Content Marketers: 7 Things You Will Never Regret Doing

Being a content marketer these days feels like being one of those game show contestants standing in a wind tunnel trying to grab as many dollar bills as you can—all the while knowing that you’re grasping slim pickings of what’s really available.

It's exhausting. And we deal with it different ways. Some of us panic-try every new AI tool. Some of us freeze up, waiting for clearer direction to emerge.

But there are some things you can do and feel confident in even with all the unknowns. Here's what I'm seeing work with our clients - and none of it requires you to be an AI know-it-all.

1. Don’t Just Refresh Content: Up-Level it

I'm talking about that content audit you've been putting off because it's uncomfortable. You know the one—where you have to admit that half your blog posts sound the same and your product pages read like they were written by a kitchen sink internal committee.

Start here:

• Why is [your brand] writing about this.?
• Is the approach here as current as it could be?
• What would make it even more compelling?
• Does this show we understand our market, or just that we know how to write?
• Can we insert our solution more effectively here without being gross?
• Is it as visually engaging as it could be? Video? Graphics? (And, no, more stock/AI images don't count) 

2. Get Ultra Clear On  Your Product

No more blog posts that are too coy to bring it home to the solution you sell. And by ‘bring it home’ I mean crisp, plain statements.

I'll show you what I mean:

• ❌ BAD: "Our AI-powered platform helps enterprises optimize their workflow efficiency"
• ✅ GOOD: "We help HR teams at 500+ person companies cut onboarding paperwork time from 2 days to 2 hours"

3. Add Real Expertise to Your Content

Interview SMEs instead of trying to be one.

• Get your actual experts talking. Yes, they're busy. Yes, it's hard. Do it anyway.
• Stop making your content writers pretend they're industry veterans. It's painful for everyone (them included!)
• Set up that SME review program you've been avoiding. Even 15 minutes of expert eyes can save you from embarrassing mistakes.
• Record conversations with your product team, customer success, and sales—anyone who talks to customers daily. That's your gold mine.

And once you’ve done all that, get those meaningful bylines on your content too. 

4. Get Obsessive About Adding Data to Your Storytelling

No more weasel words. No more vague claims. Push your org for real numbers. Run your own surveys. Track your own metrics. 

Data and expertise combined are your shield against generic grey goo and AI-generated fluff.

Here's what that looks like:

• ❌ BAD: "Companies see significant improvements in productivity"
• ✅ GOOD: "Our Q1 2025 customer survey showed 82% of users saved 3+ hours per week"

Instead of obsessing about Grammarly-level edits, obsess about hunting for data and baking it into every story you tell. 

5. Make Cool Gadgets

Make your visitors say "holy sh#t, this is useful," and share it. 

We all love these things, share them and yet so few content marketers actually get to make these things. Brainstorm things like:

• Calculators that make people go ‘ahhh, I used to spend hours on this’
• Templates that solve real problems
• Assessment tools that give genuine insights
• Custom GPTs that get to deeper answers

One good tool is often worth many blog posts. Use some of your freelance writer budget for a developer. Make it happen.

6. Rethink Content Distribution

Yes, SEO still matters. A LOT. But, no, it shouldn't be your only plan.

We all became overreliant on a distro channel that turned us into grey-goo fabricators. Let’s break that cycle. Start by asking yourself:

• Where do your best customers actually hang out?
• What channels do you own vs rent?
• How can you build an audience that doesn't disappear when algorithms change?
• What are the common requirements that emerge no matter what the distro channel? (Pst: We’re covering most of them here!)

Then go deep on 2-3 channels instead of shallow on 12. And remember, it’s about where you reach your ICP, not where you maximize eyeballs.

7. *Really* Stand for Something

We get it: You want to be safe. These are fractious times. We’re not talking about being divisive.

Give air to some of those smart, impassioned conversations that happen every day internally at your company.

Things like:

• Here's what's wrong with our industry
• Here's where most solutions fail
• Here's what we believe needs to change

Connect those positions to the product you’ve built, its point of view, who it’s for, who it’s not for.

Yes, some may disagree with you. Good. That means you're saying something worth saying.

The Truth? These Moves May Not Feel Sexy...

But they work.

And better yet, they'll keep working when Google launches another helpful content update and however ‘AI optimization’ evolves.

Yes, most of these require you to fight some battles. You'll need budget. You'll need SME time. You'll need your product team to actually give you data. But that's kind of the point—if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. And they're not.

Start with what you can control. Pick one thing from this list. Build the case for resources. Show some wins. Then move on to the next. Because while everyone else is waiting to see how AI shakes out, you'll be building something that actually stands up.

And, hey: If you're looking at this list thinking "great, but I need help making it happen,” that's literally why we exist! 

Drop me a note here on LinkedIn or through our contact form. We help B2B, B2C and D2C companies turn their content from forgettable to fundamental. No BS. Just solid strategies that work.