4 Content Creation Mistakes to Avoid
There is so much pressure involved with content creation that it often leads us to make a lot of mistakes and/or give up during the process.
Content creation is one of the most valuable ways that you can market your blog or business because you are providing your target audience with relevant information and solutions to their problems.
This will help you to grow your business and build a strong connection with potential customers or clients.
But, there are so many different pieces of content creation that mistakes can definitely be made along the way.
Whether you’ve been blogging for a while, owned a digital business for years, or you’re just getting started, I hope these content creation mistakes help you improve your systems and make the entire process easier.
Even if you make any of the mistakes I am going to share, the important part is that you learn from the mistake and fix the issue so you can continue to share new content to grow your business.
What does content creation mean?
Before we dive into the mistakes I wanted to talk to you about what content creation means and why it should be a priority for your blog or business.
Be definition:
“Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" or self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, article writing, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media.”
Overall, content creation is your process for generating ideas, planning, creating, and promoting your content.
Everyone’s content creation process can look different depending on the type of content you create. This could be blog posts, videos, eBooks, podcasts, social content and even email newsletters.
Why content creation is important
Like I mentioned above, your content creation process is important because it is your main source of how you market your business.
When you create content you are providing your audience with free value which in turn attracts new people to your business.
It helps to build your brand and build trust with your audience.
This equals growth and sales.
Since you need sales to run a profitable blog or business, your content is at the center of your business and needs to be a priority.
If you don’t create content how will people know about you, know what you offer or see you as a leader in your industry?
Content creation mistakes
Here is a list of 5 content creation mistakes to avoid (and how to fix them!):
#1 - Creating what you want - not what your audience needs.
When I first started my blog in 2011 (that makes me feel ancient!) I focused entirely too much on the content I wanted to share and not enough on what my audience actually needed.
I wasn’t thinking about who I wanted to attract to my blog.
I wasn’t thinking about how I could solve their problems.
I wasn’t thinking about who would be a good fit for my digital offers.
This left me feeling completely unconnected from my audience, which then led to my blog being stagnant.
It’s easy to just put out any content, but you need to focus on providing content that is relevant and useful to your audience.
To fix this content creation mistake you need to understand your audience and what they truly need from your content. To do this, you need to ASK. Don’t be afraid to talk to your audience and identify their struggles. Read more about that here.
#2 - Not having a goal with your content
You aren’t writing content for the sake of posting something new. You need to have a goal for your content that is a part of your overall strategy.
With all of my content, I always have the bigger picture in mind and make sure that it aligns with my messaging and goals.
For me, it is leading people along my customer journey that I have already mapped out for my business.
My content is a starting point to move them along the path to make a purchase of one of my digital offers.
Before you create any content you need to think about why you are creating it, what kind of value it will provide, how it will address your audience’s pain points and most importantly what call to action you want them to take after engaging with your content.
To fix this content creation mistake, always have your goals planned out BEFORE you create any kind of content for your blog or business.
You may also like: 3 Myths About Creating Consistent Content
#3 - Not spending enough time executing
This is a HUGE mistake I see being made all the time.
Content creators spend so much time creating content and not enough time on execution.
You can spend all the time in the world creating an amazing content plan but if you don’t execute it or have some kind of accountability in place then it was just a waste of time.
To fix this content creation mistakes you have to leave time in your schedule to implement your plan and hold yourself accountable.
Read more: 5 Ways to Master Your Content PlanningProcess
#4 - No strategy in place
When it comes to content creation you need to have a strategy in place to not only help you stay consistent but also to keep everything aligned.
You don’t want to be a blog or business that randomly posts pieces of content that feel disconnected from your business and overall goals.
When you have continuity with your content strategy your audience will start to trust you and be excited to see your new content.
Think about:
How often will you post?
What topics will you cover?
How will you promote your content?
What platforms will you use to promote your content?
Each of these pieces makes up your content strategy.
To fix this mistake, check out this post: How to create a content marketing strategy
Even if you are making all of these content creation mistakes there is still time to fix them so you can have a more efficient content process.
Keep in mind that patience and consistency are key when it comes to your content. You won’t see results overnight, but your efforts will be worth it in the long run.
Comment below with any content creation mistakes you see being made.