How Long It Takes to Get Good At Content Marketing

Between 120 and 150 hours

Now don’t quote me on this, I’m not exactly using the Scientific Method here - I’m just reflecting on how long it’s taken clients over the years to consistently generate interesting content.

No Short Cuts

Execution of a content strategy is ultimately an expression of you and your business - it’s unique - you can’t steal it, can’t replicate it from somewhere else, all you can do is start your own journey and get better along the way.

So What?

We’ve become so enamored with the Gladwellian idea of 10,000 hours that the thought of this journey becomes daunting and we don’t start - at least - most of you don’t.

But if you knew it was just over 100 hours - well that makes it way more doable doesn’t it?

I mean - allocate 2 hours a week over 50 weeks (pity you poor Americans and your crazy vacation habits) and that means you’ll be rocking it by Quarter 2 next year!

Do It!

There are ways of going about this that make it easier - if you’d like a hand, drop me a line.

Find yourself procrastinating and avoiding your work? Listen to this, it really helps you get things done

Image Credit: Just Do It! by Shia LaBeouf on YouTube (You should totally watch this!)

The Only Chart You Need to Know (If you’re into content marketing)

I’ve been meaning to share this one for a while - it’s from a brilliant slide deck on “Why Content Marketing Fails.”  The information may be 2 years old but it's well worth the 10 minutes it’ll take you to skim through it.

Here’s What The Chart Tells You

• Website created in April 2009
• For the first two years traffic never exceeded 100 visits a day.
• Five years in the site now averages over 100,000 visits a month

Here’s What The Chart Doesn’t Tell You

• 20 blog posts a month (mostly)
• Posts tend to be around 1,000 words in length
• Content is loosely based around the idea of Travel
• Writing is often hilarious

So What?

I know - you’re not in the travel business, you don’t have time to write a 1,000 word blog post every day and if you were funny you’d be in comedy but, stay with me here. 

There was no significant event in the life of the writer, no sudden advertising spend in mid 2011, so what was the reason behind the eventual increase in traffic?

It’s Not Just Consistency

If you look at the list of the website's most popular posts, not one of them came from the first two years.  I'd posit the reason things took off is that the writing got better.

If you're pumping out the same lame content across your digital footprint as everyone else, you're unlikely to see a similar growth curve.

If Gladwell's 10,000 hour principle only applies when practice is intentional, content strategy only works if you push yourself.

Are you pushing yourself?

Find yourself procrastinating and avoiding your work? Listen to this, it really helps you get things done

Image Credit: Why Content Marketing Fails by Rand Fishkin