Posted oktober 02
6 things marketers are bored of you saying
🚨 Trigger warning: Marketers, start your deep breaths now — here's how to handle those infuriating conversations.
Leah Messenger
Content Marketing Manager, Optimizely
"Content is King". Hands up if you've heard that phrase before (cue: a Mexican wave of marketers).
However — and this is a BIG however — how many people that say or type out these three words actually back the claim? How many really see how important and bada$$ good content really is?
Hint: Not any of the people that utter anything like the statements below.
6 things marketers are sick of hearing
-
"Just get ChatGPT to do it"
Right, let's be really honest here. AI has been revolutionary to marketing — we're not ever going to take away from that fact. It's fast (sadly, quite a lot faster), cost-efficient, and scalable.
BUT. In a fight between human content and AI content, human-generated content comes out on top. Here's why:- It's entirely unique
- It's higher-quality
- It's more creative and emotive
- It can be personalized
- It understands your brand more than a robot could ever
So, don't let AI naivety (or should we say 'nAIvety') get in the way of your quality content — and NO, we will not be publishing 150 blogs a day now we've got AI integrated into our CMS.
Absolutely use AI to speed up the production process, but please — we beg — don't forget to use very good prompts and your own very good editing. Check out our handy AI playbook for marketers for more top tips. -
"No need for a strategy, let's just listen out for what execs say"
Reactive marketing has no clear strategy and... no strategy = no real results.
Waiting out to hear what C-suite are currently (and may we say, often temporarily) fixated on isn't just a poor substitute for a strategy, it's the opposite of smart marketing.
If your marketing team isn't working towards a cohesive marketing strategy and clear goals, you've got some serious work to do.
Relying solely on executive whims only leads to:- Inconsistent messaging (one of the main brand messaging mistakes)
- Wasted resources on short-lived initiatives
- Lack of long-term brand building
- Problems in measuring true impact
Pssst... spot the warning signs of a broken, unaligned marketing team early here. -
"I'll just do it myself"
*Pause for internal scream of absolute horror*
Now breathe. No one has ever been able to skip this one. Hearing something like this is essentially part of the marketing job spec... and so is redoing any work that comes out of it.- Because you can put a sentence together, doesn't mean you're a writer.
- Because you can use Canva, doesn't make you a designer.
- Because you just nailed a TikTok transition, doesn't make you a video editor.
What you do need to do is be respectful of people's time, be realistic in terms of priorities and deadlines, and provide all the content and context they might need to make the job a breeze. -
"You should probably major in business"
If you've ever heard that your passion for crafting quality, engaging, and genuinely enjoyable content isn't enough, we're here to give you the validation you need.
Those naysayers? They're so wrong.
The world will always need storytellers and wordsmiths. Your ability to weave words into compelling narratives isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a superpower in the realm of marketing.
Think about it:- Tasked with telling Craig David there are actually 8 days in a week? A creative wordsmith could craft a narrative SO convincing, he might rewrite that song.
- Need to sell a tractor in New York City? A skilled marketer can paint a picture of urban farming that makes even high-rise dwellers want to get their hands dirty.
The point is, marketers are masters of persuasion and conversion. They can take any challenge thrown their way and transform it into an opportunity to connect, engage and inspire action. No jargon necessary. -
"Where is the product selling in this?"
Here's the truth: great marketing isn't always about explicit product selling. Instead, marketing is about playing the long game. You know:- Building relationships
- Establishing trust
- Positioning your brand as a thought leader
- Offering genuine value for your audience
Not everything needs to be a sales pitch. Focus on creating value and addressing your audience's varied needs, interests and pain points.. When it's time to make a purchase, guess who they'll remember most? -
"Can you make this go viral?"
Welcome to Eye Twitch City — for real, if we had a dollar for every time we heard this, we'd be able to fund a more viral marketing campaign than Super Bowl ever has delivered.
'Going viral' isn't a switch we can just flip. It's never guaranteed, no matter how extraordinary the content is. Harsh truths, we know.
What we CAN do:- Create high-quality, engaging content
- Understand and cater to our audiences
- Optimize for shareability
- Make the most of trends and timely topics
- Distribute content strategically
But here's the thing: Viral doesn't always equal valuable. A cat video might get millions of views, but does it drive conversions? Unlikely.
Chasing virality isn't the best use of your time. Instead, focus on:- Consistent, quality content that resonates with your audience
- Building a loyal community around your brand
- Creating content that aligns with your business goals
- Measuring success through meaningful metrics (not just views)
That's enough deep breaths for today
If you've made it this far, we've got two things to say to you:
- Don't let silly requests and suggestions get you down — you're doing amazing, sweetie.
- If any of those phrases have passed your lips, you have to get "content is king" tattooed on your forehead. Thems the rules. 🤷