Here’s Why You Keep Giving up on Your Content Marketing Strategy

Plus 5 Tips to Pick a Strategy That Actually Works

Can’t seem to stick with a marketing strategy that actually works?

I’ve been there.

I thought I was gonna do Instagram. I did. For a hot minute. Then I stopped.

I don’t like yapping at a camera by myself, so I thought maybe I should try other types of videos that don’t feature my face and my voice. I did a total of one.

I read somewhere how successful slideshows can be. I gave ‘em a try a few times. I haven’t done one in months.

Maybe you’ve done the same thing with a blog or an email newsletter. A few tries in and you have thrown in the towel.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting. You should experiment! But at some point, you have to commit. That’s because….

All successful marketing strategies have this one simple thing in common

That one simple thing is CONSISTENCY.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re on LinkedIn, you’re making YouTube videos, or you’re posting articles. You have to do it over and over AND OVER again.

You gotta give people a chance to find your content. You gotta give SEO a chance to build over time.

And yet, so many people (myself included) give up before they even get going.

So, the question is, why aren’t you willing to do a single strategy over and over again?

Because YOU PICKED THE WRONG STRATEGY.

Not wrong in the sense that one is better or worse than another, although there are professional marketers out there who will argue that this or that type of content marketing is superior to all others. Instead, it’s wrong simply because YOU HATE IT.

I did one video because I hated editing the video. Making slideshows didn’t bring me even a sliver of joy, so I eventually got to a point where I just couldn’t bring myself to make them anymore.

Did I feel guilty about not making videos or slideshows? Heck yeah I did! That’s because I got caught up in all the advice about what I’m SUPPOSED to do. Since I wasn’t doing it the way I was SUPPOSED to, I felt like a turd. And the more pressure I felt, the less I felt like doing it.

If you can’t seem to stick with a content marketing strategy that actually works, you’re getting stuck on all the things you’re SUPPOSED to do too.

I know it’s hard to believe, but you don’t have to hate content marketing. Do a little soul-searching and you can find a strategy that you actually enjoy doing. That way you can keep doing it and see real returns on all your effort, baby!

The five main components of a content marketing strategy

Although it sounds boring to dive into the five main components of a content marketing strategy, I promise I’ll keep it as interesting as possible, with plenty of opportunities for you to take some notes and think critically about what YOU want.

Here we go!

What you’re going to say

The very first thing you should think about is what you’re going to say.

Not what social media platform you’re going to use.

Not how often you’re supposed to send out an email newsletter.

Not what kind of infographic you’re going to put with your article.

The very first thing has to be what you’re going to talk about if you want your content marketing strategy to stick.

Don’t get hung up on “messaging” or what you think you’re SUPPOSED to say. There’s a lot of advice out there about how a “good” post is supposed to end with a reminder about a service you offer or how an article is supposed to provide real value or whatever. It’s all advice you don’t have to follow.

What you’re going to say doesn’t have to be serious or “important” either. Another way of thinking about this is WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SHARE. What speaks to your heart? What do you spend a lot of time thinking about? What topics do you WISH you could talk about more often?

No matter what it is that you decide you’re going to say, it needs to bring you joy to say it. Good content marketing can get repetitive, so it’s hugely helpful to find things to share that bring you joy. That will encourage you to keep saying it over and over again.

How you’re going to say it

Now that you know WHAT you’re going to say, you can start thinking about HOW you’re going to say it. This was the hardest part for me, and it’s probably the hardest part for you, even though you might not realize it.

All you have to do is answer this question:

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you when sharing content online?

Anything under a 7 means you haven’t spent enough time thinking about how you want to sound.

What kind of words do you want to use? What kind of words do you want to avoid? Do you want to sound super profesh or relatable? Do you like the idea of being funny, or clever, or do you want to sound like the embodiment of a warm hug?

I avoided doing any kind of content marketing online for 10 years. A whole decade, you guys! And that’s mostly because I couldn’t find my voice. Every time I thought about posting something somewhere, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was a 1 out of 10 on the confidence scale.

But then I started helping my clients build a unique voice with a messaging and brand voice strategy. I created a Content Key system to create an authentic expression of that business’s unique spirit. In doing so, I couldn’t NOT think critically about my own voice.

I learned that I don’t want to do a lot of cussing. I like incomplete sentences and using surprising words. I like to use “gonna” and “ain’t.”

