Great content isn’t something that just ticks a set of boxes. It should articulate and address the real needs of your target audience. If it doesn’t, then your asset is a liability.
For me (and I’m sure I speak on behalf of all writers), content creation is both a skill and a craft. I was born with a modicum of talent but that’s been honed over the years.
Every piece I produce is carefully planned, meticulously written and checked and re-checked with a relentlessness that only those with mild OCD can muster. Content is crafted with care, attention and (on a good day) love.
Now, not everyone can (or should) share my passion for writing. I get that. But we should all share a commitment to quality. Because a poorly written asset can cause a current prospect to permanently disengage from a sales funnel they’ve been carefully nurtured along. And, if it is being used for lead generation, that asset may be the first thing a prospect sees from your company, their first knowledge of your brand. And if it’s crap, then it’ll be the last thing they’ll look at from your company and all they remember about your brand.
The face in the mirror
The sad fact is that there is too much mediocre content in our industry. According to 2020 data, almost half (43%) of those interviewed felt their content was just average – despite the fact that 49% of them outsource content creation to people who, one assumes, write for a living. Much of the blame for this lies with the writers themselves – the demand for content simply outstrips the supply of great writers to provide it.
But, if you are one of those 43%, then perhaps you need to examine your own role in this. Far too many marketers consider content to be simply an ‘asset’: something that ticks a box, meets the criteria for a particular piece of content at a particular stage of a nurture flow – and nothing more. I’ve been asked to write copy promoting content so awful that I can’t believe it had actually ever been read – but it was the right kind of content on the right topic and a campaign had been built around it. The point is that, if the content in question is sub-standard, then your ‘asset’ is a liability.
This is particularly true for gated content. Prospects are giving up their valuable contact details in exchange for access to a piece of content – and that asset must be of equivalent value. If I had given up my information only to be sent a piece of marketing flimflam, I would be furious. And I would immediately unsubscribe from any company that did that to me.
The ability to distinguish good content from bad is a critical skill for a marketer.
The ability to distinguish good content from bad is a critical skill for a marketer. If this is a skill you lack, then take steps to acquire it. (Be curious. If one asset worked much better than another, ask yourself why. Read widely. Ask for recommendations.) And, in the meantime, rely on the judgement of those you can trust to make that decision for you.
This is an extract from “The Write Stuff: Six things every B2B marketer should know about content creation”. This provides muggles (i.e., non-copywriters) with practical tips that will improve their understanding of what great content looks like – and uplift their ability to contribute positively to its creation.
To find out how Just Global can help you ensure that great writing is at the heart of your campaigns, get in touch at: [email protected]