Signs your content isn’t working

There’s an abundance of information on how to create content and make sure it’s performing as expected. Building a successful content strategy is an exciting process as you generate leads, gain exposure and gather followers and fans on social media.

But how do you know when things have stopped working as well as they once were? There are some tell–tale signs that you should look for to ensure you can take corrective content action as soon as possible.

1. Stagnant numbers

If your strategy is working, you should be seeing a steady increase in website visits, social media likes and account followers. Stationary numbers for more than two months is a major red flag for businesses and should be addressed immediately.

Make sure you’re not over-optimising your content as this can lead to a drop in search engine rankings as a penalty from Google. Use keywords in the correct places, coherently and sparingly.

2. Drop in web traffic

Not publishing enough new content is the main culprit for a drop in your web traffic, as your business will have nothing new to share on social media.

Having an inactive page is disastrous as potential customers are more likely to go to a competitor for information and products. If you’re struggling to create enough regular content you should consider outsourcing your content creation to a third party. 

Another point to bear in mind is that 2015’s local search includes business information from multiple places, including directories like Yelp. It’s worth spending time completing all these online fields so people can find your website and business.

3. Leads aren’t increasing

If your conversion rate is low, you aren’t getting leads and sales. The number of people filling in your contact form compared to the amount making purchases should steadily increase with a successful business. If it remains stagnant or worse, decreases, you should look into why as soon as possible.

To remedy a lack of leads, you should ensure your contact form questions are not too long or technical as this could put potential customers off.

Also, try reviewing your landing pages monthly. Make sure they have new content on, are user friendly, and will appeal to users.

If you’re showing any of these 3 signs, your content marketing may need a makeover! Remedies can work to repair the damage from previous mistakes, but the best plan is to make a high-quality strategy to begin with.

By Beth Knox from Content Network