The Dark Side of Content Marketing [Infographic]

Many marketers are turning to content marketing to increase brand awareness, search rankings, boost leads and more -- but there's a dark side that many neglect to talk about.

Content marketing is a great way to reach a new audience, generate brand awareness, educate consumers and more, but it also can be very detrimental to a marketing strategy -- especially if it isn't done the right way.

At Scripted, we're focused on improving the quality of writing on the Internet. Thousands of marketers have come to us to fuel theircontent creation efforts by purchasing original written content from our platform. However, a successful content marketing strategy needs more than just engaging content. It needs a solid plan, concrete goals, defined metrics of success, a thorough understanding of an audience and strong promotion plan.

Last year, we published the infographic below to shed light on the dark side of content marketing. As a content writing company, our hope is that businesses publish content responsibly, with clear goals and strategies in mind. And what's a better time to dabble in the dark side than the week leading up to Halloween?

Below are resources to help you manage an awesome content marketing strategy.

Planning Ahead

In order to be successful in content marketing, it's important to plan ahead using an editorial calendar and keep it updated on a daily basis. Here are some planning resources:

• How to Create an Editorial Calendar
• Scripted Content Planner
• The Ultimate Guide to Building a Content Team [free e-book]

Finding Your Audience

It's also crucial to keep your finger on the pulse of your audience.

• What's an Audience & Why Is It Important?
• How to Grow An Audience Through Content Creation

Idea Generation

Once you have a blueprint of your content marketing strategy, where are you going to get your ideas from? Below are some resources to help you generate engaging content ideas.

• Story Ideas from Your Audience
• Using Google Trends and Suggestions for Topic Ideas
• Effective Headlines to Keep Trust

Setting Goals & Measuring ROI

Another key part of a successful content marketing strategy is measuring your content's success. Check out our resources on content ROI:

• How to Measure the ROI of Your Blog Content
• How to Measure Your White Paper's Success
• A Guide to Downloadable Content & Measuring Its Success

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