10 Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Content

Creating content is sometimes like walking on thin ice. No matter where you turn or how lightly you step, you are bound to fall through at some point.
When dealing with content you are constantly trying to avoid mistakes whether it be from a technical mishap or a social faux pas.
By becoming an expert at avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that your company has a better chance at succeeding in the vast world of content creation.

Here are mistakes you should pay attention for:

1.    Not understanding your audience

Take, for example, Free People’s new campaign to promote their “Movement” line. The line was designed for three very niche audiences: ballerinas, surfers, and women who do yoga. Here is the ad for Free People:

To the average person, there isn’t really anything wrong with this ad. However, to ballerinas, the ad was all wrong. Individuals with a trained eye are able to instantly see that the actress is not a trained ballerina.

Free People Actress

Trained Dancer

If Free People had done their research on this segment of their targeted audience, they would have known the importance of form and style in ballet.

2.   Not having an About page

Whether you are an individual or a business, your readers are going to want to know more about you and because of this they look for that ever important About page. Even if your site is only meant to be a blog.
Stellar Blue has an About page.

This About page is essential for you to be able to connect with your readers, this also is the basis for establishing trustworthiness with your readers.
The page shouldn’t be all about you, though. You want to not only introduce yourself and tell your story, but you also want to help your readers understand who you are and what you’re about.

3.    Not promoting your content on social media

Creating the content is only half the work that needs to be done. The other half is actually promoting it.
Social media has become the most important connection between your readers and your content. Most if not all of your readers will be on some sort of social platform at least once every day. This makes getting your content out on the social media channels the most important part of your job.
Make sure, though, that you know your audience when posting to social! (refer back to point number one)

4.   Not being personable

You don’t talk to people, in real life, in the third person, do you? Or, if you’re talking with a friend, would you avoid referring to yourself?
Definitely not! Why would you ever do it in your blog then? Doing it makes you sound stiff and unrelatable.
Use words as if you were actually talking with a person.

5.   Having a lot of typos

Mistakes happen, we are all human. The key is to not make a habit out of it. Grammar Police are real people and they judge you based on your grammar and spelling.
If spelling or using grammar properly is one thing that you are completely unable to get a grasp of there are a couple of options out there that will help you:

• Use software like Grammarly
• Hire an editor or proofreader to review your articles before you publish

The fewer grammatical errors that you make, the more people will trust you and the content you post.

6.   Not developing your own style or voice

There are numerous content creators that produce great content, and it’s okay for you to become inspired off of their content. What’s not okay, though, is not creating your own voice when you do so. Consider writing a content marketing mission statement to give a clear purpose to your content strategy.

7.    Not including enough photos

It is proven that the more visuals that you have within your content, the more people will be likely to engage with it.

Keeping your image count high will also keep your readers interested and more likely to get through all of your content.

8.   Not interacting in the comments

You are writing as though you are having a conversation. Would it make sense to ignore someone if they responded to a conversation you were having with them?
No, of course not!
The same rules apply when posting content. If someone leaves a comment the proper thing to do is reply back.

9.   Not focusing on article headlines

The most important part of a blog is the headline! A good headline is what draws in a majority of your readers.
Often times, if you are having trouble getting your audience to engage, you can look back at your title and find the cause. If it doesn’t appeal to your audience or make them want to click on it then it isn’t doing its job.

And the most important mistake to avoid when creating content is…

10.   Not looking at your traffic and analytics

It is extremely necessary for successful content creators to keep an eye on their numbers.
Here are a few you should be keeping track of:

• Traffic numbers
• Bounce rates
• Dwell time
• Traffic Sources

Stellar Blue has an amazing service that offers to keep watch of your analytics for you to help you out.
Keeping an eye on your analytics will allow you to know and understand how your readers are responding to your content so that you are able to improve your content accordingly.

Content creation can be like walking on thin ice. If you are able to anticipate mistakes you will better overcome them and stay ahead of the game. So, keep these tips in your mind of what not to do when creating content for your next post.

If you would like to learn more about these awesome social media tools, contact a Stellar Blue Representative today!