If you’re committing these content marketing don’ts, you could be turning off clients and prospects instead of attracting them.

As a marketer, your job is to attract customers and prospects — so the last thing you want to do is misfire and scare people away. Yet, only a third of content marketers rate their content marketing strategy as extremely or very effective. You want — and need — to be a voice that steers a company through our ever-changing times. But even with the best intentions, you might be approaching your customers with the wrong tone, and that can cost you.

We’ve got just the plan to make sure your content is in check with what customers want. Here is our list of content marketing don’ts — our top four offenders that scare away customers.

4 content marketing don’ts

1) Don’t be generic.

Understand your audience and what makes them click. Clients want to feel special and understood in a subtle way. If a message isn’t personable and personalized, you run the risk of running customers off and disengaging them.

Create content that is audience-focused, honing in on what your audience wants to read, not what you want to tell them. Do your research and position your content marketing strategy to focus on customer and prospect needs, not yours.

2) Don’t try to sell, sell, sell.

Trying to pass your sales pitch off as content will only hurt your content marketing efforts. Readers view content that isn’t sincere, informative, or authentic as disingenuous, and they’ll quickly turn away.

The same goes for content that’s filled with excessive keywords and multiple links meant to boost SEO results. Everything should be done in moderation so the customer — and search engines — aren’t turned off.

Don’t expect your content marketing strategy to result immediately in increased dollars. Building rapport takes time with an often-delayed payout.

3) Don’t sacrifice quality.

If your content is shoddy and low quality, your clients and prospects won’t bother with it. By and large, your customers value quality, consuming content that offers value and is relevant to their lines of business.

Rather than multiple low-quality postings, stellar content that stands out and teaches readers something will go a long way. And adding a variety of media (e.g., photos, videos, slides) to posts contributes to their value and boosts credibility. Including a well-done graphic or pulling out an especially relevant quote from an expert makes each piece of content pop.

4) Don’t go unplanned.

Ensure your content is relevant by documenting a strategy, following it, and adjusting it as needed. An editorial calendar is a great place to start. (See below for a free editorial calendar template!)

Brainstorm ideas for content with colleagues and clients. Document your goals and methods and create a plan for attaining them, giving your marketing plan organizational clarity. Consistency is king — haphazard content marketing won’t get you anywhere.

Related posts:

• Don’t Stop Content Marketing in Your Slow Season
• 10 Reasons No One is Reading Your Content
• Want More Leads? Write Better Content
• 4 Reasons Not to Give Up on Content Marketing