I see a variety of advertising groups caught in the identical cycle: They imagine in content material. They’re creating continuously. However, they’re simply not seeing the outcomes they need. Add that the CEO is asking why the competitor is “immediately all over the place.”
Oh, and internally, there’s no actual alignment on who you’re speaking to, what you’re making an attempt to say, or the way you’re measuring success.
That’s often after I get the decision.
I’m Devin Reed — former head of content material at Gong and Clari, now working with B2B advertising groups via my firm, The Reeder. I’ve helped scale manufacturers from $20M to $ 200M+ ARR, and I’ve labored with corporations like Notion, Wiz, and FloQast to construct content material engines that drive tangible pipeline.
After I run a content material audit, I’m not simply skimming via efficiency dashboards. I’m digging into what’s damaged, what’s lacking, and what it’s going to take to show content material into an actual development lever.
On this piece, I’ll stroll you thru how these tasks often begin, the most typical errors I see, and what groups can do to course-correct.
Why Corporations Attain Out for a Content material Audit
Earlier than I start working with shoppers, a CMO or VP of promoting already has had a long-time conviction that content material is vital. However, they’ve had a current realization that it’s not one thing they’ll take calmly. Put one other method, they know they’ll’t afford not to put money into high quality content material advertising.
Often, one thing went spectacularly incorrect lately, or the CEO stated one thing like, “It’s time to get our act collectively.”
Different occasions, they’ve realized there’s not one development quantity they’ll take a look at confidently and say, “See, it’s working!” And much more usually than ever, it’s a much bigger strategic play, like launching new merchandise, particularly now with AI.
So the query turns into: How can we get our title and our product story on the market in a method that makes it radically clear that we’re completely different than our opponents?
Typically, it’s simply aggressive strain. The CEO of their largest competitor is energetic on LinkedIn. Their entire workforce is posting. It appears like they’re consuming up all the eye. So, they begin considering, “We’ve received to do one thing.”
That’s the place my Content material Design course of is available in, which at all times begins with an audit. As a result of if I had been entering into the Head of Content material function at an organization, that’s precisely what I’d do earlier than publishing a single phrase. I’d need (and want) to know:
- What have we been doing?
- What’s working?
- What’s not?
- What are our opponents doing, and what appears to be working for them?
From there, we are able to construct one thing off their strengths, keep away from weaknesses, and, most significantly, create one thing that really stands out.
The 5 Most Frequent Content material Advertising Errors I See
I’ve accomplished a variety of these audits, and there are a number of errors that come up again and again, no matter firm measurement or business. Listed here are the most typical and damaging.
1. You have too many ICPs.
I believe the largest mistake I see is having too many supreme buyer personas.
There’s been a lot noise (or perception, relying on the way you take a look at it) about how shopping for committees are getting larger and gross sales processes are extra complicated. So, I see a variety of advertising groups that really feel pressured to market to everybody consequently.
In the future, it’s the CRO. The following day, it’s the CFO. Then, it’s the gross sales enablement workforce. Earlier than you understand it, you’ve received 5 or seven ICPs you’re making an attempt to talk to. However right here’s the factor: You’ll be able to’t have seven “supreme” prospects. If every part is a precedence, nothing is.
You’ve received to select one, perhaps two, and prioritize accordingly.
The opposite model of that is: You solely have one or two ICPs, however you don’t actually perceive them. You’re not clear on what their world seems to be like, what their actual issues are, or how they’re making an attempt to unravel them.
These are the 2 largest challenges: Both you’re unfold too skinny, otherwise you’re not going deep sufficient.
2. Your whole content material sounds the identical.
After I’m doing the audit, I at all times ask the consumer to ship me current content material, often the stuff they take into account “top-performing.” (However truthfully, they most likely wouldn’t have employed me if it had been really performing.)
What I see more often than not is content material that’s informational, however not entertaining. It’s not completely different. It doesn’t share a perspective that hasn’t already been stated 100 occasions.
And, I believe that was once wonderful. Possibly pre-2022, earlier than ChatGPT and AI, data had extra worth. You wanted to have actual expertise, be a researcher, or ship one thing in between to say one thing helpful.
However now, data is all over the place. You need to use ChatGPT and be an “skilled” in nearly something, actually shortly. Simply having data isn’t sufficient anymore.
What is sufficient? A novel spin. A viewpoint. What’s your tackle this development? What’s the connection you see that others don’t? What’s a narrative out of your expertise that makes this relatable?
So now, data has much less worth. The relatability turns into actually vital. The tales grow to be vital. That’s what individuals are going to recollect extra. That’s what makes the content material stand out.
