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Is a Lack of Focus Destroying Your Content Marketing Efforts?

Is a Lack of Focus Destroying Your Content Marketing Efforts?

Did you know that a common trait in highly successful people is focus? They understand what it takes to accomplish anything worthwhile, and there’s very little that can derail them from their mission. Focus doesn’t always come easily though.

If you reach the end of campaigns to find you’ve been disappointingly ineffective, or your never-ending to-do list only reminds you of your inefficiency, the chances are your focus could do with a little fine-tuning. How do you accomplish that?

1. Home In On One Core Goal and Buyer Persona at a Time 

Multifunctional contentOne of the biggest mistakes we can make as content marketers is to treat a single piece of content as if it’s the Swiss Army Knife of our strategy. We expect it to be multifunctional—all things to all people while achieving all business goals. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

See: 10 Examples of Content Your Audience Will Love

Besides creating confusion, you risk diluting your message and minimize your ability to impact an audience. Be strategic about the pieces you create, but be focused in terms of the people you’re talking to and the objective you want your content asset to achieve. Anything else is a waste of marketing dollars.

2. Stop Trying To Multitask 

Attempting to complete a number of complicated tasks simultaneously increases exposure to stress. This can impair your prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the human brain that intelligently regulates your emotions, thoughts, and actions. The sheer overwhelm can lead to a decrease in attentiveness, an increase in errors, and lower productivity.

While content marketing sometimes necessitates multitasking, it’s crucial not to make it a habit. For better results, focus on one thing at a time so that you eliminate brain fog, improve productivity levels, and execute tasks as flawlessly as possible.

3. Learn To Do One Thing Exceptionally Well 

As much as multitasking can take your eye off the ball, so can dabbling. If you find yourself spending too much time on social media, design, management, or business aspects that don’t apply to your content marketing efforts, you’ll quickly find you’re able to slip into multiple roles, but you’re not exceptionally great at any one of them.

Being all over the place doesn’t serve you, and it doesn’t serve your business. Rather stick to the meat and potatoes of content marketing so that you reap the rewards of excellence, not mediocrity. Don’t forget that you don’t need to bear the burden on your own if you’re a small business owner. Outsourcing things like content creation and social media management can help you stay focused while ensuring you derive the benefits of content marketing on a limited budget.

Related: Why Publishing Primary Research Is Content Marketing Gold

4. Get Rid Of Distractions 

Avoiding DistractionsFrom email alerts and social media notifications to text messages and unexpected interruptions, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate in today’s corporate environment. Unfortunately, these distractions not only decrease productivity, but they also negatively affect focus and hinder quality of work. Therefore, it’s important to carve out sufficient time each day to concentrate on specific projects. Eliminate all distractions for optimal focus so you can stay true to your content marketing strategy.

5. Learn To Say “No” 

Many content marketers suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out). The problem is it just isn’t possible to employ every tactic, implement every idea, or even respond to every blog comment. While seizing an opportunity is usually favorable behavior, saying “yes” to one more thing is sometimes like being on the losing end of Jenga. Why would you risk toppling an unstable tower when it’s within your power to avoid it? Just make sure that when you do say “yes,” it’s because the thing you’re agreeing to supports your goals without taking focus off what you’re already doing.

With these tips in mind, should you stop thinking in broad terms then? No. Whether you’re applying content marketing principles to your own business or someone else’s, you have to look at the bigger picture to identify gaps, pinpoint areas of opportunity, and solve problems. You simply need to remember that your success will eventually depend on a single-minded focus.