By Kim Leary
The short version
- Most content is written to cover a topic, not to say something. So it ends up saying what everyone else already said.
- The best content ideas are usually already in your team’s heads, in your buyers’ own words.
- Content that says what everyone says gets treated like everyone else’s.
- The fixes most teams reach for make more content, not better content.
- Write down what you believe, once, and build every piece of content from it.
- It starts from what you’ve already decided, not from a blank calendar.
You’re publishing regularly. The articles are well written and on topic. Some even rank. But nobody quotes them, nobody shares them and sales never send them to anyone.
And now there’s a new problem. Your buyers can tell when something was written by AI. Even with a human editing it, people have told us it just never performs as well. Something in the words and the formatting gives it away.
Why it happens
Most content is written to cover a topic, not to say something. So it ends up saying what everyone else already said.
The brief starts from a keyword list or a content calendar. The article answers the question in the most reasonable way. Which is exactly how every competitor, and every AI tool, answers it too.
What’s missing is the part only you can provide: what you believe, what you’d tell a client over coffee, what you’ve seen go wrong and what you’d never do.
Where the opinion comes from
The best content ideas are usually already in your team’s heads, in your buyers’ own words.
When we ran a strategy day with Bis Henderson, a recruitment business with three divisions, we mapped what each audience was stuck on. One sticky note on the wall said “Don’t understand IR35 and need help.”
Those five words became a whole section of their new website, answering the objection before anyone had to pick up the phone. No keyword tool would have phrased it like that. It came from people who hear the question every week.
What it’s costing you
Content that says what everyone says gets treated like everyone else’s.
What doesn’t fix it
The fixes most teams reach for make more content, not better content.
“Publish more often.” More of the same just adds to the noise.
“Let AI write the first draft.” It’ll write the most likely draft. That’s the problem you’re trying to fix.
“Follow the keywords.” Keywords tell you what people ask. They don’t tell you what you think.
“Keep it neutral so nobody’s put off.” Neutral is forgettable. A clear view is what makes the right people get in touch.
What fixes it
Write down what you believe, once, and build every piece of content from it.
This is the heart of how we approach content. If the business has never agreed what it stands for, our brand strategy workshop gets it out of people’s heads and onto paper: who you’re for, what they struggle with and what you’d say to them. From £2,800 + VAT.
Then content and campaigns turns it into content with a point of view: in-depth pieces that answer the questions your buyers actually ask, written from interviews with the people who know the subject, and linked together so search and AI tools see a business that knows its stuff.
What working with us on content looks like
It starts from what you’ve already decided, not from a blank calendar.
- Your positioning picks the topics. Your audiences, their questions and your value pillars decide what gets written. Your Google Analytics and Search Console data show what’s already working, so we build on that instead of guessing.
- We interview the people who know the subject. You’re the expert and we make it read well. Nothing goes out without your sign-off.
- Each cluster answers one decision. One in-depth guide, with the supporting pages linked around it, so each piece makes the others easier to find.
Your team posts it. We write and design the content. Your team shares it, because they’re the ones who can reply properly.
Keep reading
- When your CEO runs everything through ChatGPT
- Most of your content gets used once
- What does AI think your brand looks like?
Questions
Usually because it covers topics without saying anything distinctive. Content built on a clear point of view stands out, gets shared and gets cited by AI tools.
Many marketers tell us it does, even when it’s edited. Buyers increasingly recognise it and scroll past.
Less than most think. One strong, opinionated piece a month that links to the rest beats a high volume of generic posts.
A view your buyers can agree or disagree with, backed by what you’ve seen in real work. If a competitor could publish the same piece with their logo on it, it isn’t leading anything.
You need the decisions, not necessarily a document. If your audiences and messaging are agreed and written down, we work from those. If they aren’t, the strategy workshop takes a day and saves months of vague briefs.
Free resource
Why your positioning still isn’t working. Content needs something to believe in. Four quick tests to check your story is agreed first.
The one thing to do next
Content and campaigns
Content built from what you believe, written from interviews with the people who know the subject, and linked so search and AI tools see a business that knows its stuff.