3. You don’t have sturdy content material pillars.
This one’s tremendous frequent: Most people don’t have a documented content material technique.
Their matter choice will get reactive. One week, it’s product-focused. That’s, till the CEO pings them and says, “Hey, our competitor simply did a podcast on this. How come we don’t discuss it?”
So, now you’re chasing opponents as a substitute of setting your individual route.
And whenever you play that out over time — like, a yr’s value of content material — you find yourself with a calendar that’s everywhere. Nobody’s going to recollect what you stand for. Nobody’s going to affiliate your model with a single thought.
All of us have busier lives and entry to extra content material than ever. You’re fortunate if somebody remembers one factor about your organization. In case your content material is scattered, that by no means occurs.
As an alternative, you need guardrails. That doesn’t imply you possibly can’t newsjack or leap on developments. However it’s good to be enjoying one beat, all yr lengthy. One drum that factors to 1 core thought. And, 90% of your content material must ladder as much as that.
4. Your workforce lacks a distribution and repurposing technique.
I’m engaged on this actual drawback proper now.
Somebody employed an search engine optimization company. They’re making nice content material. However, what occurs subsequent? They put up the weblog on their web site. Possibly make a company LinkedIn put up. That’s it.
So now, they’ve received all this good content material sitting in a spot the place folks aren’t actively spending time.
That’s not a distribution technique. You’ve received to fulfill folks the place they’re. Your viewers could go to your web site. However, it’s good to seem on their LinkedIn feeds, inboxes, and webinar rotations.
In any other case, your workforce is investing $10K+ per 30 days on content material that’s not driving visitors, not driving conversions. You find yourself with nice content material for the sake of getting it.
So, make the time to repurpose your biggest hits. You spent all this time on a wise framework, fixing an pressing drawback. Why not flip that into 10 LinkedIn posts? Why not make it a webinar, a keynote, or go on a podcast circuit?
We will’t assume, “If we construct it, they’ll come.” We’ve received to be simply as intentional about distributing and repurposing as we’re about creating.
5. You’re specializing in metrics, however not the best ones.
The most important hole I see is individuals who don’t perceive how the work connects to enterprise outcomes.
Let’s simply take webinars for example. I’ll ask, “Why are you doing them? Why does the variety of registrations have to develop 20% quarter-over-quarter?”
Have you learnt your attendance price? Let’s say it’s 25%. Cool. What’s your MQL price? What’s your conversion price from MQL to alternative? What’s your ACV?
Most entrepreneurs don’t know that cascade. So, they simply preserve doing extra. Which means extra webinars, extra content material, extra stuff — with out understanding why or what it’s driving.
In case you’re doing content material that doesn’t have a direct ROI, wonderful. However, it’s good to tie it to what I name the “CEO slide.”
Yearly, the CEO will get up and says, “Listed here are the 4 or 5 strategic priorities this yr.” Good. Tie your content material to a kind of. Then share metrics that present some type of impression. Progress over time. A directional shift. One thing that claims, “This issues.”
How Groups Can Get Again on Monitor
In case you’re making an attempt to repair these points, right here’s the place I’d begin.
1. Create a cohesive content material technique.
That’s the very first thing. You want a content material technique that aligns all of your decision-making in a single place. You’ll be able to’t align your workforce when you don’t have a single supply of fact for what you’re doing and why.
This handles loads. It provides you focus, readability, and a technique to consider concepts past, “Does this sound cool?”
2. Construct content material program or channel playbooks.
It is best to have a step-by-step information for the best way to create high-impact content material each single time. That features ideation, manufacturing, approval, distribution — begin to end. The entire course of ought to be mapped out.
That method, after getting a good suggestion, you’re not reinventing the wheel. You’ve received a transparent path to take it from thought to execution constantly and successfully.
3. Outline your metrics (and personal them!).
This could reside in your content material technique, too. What are the highest three metrics you care about? After which, go deeper by channel.
Like I discussed with webinars, ask, “What does success appear to be? What’s the complete funnel of that channel?” In case your workforce doesn’t realize it, that provides you a chance for studying and improvement.
And as a head of promoting or content material, that’s one thing you possibly can train.
Get Clear Earlier than You Create
In case you’re creating constantly however nonetheless not seeing the impression you need, don’t assume the reply is to do extra. Step again. Audit what’s working, repair what’s damaged, and rebuild with focus.
When you perceive the place issues are falling quick, you may make smarter selections, realign your workforce, and at last begin seeing the outcomes your content material was purported to drive within the first place. And when you want extra help, you understand the place to seek out me.
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