15 Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Marketing Content

Content Marketing is an important practise today. 

Research from the Content Marketing Institute reported that 92% of Marketers stated their organisations viewed content as an important business asset.  

This is because highly informative and entertaining content allows businesses like yours to drive more traffic, convert leads and nurture a more loyal following. 

But while it’s an effective strategy, creating content isn’t easy. 

The competition for your audience’s attention is extremely high, so making mistakes when crafting pieces of content can be detrimental to your brand. 

To help you, we’ve compiled a list of things to avoid when producing content.  

1. An unrelatable message for your audience 
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This is – BY FAR - the most common mistake in all content marketing. Brands tend to focus on their products and services and the complex features, without understanding the true needs of their audience.  

Without this, people cannot relate to your brand and therefore lose interest. 

To create pieces of content that will resonate with your consumers, you must get a comprehensive grasp of their problems - either by interviewing them, using surveys or conducting research. 

Once you understand their needs, tailor a message that resonates with them. 
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For more, read: 5 Ways To Create Captivating Content For Your Precious Audience 

​A message that your audience can’t relate to is a common yet serious mistake many brands make – simply because they don’t know they’re making it! 
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2. A tone of voice that isn’t unique 

Businesses often find it hard to stand out among the crowd because they don’t have their own style that will enable people to easily distinguish them. Establishing your own brand’s voice can help you create content that is more appealing and engaging for your audience.  

See: How To Build A Unique Brand Identity ​

A unique voice doesn’t mean you have to be wacky or outrageous. Just set a tone that people can identify. 
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3. A lack of visuals  

People have short attention spans and don’t read too much text in one sitting.  Putting photos and other forms of media in between can keep them interested.  
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For more, read: 7 Ways To Increase Your Audience’s Engagement With Your Content Marketing 

Break up your text with other engaging media and formats just like these callouts.
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4. A Weak headline 

Your audience won’t be compelled to give your content a second look if your headline isn’t powerful and interesting enough.  

Make sure every headline encompasses what readers can expect from your content, while being engaging at the same time.  
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See: Is This Headline A Clickbait? 

Draw their attention with a promise of value and then deliver on it.
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5. An absence of storytelling 

A lot of content can be intimidating because it’s readers can’t follow the flow and sympathise with the message. 

By engrossing consumers emotionally and earning their trust, storytelling can help your brand convey your message in a more memorable way. 

For more, read: How To Build Your Brand With Storytelling Content 

Stories are part of being human. Give people a story to hold their interest and be memorable. 
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6. Complex content 

Jargon, complicated phrases and irrelevant topics are common reasons why people lose interest when reading content. 

Everyone is busy - so you must always ensure your brand’s content is simple, straightforward and easy for them to read. 

See: Is Your Content Disappointing Your Audience 

Don’t make your content a punish to skim through and enjoy. You’re loving these big headings, aren’t you? 
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7. Spelling and grammatical errors 

Do you know what will disappoint your audience? Grammar mistakes and spelling errors. These can lower your credibility and, worse, allow their focus to drift away. 

To prevent this, it’s important to have your content written, proofread and checked by a professional writer. 

For more, read: Proofreading and Editing Services ​

Be careful of grammar and spelling! They cause more than one problem for you (hopefully there are no mistakes in this blog!). 
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8. Insufficient research 

Nothing is more powerful than up-to-date data. It can enhance your credibility and can make your content more trustworthy. 

So, start with research. This will ensure that the information you use in your content is relevant, useful and correct. 

See: How To Use Data To Guide Your Decision Making  

Make sure the information you’re basing your content on is actually correct. 
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9. Lack of content promotion on different social media sites 

Just because you write it, doesn’t mean they’ll find it! A lack of social media presence can make your content stagnant very fast. 

Amplifying your content across your social media platforms will help you reach a wider range of people.  

For more, read: 3 Tips To Maximise Your Business’ Success On Social Media 

Don’t forget to amplify your content across social media. Often. 
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10. Not repurposing content 

It’s hard to constantly produce fresh and new content. So, refresh and repurpose older content to give it new life. 

Converting your content into multiple forms can help you meet different customer segments who prefer different media types – for example, some might like reading blogs, others are more keen to watching videos, while there are people who like listening to podcasts on the move. 

See: Why Refreshing Old Content Is Necessary 

People like to read, listen, watch and experience content – so cover all bases. 
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11. Not having content throughout the whole buyer’s journey 

Content marketing is meant to drive a business’ sales by supporting customers during every stage of their buying journey.  

However, content fails when there are gaps. 

Therefore, you must create content across your entire brand’s flywheel that will enrich your audience’s experience. 
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For more, read: The Six Pillars of A Complete Marketing Strategy 

For example, you can utilise blogs, webinars and How-To videos to educate people in the awareness stage. Case studies, on the other hand, can promote your products in the consideration stage, and you can create a live demo or a free consultation pack to transition your leads into the decision stage.
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12. Not putting in a Call to Action (CTA) 
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Your content won’t lead to any conversions or sales if it lacks an effective call to action that will guide people towards what they should do next. 
 
It’s also important to mention your call to action multiple times, so your audience won’t forget and that it’s convenient for them. 
 
See: How To Make Your Copywriting Resonate More With Right People 

Click here for Content Marketing success. 
 

13. Not monitoring your analytics  

If businesses are not paying attention to their content marketing performance, it’s impossible to realise what’s working and what must be improved.  

Evaluating your numbers such as traffic sources, bounce rates, and dwell time can help you produce more engaging content.  

For more, read: Why Your Business Should Conduct A Marketing Audit 

Don’t forget to check the stats to ensure you’re learning from your results.
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14. Focusing on quantity, rather than quality 

Brands often think that when they’re creating more content, it means they’re doing better. However, the effectivity of content marketing doesn’t depend on how much you produce, but on how good your content is. 

Place more emphasis on content quality than anything else. 

See: Content Marketing: Quality Over Quantity In 6 Steps ​

Quality content is a must. There’s no excuse for poor content today – your audience won’t tolerate it. 
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15. Doing content marketing on your own 
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Businesses often face difficulties in earning great results from content marketing - simply because it’s not their area of expertise. 

So, while creating engaging content is extremely important for your company, you don’t always have to do it yourself. There are professional copywriting services offered by many local freelance copywriters who can help. 

When you lack the time, the ability and resources to do content on your own, you can always reach out for help.
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How can Melotti Media Copywriting and Marketing help you?  

We understand that your goal is to earn success by developing relevant, engaging and entertaining content.  

But we also know that you’re time-poor and spread thin, and content may not be your top priority. But you don’t have to worry!  

At Melotti Media, we can assist you with your content marketing needs while you focus on what matters most to you – growing your business.  

Let’s start getting the results your business deserves!  

For more information or to speak to a trusted copywriter, contact us now at enquire@melottimedia.com.au  

We can sharpen your words to achieve your goals today!