You have to think about the type of format you want to use too.

Are you a visual person and like making slideshows? Maybe you could yap for hours? Or maybe you like tipity-typing your thoughts as they come to you?

When you start making some decisions about how you want to sound, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to show up consistently.

Where you’re going to say it

Only once you’ve figured out WHAT you want to say and HOW you’re going to say it are you ready to make some decisions about WHERE you’re going to say it.

Don’t get hung up on what you’re SUPPOSED to do here either. It’s much better to choose one or two places to share your voice than it is to try and do it all, especially if you’re a solopreneur. You’ll be amazed at how much more enjoyable content marketing is if you go all in on one or two platforms instead of spreading yourself thin over all of them.

But how do you decide which one is right for you?

Let what you want to say and how you want to say it be your guide.

Do you have short bursts of wisdom to share? A platform like Threads or X might be a good place to start. If you like creating visual content, Instagram or Pinterest could be great. You can’t beat YouTube if you like making videos.

I think it’s extremely important to choose a platform that you actually LIKE. You aren’t going to feel good about showing up consistently on X if you can’t stand Elon Musk’s shenanigans or on Instagram if you hate Meta’s stranglehold on social media.

That being said, you can also think about where your ideal clients like to hang out. For example, wedding industry folks should definitely consider Pinterest, while those looking for professional connections should try LinkedIn.

This doesn’t just include social media either. Believe it or not, but it’s possible to build your business without it. Maybe you want to share your thoughts on a blog, in an email newsletter, or through eBooks.

How often you’re going to say it

Now, take a deep breath with me. Close your eyes and center yourself. Get in a place where you can access your inner knowing. This next step is all about what YOU want. Not what the algorithms or marketing experts tell you.

Okay. Now. How often do you want to do content marketing stuff?

Sometimes it’s easier to start with what you DON’T want. For example, I REALLY don’t want to post every day. I don’t want to do marketing stuff every day either. And you know what? I don’t have to! Screw the algorithm! I’ve got a life to live and actual existing clients to serve. I’m not interested in hustling, grinding, and participating in the content marketing rat race.

I usually post once a week on LinkedIn. I’m in the process of trying to get at least one new blog post up on my website every month. I’m in the process of publishing content under my own name on other topics I feel passionate about WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT.

It’s about finding a schedule that you can actually stick to, and more importantly, that you actually enjoy. If you’re making yourself post every day even though you don’t want to, that negative energy is going to seep into your content. Your readers are going to pick up on it, and you’re eventually going to give up. If you joyfully post according to a schedule that works for you, your readers will subconsciously pick up on that joy, and you’re more likely to keep doing it for the long haul.

Analyzing analytics

The last piece is the numbers. How much engagement does your post get? How many people read your latest blog? How many email subscribers do you have?

Intellectually, I understand how important analytics can be, but there’s just something about getting hung up on external validation that makes me shrivel up.

Because reaching just 10 people is more powerful than reaching 1,000 when you reach the RIGHT 10 people. That’s especially true if you’re a solopreneur, an extremely small business, or heaven forbid, you aren’t interested in scaling.

You never want your analytics to trump your message. Because the way I see it, you have two choices.

The first is bending your message to increase your analytics. That means writing “clickable” headlines and creating combative content, even though those are things you might not want to do. You end up dreading the process of creating content and marketing your business, and eventually you end up hating the business itself because you’re attracting people who vibe with a message that isn’t even yours.

The second is to show up as your authentic self without worrying about the numbers. It’s true that your business may end up being smaller than you might have dreamed of. Or maybe you skyrocket in popularity after 10 years of consistent marketing. Or, it’s possible that it doesn’t work out at all. But I would rather end my business than keep limping along with one that forces me to contort my message in order to get more clicks.

Here's what I’m really trying to say:

Hate keeping track of analytics? Don’t. Keep pushing your message out there anyway.

Like digging into the numbers? Go for it! Just don’t let them make you second guess your voice.

Pick a Content Marketing Strategy That Aligns With Your Message and Stick To It

Most people tackle their content marketing strategy backwards. They think about where they’re going to publish their content, how often they’re going to post, and how well their content is performing.

If you want a content marketing strategy you will actually stick to, you have to start with your message and voice FIRST. Then you can show up consistently and authentically. But most importantly, when you start with your message and your voice, you can show up online JOYFULLY. And I think we could all use a little bit more joy in our lives.