A lot of companies are generating informative written content for themselves today in one way or another. It’s a great strategy for making a positive impression on current and future customers. Using content in this way is an important strategy for many organizations. But a lot of published content seems to lack a clear objective.

An objective is crucial. You need to know what it is that you expect your content marketing efforts to do for you. If you can’t immediately identify those goals, then it’s likely that your efforts are somewhat scattered - and perhaps not real effective.

Naturally, everyone wants to increase sales. Publishing articles will help that happen over the long run. But there isn’t likely to be a definitive correlation between specific informational content and sales. So what kinds of activities need to happen that will eventually lead to more sales? Is it more web site visitors? An increase in mailing list subscribers? More opportunities to do demos or make sales calls? Identify those interim steps that will lead to increased sales, and then formulate messages that will encourage prospects to take those steps more often.

Identify Your Niche – And Make Sure You Promote It

Another common mistake is spreading the messages too thinly. This is really easy to do. Your company has a lot to offer. It may seem that you are somehow cheating your audience (or missing out on opportunities) if you don’t publicize every facet of your products, every time. Unfortunately, this approach can work against you. Instead of associating your company with the solution to a certain problem, customers see you as a generalist and lump your products in with those of your competitors. When they are ready to buy, they may or may not call you first.

Many companies have been successful by consistently stressing an aspect of their business that differentiates them from the competition. Volvo is associated with safety. Southwest Airlines is known for low fares, etc. Even though other companies may have similar offerings, they haven’t got the kind of recognition gained by those that have continuously emphasized their niche.

Don’t Ignore the Soft Benefits

Being concise and consistent in the messages you communicate will help to generate your desired outcome. Some of those results will be easily measurable. But there are additional benefits that really don’t have metrics.

For instance, some companies enjoy an advantage by simply not having to explain what they do so often. Once you've published enough articles, newsletters, and videos, prospective clients recognize your name and have a basic understanding of what you’re all about. This pays off a lot at trade shows or events where you have opportunities to meet people for the first time. You only have a certain amount of time with a person at such gatherings. If you have to spend most of it explaining what your company does or what your product is, you’re limited on how long you can probe for challenges the potential customer may be having, or secure commitments for follow-up conversations. You can have more productive conversations in these situations as a result of the content you’ve been publishing.

Benefits like this may not be something you can record on a spreadsheet. But it is definitely part of the big picture. Awareness of this fact can help you decide what to publish and will justify your continued efforts. As you create content, keep referring to your defined purpose. The more focused and consistent, the better the results.

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