I see quite a lot of advertising groups caught in the identical cycle: They consider 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 “out of the blue in all places.”
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 once I get the decision.
I’m Devin Reed — former head of content material at Gong and Clari, now working with B2B advertising groups by means of my firm, The Reeder. I’ve helped scale manufacturers from $20M to $ 200M+ ARR, and I’ve labored with firms like Notion, Wiz, and FloQast to construct content material engines that drive tangible pipeline.
Once I run a content material audit, I’m not simply skimming by means of 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 progress lever.
On this piece, I’ll stroll you thru how these tasks often begin, the commonest errors I see, and what groups can do to course-correct.
Why Firms Attain Out for a Content material Audit
Earlier than I start working with shoppers, a CMO or VP of selling already has had a long-time conviction that content material is vital. However, they’ve had a current realization that it’s now not one thing they’ll take frivolously. Put one other method, they know they’ll’t afford not to put money into high quality content material advertising.
Normally, one thing went spectacularly improper just lately, or the CEO stated one thing like, “It’s time to get our act collectively.”
Different instances, they’ve realized there’s not one progress quantity they’ll have 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 will we get our identify and our product story on the market in a method that makes it radically clear that we’re totally different than our rivals?
Generally, it’s simply aggressive strain. The CEO of their greatest competitor is energetic on LinkedIn. Their entire crew is posting. It seems like they’re consuming up all the eye. So, they begin considering, “We’ve obtained to do one thing.”
That’s the place my Content material Design course of is available in, which all the time begins with an audit. As a result of if I have been getting 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 rivals doing, and what appears to be working for them?
From there, we will construct one thing off their strengths, keep away from weaknesses, and, most significantly, create one thing that truly stands out.
The 5 Most Frequent Content material Advertising and marketing Errors I See
I’ve executed quite a lot of these audits, and there are a number of errors that come up over and over, no matter firm dimension or trade. Listed here are the commonest and damaging.
1. You have too many ICPs.
I believe the most important mistake I see is having too many ultimate buyer personas.
There’s been a lot noise (or perception, relying on the way you have a look at it) about how shopping for committees are getting larger and gross sales processes are extra advanced. So, I see quite a lot 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 crew. Earlier than it, you’ve obtained 5 or seven ICPs you’re making an attempt to talk to. However right here’s the factor: You possibly can’t have seven “ultimate” prospects. If all the pieces is a precedence, nothing is.
You’ve obtained 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 like, what their actual issues are, or how they’re making an attempt to resolve them.
These are the 2 greatest challenges: Both you’re unfold too skinny, otherwise you’re not going deep sufficient.
2. Your entire content material sounds the identical.
Once I’m doing the audit, I all the time ask the consumer to ship me current content material, often the stuff they think about “top-performing.” (However actually, they most likely wouldn’t have employed me if it have been really performing.)
What I see more often than not is content material that’s informational, however not entertaining. It’s not totally different. It doesn’t share a perspective that hasn’t already been stated 100 instances.
And, I believe that was positive. Perhaps pre-2022, earlier than ChatGPT and AI, info 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, info is in all places. You should utilize ChatGPT and be an “professional” in nearly something, actually shortly. Simply having info isn’t sufficient anymore.
What is sufficient? A singular spin. A standpoint. What’s your tackle this pattern? What’s the connection you see that others don’t? What’s a narrative out of your expertise that makes this relatable?
So now, info has much less worth. The relatability turns into actually vital. The tales change into vital. That’s what individuals are going to recollect extra. That’s what makes the content material stand out.
3. You don’t have robust content material pillars.
This one’s tremendous widespread: Most folk 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 rivals as a substitute of setting your individual route.
And if you play that out over time — like, a 12 months’s price of content material — you find yourself with a calendar that’s in every single place. 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 tendencies. However you must be enjoying one beat, all 12 months lengthy. One drum that factors to 1 core thought. And, 90% of your content material must ladder as much as that.
4. Your crew lacks a distribution and repurposing technique.
I’m engaged on this precise drawback proper now.
Somebody employed an search engine optimization company. They’re making nice content material. However, what occurs subsequent? They publish the weblog on their web site. Perhaps make a company LinkedIn publish. That’s it.
So now, they’ve obtained all this good content material sitting in a spot the place individuals aren’t actively spending time.
That’s not a distribution technique. You’ve obtained to satisfy individuals the place they’re. Your viewers might go to your web site. However, you must seem on their LinkedIn feeds, inboxes, and webinar rotations.
In any other case, your crew is investing $10K+ per 30 days on content material that’s not driving site 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 obtained to be simply as intentional about distributing and repurposing as we’re about creating.
5. You’re specializing in metrics, however not the precise 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 instance. I’ll ask, “Why are you doing them? Why does the variety of registrations must develop 20% quarter-over-quarter?”
Are you aware 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 hold doing extra. Meaning extra webinars, extra content material, extra stuff — with out realizing why or what it’s driving.
For those who’re doing content material that doesn’t have a direct ROI, positive. However, you must 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 12 months.” Excellent. Tie your content material to a kind of. Then share metrics that present some type of affect. Progress over time. A directional shift. One thing that claims, “This issues.”
How Groups Can Get Again on Monitor
For those who’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 possibly can’t align your crew for those who don’t have a single supply of fact for what you’re doing and why.
This handles quite a bit. It provides you focus, readability, and a solution to consider concepts past, “Does this sound cool?”
2. Construct content material program or channel playbooks.
It’s best to have a step-by-step information for how one can 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 you have a good suggestion, you’re not reinventing the wheel. You’ve obtained a transparent path to take it from thought to execution persistently and successfully.
3. Outline your metrics (and personal them!).
This could dwell 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 seem like? What’s the total funnel of that channel?” In case your crew doesn’t understand it, that offers you a chance for studying and improvement.
And as a head of selling or content material, that’s one thing you possibly can train.
Get Clear Earlier than You Create
For those who’re creating persistently however nonetheless not seeing the affect 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 brief, you can also make smarter selections, realign your crew, and eventually begin seeing the outcomes your content material was purported to drive within the first place. And for those who want extra help, the place to seek out me.
