8 Content Mistakes Brands Make, and How to Fix Them

Have you met these brands? When it comes to their content on social media, email marketing, and web, they are giving you…reasons to unsubscribe. We talk about what good content looks like, but what about when it goes wrong? These mistakes are easy to fix, but making them jeopardizes your audience’s attention and prevents your brand from growing.

1. The Aimless Poster

   One of the biggest mistakes brands make is content for content’s sake. Creating relevant content that interests and engages your audience isn’t a “check the box” task. Without a clear strategy, your content–and therefore your audience’s perception of your organization–can become inconsistent, repetitive, or disconnected from your brand’s persona. 
   
   The Fix: A content strategy. This plan should address questions like “What are we trying to accomplish?” and “Who are we trying to reach?” It will also define your brand’s voice and persona, and how your content will advance your big-picture goals. It’s not a bad place to establish ownership and governance of your content channels, too.
   
   

2. The People Pleaser

   This is when a brand tries to appeal to everyone. And when you try to appeal to everyone, you end up connecting with no one. Trying to make something universally liked just makes it boring. Your content should be specific to your audience, and it’s okay if people outside your audience don’t relate. If you’re targeting 18 to 25-year-olds, you don’t need Gen X to get your jokes, and vice versa.
   
   The Fix: Two steps: Step one: Define your audience. Who are they? What are their interests, needs, and drivers? Step two: Define your brand voice. Now you can forgo the bland, generic language by adding some personality and indulging in topics and ideas your audience will relate to and be interested in. More on that here.
   
   

3. The Aggressive Salesman

   Their content is nonstop promotion. You’ve probably seen this one in the wild (and unfollowed or unsubscribed as a result). If every interaction with your brand feels like a sales pitch, you will lose your audience. 
   
   The Fix: Effective content should provide something of value to your audience to keep people listening. That’s not to say ditch the self-promotion–just spread it out, or better yet, hide it in engaging, informative content. It might not result in a direct sale, but it will build a brand your audience listens to and even seeks out. And when they do have a need for your product or service, you have the most valuable thing a brand can hold–their trust.
   
   

4. The Content Factory

   Publishing five mediocre posts isn't better than publishing one genuinely good one. A constant stream of content will become white noise to your audience and stretch your team thin, and almost always ends in an unfollow or unsubscribe.

   
   The Fix: Plan around how much quality content your team can create, not how much content. Quality doesn't mean every post needs to be perfect. It just means every piece should have a reason to exist and align with your content strategy.

5. The LinkedIn Bro

   Beware the “broetry.” People connect with people, not corporate jargon. This is a very specific structure of hyperbole, corporate-speak, vague stories, and a new line for every sentence. Spitting out industry buzzwords can isolate you from your audience (and frankly, it isn’t enjoyable content to read). So if you find yourself hitting enter after every sentence…reconsider.

   
   The Fix: Use clear language your audience can understand (remember, they aren’t as close to your industry as you are). Avoid the corporate-speak trap by being specific, telling stories, and showing personality.
   
   

6. The Trendhopper

   This is a common pitfall with brands on social media. Trends are a fun, easy way to connect with your audience, but jumping on every new one can make you look out of touch rather than relevant. (This can also be disorienting or alienating for your audience if you pull a trend popular with high schoolers, and send it out to your audience of 55+.) 
   
   The Fix: Before participating in a trend, ask whether it fits your brand, industry, and if your specific audience has the needed context for it. Done right, trends add personality and humor to your brand, and are fun for your team! But don’t feel like you have to capture each one. Check out Blue Bear Creative’s “Social Media Trends this Week” newsletter.

7. The AI Bot

   This is the new scourge of the content world. Brands are defaulting to whatever ChatGPT and co give them without tailoring the content to their brand and audience. The result is content with “the AI voice” that feels generic, and turns audiences off.
   
   The Fix: This isn’t to say don’t use AI in your content, but it should be a start, not a final product. Nobody knows your brand better than you and your team, so before anything goes out the door, make sure it’s shaped and tailored with that voice only you can provide.
   
   

8. The Bad Listener

   Don’t ignore the data–that’s your audience talking back to you. Comments, questions, search trends, engagement data, customer feedback, and even the topics people repeatedly ask your team about can tell you what your audience cares about.

   The Fix: A monthly analytics check-up goes a long way to keeping your brand visible and growing. As a bonus, it will probably give you ideas for relevant content! Don’t forget to occasionally check in on your competitors, too.

If you see yourself in one of these, don’t fear. Taking a little time to strategize with your team and reset will put you right. And if you want an outside opinion, LMD’s content team is here to help you plan, execute, and measure.