Great content has some natural must-haves, like strong headlines, highly specific calls to action and consistent brand voice regardless of channel.
On the flip side, there are also some content don’ts. Here are a few that come to mind:
Use AI-generated text verbatim.
While AI can be a valuable tool for generating ideas and even drafting content, you can’t just click copy and paste — for several reasons.
AI-generated content may be inaccurate or misleading, or it might not align with your unique brand values and messaging. And for customers who want to connect with your brand on a personal level, robotic content won’t cut it. Plus, savvy customers can spot generic, AI-generated content, and they’re more likely to tune out or even unfollow your brand if the content isn’t genuine or lacks a distinct point of view.
To stand out in a crowded digital landscape, make sure every piece of content you put out into the world is personal, original and authentic.
Ignore your audience.
Remember, content creation isn’t just about producing information — it’s about creating value for your audience. Who are they? What are their needs and goals? What are their preferred channels for consuming content? How can you apply their feedback to improve your content?
If you don’t know who you’re creating content for, you’ll miss the mark and waste your time.
Go it alone.
If you have resources, use them! Your team can be a valuable source of ideas and expertise that can enrich your content and make it more engaging.
For example, a customer service representative will surely have insights into frequently asked questions, common sticking points when using your product or opportunities to clarify information on your website. And collaborating with your sales team can help inform what content and messaging points are most powerful.
By involving different perspectives in the process, you can create more relevant, effective content that reflects your collective expertise.
Completely disregard SEO.
Don’t underestimate the power of search engine optimization (SEO) in creating great content. Because no matter how amazing your content is, it’s not worth much if no one sees it.
SEO plays a crucial role in making sure your content is easily discoverable online. And you don’t have to be an SEO expert to make an impact. By incorporating relevant keywords, meta tags and alt text into blog posts like this one, you can improve your content’s visibility on search engines, drive more organic traffic to your website and get more eyeballs on your hard work.
Neglect visual content.
Let’s face it. We live in a world of content skimmers. Visual content is key to capturing and retaining your audience’s attention.
When possible, consider ways you can make complex content more visual and digestible. For example, create an immersive experience with interactive content like quizzes or polls. Break up a white paper into an infographic to convey dense data through images, charts and light text. Or record a video to highlight your thought leadership and strengthen your brand identity.
By investing in visual content creation, you can make your content more shareable, engaging and memorable.
Turn marketing content missteps into action
Mistakes happen, but don’t make the same mistakes twice. By understanding what not to do in content creation, you’ll give your content the best chance at success.