With all of the resources available on the Web, content marketing should be a piece of cake… right? Unfortunately, marketing processes don’t always work the way they’re drawn up. You may think you have all your bases covered, but what you don’t know can hurt you. However, you’re only a tweak or two away from the content marketing dominance you’ve been dreaming about. Here are some areas where your content campaign may be lacking.

1) You Have a Vaguely Defined Buyer Persona

Although it may seem like content is the most important aspect of content marketing, it’s not entirely accurate. After all, your content is designed to attract the buyer personas you’ve created. If those personas are off the mark, you’re tailoring your content to people that may not exist.

A good way to bring your personas into the world of reality is getting as specific as possible. For instance, targeting moms is a fine start, but there are many different types of moms. Some moms work; some don’t. Some moms are young; some are in their 40s. Add in all of the other possible variables — income and location are just two of many — and you can see why it’s a good idea to get specific. Once you know exactly who you’re targeting, it becomes a lot easier to market to those people.

 2) You’re Not Getting the Word Out

The whole point of content marketing is to get your content seen by a large audience. So, then, it makes a lot of sense to promote your materials so that people can actually see them.

There’s no point in creating top-notch content if you’re just going to sit on it. Buying paid promotional campaigns on social media sites like Facebook is a tremendous way to get the ball rolling. Since organic exposure via Facebook is virtually non-existent, you pretty much have to go the paid route in order to get eyeballs on your content. The good news is, a small investment will help you to see returns many times over. Combine this advertising with your email list and blog posts, and you’ve got a well-oiled machine.

3) You Haven’t Embraced Video

According to Cisco, nearly 70 percent of consumer Internet traffic will be related to video by 2017. But, you don’t have to wait two years to incorporate videos into your content processes. In fact, the odds are good that your competition has already discovered the wonderful benefits of video, which gives you every reason to get on board now.

As great as written content is, it’s not for everyone. Video allows people to see, hear and feel your story. It’s an increasingly preferred means of marketing and advertising that gives people a defined limit for their attention span. Someone that watches a two-minute video probably pays a lot more attention than they would to a 300-word article. Give prospects the option to become immersed in your brand in a variety of different ways so you never miss an opportunity.

4) Your Landing Pages May Be Lacking

For some marketers, a landing page is a “set it and forget it” type of deal. You create the page with a form when you first start your content marketing campaign, and then you don’t think about it afterward if it does its job of capturing information correctly. However, your landing page may be the one thing that’s keeping you from reaching your full marketing potential.

First and foremost, any landing page form should be accompanied by text or an image clearly stating why it’s important that the end user considers filling it out. The text should also say exactly what the user can expect to receive in exchange for submitting their information. The form itself should only include the most essential elements (name, email), and the “Submit” button should never actually say “Submit.” Instead, replace that text with something that’s more exciting and actionable, such as “Sign Me Up!” or “Start My Free Trial.” If you spend more time crafting your landing pages, they’ll convert more leads than you expect.

5) Your Content Isn’t Shareable Enough

Every marketer wants to create a piece of content that goes viral. Unfortunately, it’s much easier said than done. Going viral requires the right combination of catchiness, informativeness and luck. You might not be able to account for luck, but you can certainly accomplish the first two.

Every piece of content you create should at least have the potential to go viral. You should never produce any content that’s “just good enough” to be published. Instead, think about what would make you want to share something, and take your content in that direction. Not every piece is going to set the world on fire, but it’s good to add some life to your posts.

Restore Your Content’s Integrity

It’s very easy for marketers to assume that their marketing will take off once they hit the big points of content marketing. What they fail to realize is that there are many different ways in which content marketing can be derailed. The good news is, your content processes can be restored just as quickly. Paying close attention to these pointers can make your content marketing better than ever — all it takes is a little extra effort.