search engines like Google in their quest to find meaningful answers to their questions and concerns. These days, if you really want people to find your solutions, you need to help them first by putting together easy-to-understand content.
Remember that search engines now look for information-packed content that answers various queries posted by internet users. Writing for this purpose helps you grow your organic traffic and business.
If you’re targeting a specific user, the better you speak to their interests and the higher chances you have of converting them into leads. As such, research your niche, so you know who you’re talking to and tailor your content accordingly.
E-A-T
Did you know that sites with higher E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) value rank higher on Google? To put things in perspective, your site’s reputation, and your own, play a role in your ranking.
You should keep an up-to-date blog and be active on social media, giving helpful tips to your readers and followers. You should also offer excellent customer service, add more social links to your home page (Google likes that), build your brand authority, etc. And make sure you resolve all issues causing you bad reviews.
To maintain a good reputation online, you also need to ensure your site has the basics right, including security and performance. Other critical must-haves for your website are about page, contact page, customer service information, and relevant policy pages (privacy, terms of service, return policy, etc).
Given that the content will be used to promote your business, it’s important that each of your blog posts have a visible author and an associated profile. Simply put, make it easy for visitors to learn more about your business and writers.
Conclusion
There’s plenty of traffic to be generated in 2021. And driving massive traffic to your website doesn’t have to be a hassle. With these tried and true SEO tricks, you can gain rock-solid traffic without having to spend a fortune on paid ads.
Are you just setting out online? It helps to partner with professionals with proven experience creating content that people want to read and share.
ContentGenics provides effective and affordable bespoke content creation services allowing you to spend more time running your business. It’s a time-saving solution to driving more traffic to your site and building your thought leadership.Contact us today to get started.
