What are some things that people get wrong when they first begin with content marketing?

To start, many people have seen content marketing done poorly, and it leaves a bad taste in their mouth. They think that what they have seen is the only way to do it, decide they certainly don’t want to be like that, then throw it out the window. PLEASE don’t let this be you!

Others think, “This person says to do it this way, and this other person says to do it this other way. I don’t know what to do.” People get trapped in indecision instead of just moving forward and putting something out there. Yes, there are wildly successful individuals who navigate content marketing a certain way and believe that their way is the best way, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best route for you. Try something out; give it a fair go. If it’s not working out, make some tweaks. See what others are doing and what you could learn from them.

Many just want to do what they do best and don’t want to mess with “all that other stuff” because it’s a pain or they simply lack the technical know-how. It may be a matter of, “How do I share something on Facebook? How do I get it in front of the right people? What’s a blog? What is website hosting? What are email lists?” There’s nothing wrong with not knowing. We all start out in that place. Find some guidance, whether that looks like researching on your own or hiring someone.

Often people worry that their marketing will come off as too sales-y. My simple response to that? Serve first; sell later. People have so much brilliant content, and they need to move toward getting it out there. At the end of the day, if you’re in business, you need to have people pay you. Start by taking your brilliant ideas and sharing them to help people, then once you’ve built the know, like, and trust factor, approach them with an offer to invest in your services.

There is one very important thing to keep in mind: it takes time. You’re not going to see all kinds of activity and engagement right away. Stick with it.