Common Content Marketing Mistakes

Updated March 1, 2025

6 Content Marketing Missteps to Avoid

Content marketing is such a broad term that most people have no idea what it means. It is the term for creating written/visual content and sharing it, for a purpose. So for example you may create an article to sell cheese, and sell the article to cheese manufacturers. That’s content marketing. You may create a big diagram full of programming code and pictures, you may put it online and ask people to subscribe to see it. That’s content marketing. You may be a great graphic artist and create a blog template, so you upload it to a template seller who takes a commission when it sells. That’s content marketing.

Don’t be egotistical

This includes within your content and your marketing for your content. When Monet painted something, he didn’t write how great it was in the top corner, with a little picture of him next to it. Advertisers no longer say that their product is the best, because it is too egotistical. Whether you are in the process of creating content or selling it, leave your ego behind. It is okay to be great at what you do, but throw a little modesty into your work and marketing efforts. Self indulgence is not tolerated in the content marketing world.

Don’t be overly opinionated

It is not a bad thing to be overly opinionated, but you push your customer base into a very tight-niche corner. This is because the only ones who will be interested in buying your content will be people who share your opinions. The more opinions you add in, the more you alienate your potential customers. If you do add lots of opinions, you are really going to have to target your potential customers to be sure you are marketing to people who agree with yourself.

Don’t self-promote within the content

Nobody is going to spend money to help you make more money. So, don’t self-promote. Just don’t do it.

Don’t be closed-minded

This is a mistake in the entire content marketing process. If you are creating content with a closed mind and restricted creativity, you are going to struggle to appeal to a wider audience. If you are not prepared to try new things and push the envelope, be prepared to restrict your income.

Don’t be overly focused on sales

Sometimes, when you are selling your content, it will require a certain amount of blatant marketing. But as a rule, you need to concentrate on your content first. Your second priority should be on the role/task/purpose of the content and whom it is supposed to convince. Finally, you need to tailor to the purchasing party (if there is one), which is where the sales process comes into play.

Don’t Push Random Acts of Marketing (RAMS)

The stuffed suits in the business will call any unplanned or unbudgeted marketing RAM. It is an impromptu sales push and is a silly mistake to make. The return on investment is never going to be as high as a marketing campaign/action that is planned and analyzed/evaluated afterwards. They are not worth the risk, but people seem to keep doing them for the possibility of getting a large response through unexpected good luck.

What other content marketing mistakes would you add to this list?