Whether it’s more clicks, sales, or followers, the common belief is that producing more content will get you there.
But while 60% of marketers produce one or more new pieces of content per day, only 42% of companies consider themselves to be “effective” at B2B content marketing.
This disconnect between volume and effectiveness shows that more isn’t always better.
It’s time to question the “more is better” mantra and look at what really matters.
Quality beats quantity
You might be able to produce a large volume of content, but if it’s not well-crafted, you’re doing more harm than good.
Poorly produced content can tarnish your brand image, reduce your credibility, and even drive potential customers away.
Take, for example, a blog that’s filled with articles riddled with grammatical errors, factual inaccuracies, or poor structure.
Not only will readers lose trust in the information you provide, but search engines like Google will also penalize you, making it harder for people to find you in the first place.
On the flip side, high-quality content can do wonders for your brand and help you stand out from the competition.
55% of successful content marketing strategies focus on making the quality of content better.
Per the CMI, 83% of those who differentiate their content said they do so by producing better quality content than their competitors. Only 30% stand out by making more content.
In fact, better content distribution can help you stand out more than producing more content.
As the number of blogs continues to increase worldwide, customers are searching for more unique insights — but only 41% of bloggers create their content based on original research.
Instead of pumping out content for the sake of filling space, focus on creating content that adds real value.
This could mean:
- Taking the time to research your topics thoroughly
- Hiring skilled content writers or a content marketing agency
- Investing in professional editing services
There’s a flip side to this — more quantity can increase quality over time.
With more swings, you increase your chances of hitting a home run.
The goal is to continually increase the quality of content you increase even as you ramp up velocity, rather than churning out mediocrity fast.
Avoid audience fatigue
Producing too much content doesn’t just dilute its quality; it can also overwhelm your audience.
The concept of “content fatigue” is real and has a tangible impact on how people engage with your brand.
When you bombard your audience with an endless stream of articles, videos, or social media posts, you risk annoying them to the point where they disengage entirely.
Think about your own experiences. How do you feel when your email inbox is flooded with newsletters, or your social media feed is cluttered with promotional posts from the same brand?
Chances are, you either unsubscribe or start ignoring those posts. The same applies to your audience.
Content fatigue doesn’t just lead to decreased engagement; it can also affect your content marketing metrics in a way that’s hard to recover from.
For instance, if people start unsubscribing from your newsletter or unfollowing you on social media, those are lost opportunities that you may never get back.
The key is to find a balance. You want to stay on your audience’s radar without overwhelming them.
This means being strategic about when and how often you post, as well as making sure that each piece of content serves a specific purpose.
Doing this can help you avoid content amnesia.
Content requires resources
Creating content isn’t just about the end-product; it’s also about the resources you invest to get there.
Time, effort, and money are all finite, and how you allocate these resources can make or break your content strategy.
The notion that more content is better can lead you down a path where you’re stretching your resources thin, often for minimal returns.
Consider the labor involved in content creation. Writing, editing, designing, and promoting content all require skilled professionals.
When you aim for quantity, you might find yourself cutting corners, either by reducing the time spent on each piece or by compromising on quality.
This is a risky move that can harm your brand’s credibility in the long run.
Financially, producing more content means higher costs. Whether you’re hiring freelancers, using paid tools, or investing in promotional activities, the expenses add up.
And if the content doesn’t perform well, you’re essentially throwing money down the drain.
Instead of focusing on volume, think about impact.
- What will resonate with your audience?
- What will drive them to take action?
- What will establish you as a thought leader in your field?
Focusing on creating impactful content helps you make better use of your resources and likely see better ROI.
SEO plays a role
Producing a large volume of content without a strategic focus can dilute your SEO efforts. Search engines like Google prioritize high-quality, relevant content.
When you churn out article after article with little regard for quality or relevance, you risk lowering your site’s authority in the eyes of search engines.
Moreover, keyword cannibalization is a real concern when you produce too much content around similar topics.
This means that multiple pages from your own site end up competing against each other for the same keywords, which can confuse search engines and result in lower rankings for all the competing pages.
Instead, focus on creating well-researched, high-quality content that addresses specific questions or problems your audience has.
Use keyword research tools to identify gaps in the market or topics that haven’t been thoroughly covered.
By concentrating your efforts on fewer, more targeted pieces, you’ll stand a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results and attracting more qualified traffic.
Measure what matters
Being able to measure content effectiveness is easier than ever, thanks to analytics. Yet, many people still focus on volume-based content marketing metrics like page views, likes, or shares.
While these metrics can offer some insight, they don’t necessarily reflect the quality or effectiveness of your content.
Rather, look at metrics that gauge engagement and conversion. For instance:
- The average time spent on a page can indicate how engaging your content is.
- Bounce rates can show you if people find your content relevant enough to stay or too lacking to stick around.
- Conversion rates can tell you if your content is persuasive enough to move people to action.
These more telling metrics can help you fine-tune your content strategy to produce pieces that not only attract attention but also drive action.
This is a far more effective use of your resources than simply aiming to produce as much content as possible.
Other things to try
There are other effective ways to engage your audience without overwhelming them with a constant stream of articles or videos.
For example:
- Interactive content like quizzes or polls can offer a more engaging user experience.
- User-generated content, such as customer reviews or testimonials, can provide social proof and build trust.
- Partnerships with other brands or influencers can expand your reach and lend extra credibility to your message.
Each of these alternatives comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks.
- Interactive content can be more engaging but may require more resources to implement.
- User-generated content is authentic but can be hard to control in terms of quality and message.
- Partnerships can be mutually beneficial but require careful planning and alignment of brand values.
However, diversifying your approach helps you create a more effective digital strategy without relying on just content volume.
In sum
As you move forward, think critically about your content strategy. Don’t just focus on how much you’re producing; pay attention to what you’re producing and why.
Measure effectiveness, try different things, and above all, choose quality over quantity.
Your audience — and your bottom line — will thank you.
