Why Copying Your Competitions Content Marketing Doesnt Actually Work

What are my competitors writing about? Why did their new blog post get so many shares? What are they doing that we’re not? As a content marketer, it’s natural to be curious about your competition. However, copying their tactics in the hope of replicating their success is a common mistake among content marketers. Here, we’ll look at why imitation is a bad idea and explain what you should do instead. Free Actionable Bonus: Looking to elevate your content strategy? Get our our complete guide to creating a content strategy, plus a free content planning template and a list of 30+ places to distribute content Your Competitors Don’t Know What They’re Doing Okay, maybe not all the competition is totally clueless, but in terms of content marketing, many of them are as in the dark as you are. Some will also be copying their competitors, who are copying their competitors. So if you copy anyone, you could simply be copying an imitation of an imitation. According to research from the Content Marketing Institute, 63 percent of businesses don’t have a documented content marketing strategy. So if your competitors don’t have a real plan, how can their strategy have any relevance to your business? Tip: Don’t waste your limited resources on untested strategies. Instead, trust your own judgement. By developing your own ideas and analyzing the results of your own efforts, you’ll find out what actually works. And this approach is crucial to developing an authentic brand voice. Authenticity is the New Marketing Currency Modern consumers are tired of being lied to. To succeed as a business today, you need to be authentic. If you sound like every other brand, you’re unlikely to be remembered. In a Pardot report, 80 percent of people cite â€Å"authenticity of content† as the most influential factor in their decision to follow a brand. Tip: Whatever your niche, stay true to who you are; it’s the best way to stand out from the crowd. Think about what makes your brand unique. Tell personal stories and use testimonials to build trust. Be transparent and don’t be afraid to be different. Your Audience is Unique You may be in the same industry as a competitor, but your audience may prefer different types of content. Perhaps they respond more to short blog posts or love sharing visual content. Your competitors don’t know your audience like you do, so copying their style of content may not work. Tip: Deliver a variety of content formats and analyze the results. Get genuine feedback from your followers on social media. Ask your audience directly what content they prefer. Your Goals Are Unique Your competitors may be running a paid advertising campaign for a limited period. They may have gated content that’s only available to certain email subscribers. It’s virtually impossible to identify their content marketing successes, because you don’t have access to their analytics. Tip:Focus on what works for you.Start by defining your marketing goals. Do you want to build your email list, or drive website traffic? When you know your goals, you can measure the results and then form a content strategy that is built on past successes. You Don’t Have the Same Resources Even if a competitor’s content marketing tactics seem to be working for them, it’s probably because they have enough resources to make it work. Do you have the same amount of staff, the same access to software, and a vast marketing budget? According to Chris Von Wilpert, Sumo’s chief content strategist, they spend around $40,000 a month on writers, editing, and promotion. If you’re a small business, it’s unlikely you can replicate what they’re doing, even if you wanted to. Tip: You can only make the best use of the resources you have. However, building an effective content marketing team doesn’t have to break the bank. Hire quality writers that know your industry, and treat them well. When you offer competitive rates of pay, they’re more likely to produce high-quality content that can outshine the content of your biggest competitors. The Bottom Line: Don’t Imitate, Innovate It’s only natural to want to emulate the best, but copying your competition’s content marketing is ultimately a road to nowhere. Developing a content strategy to meet the needs of your own audience will be more effective in the long run and help to differentiate your business from the competition. In summary: Focus on what makes your brand unique. Find out what topics your audience cares about. Test different content formats. Hire the best writers and treat them well. Define your goals, define your target audience, and define what content success looks like. Track everything you do so you can discover what works and what doesn’t. Be consistent, and be patient. Successful content marketing is a long-term game. If you follow these suggestions, you can develop a content strategy that suits your unique business, doesn’t stretch your resources too far, and plays to the strengths of your team. This way, you’ll be more memorable and distinctive, and give your target audience a reason to believe in your brand. Do you need unique content for your business? Constant Content’s is a content creation service that connects you with thousands of talented freelance content writers.

