COMMON CONTENT MISTAKES
MAKE CONTENT THAT YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY!
There’s so many kinds of content you can utilise for your brand. Photos, videos, graphics, blogs, copywriting and podcasts are only a few from the long list of content we can create, so it’s very easy to get a little overwhelmed, and perhaps make a few mistakes. While mistakes are a necessary learning curve in order to improve, it definitely helps to know what some common mistakes are ahead of time. So without further ado, here’s 10 common content slip ups that you can avoid right from the start:
Striving for perfection. If you nitpick and try to perfect everything, it’ll end up taking a lot longer to release content, or it may not be released at all! We’re not suggesting that releasing a sub-par product is a good idea, but consistent not-perfect content is usually better than occasional perfect content.
Thinking you’ll get it right on the first try. Everyone learns and grows with practice. Don’t get disheartened when you don’t get thousands of likes on your post overnight, good things take time and we’re only gonna get better as time goes on. Don’t give up!
Assuming people will like your content even if you don’t. Don’t just make content that you think you should be making, or that other brands seem to be making. Make content that you actually enjoy! If you don’t feel positive emotions from looking at your own photos or reading your own social posts, why should anyone else?
NOT GIVING ENOUGH TIME TO SEE IF IT'S WORKING
Building an audience and growing your brand takes time. As do ads and campaigns, so if after one day you shut it down because it hasn’t shown hard results, maybe you’re being a little impatient. Give your content a little more time to properly evaluate its’ effectiveness.
EXPECTING INSTANT PROFIT
Lots of brands can raise profits by effectively using social media content, there’s no doubt about that. But sometimes the value isn’t so measurable. Growing an audience, having a loyal community, building a rapport and displaying a good image of your company are just some of the ways content can help. So it’s not always about immediately profiting from social ads.
PORTRAYING AN UNNATURAL VOICE
People want to hear from real people. Sometimes the voice that brands produce can be superficial or business oriented with no real sense of personality or heart. Let your brand’s purpose and mission statement drive the voice that you use, whether it be acting in videos you produce or simple social media copy.
LOW QUALITY VISUALS
While we can get really good quality photos and videos from a mobile phone these days, it’s still important to think of your audience’s experience. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to stay engaged, and any annoyance may result in a quick scroll past. Make sure it’s well lit but not overexposed, any audio is a reasonable volume (-6 to -12 db), there’s not too much clutter and movement in the background and keep it concise - long, boring videos and large slabs of text can turn people away.
NOT STICKING TO A SIMPLE MESSAGE
If you overload your audience with information, they’ll have a hard time retaining any information. If you stick to one distinct point or message per photo, video or post, it’s far more likely that it’ll be remembered. Don’t give away all your company’s secrets in one go, slowly release that information and keep people intrigued.
BLOWING YOUR BUDGET ON SUBPAR CONTENT
You can spend a lot of money making a beautiful, high quality, cinematic video, but if your message and call to action isn’t clear, it’s going to be a waste of resources. We’ve seen this many times before where clients have wasted big bucks without really analysing how effective the content is going to be.
TRYING TO DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF
Managing your usual workload plus trying to figure out and produce content to grow your brand can be a lot to handle! And you’ll want to be releasing it as often as possible - so sometimes the best thing you can do is find someone to help you out. Whether that be hiring someone new to manage your social channels, or offloading your content creation needs to a creative agency that can help you out, there are resources out there for you.
Looking for solid and engaging content? Maybe you're in need of the written word or an eye-catching design? Maybe a killer video is the answer? Either way, you won't make a mistake with the Octopod Agency. Already have a project? Get started!
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