Top 5 ways to alienate readers of your content

Part of a series of posts about content marketing

If you want to create compelling content, I suggest that you focus on the reader, drop the big words and remember to tell stories. But if you’d rather alienate people and drive them away from your site, here are some tips for you.

1. Use big words. Never say use or start. Cart out the heavy hitters: utilize and commence. You wouldn’t want to sound human, after all.
2. Pack as much industry jargon into your prose as possible. You can really impress people with your stellar vocabulary.
3. Don’t share stories about people. Stick to publishing dry messages about technology and its myriad features.
4. Write all about you, you, you and not your customers and their needs. Be sure to tell us repeatedly that your company is the “world-class leading provider of single-source solutions of…”
5. Jealously guard your turf. Never link to anyone who could be construed as a competitor in your space. You want to keep all the attention on yourself, right? You wouldn’t want to build a network, would you?

What other tips can you share?

By the way, if you want to get better at creating content, check out this book: Write Like You Talk, Only Better, by my friend Barb Sawyers. Barb can help you write in a natural, flowing way.

Related posts

Copyblogger’s infographic on 22 ways to create compelling content when you don’t have a clue
Content marketing defined
Content marketing for your small business
How to get started with content marketing
Breathing new life into old content

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Visit the Trafalgar Communications website for information about how we can help your organization to tell its story through traditional and new media.

 

Comments

[Barb Sawyers]

I would add:
6.Treat your readers like stakeholders, customer categories, demographic sectors or other objectified groups instead of individual human beings with hearts and minds.
Thanks for the plug about my book, Donna.

[Donna Papacosta]

That's a good addition!
I am happy to plug your book; all communicators should read it.