Free Essays on Socratic Irony

In his work, The Concept of Irony, S?ren Kierkegaard discusses Socratic irony. This irony, which sees its beginning in Socrates’ claim to complete ignorance, is present throughout Plato’s dialogues. Socrates then uses this irony to bring his interlocutors to a state in which all content has been emptied from their minds- a state that is altogether negative. This negative aspect, in turn, can be seen as an expression of Socrates’ vanity. However, this vanity was commonly misjudged as greatness and even piety, at times. It will be discussed here how Socrates’ reputation of greatness was earned strictly through this vanity. Through his dialectic, it appeared as if Socrates was always in search for an eternal and objective truth. He always began by claiming ignorance, while his interlocutor claimed to possess knowledge. Socrates would proceed by questioning the other, in a rational manner, in order to try to come to some sort of final truth. However, the truth arrived at was always the same one- that the other was wrong- and the other would wind up in a state in which he realised he knew nothing; this state is also known as aporia. Kierkegaard describes this process of emptying one of all one’s purported knowledge as â€Å"negating.† This negation is achieved through irony, which is actually seen by Kierkegaard as the whole essence of Socrates’ character. Socrates is an ironic and negative character because, in his search for knowledge and truth, he is actually seeking to negate everything, or empty it of its positive content. Thus, it becomes possible for one to equate Socrates wit h irony and with the â€Å"negative.† This negative sees, as its goal, the pursuit to empty all things positive of their content and make them negative as well. The reasons attempting to explain this idiosyncrasy of Socrates are numerous, though his ultimate, ceaseless quest for truth is most popular. In this essay, however, vanity will be cited ... Free Essays on Socratic Irony Free Essays on Socratic Irony In his work, The Concept of Irony, S?ren Kierkegaard discusses Socratic irony. This irony, which sees its beginning in Socrates’ claim to complete ignorance, is present throughout Plato’s dialogues. Socrates then uses this irony to bring his interlocutors to a state in which all content has been emptied from their minds- a state that is altogether negative. This negative aspect, in turn, can be seen as an expression of Socrates’ vanity. However, this vanity was commonly misjudged as greatness and even piety, at times. It will be discussed here how Socrates’ reputation of greatness was earned strictly through this vanity. Through his dialectic, it appeared as if Socrates was always in search for an eternal and objective truth. He always began by claiming ignorance, while his interlocutor claimed to possess knowledge. Socrates would proceed by questioning the other, in a rational manner, in order to try to come to some sort of final truth. However, the truth arrived at was always the same one- that the other was wrong- and the other would wind up in a state in which he realised he knew nothing; this state is also known as aporia. Kierkegaard describes this process of emptying one of all one’s purported knowledge as â€Å"negating.† This negation is achieved through irony, which is actually seen by Kierkegaard as the whole essence of Socrates’ character. Socrates is an ironic and negative character because, in his search for knowledge and truth, he is actually seeking to negate everything, or empty it of its positive content. Thus, it becomes possible for one to equate Socrates wit h irony and with the â€Å"negative.† This negative sees, as its goal, the pursuit to empty all things positive of their content and make them negative as well. The reasons attempting to explain this idiosyncrasy of Socrates are numerous, though his ultimate, ceaseless quest for truth is most popular. In this essay, however, vanity will be cited ...

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 18

Essay Example Creativity can only be hindered if the creative person thinks he is being led into hindrance. Since he is a creative person, he must understand that the rules of decision making and problem solving are there to assist his creative abilities and not to take anything away from his self belief and creativity. If the energies are exerted in a positive manner, then there is no shadow of a doubt that these decision making and problem solving approaches would work to the advantage of the creative process which is all about understanding and comprehension of a subject or matter. The out of the box approach could be fastened up if the principles of problem solving and decision making are followed in a methodical manner. Creative persons are usually not very good group members but what is good about them is that they analyze things from different perspectives and ways. It gives them a better picture of the overall process than a single side of the story which a commoner might have. The creative people that I know are divided into the set of being good group members as well as the ones who are not social and hence do not make for a good read when the talk goes out loud of working within a single group, for the betterment of the group nonetheless. The girl ABC that I know is a good group member when she works in unison with different people yet she is creative out and out. My friend XYZ does not like to mingle with people yet his creative thinking abilities are undoubtedly the best in the advertising industry. It is all a matter of different people working in different settings. The important thing is to get the best work out of them no matter whatever their personal likes and dislikes are. The thing which makes people creative is the fact that they do and act differently from the rest of the population around them. Thus there is ample opportunity for them to demonstrate what