5 Things We’d Never Do as a Content Marketing Agency
And How You Can Avoid Them Too
Looking to hire a content marketing agency or just craving better content marketing tips? Either way, one thing's for sure: it’s not easy finding sources you *actually* trust with the mission-driven brand you’ve poured your heart & hard-earned cash into.
That’s why at Her Content Co., we believe in keeping it real from the get-go, on everything from message building to client expectations to what really works. Whether you're DIYing your content or vetting potential agencies, here are 5 criminally offensive no-nos (and how to avoid them at all costs).
As a Content Marketing Agency, we’d NEVER:
1. Confuse content creation with a content strategy.
The No-No: Creating content just for the sake of posting something. Anything. All because someone told you quantity matters more than quality. Not to drop a bombshell this quickly…but it doesn't.
Why? Random acts of content (with no bigger plan behind it) might look nice on your grid or sound clever in your newsletter, but they won't drive meaningful results. Without a content marketing strategy, you're just adding to the billions of voices on the internet (your audience AND sales will feel the difference).
How To Avoid It: Before creating another piece of content, ask yourself: "What specific business goal does this support?" Want to try it out for your brand?
Mapping your content to the customer journey.
→ Top of Funnel: For visibility and education.
→ Middle: For trust-building and nurturing.
→ Bottom: For conversion and decision-making.
We make sure your content speaks to people at every stage (not just the folks ready to buy).
Building out content pillars you can use over and over. → We identify 3–5 content themes rooted in their unique voice, values, industry, and target audience. This gives structure and flexibility—so you’re never scrambling for what to say next.
Giving every piece of content a job. → Whether it’s to teach, inspire, connect, or convert, we make sure every caption, email, or LinkedIn post has a job (yes, even the trends). No just because here.
2. Treat your brand mission or vision as a background detail.
The No-No: Your brand’s mission is the reason people buy in, buy from you, and buy again. You know it, and so do we. Every piece of content should reflect your bigger why, or at least point toward it.
Why? Your mission is the heartbeat of your business. In the modern marketing era we’re living in, purpose-driven brands outperform their competitors by connecting over their reasons why. Becoming known for what you do and how you do it best? That comes from owning your message consistently and proving it matters.
How to Avoid It: Focus on point of view content. Ask yourself: “What am I doing differently than others in my space? What do I believe about my industry that my audience might not know yet?”
How We Do It At Her Content Co. (And how you can too ↓):
Using your mission as a gut check for messaging. → We don’t bury the mission. We build around it! We pull real examples, frameworks, client wins, and brand philosophies as a filter for your content.
Highlighting your values and beliefs as part of your brand storytelling.→ This turns your content from “tips and tricks” into something meaningful (and memorable).
Mixing in education with opinion. → You don’t have to teach everything for free, but giving people a peek at how you think earns trust fast.
Want a peek of this in action? More internal messaging development and real content examples this way →
3. Lose your voice or let your story get lost.
The No-No: Creating generic content that could belong to any brand in your industry. Yawn.
Why? Your voice is how people feel your brand. When your content lacks personality or depth, it doesn’t just miss the mark—it becomes forgettable (along with what you sell). Your story, perspective, and tone are what build trust and loyalty over time and across platforms.
How to Avoid It: Get specific! If the answer to “Could someone else have written this for a different brand?” is a yes…Sound the alarms! We're calling a content intervention.
How We Do It At Her Content Co. (And how you can too ↓):
Documenting your voice in your own words. → We capture your voice by listening to how you speak, how you think, and how you imagine your brand in the world. We’ve got a fat stack of notes from voice messages and meeting recordings for each client.
Infusing your voice into all brand storytelling → We extract stories from everywhere you’ve got them—in case studies, feedback, your business journey, random 2 a.m. Slack messages—so that your content is always in tune with what’s happening in your brand.
Editing with you, not over you. → We’re here to be creative collaborators, but clients get the final say on everything. Your voice, values, and vibe show up exactly how you want them to (everywhere your content lives).
4. Focus only on one marketing channel (like Instagram)
The No-No: Putting all your content effort into one channel (we’re looking at YOU, Instagram) and assuming that alone will carry your marketing long-term.
Why? Your brand isn’t a single post or platform—it’s a whole dang experience! Different platforms play different roles in your buyer journey. Zeroing in on one channel at a time means you’re missing out on the $compounding$ effect that happens when they’re all in sync.
How To Avoid It: Think about all of the places your audience or customers hang out. Then ask: “How does each channel support the bigger picture?” For example, Instagram is great for visibility, credibility, and connection. While email is a great place to nurture and re-engage buyers.
How We Do It At Her Content Co. (And how you can too ↓):
Helping you see the big picture. → Once you can see how your content works together (across IG, email, blog, LinkedIn, and beyond), you’ll stop guessing which platform “matters most” and start using each one on purpose.
Taking your best ideas and adapting them for multi-channel marketing. → Even if we’re only managing one channel, we’re still peeking at the others. Because great content knows how to play well with (and funnel into) others, even if it’s created specifically for different buying types or awareness levels.
Content repurposing for smarter posting. → If a piece of content performed well on one platform, why not take that idea, reframe it, and see if it hits home on another? Data is our friend on this one!
5. Just tell you what you want to hear
The No-No: Only creating what feels safe, familiar, or trendy. It’s easy to post what you like, or what everyone else seems to be doing, without digging into whether it works for YOUR audience.
Why? Because doing what’s trendy or “on brand” without examining the why behind it won’t cut it long term. When you skip the hard questions, leave analytics as an afterthought, or surround yourself with only “yes” people, your content will flatline eventually. You might feel busy, but you won’t see real results.
How to Avoid It: Mix it up! Experiment! Play around! Don’t just stick to what’s comfy or trending. Instead, try new formats, topics, and angles that still make sense for your brand. Pay attention to how people respond.
How We Do It At Her Content Co. (And how you can too ↓):
Following data-informed strategy. → We don’t guess! We track what’s working across channels, audiences, and formats. Then we use that insight to adjust strategy in real time.
Merging buyer behavior with brand voice. → We blend voice-of-customer research with brand storytelling so your content is more than pretty, it’s persuasive.
Testing, Tweaking, Repeating → Trends shift, algorithms change, and audiences evolve. We build flexibility into your content strategy so we’re always optimizing for what actually works! (You should, too.)
Our favorite way to do this? Content-driven launching!
What Makes a Content Marketing Agency Worth Trusting?
If you're hiring a content marketing agency (or even considering it), don’t just ask, “What do you offer?” Be nosey. Ask hard questions. Let yourself be a little skeptical until proven otherwise.
How do you build a strategy around my goals?
In what ways will my brand’s mission and voice shape the content you create?
How do you measure success—and adjust if something isn’t working?
How do you envision our partnership looking in the long term?
The right content marketing specialists? They’ll be unfazed. They’ll have an answer for it all.
Because it’s not about surface-level words or pretty graphics. It’s about building trust, driving action, and making your content pull its weight (aka hitting those big goals of yours)!
As a female-founded, self-started brand ourselves, we know there’s no bigger bummer than missed-the-mark content that drains morale (and budgets) faster than a fancy take-out matcha habit. That’s why we lead with strategy, speak your language, and stay invested in your mission from start to finish, baby!
Want to know what it’s like to work with a content marketing agency that goes all-in? Come hang out in our world!
