Just like every aspect of business, content marketing can come with its own challenges and obstacles. 

Many content creators still find idea generation difficult, no matter how seasoned they are. Whether they’re veterans in the business or just starting out, creating original content and writing about it, creating podcasts, and videos can be taxing. Getting stuck and frustrated is only natural but being able to crank out fresh ideas is definitely not impossible.

Striking the balance between good SEO and creativity is doable, especially for content creation agencies that stay on top of trends, analyse pain points, and can address what audiences need.

You can overcome the difficulties of content marketing if you’re determined and committed to your content creation process.

How does content marketing differ from traditional marketing?

Content marketing is relatively new in the marketing world as audiences are used to traditional marketing in the form of advertisements, commercials, and promotions. Traditional marketing has an “intrusive” nature, where they’re displayed in front of an audience regardless of whether people want to see them or not.

An example is when you’re watching TV and a commercial suddenly plays between your programs. People don’t seek out this ad or this product placement, it interrupts your viewing activity and presents itself in an active manner. 

Traditional marketing often reaches a bigger audience as it has a larger presence and is more visible. While it commands the attention of a bigger market (for now) it can cost a lot in terms of budget because it provides added exposure.

Content marketing, on the other hand, is, in a way, “inviting.” It’s a long-term kind of marketing where the content isn’t invasive but searched for. Content marketing aims to solve problems that audiences search for and is sustainable because people are always searching for solutions. 

It’s also considered more trustworthy because an audience feels they can rely on the answers you give them. Consistent, factual, and dependable content attracts readers and increases the possibility of them purchasing your goods or services.

Both traditional and content marketing come with pros and cons. A larger audience can boost your brand presence and cast a wider net. But acknowledging pain points and trying to provide solutions can have a longer-lasting impact. 

5 challenges in content marketing (and how to overcome them)

Content marketing can be difficult when your think tank is running empty but it’s possible to overcome these challenges. Here are five problems you may run into while creating content and the solutions you can employ to solve them. 

1. Consistency

Constantly generating content can burn you out as you have to chase after deadlines and constantly update different assignments. Schedules can be hard when you’re trying to post every week (or fortnightly, monthly, etc.) and you have no idea what to talk about or discuss.

Having a content strategy in place, as well as scheduling your ideas in advance can be a great workaround. Instead of panicking and scrambling to chase deadlines, you can have a line-up of several blogs, podcasts, or videos ready. 

Consistent content also improves your brand’s trustworthiness, visibility, and customer loyalty. In fact, 53% of marketers see content as a priority. 

Another way to have content ready is to respond to current events. You can push back other blogs in favour of what’s currently trending so you remain relevant and timely.

2. Generating powerful ideas

Coming up with thought-provoking, original, and solution-oriented content can be difficult, especially when you’ve exhausted your ideas. Superfluous content is a waste of time and energy when they don’t answer relevant questions or forward any new propositions.

Content needs to address questions in a comprehensive, intelligent way that will leave the reader seeing things from a new perspective and having a detailed understanding of the answers to their problems.

By using research tools, asking your audience what kind of questions they want to be answered, and even perusing forums and online searches, you can generate a ton of content. Combing through social media and other sites that consumers frequent can expose what they’re interested in, asking questions about, and looking for. 

When you put yourself in your consumer’s shoes, you’ll have a better understanding of what they’re looking for and what they want answers to. 

3. Finding a balance between creativity and optimisation

A content writer definitely wants to strike that balance between good-quality, creative copywriting services with great SEO. Without optimising content, people won’t be able to find it. But without skilled writing, Google won’t favour your content. It can be difficult to reach a compromise.

By making strategic use of specific keywords integrated seamlessly in writing that search engines like, you can rank well on Google. Organically including them in your content without resorting to keyword stuffing while still addressing a problem can afford you that balance you need.

In the end, you’re writing for humans and not for search engines. While making sure your content is visible and easy to find, the importance of making your writing clear, concise, and of great quality answers more questions than strung-together keywords that make no sense and don’t solve any problems for anyone.

4. Defining success and failure

If a piece doesn’t necessarily go viral and climb numbers in terms of views and shares, it can be hard to determine whether or not it succeeded or failed. Without metrics in place that you can compare content against, finding out if a blog, podcast, or video was received well can be difficult.

In order to remedy this, you need to create a set of key performance indicators that can bring about a better idea of how a piece performs. If it meets the KPIs that you’ve put into place, it’s either performing averagely or beyond expectations. If it doesn’t, more work needs to be done. 

Blog analytics can also provide an accurate picture of a brand’s achievements and where they have to improve. By checking these statistics, you can see how successful your content is. 

5. Establishing credibility

It can be difficult to establish yourself as a person or a brand that has authority, especially when you’re just starting out. How are people supposed to trust someone they’re not intimately familiar with? But you can build your credibility by positioning yourself as a subject matter expert. Consistently publishing blogs, podcasts, and videos that discuss your expertise can make you more dependable. 

Many experts may be saying the same thing but by sticking to your niche, people will keep you in front of mind when they think of a certain topic. When you become recognised as a thought leader, you are respected and relied upon for your ideas and opinions. 

By linking back to certain credible sources, you can also prove your claims with data and facts, proving that you’re not just conjecturing at random. 

You also have to understand that being a credible source takes time and patience as it doesn’t happen overnight. You need to have the grit to stand by your convictions and opinions and eventually gain consumers’ trust.

Content marketing may have its challenges but overcoming them is about being smart, finding workarounds for challenges, and dedicating yourself to your niche. By committing to content marketing, you can reach new online users and generate new leads for your business.

With the support of reliable copywriting services, you can navigate the challenges of content marketing more effectively, leveraging their expertise to create compelling and targeted content that attracts and engages new online users, ultimately driving valuable leads for your business.