The 3 Types of Content You Should Stop Publishing Immediately Your customers can tell when content is generic or repackaged. So, cut the crap, and watch your business flourish.

By Neil Patel Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200!

Related: 6 Small Differences Between Average Content Strategy and Genius Strategy

Instead, rethink your content strategy, and start collecting $2,000 instead. I have been in the content marketing and online business game for a while. And in that time, I have learned what works.

But more importantly, I have learned what doesn't work.

Odds are, if your content marketing has been stagnant for a while, you are publishing at least one of the following three types of articles described below on a regular basis. So, consider this list your "Get out of jail free" card. It's designed to help you stop making the same critical errors that many BIZ Experiencess are making.

By simply changing the type of content you are writing, you can massively improve your company's image, authority, and ultimately, revenue. So let's get to it.

1. Generic content

The first big mistake that I find many BIZ Experiencess make is that they publish generic, cookie-cutter content. This can take on a number of different forms.Many online marketers like to publish overly broad articles that don't really offer anything valuable or actionable for their audience.

Some examples of this would be:

  • What is content marketing?
  • How to lose weight (offering nothing other than "eat less, exercise more")
  • What you should pack for your round-the-world rrip

There are many such examples. All have already have been written by 20 billion other people.

The other type of generic content is content (good or bad) that has basically just been repurposed from older content. Whether you are simply recycling your ideas or rewording content from other influencers, this is almost always a bad idea. The reason: People can tell when content has been repackaged. It turns them off and reduces their trust in you and your brand.

2. Filler content

Do you know what is even worse than generic content? Content created purely to fill space.

Instead, every article that you write should have a definite purpose. This might be to promote a new product, inform your audience about a certain topic or provide a comprehensive guide on a certain subject.

"Filler" content, however, has no place in your editorial calendar. If you are writing articles just to fill up space on your website, stop! It's better to publish one article a week that is truly incredible than 10 articles that are fluff and filler.

Related: 7 Content Marketing Tips for New BIZ Experiencess

It's also far more valuable to publish one super-actionable tip than those content marketing-hack "listicles" we've read 100 times. Want to avoid this fate? Before writing an article, ask yourself:

  • What is my goal with this article? (Inform, entertain, promote)
  • Whom am I writing this article for?
  • What value can I provide in this article?
  • What problem can I solve with this article?

If you cannot easily answer these questions for an article that you have written, don't publish it. Period.

3. Super-short content

Don't publish short content. Get the point?

Short content can work for very specific audiences and with very specific marketers. But, odds are, if you are reading this article, you are not one of them. And neither am I.

When people click on an article, they do it because they are interested in what you have to say. And if you are writing only 300 to 500 words on a topic, you are selling your audience and yourself short.

Your audience members want you to dive into detail in your articles. They want specifics, they want stories and examples; and they want an actionable guide.

Let's consider the example of an article about Facebook marketing. Imagine if I wrote such an article for one of my sites with content like this: "Make sure your ads contain red and blue. Post during the afternoon. Use faces in your ads. Include your value proposition in your ad."

And that was it . . .

Do you think that I would have half the following I have today if that was my content? Heck no!

You too need to invest the time in writing long-tail content that your audience can genuinely benefit from. You will build trust, establish yourself as an authority and have more time to build rapport with your audience.

So, forget the short content.

Conclusion

Creating great content is not an easy task. It requires that you understand the types of content your readers want and the kinds of content they don't. It requires an in-depth knowledge of your specific field and a unique voice that has something meaningful to say. And it requires you to be willing to invest hours and hours researching and writing the best content possible.

None of those things are easy. But they are all worth it.

If you can remove the three types of content mentioned above from your editorial calendar, your business will transform before your eyes. Industry influencers will respect you more.Your customers will become more engaged.

Related: 9 Things About Content Marketing You Can't Get Wrong and Succeed

And you will increase your sales at a rapid pace. So cut the crap and watch your business flourish.

Neil Patel

Co-founder of NP Digital

Neil Patel is the co-founder of NP Digital. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and BIZ Experiences Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. Neil is a New York Times bestselling author and was recognized as a top 100 BIZ Experiences under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 BIZ Experiences under the age of 35 by the United Nations.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business News

Mars Says 94% of Its Products Sold in the U.S. are Now Made There, Too

The candy-maker has created 9,000 jobs over the last five years with its investments, according to a new report.

Leadership

How Business Leaders Can Uphold the Ideals America Was Founded On

As America's 250th anniversary approaches, business leaders are called to help reclaim the values that once defined the nation.

Thought Leaders

Want to Be a Trusted Thought Leader? Use this Psychology Bias to Your Advantage

The most influential thought leaders aren't just smart — they're memorable. Here's how to harness the psychology of perception to amplify the impact of your content.

Management

Annual Workforce Planning Is Broken. Here's the Smarter, Real-Time Alternative

By taking a continuous approach to workforce planning, companies can match their people with business goals and changing economic conditions.