How to Make Sure Your Content Doesn't Annoy Everyone (and Actually Adds Value)

Content is everywhere. Scroll through social media, open an email, or browse a website, and it's all vying for your attention. But here's the kicker—most of it is trying too hard. Too much content out there isn’t helping anyone, and if you’re having a hard time finding content you want then it gets pretty annoying quickly.

When content crosses into the land of “annoying,” it’s usually because it’s committing one of these cardinal sins:

• Overly Promotional Tone: If every post is a thinly veiled ad, people tune out fast.

• Clickbait Headlines with Underwhelming Content: "This one secret will change your life!" And then… nothing happens. 

• Spamming Feeds with Too Many Posts: Yes, regular posting is good, but not if it’s every hour.

• Irrelevant Content: If you’re selling home decor but posting memes about quantum physics, you’re probably losing people.

• No Takeaways: If people leave your content feeling, “So what?” they’ll probably skip you next time.

• Ignoring Feedback: If your audience is telling you what they want and you’re not listening, well, that’s a missed opportunity.

So, what’s the solution? It’s creating content that truly helps people, builds trust, and leaves them feeling like they got something out of it.

Put simply, it’s about adding real value to your audience.

That is not a new theory, but what does it mean and how do you do it through content? 

Let’s break it down.

Set the Right Balance: Keep Sales Content Under 20%

Imagine you’re talking to a friend. If all you ever did was push your agenda, that friend would probably stop answering your calls. Content works the same way—overloading people with sales pitches makes them tune out.

When I was jumping into my content strategy, I was encouraged to keep sales content under 20%, and I found this to be an incredible best practice. Keeping direct sales content under 20% keeps your audience engaged without making them feel like they’re being targeted.

I truly believe that my sales-related posts were more effective because I limited the number of them. 

Let me give you an example of the wrong way of doing this. I had a D2C e-comm brand tell me that they were disappointed in the person who was running their social media. When I went to audit their profile I immediately knew why. It was almost exclusively sales graphics. I kid you not, I counted 8 Father’s Day Sale graphics posted almost back-to-back. Needless to say, they said sales were a trickle at best, and that they haven’t seen much audience growth. 

Please don’t get me wrong. For startups and ecommerce brands, the ultimate goal of a content strategy is to increase revenue. However, how you do that is very important. 

One of my favorite current examples of a brand that limits their sales posts is GoPro. They rarely post a direct sales post, but instead typically relegate any sales info to the caption. Recently, when they announced their new product with the option to pre-order, it got more likes than their average post by a multiple!  

Tip: Regularly audit your content mix for this balance. A simple rule? If you’re posting once a day, keep it to one sales-related post a week. That keeps you in the friend zone, not the telemarketer zone. 

Need help getting out of the sales posts? Take a look at my recent blog post that gives 12 Types of Content that you can try out.  

Avoid the Preachy Tone: Relate Instead of Lecturing

We’ve all read that article or watched that video where the author talks at us rather than to us. It feels less like helpful advice and more like a scolding. Typically we see this from controversial people who are literally trying to brand themselves that way. Let them keep that strategy for themselves and aim to position your brand as someone who is in the corner of your audience.

It’s helpful to think of ourselves as mentors, not managers. Here’s the difference:

Manager: “You need to fix this!”

Mentor: “Let me tell you how I tackled a similar problem and what I learned, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes.”

People appreciate a relatable tone, and they really appreciate when we take the time to engage with them. Imagine we’re having a two-way conversation with our audience rather than delivering a monologue. So rather than posting and watching the likes and comments roll in, let’s get in the comments and start talking with people! This approach fosters trust, engagement, and a sense of equality.

Tip: Encourage feedback to keep things conversational. Every comment, DM, or email is a chance to make the conversation richer and more personal. Let’s not be those who “post and ghost” as some would say.

Focus on Value Over Virality: Don't Chase Short-Term Wins

We all get tempted by the lure of viral content. But here’s the truth: going viral doesn’t always mean going valuable. Sometimes, viral content attracts the wrong crowd or people who are just there for the quick hit, not the long-term value that our businesses are trying to offer.

