the 7 worst mistakes you can make with your content strategy

Contents

3 Introduction

11 Mistake #1: Trying To Do Too Much

17 Mistake #2: Thinking That The More Content You Deliver, The More Value You're Adding

26 Mistake #3: Focusing on Production over Promotion

34 Mistake #4: Not Using Emotion to Influence Your Audience to Act

44 Mistake #5: Not Using Hooks and Headlines to Get People’s Attention

53 Mistake #6: Big Hat, No Cattle

60 Mistake #7: Thinking You Have to Constantly Reinvent the Wheel

• Email users send 204,000,000 messages

• Blog writers post 1400 new blog posts• Facebook users

share 2,460,000 pieces of content• Twitter users tweet 277,000 times

Every minute of every day

Every minute of every day• Amazon makes $83,000 in online sales• Instagram users post 216,000 new photos• Pandora users listen to 61,141 hours of

music• Apple users download 48,000 apps• Vine users share 8,333 videos• Pinterest users pin 3,472 images

Here’s the problem:• The average video view is

60-120 seconds• 55% of people who click on a

link to an article spend less than 15 seconds reading it

• 79% of web users scan vs. read• The average page visit on the

web is less than 60 seconds

The human attention span has denigrated to 8 seconds…less than that of a goldfish

(which is 9 seconds)

“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom…

…The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.”

—E.O. Wilson

We don’t have a content creation problem, we have a content consumption problem.

Here are 7 critical mistakes to avoid when creating and distributing content to attract more leads and convert more sales…

Mistake #1: Trying To Do Too Much

Random Acts

of Content

Most marketers and business owners put out too much of the wrong content, distribute it in the wrong places and to the wrong people.

They’re trying to hit a moving target and as a result they’re overwhelmed, their customers are overwhelmed and they’ve spent a bunch of time, energy and often money producing content that doesn’t get a result.

Instead of trying to Blab, Tweet, Periscope, Snapchat, Vine, Facebook and YouTube your audience...

…focus on the right story and message in a few

channels executed well.

You need content that has a purpose—that does something to drive leads, convert sales,

build your brand and grow your business.

Most important, your content needs context.

Context is what sets the stage for people to take in and act on the information you’re providing. If your audience doesn’t see the value, if they don’t understand how to use it or what they’re supposed to focus on, they’re going to do the easiest thing, which is to do NOTHING.

3 Reasons Content is Relevant to Your Audience

1. It solves a big, urgent problem they think they have.

2. It hits at the exact right moment where it’s useful.

3. It’s something they searched for specifically.

Mistake #2: Thinking That The More Content You Deliver, The More Value You're Adding

When you over-teach, you overwhelm.

44% of Americans feel more stressed than

they did 5 years ago.

3 out of 4 doctor’s visits are for stress related ailments.

50The number of emails a busy person

can effectively handle in a day.

85The average number of emails

a busy person gets per day.

You need to help SOLVE overwhelm for your audience,

not contribute to it.

If your audience is busy trying to understand every nuance and detail of what you’re giving them, they’ll be mentally fatigued and satiated when it comes time to make a decision.

If you fail to create an emotional connection

with your audience, they won’t act.

Focus on the big idea and one big takeaway, not how to

execute every single step.

Mistake #3: Focusing on Production over Promotion

Most people work hard on a piece of content and then just assume people are watching,

reading or listening.

How much time do you spend

producing your content vs.

promoting it?

Your business transforms when you take one great piece of content and spend most of your time promoting

and distributing that content in multiple channels.

80% of your time promoting your content20% of your time producing your content

Follow the 80/20 Rule:

It’s not about the quantity of content you put out; it’s about the quantity of people

who see it and get value from it.

You’ve got to follow the message to the money and that only occurs when you get your content in front of enough of the right people.

Let's make sure you are targeting an audience who will take action and buy…

Click here for 7 Keys to Attract the Right Audience

Mistake #4: Not Using Emotion to Influence Your Audience to Act

Great marketing—the kind that turns strangers into prospects and prospects into lifelong customers—is based on the fundamentals of human emotion.

It’s not about brilliant writing. It’s about being natural and simple.

It’s not about you, your background, your experience or what you bring to the table. It’s about your customer and what they want and need most.

It’s not about being clever or witty or wise. It’s about authenticity and demonstrating a clear caring for the person receiving your content on the other end.

It’s not about “likes” “shares” or “follows”. It’s about action in the form of what moves your audience to the next level of results for them.

It’s not about advertising. It’s about telling a story people care about.

When you know the psychology of your audience and you can empathize with what they’re feeling, you don’t need to

have a PhD in copywriting or a masters in video production—you’re able to use their words and connect with them on an emotional level, which is what influences them to act.

People buy for emotional reasons but then they use the logic to justify. We have to approach our content strategy in the same way.

What’s the core emotional message that’s driving your business?

Mistake #5: Not Using Hooks and Headlines to Get People’s Attention

Content without good copywriting is a recipe for failure.

Most headlines are too boring and don't give people a reason to click.

Or, they are cute or clever but they don’t communicate a clear benefit.

• Use numbers• Use “You” and “Your” • Highlight the benefits• Speak to a very specific person• Speak to a very specific

problem• Inspire Intrigue• Use Urgency

Effective Headlines…

Avoid superlatives, hyperbole and gimmicky headlines

that use words like “Amazing” and “Unbelievable!”

Everything needs a headline: a subject line, a Facebook

post, a webinar, an infographic, a blog post…any piece of content you put out.

Once you have your headline, use multiple hooks to drive traffic to

your content in different contexts.

Download my Copywriting Cheat Sheet

For quick and easy strategies to write content that converts…

Mistake #6: Big Hat, No Cattle

Inspiration is not enough. You’ve got to follow it up with actionable information that solves people’s problems.

Your content needs a framework that is unique to you that reveals the essential, indispensable information people need to solve their problems and get what they want.

Why would your audience want to see, hear or read your content? What will it do for them

that they can’t get anywhere else?

Use story and inspiration to set up your cornerstone content, but you’ve got to provide a structured solution

so your audience can get the result they’re after.

Here’s how it works:

Your story……frames your cornerstone content…which then builds toward your close…which provides the solution to the problem you laid out in your story.

When you combine the elements of story and structure together, it takes your audience on a journey—your journey—and it puts them in a position where they can see, feel and experience the same journey so they can imagine what life would be like on the other side.

Mistake #7: Thinking You Have to Constantly Reinvent the Wheel

Instead of creating new content all the time, you can take your existing content and repurpose it.

Repurpose (verb): adapt for a different use.

Repurposing allows you to get a better, longer term result with one piece of content by helping you attract new audience, increase your conversions and save you time.

You can repurpose your content by changing the format and/or the audience you’re targeting.

There are two types of Smart Repurposing:

1.Vertical Repurposing

2. Horizontal Repurposing

Vertical Repurposing: take a meatier piece of content and turn it into smaller content chunks. For example, turn one

webinar or podcast episode into several Facebook posts, tweets, blog posts, emails, etc.

Horizontal Repurposing: take your best performing content and re-post with a different hook or headline in different channels.

7 Mistakes Summary1. Trying To Do Too Much2. Thinking That The More Value You Deliver, The More

You’ll Sell 3. Focusing on Production over Promotion4. Not Using Emotion to Influence Your Audience to Act5. Not Using Hooks and Headlines to Get People’s Attention6. Big Hat, No Cattle7. Thinking You Have to Constantly Reinvent the Wheel

As you create and share your content with your audience, remember…

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your

riches, but to reveal to him his own.”― Benjamin Disraeli

My company,

helps experts, authors, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs craft quality content that sells. 

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