NBS #19: 3 Content Marketing Mistakes Costing You Clients (And How to Fix Them Today)

You already know content marketing is the best way to generate clients for your lifestyle business.

But there are 3 content marketing mistakes that are costing you clients, and you don’t even know it…

So in today’s post, I am sharing with you what helped me transform my own content, as well as generate millions of dollars in new business for my clients.

These are the 3 content marketing mistakes that are costing you clients:

1. Using too much jargon and technical language
2. Writing for an audience and not for an individual
3. Trying to always create entirely new content

But it’s not enough to know what the content marketing mistakes are.

You also need to know how to fix them. Which is exactly what I’m going to share with you today. Because I want you to confidently -and consistently- put out great content and get more clients.

Let’s dive in!

You’re creating for your potential clients, not for your peers.

When I first began creating content online, I was too concerned about what my peers would think about it.

This made me create articles and videos full of jargon, technicalities, and hard-to-grasp concepts in an effort to sound “professional”. Unfortunately, this meant none of our potential patients felt like the information was meant for them. And when you find something online that does not feel like it’s meant for you, you scroll to the next thing.

Which is exactly what ended up happening with every piece of content I created. And perhaps it’s also what’s happening to you with your content.

This is perhaps the most common of all the content marketing mistakes I see experts make. So here are 5 tips to avoid it moving forward:

Tip #1: Talk to just one person

Stop using third-person language like “hey guys”, “for all of you listening/watching”, “y’all”, etc.

While you might be creating content for an “audience”, every person consuming it is doing so as an individual. So by utilizing group language, you’re immediately distancing yourself from them.

On the other hand, when you use a second-person pronouns in your content, you’re immediately bringing the reader (or viewer) closer to you.

Tip #2: Create for a specific person

To take tip #1 to the next level, I like to picture my ideal client whenever I write a piece of content.

In fact, when I write an email, I start by writing her name at the top of the email to remind me I’m writing it for her. Specifically.

This not only makes it near impossible for me to use third-person language, but it also keeps me from going too far into the details she likely won’t care about. Which brings me to…

Tip #3: Aim for 6th grade level writing (and speaking)

This is the hardest for most of my clients…

They think it’s being disrespectful to their audiences if they “dumb down” their language. But the truth is we’re all inherently lazy. And easy-to-consume content is, well… easier to consume. It’s like choosing a novel by Nora Roberts instead of one by Jane Austen to take with you to the pool.

So if you want your ideal clients to consume your content, make it easy to consume.¹

Tip #4: Make your content as to-the-point as possible

There certainly is a place and time for deep dives, but it’s often not in your top of funnel content.

Meaning, if you’re creating content with the goal of growing an audience, you’re better off getting to the point quickly.

Tip #5: Repost and repurpose often

It’s normal to feel like you’ve said everything there is to be said about your field just a few weeks in your content-creation journey.

Which means it’s time to repost some of your original content. Feel free to tweak it a little, add some context, put in new links, but don’t feel like you need to create an entirely original piece every time you hit post.

In fact, you shouldn’t. As your audience grows, your original followers will never have seen those first posts. And even your OGs will appreciate the refresher.

When in doubt keep in mind: “nobody remembers your content like you remember your content.”

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That’s it!

As always, thanks for reading.

Hit me up on X or LinkedIn and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I’d love to hear from you!

And if you’d like to get my views on your content, book a call and let’s turn your content into a client-making machine.

See you next Saturday,

🤟🏻 Dr E

1. This is specially true the “colder” the audience is. As they get to know you better, you’ll be able to go deeper and more complex with your content. ↩︎