I have some experience with going viral. Not gonna lie… it’s fun. I single handedly built a TikTok following of over 140,000 followers in four months. I had many videos that got millions of views, however there was one that really blew up. It got 63m views, 3.4m likes, and had over 100k comments. Within a week it had added ~100k followers.

Yes, there was value to this. However, I found that the average follower that was in my first 40k followers that I built over the first few months was way more valuable to me than the 100k I got from that one post. Why? The masses wanted another video like my viral one, whereas my existing audience wanted the value my startup was actually trying to deliver. Said another way, there wasn’t as much alignment between the masses and what we were offering. And that’s not a bad thing to admit!

Would I undo the viral post? Absolutely not. I learned a ton from it and we definitely saw registrations for our product jump dramatically among other benefits.

But here’s what I would say: focus on adding value, not going viral. And if you go viral, find a way to capitalize on it by introducing your new followers to what your business does before they disengage. 

Focus on creating meaningful content that builds a loyal following over time. Remember who you’re making content for and make sure it’s valuable to them. Viral fame is temporary; a loyal, engaged audience? Priceless.

Tip: Use audience personas to stay on track. Ask yourself, “Who is this content for?” If the answer is more about clicks than people, it’s time to rethink.

Play the Long Game: Patience and Trusting the Process

When it comes to content, patience really is a virtue. Brands that have built loyal followings didn’t do it overnight—they invested in quality content, consistently, over time. Think of it as planting seeds; it takes time to grow a thriving garden.

I’ve found it very helpful to drop expectations to zero for a few months, or until audience growth and engagement proves you wrong. Tell yourself that you are going to post regularly for 3-6 months regardless of the lack of engagement of those early posts! The harsh truth is that the first posts might not be that great, but that is okay! 

I’m literally experiencing this right now on LinkedIn as I distribute content about content strategy! LinkedIn wants posts structured a certain way, and it is WAY different than other platforms. I’m studying other successful accounts, testing things for myself, and iterating in real time.

Bottom line: Give yourself some time to get halfway decent, and then before you know it you’ll start seeing that audience growing and engaging more. 

Tip: Set realistic goals. Instead of focusing on conversions right away, focus on engagement and building trust. These are the things that build a brand’s reputation and keep people coming back.

Listen and Adapt: Use Feedback Loops to Keep Content Fresh

One thing I love about a growing audience is that it becomes its own content flywheel. The more you post, the more engagement you should receive. The more engagement you receive, the more ideas about content you get! That’s one of the ways that content creation begins to get easier.

But what do you do when you see engagement flatline, or worse, decrease? This may be an indicator that your audience is trying to move on. 

Here’s how we prevent that: Listen to feedback. Plain and simple. Comments and post analytics are goldmines for gauging what’s working and what’s not. 

Let’s say you don’t have a ton of engagement yet… Here are some rapid thoughts:

• Ask some audience members and customers for feedback and give them permission to be blunt with you.

• Reach out to me for a content audit and I’ll review your content and help you make adjustments to hit your goals. You can book a call with me just below.

Tip: Experiment with different formats based on feedback. Don’t be afraid to try new things; audiences appreciate when brands mix it up to keep things interesting (another plug for that blog post about the 12 types of content!).

Be Authentic: Share Real Stories and Unique Perspectives

Authenticity is more than just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of relatable, engaging content. Real stories make a brand human, and people connect with people, not faceless brands. 

Some of my early viral posts were all about lessons I learned from real-world experience, and honestly, some of those lessons were painful! But my goal in sharing those was to try to save people who fit into my ideal customer profile from experiencing the same hardships. It showed my ICP that I was “one of them” and I wasn’t perfect which made my content real, and people appreciated that.

Tip: Use personal anecdotes, customer stories, or behind-the-scenes insights to give your content a unique voice. It’s these moments that will set you apart.

Make Adding Value the Core of Your Content Strategy

At the end of the day, valuable content builds trust, loyalty, and, yes, sales. But to get there, you need to treat your content like a relationship-building tool, not just a sales machine. Take the time to create content that’s actually useful, interesting, and relatable. 

To practice what I preach, I want to ask you for your feedback! Fill out the form below to give me feedback on these blog posts or let me know any topics you want me to cover in future posts!

Thanks for reading and keep creating.