I see lots of advertising groups caught in the identical cycle: They consider in content material. They’re creating continually. However, they’re simply not seeing the outcomes they need. Add that the CEO is asking why the competitor is “instantly all over the place.”
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 normally after I get the decision.
I’m Devin Reed — former head of content material at Gong and Clari, now working with B2B advertising groups via my firm, The Reeder. I’ve helped scale manufacturers from $20M to $ 200M+ ARR, and I’ve labored with corporations 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 via 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 initiatives normally 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 purchasers, a CMO or VP of promoting already has had a long-time conviction that content material is essential. However, they’ve had a current realization that it’s now not one thing they will take flippantly. Put one other approach, they know they will’t afford to not spend money on high quality content material advertising.
Normally, one thing went spectacularly incorrect 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 will take 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 can we get our identify and our product story on the market in a approach that makes it radically clear that we’re completely different than our rivals?
Generally, it’s simply aggressive strain. The CEO of their greatest competitor is energetic on LinkedIn. Their entire staff is posting. It looks like they’re consuming up all the eye. So, they begin pondering, “We’ve received to do one thing.”
That’s the place my Content material Design course of is available in, which at all times begins with an audit. As a result of if I have been entering into the Head of Content material position 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 are able to construct one thing off their strengths, keep away from weaknesses, and, most significantly, create one thing that really stands out.
The 5 Most Frequent Content material Advertising and marketing Errors I See
I’ve finished lots of these audits, and there are a couple of errors that come up over and over, no matter firm measurement or business. Listed below are the commonest and damaging.
1. You might have too many ICPs.
I feel the most important mistake I see is having too many perfect buyer personas.
There’s been a lot noise (or perception, relying on the way you take a look at it) about how shopping for committees are getting larger and gross sales processes are extra complicated. So, I see lots of advertising groups that really feel pressured to market to everybody because of this.
At some point, it’s the CRO. The subsequent day, it’s the CFO. Then, it’s the gross sales enablement staff. Earlier than you recognize it, you’ve received 5 or seven ICPs you’re making an attempt to talk to. However right here’s the factor: You’ll be able to’t have seven “perfect” prospects. If every part is a precedence, nothing is.
You’ve received to select one, possibly 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 appears like, what their actual issues are, or how they’re making an attempt to unravel 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 at all times ask the shopper to ship me current content material, normally the stuff they contemplate “top-performing.” (However actually, they in all probability wouldn’t have employed me if it have been actually performing.)
What I see more often than not is content material that’s informational, however not entertaining. It’s not completely different. It doesn’t share a perspective that hasn’t already been stated 100 instances.
And, I feel that was once wonderful. Possibly pre-2022, earlier than ChatGPT and AI, data 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, data is all over the place. You need to use ChatGPT and be an “knowledgeable” in nearly something, actually rapidly. Simply having data isn’t sufficient anymore.
What’s sufficient? A novel spin. A viewpoint. 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, data has much less worth. The relatability turns into actually essential. The tales change into essential. That’s what individuals are going to recollect extra. That’s what makes the content material stand out.
3. You don’t have sturdy content material pillars.
This one’s tremendous frequent: Most people 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 speak about it?”
So, now you’re chasing rivals as a substitute of setting your personal route.
And while you play that out over time — like, a 12 months’s value of content material — you find yourself with a calendar that’s in all places. 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 may’t newsjack or leap on tendencies. However you want to be enjoying one beat, all 12 months lengthy. One drum that factors to at least one core thought. And, 90% of your content material must ladder as much as that.
4. Your staff lacks a distribution and repurposing technique.
I’m engaged on this actual downside proper now.
Somebody employed an web optimization company. They’re making nice content material. However, what occurs subsequent? They publish the weblog on their web site. Possibly make a company LinkedIn publish. That’s it.
So now, they’ve received 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 received to fulfill individuals the place they’re. Your viewers might go to your web site. However, you want to seem on their LinkedIn feeds, inboxes, and webinar rotations.
In any other case, your staff is investing $10K+ per thirty 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 best hits. You spent all this time on a sensible framework, fixing an pressing downside. Why not flip that into 10 LinkedIn posts? Why not make it a webinar, a keynote, or go on a podcast circuit?
We are able to’t assume, “If we construct it, they’ll come.” We’ve received to be simply as intentional about distributing and repurposing as we’re about creating.
5. You’re specializing in metrics, however not the correct 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 have to 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. Which means extra webinars, extra content material, extra stuff — with out figuring out why or what it’s driving.
In the event you’re doing content material that doesn’t have a direct ROI, wonderful. However, you want to tie it to what I name the “CEO slide.”
Yearly, the CEO will get up and says, “Listed below are the 4 or 5 strategic priorities this 12 months.” Good. Tie your content material to a type 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
In the event you’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’ll be able to’t align your staff when you don’t have a single supply of fact for what you’re doing and why.
This handles lots. It offers 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 the right way to create high-impact content material each single time. That features ideation, manufacturing, approval, distribution — begin to end. The entire course of must be mapped out.
That approach, upon getting a good suggestion, you’re not reinventing the wheel. You’ve received a transparent path to take it from thought to execution persistently and successfully.
3. Outline your metrics (and personal them!).
This could stay 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 staff doesn’t understand it, that offers you a chance for studying and growth.
And as a head of promoting or content material, that’s one thing you may train.
Get Clear Earlier than You Create
In the event you’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 staff, and eventually begin seeing the outcomes your content material was alleged to drive within the first place. And when you want extra assist, you recognize the place to seek out me.
