Why Content Marketing Fails

Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz | @randfish | rand@moz.com Why Content Marketing Fails

Download this Slide Deck bit.ly/mozcontentfail

Failure Sucks

Most Content Efforts Will Fail Spike of hope Flatline of nope

You’ll Invest with the Best of Intentions

You’ll Launch with Excitement

And it Will Suck

And You Won’t Know Why

Why Your Content Marketing Will Fail 5 Reasons

You Believed the Biggest Myth Content Marketing Ever Told the World #1

We Imagine Content Marketing Works Like This... Let’s go see what’s on the Internet today, shall we?

I wonder what this post Kieran tweeted is all about.

That was an interesting. I should sign up for this free ebook download while I’m here!

And I’ll just fill out their contact form with my information....

Oh! Better not forget to follow all their social profiles while I’m at it.

You might laugh, but a lot of companies invest in content marketing on the assumption that this is how it works! Me make c...

In Reality, It Works Like This: Let’s see what’s on Hacker News... Meh.

How about Facebook? Oh, right. Baby pictures.

Let’s try Twitter. Meh.

Maybe Google+? Actually... This looks kinda interesting.

After seeing 400+ links I could have clicked, I finally chose this one. It’s a good article, and this example, naturally, ...

I wonder why I like this blog so much? About a week later, I caught a link to Beardbrand’s blog.

No magic trick to grow a thicker beard?! Dammit! I’d followed them on Google+, so I watched this video they shared, too.

When my lovely wife told me that I might need to look into some mustache wax, I thought of Beardbrand. But I couldn’t reme...

So, naturally, I searched Google: Nope Nope Nope Yes!!

A Perfect Match!

Say goodbye bushy handlebars!

This is How Content Marketing Really Works: Caveman Rand explain.

This is How Content Marketing Really Works: Me Make Content. Humans click. If them like, them remember. Maybe them see mor...

Content marketing not about convert 1st visit. Or 2nd. Or 3rd. Only foolish humans think it work like this.

Content marketing about earning familiarity, trust, and relationship.

Maybe sale come. Maybe not. Smart cave marketer no care. Smart cave marketer know every visit chance to build relationship...

The Obligation Rests on Marketers to Set the Right Expectations with Our Teams & Clients

You Made Content Without a Community #2

Does Content Spread Simply Because It’s Really, Really Good? If this content’s really good, it’ll just spread "virally," r...

OK, Probably Not Ha! That’s a good one, Rand!

In My Experience, Content Spreads Because It Inspires a Community

It Reinforces a Belief

Refutes an Opposing Argument

Starts (or Renews) a Passionate Discussion

Is in Someone’s Financial/Promotional Interests

Leverages Group Inclusion Dynamics

Makes the Sharer Look Smart/Important/Worldly/Etc

"Good Enough" Content Often Performs Well when a Community Is Behind It

Only the Best 0.1% of Content Can Go "Viral" without a Pre-existing Community

Don’t Bet Your Marketing on Being the 1 in 1,000

Before you create content, ask the question: "Who will support & amplify this content and why?"

You Invested in Content Creation, But Not in its Amplification #3

Content Must Reach People in Order to Reach Its Potential

Channels for Reaching the Right People Depend on Your Audience

Most Amplification Methods Fall Into These Three Buckets: Broadcast 1:1 Paid Promotion

1) Broadcast (often via Social Media, Email, or through Events)

2) 1:1 Outreach (via Social, Email, or In- Person)

3) Paid Amplification (many varieties)

A basic process for getting content amplification right:

STEP 1: Find Successful Content in Your Niche http://buzzsumo.com

STEP 2(a): Find Where It’s Being Shared http://buzzsumo.com

STEP 2(b): Go Beyond Social Networks Google Search and https://freshwebexplorer.moz.com/

STEP 2(c): Find Who’s Doing the Sharing http://buzzsumo.com

STEP 2(c): Find Who’s Doing the Sharing http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/ripples-bookmarklet

STEP 3: Copy What’s Working For Them Via http://followerwonk.com

STEP 4: Build Relationships with Those Who Can Help http://www.slideshare.net/RickTRamos1/why-do-peopleshareonline

Don’t Treat Amplification as "Fire & Forget." Experiment, Learn, & Apply. Via http://bit.ly

Think of Each Channel Like a Muscle to Be Flexed & Strengthened Regularly

Don’t Forget to Leverage What is Still the Most Powerful Sharing Channel (according to NYT): http://www.slideshare.net/Ric...

You Ignored Content’s Most Powerful Channel: SEO #4

Google Search Has Grown Massively ~6 Billion Searches/Day! http://www.statisticbrain.com/google-searches/

While Search Traffic is Distributed, Social is Highly Concentrated http://www.simplereach.com/blog/facebook-continues-to-b...

You Might Have Seen Re/Code & Buzzfeed Claiming Google Search Traffic Was Dead http://recode.net/2014/02/02/the-year-faceb...

Here’s Define Media Group refuting that with data from 87 publishers & 48 billion pageviews http://www.definemg.com/hey-bu...

SEO is Also Critical Because of Intent "Do things" mode "Browse" mode

When Done Right, Content Marketing is the Rising Tide that Lifts the SEO Ships Without content marketing, it’s incredibly ...

When Done Right, Content Marketing is the Rising Tide that Lifts the SEO Ships But as content on a site earns links, it he...

At the Very Least, Do Your Keyword Research Be aware that AdWords may not show you all the relevant keywords: http://moz.c...

Better Yet – Gain a Deep Understanding of How SEO & Content Work Together 4 Posts I’d Recommend: • The Convergence of SEO ...

You Gave Up Way Too Soon #5

The 0.1% Always Look Like Overnight Successes

In Reality, It Looks More Like This: Geraldine’s Travel Blog: http://everywhereist.com

Geraldine started her blog in 2009 In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

For 2 years, she never broke 100 visits/day. In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

Then she had a few posts get some attention In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

But traffic fell back down soon after. In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

This is where most people give up. In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

These days, she gets 100,000+ visits each month In Reality, It Looks More Like This:

The Price of Success is Failure after Failure after Failure * Hopefully, each of those failures provides an opportunity to...

Why Content Marketing Fails Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz | @randfish | rand@moz.com bit.ly/mozcontentfail