Today, there are very few businesses that don’t utilise content marketing in one way or another. Whether it’s through blogs, vlogs, social media content or another channel, there are various ways brands can utilise the power of informative content, which is designed to add value in amongst a sea of advertisements. But regardless of how you approach content marketing, we all want to see a return in the long run. Be it through lead generation or e-commerce sales, content that converts is the aim. If you are finding that your content is not converting, read on to see if you are making any of these four common mistakes.

Targeting the wrong audience

Your content becomes largely irrelevant if it is not being put in front of the right people. As a business, you should understand your target demographic inside out and have a clear picture of what your typical customer looks like. This includes things like age, interests, salary and possibly geographic location. You should also understand where their attention is, this is crucial to the success of your content. 

Consider that you are promoting a children’s toy. You know your audience is children, but how do you reach them? Channels like YouTube are popular with younger audiences, so content such as a video review of a toy may be a great way to reach the intended target.

By contrast, this approach probably would not work if you were promoting B2B services like digital marketing. In this instance, platforms like LinkedIn work better, and your content may need to take the shape of a blog post or podcast.

Lack of trust in the brand

A problem that new brands often experience is the simple issue that potential customers don’t know who they are. Yes, their content may be creative and valuable, and it may even do a great job of promoting the benefits of the product, but there is still likely to be a trust barrier between the consumer and their first purchase. This can also be an issue if the brand has received some form of bad press recently.

If consumers are struggling to trust you, your content will need to address this. Including things like reviews from happy customers or even informing them that your product comes with a money-back guarantee can all work to create a more trusting brand.

You may also want to consider other forms of promotion if you are still in the trust-building phase. Free trials and free samples are a great way to introduce people to your brand in a risk-free way. Once people have interacted with your brand and used your product, you can revisit your content knowing that the trust barrier has been removed somewhat. 

UX issues

It may be that your content is driving customers to your website with the intention of making a purchase, only for them to be met with a troublesome user experience. Some of the most common UX issues on websites are:

• Slow loading speeds
• Outdated interface
• Poor navigation

In e-commerce, the checkout process can also throw up some UX holes. Long checkout processes with multiple forms can cause users to abandon their carts. Similarly, hidden fees that are revealed at the checkout can cause frustration among users. Another common e-commerce UX consideration is mobile optimisation. With more and more users using mobile devices to browse and make purchases, ensure that your website is optimised for mobile as well as desktop.

Fortunately, it’s easy to find out if your website has some UX holes. For small businesses, it may be viable to reach out to some of your customers asking for feedback, while tools like Google Analytics can also flag any potential issues and worrying patterns that are occurring throughout the user’s journey.

If you want to trial potential solutions, A/B testing is a great option. This involves providing different groups of users with different experiences and analysing which solution provides the best results.

Too much focus on creativity

Some may argue that there’s no such thing as too much creativity. But if your content isn’t converting, this may be an issue. Creating highly creative content is great if you are concerned with reach, but it may not be as important if your aim is to drive sales.

For content to convert, there needs to be a clear message; customers need to be told about the benefits of the product and be given a reason to take action, whether that’s through making or purchase or completing a signup form.

If you are unsure about the clarity of your message, take a look at your content and ask if there is a clear call to action for the user. Does the content cover the benefits of the product and ease any potential concerns? This all helps to create more conversion-driven content.

If your content is not answering these questions, it may be because you don’t know the answers yourself. A bit of market research can provide the answers, however. Asking customers what they like about your product and non-customers what is preventing them from making a purchase will provide you with angles when it comes to your marketing content.

Use content to stress what people love about your product and address concerns that are stopping people from buying. This could come in the form of things like product reviews in video form. 

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons why your content may not be converting, but above are four of the most common reasons. However, it is important to consider that there may not be any issues with your content approach, and it may be a completely different area of the business that is preventing your content from hitting the mark. 

For example, have you checked whether there is demand for your product? Could it be that your product is simply overpriced? These are all things that need to be considered if you are lacking in terms of conversions, and both price and product need to be considered long before you start creating content around your brand.

If you are looking for more conversions from your content, it is important to develop a strategic approach. This should lead to you putting the right type of content in front of the right people at the right time. If you don’t know where to start with this, you may want to consider working with a content marketing agency that will be able to put a tailored strategy together for your brand.