Content content everywhere, not all is perfect. As Creators, we all get so sucked into the whirlwind to create content that we sometimes don’t pay enough attention and get into the nitty gritty of things that matter in the long haul. Result? Mistakes. To err is human, but to not rectify your mistakes or to make sure you never repeat them is foolishness.
We are seeing content in everything around us, in every form. And thanks to the ever-growing content formats and of course, content creators, the pool is really wide. But what is common in most, if not every, content creator? Mistakes. Those are inevitable. But don’t worry, we are bringing you a handy rule of five. These are the five common mistakes content creators make. And don’t worry, we are even telling you how to avoid them.
1. Quantity over quality
Less is more. One extremely common mistake content creators make is choosing the quantity route over quality, of course. Yes, creating regular content is key to keeping the engagement high. But people will definitely choose to stay connected with you if you have a value add in their lives. And my fren, value-adding is impossible when you are bulk producing content. It only comes with thoughtful, well-curated, well-researched content.
You can kiss engagement goodbye if you are posting back to back in a day. That will be borderline annoying to your followers and over time you will lose people.
How to avoid? Keep a posting schedule you adhere to. It doesn’t have to be 5 posts a day. You can create an impact with just one or two quality videos or blogs a week too. Given that you are putting forth work that is high on quality.
2. Bad Grammar and typos
No, we are not talking strictly about English being the language of communication. It can actually be any xyz language. But if it is riddled with bad grammar and typos, your audience will lose interest in the content you have to offer. And let’s face it, it reflects badly on you as a brand. Typos are still something that people can slide past, but bad grammar is your first step towards a downward spiral. Speak or communicate in any language, but do so with authenticity and respect for the language.
How to avoid? Proofread your content thrice before posting. Use tools like Grammarly or Spellcheck. These will definitely refine your work and add credibility to your work.
3. Focusing on you and not your audience
Nobody likes an obnoxious, self-absorbent person. And a creator who gabs about himself/herself/themself is a dampener in the eyes of the audience. One of the most common mistakes content creators can make is being arrogant and only creating content about themselves or talking at length about them. Why should a third person consume content that is not going to help in any way? Of course, this is not in regard to a success story or inspirational one. It is in general, that the tonality is very “me” centric when it should be ideally “we” centric.
How to avoid? People adore and value the most are traits like humility, honesty and relatability. Plus, when someone takes out time from their lives, it is to learn something or have a key takeaway. As a creator, you should always think of ways in which you can keep your audiences hooked by offering them something that no other creator is offering. Be unique, humble and considerate. You can even ask them questions and for suggestions and curate content based on that.
4. Lack of visual appeal
It is proven that the brain registers attractive images, graphics and aesthetics play a huge role in your content’s shelf life and the way your audience interacts with it. Another very common mistake creators make while producing or writing content is a lack of visual appeal. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and think for a second: Will you engage with a strong wall of text? Or will you enjoy consuming carefully and well-crafted text that has attractive images or/and well-shot videos?
How to avoid? It is simple. Use images to break text. Make videos with pleasing and alluring objects. And picture quality and video quality should definitely be good. We are not saying you have to always use a DSLR or some fancy camera, but in the smartphone age, a good phone camera will take you a long way. You can also use simple design tools like Canva to make your feed/text/video look better.
5. Not knowing how to market
Okay, this one is for online course creators especially. If you want a wider reach and more people to engage with you and sign up for your offering, Facebook Ads alone will not help. You have to be smart when marketing your offering. Good marketing will surely help you reap a lot of conversions But a bad one, will be just bad for your wallet and pave way for disappointment.
How to avoid? Knowing the proper tools and channels for communication and the right messaging will yield you better returns. And of course, we, at TagMango, are here to help you market it better. Come join us and monetise your skill better. We are here to offer you exceptional support and make your offering better in every possible way.
The top mantra for 2022 is content creation. Just create with all your heart and soul. And avoid these common mistakes content creators tend to make. Happy Creating to you!
Written by Rachna Srivastava
