Why am I not seeing results?

This is a common question from management. ‘Why am I not seeing any results from our content efforts; what can I do?’  

It's number four in the most asked questions about content; please, check the last paragraph for all five questions and the bonus on AI. 

Why it matters

All brands struggle, big and small. No matter your size, the lack of results is deadly. 

First and foremost, for your budget. 

Second, without results, is harder to get the content out of the organization. Vice versa, if you share the results with all employees and departments, you'll notice that content ideation will pop up like crazy. 

 First, let's define ‘results.’ 

These should be measured in business objectives

• Sales numbers and leads 
• A higher ranking on SEO for leadership and traffic

Second, the reasons, presuming you've got great content (are you sure?)

1. Too fast; keep your patience
2. Wrong metrics: vanity over business objectives
3. Lack of budgets: focus
4. You do have crappy content (told you!)

1. Too fast; keep your patience

This is the number one reason for not seeing the results of your content efforts. Content takes time. Much time. More than you think.

Content is not plug-and-play. It's not a ‘Start today; see results tomorrow.’ Or within a few months. 

It takes at least one year; two years is more realistic.

How to fix it

Well, duh, … be patient.

2. Wrong metrics: vanity over business objectives

The second most made mistake in why you’re not seeing results is that you're using the wrong metrics. Usually, the content reporting focuses on campaigns with vanity metrics. Not the overarching business results with the general sales numbers.

Below you find a recap of ‘Accountability of content.’ 

Report on what matters to management, don't bore them with death-by-powerpoint details on likes and engagement. Getting the buy-in from the board and senior management matters to lock in next year’s budget – or prevent loss of budget in the running year.

How to fix it

Choose the metrics for management that reflect the strategy. Your content strategy should be aligned with the business objectives; hence, so should the reporting.

Quarterly or half-yearly

• Content efforts plotted against overall sales 

• SEO performance 


Monthly, if desired by management

• 
High over content planning with campaigns and channels

• Budget reporting: production and media
• Team reporting: FTEs and external help

3. Lack of budgets

The final reason why you’re not seeing results is that you don’t invest enough. And double that budget for media buying to get reach. I know you want more content for less; I'll be the bearer of the bad news, that is not possible. Quality is really expensive. Penny pound foolish.

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. In your team and agency.

There’s no such thing as getting results while you’re not investing serious money. 

How to fix it

Please don't fall into the trap of wanting cheaper content, which equals more content for less budget. A better option is to focus and scale down in the amount of content you want to produce. And that what you produce, you're f*cking going to nail it top-notch, high quality, re-usable and long lifetime. 

I wish I could give you a ballpark number or percentage for your content. Unfortunately, I can’t. There are just too many variables that define how much you need to invest.

If you want to get a gut feeling, in a 15-minute call, you can chat about your brand and company; I can give you an indication of what you’ll need. Just drop me a DM for my number.

4. Crappy content

Honestly, this is the number one reason for the lack of results. Get your head out of your a** and be upfront. How is the quality of your content? 

Low-quality content is a real issue. The cause varies. It can be the management that's too focused on the brand and not on the customer. It can be the team with a lack of knowledge or focus. And I can think of many other reasons why your content is not what it should be.

If you have a firm belief in content and you invest serious budgets and, still, your content is crap – then you’ve got a whole other problem.

Final words

It s*cks if you’re not seeing the results of your efforts. Aside from annoying, it’s indispensable to get the buy-in from the board and senior management matters to lock in next year’s budget – or prevent loss of budget in the running year.

Need help with all this? I got your back. Drop me a DM, and we can jump on a quick call about how to get started and if I can help you or if you need something or someone else. 

The 5 most asked questions about content

You ask me the same questions over and over again. My clients. During workshops, keynotes, and calls. 

So, why not write them down? Here's my ‘They ask, you answer’ series on content and strategy.  The questions are in the most asked order. 

1. I want more content for less budget; what are the tips? 
2. What do I need to measure? I struggle with accountability.
3. It takes forever; how can I speed up the process and shorten the time to market?
4. I don’t see the results; what can I do? (this blog)
5. We struggle with ownership; where should content be?

• Bonus: How to prepare for AI; We have no idea what’s its true power; 33% cuts in teams are expected

Click on the links to read more (duh…)