Ok, so I know I’m dating myself, but when I was growing up, I was given the impression that quicksand was something I’d have to worry about out in the real world. From Gilligan’s Island to the Land of the Lost to Indiana Jones, the idea of slogging, and sucking holes in sand were a real and concerning threat. I mean, this was a very real concern.
So, imagine my surprise when I started to venture outside on my own, and no quicksand presented itself to drag me down. The worst I dealt with was in the game Pitfall, and even that version was underwhelmingly easy to beat. (That swinging vine was cool, though.)
However, relieved I am that I won’t likely get sucked into a sandy, wet vortex, the more I think about content marketing and the struggle my clients and partners struggle with it, I realize that quicksand is a VERY real threat.
Content Marketing Quicksand – Yes, This One’s Real
Any business owner or marketer knows the pain that is involved in creating engaging, unique, and differentiating content, getting it approved, and implementing it as part of your brand, growth, or sales strategy. And that struggle, that feeling of being “stuck” with generic content, underperforming messaging, or stuck just trying to get a content plan off the ground, THAT; ‘s the real quicksand.
And if you don’t watch out, it will kill your brand growth, leaving your team stuck in a sticky, sinking pile of starts and stops with your content, that results in degraded progress.
So how do you avoid it?
How to Spot Content Marketing Quicksand
Quicksand looks like a content plan with no plan, ad hoc, one-off content being created to meet an individual need without realistic goals or tracking aligned.
It looks like content that closely resembles what your competitors are saying so no one “hears” the message or messaging that is tone-deaf to the needs and interests of your target market.
Content quicksand does not have a clear, approved content planning and approval process to ensure timely delivery of assets and delayed campaigns.
These are very real, and tangible, threats to your brand’s ability to claim your market share by developing a rapport and trust through consistent, engaging content shares with your prospects and clients.
So, grab a vine. We can get you over the pit and onto solid brand-supporting ground.
