When's the last time you evaluated your social media content? I mean – do you regularly schedule time to step back and make sure your content is the kind your readers are going to want to read, rather than just any old thing just to "post frequently?"
If you haven't stepped back to look take a look at your content marketing overall, you could easily be slipping toward creating content that not only makes peoples' eyes glaze over in boredom, but possibly even pushes them away. And of all the possible reactions your readers could have, that one is the kiss of death for sure; just saying!
So we want to avoid creating anything even remotely close to truly awful content, no matter if it's on your blog, your Facebook, Google+ or any other platform you're using to build your brand. But how do you know if your content is awful, bland, or fantastic?
5 Steps to Create Truly Awful Content Your Audience Will Grow to Hate
1. Buy Me, Buy Me!
This is so important not to do that I've included it first. If every piece of content is a message that somehow says, "Buy Me, Buy Me," your audience will unsubscribe, unlike, and go to great lengths to make sure they never see your content again. It's just plain rude! And my momma taught me never to be that rude. <grin> But seriously – a good rule of thumb is to create valuable content for your readers at least 80% of the time; promote yourself (tastefully!) no more than 20% of the time.
2. Vague, Nonspecific Content
Let your personality show no matter where you're posting your content, be it Google+, your Facebook Fan Page, your blog, etc. If your content is so vague that it's either pointless or soulless, you've found a sure recipe to lose readers quickly.
Just a note – if you've bought "private label right" or PLR content to use on your website, I have to tell you – don't use it as is. Not only will it look so vague and nonspecific that your readers will be put off, but since other people can buy the very same material, you'll get penalized by the search engines too. In both cases, it's a sure recipe to create material your readers will start to despise.
3. Forget a Call to Action
When you post to your website or blog (or you send your content out via a newsletter), you've got to be sure to include a call to action. Tell your readers what to do. It might be to share. It might be to comment. It might be to buy, in some cases, if you have a product that solves a need for your readers. But if you don't tell them what you want them to do with the information you've provided, chances are they won't know. And after a while, they'll find themselves wondering why they're reading your content in the first place. Don't be that person! <grin>
4. Forget to Provide Value
Every post you make should provide value. Period. Even when you are promoting your products or services, it's got to be in a way that provides value to your audience. If not, it's spam. And if it's spam, your readers will come to hate it.
5. Make Your Readers Work Too Hard
Especially when people first get started with content marketing, they think they can't possibly be a good enough writer to write a blog. So they try to sound more knowledgeable than they are. This comes in the form of writing about things they clearly don't quite understand, or they use words they'd never use in real life. I mean, really, we can all tell! Both of these things make your readers work way too hard to read your content.
Instead – write like you'd talk. If you really struggle with grammar, spelling or any other part of written English, it might pay to have someone edit your posts or even to outsource writing them altogether. But chances are, if you passed a standard high school English course, your writing is just fine for your own blog.
Read your content out loud to yourself or a friend before you publish it. If it sounds like something you'd say in conversation, you're good. If it sounds too stuffy, try to rework it so your finished product sounds just like you.
What are your favorite kinds of content to hate? Leave me a comment below – I'd love to hear from you!
Kim:
I agree with all your points. In fact, I probably "resemble that remark" about Sell, Sell, Sell a bit too much.
My favorite type of content to hate is the obvious PLR junk that perhaps has been spun a few times. Why don't publishers realize how bad that garbage looks when they post it?
It always comes across as something written by a person for whom English is not their first language (which is often the case). Then, when it's been spun a few times, it begins to sound like a computer that failed its ESL class.
Give it up, folks! If you have nothing original and interesting to say, it might be better to get another occupation. If a person is determined to succeed at blogging to the English-speaking market, then at least take some classes in conversational English. Otherwise, you might consider blogging in your own language.
This goes for all of us, in whatever language we choose to write. Write so that your readers easily grasp what you're saying. And make sure what you're saying conveys value that your reader is seeking.
Then, if you sell to hard or don't have perfect grammar or usage, your readers will probably forgive you.
i like don't make your readers work too hard. I love to share people's post.. but if they don't have the post @theirtwittername I don't bother… and leaving a comment.. wow do some people make it too hard to find a place to leave one. Great post Kim!
I think I am probably guilty of #3 quite a lot to be honest – I sometimes forget to ask people if they wouldn't mind sharing or commenting because it seems obvious to me that this is what I want readers to do but I'll have to remember in future that it might not be so clear to a non-blog owner.
I really enjoyed this post, Kim. One issue I have, which happens to be a big pet peeve for me, is grammar and spelling. Nothing glares at me more than poor grammar, misused words, or just plain bad spelling! I check and recheck my posts before I hit publish yet I know a few mistakes slip through the cracks.
Yes, totally agree, Jacqueline!
I was amused by your headline, thinking people don't really need advice on how to create bad content…so many of them already seem to have the knack!
One of my pet peeves is people who do nothing but sell on social media. I get rid of them fast!
All great insights, but the one that get me is Buy Me Buy me!! Drives me bananas. I will be sharing
Right
?
Great Post! Good reminders! For me, it's that call to action part…..gotta get this in there. Thanks!
Good tips Kim, I think I have been guilty of one or more at one time or another! This serves as a great reminder of what NOT to do!! Thanks!
I would say we have all had our moments, Denny!
Love the reverse strategy, Kim! I'm with you on the Buy me Buy me. Too many people trying to sell products and services before building the all important relationships. If a viewer is only seeing sales messages, they aren't going to stick around too long. Thanks for the info!
Yes, they try to lead with the sell sell sell mentality far to often for sure.
Kim great reminders … the call to action is always a challenge for me but I’m trying to get better.
You can do it
Thanks for all these reminders Kim. I’ll make sure NOT to do them
I don’t like being sold to. The direct messages from Twitter and LinkedIn do this often. Super annoying! I don’t think I include a CTA often enough either…
I also agree that if you aren’t being authentic in your writing, it shows!! There is just something about intuition that whether we know someone or not, we know a fake when we see (read) one!
Thanks for dropping in, Suzanne!
Was drawn to this article by the title, Kim! I know the CTA is something I’ve been leaving out. Thanks for all the tips. A great article to share!
Thanks Sue!
One content strategy that I think is a winner is to create spinoff microsites that provide a service that gives users benefit. Not just content. For example, this company called Sprout Social released a Twitter engagement reporting app called BePresent (see Venture Beat article — bit.ly/W2rDay) that provides metrics for companies indicating their levels of social media engagement. Both sides win — the non-Sprout user extracts some useful information, and Sprout gains their mindshare and traffic.
Raven Tools does something similar to good effect/
Yes, great point!