5 Reasons Your Content Is Failing and How to Fix It

Have you ever published content that felt well-written, strategic—even inspired—only to watch it disappear into the void without traction? Or wondered why your competitors’ content sparks conversation and loyalty while yours struggles to connect?

The solution isn’t just better headlines or trendier formats—it’s humanization. 

This article explores five critical reasons marketing content fails today—from lack of self-awareness to poor cultural adaptability—and offers practical, research-backed fixes for each. You’ll explore diagnostic questions, real-world examples, and new mindsets for creating content people will read, share, and respond to.

If you’re a business marketer, strategist, or team leader trying to improve ROI while staying human in an AI world, this guide will help you shift from “what’s wrong?” to “now it’s working.”

Why Humanizing Your Marketing Content Matters

The marketing landscape has fundamentally shifted. We've moved from what content strategist Scott Murray calls the broadcasting era to the relationship era. While traditional marketing relied on one-way communication to captive audiences, today's consumers demand something entirely different.

“Humanizing really, I believe, is the key differentiator today,” explains Murray, author of Undeniably Human Content. “It does evolve content enough to where you can stand out from a lot of stuff that's out there today. Maybe it's AI content, or maybe it's just generic marketing content that people are stuck in.”

The challenge has intensified with the rise of AI-generated content. While artificial intelligence has made content creation faster and easier, it has also flooded the market with generic, impersonal messaging, creating a unique opportunity for marketers who can master the art of humanization.

Beyond standing out in a crowded marketplace, humanized content serves a deeper purpose. Modern consumers, whether in B2B or B2C contexts, are actively seeking authentic connections with brands. A Forrester study from 2018-2019 identified that consumers were already demanding more humanized communication from brands, seeking surprising, caring content that generated genuine emotion.

The study revealed that consumers would definitely engage with brands that demonstrated empathy and included an element of surprise. This surprise factor is crucial because when content talks more like humans rather than advertisements, it catches people off guard in the best possible way.

Humanized content operates on a mutually beneficial framework. Rather than content that simply checks marketing boxes and hopes to hit certain numbers, it focuses on genuinely serving the target audience. The goal shifts from “what do we want to achieve?” to “how can we prove our intent is not just to make money, but to genuinely help them as part of our process?”

#1: A Lack of Self-Awareness: 4 Questions to Break the Pattern in Content Creation

Many marketers and content creators have fallen into unconscious patterns that sabotage their efforts before they even begin.

“We can get stuck in processes that we've been doing,” Murray explains. “Maybe it's a company culture thing, or it's just what our brains have decided. Nope, this is the marketing way. This is how we'll always do it.”

The behavior happens naturally due to human psychology. Just as people can find themselves asking, “Has it already been six years?” when it felt like only two, marketers can remain locked in outdated approaches for extended periods without realizing the landscape has shifted around them.

Another major self-awareness issue is the tendency to copy what others are doing without questioning its effectiveness. Murray points out that many blogs have overlapping structures because creators see how others write blogs and default to the same approach.

“We forget that our consumers have seen all the other examples, more likely, or at least a bunch of them, before we get to our version,” Murray notes. “So we don't have that opportunity to connect with them because we haven't stopped to think, all right, how often have people seen this today?”

Consider the evolution of YouTube thumbnails. For years, creators used shocked faces with open mouths because that's what everyone else did. However, Mr. Beast discovered through testing that shocked faces with closed mouths performed better. This insight might have been missed entirely if he had simply copied the prevailing trend without questioning it.

To break free from these patterns, Murray recommends asking fundamental questions before creating content:

Why are we approaching content this way? This simple question can reveal whether you're operating from strategy or habit. If the answer is “because we've always done it this way” or “I don't know,” it's time to reassess.

What is our intent? Drawing from relationship communication principles found in books like Crucial Conversations, marketers should pause to examine their true motivations. Are you creating content to serve your audience or simply to check off marketing tasks?

If I were in my audience's shoes, would I care about this? This perspective shift is crucial because marketers are capable of creating content at work that they would completely ignore at home. The disconnect between professional creation and personal consumption reveals when content lacks genuine value.

Is this language really going to resonate? Examine whether your messaging sounds like authentic communication or “marketing speak” that might create distance with your audience.

The self-awareness step serves as a quality filter before entering the creation process. By taking time to examine motivations, patterns, and assumptions, marketers can avoid sabotaging their content before it even reaches the audience.

#2: Outdated Communication: 3 Ways to Use Social Media for Two-Way Communication With Consumers

In the past, marketers could rely on one-way communication to captive audiences who had limited options beyond listening and responding.

This approach no longer works because audiences now have infinite choices and shortened attention spans. Modern consumers expect brands to engage in genuine conversation and demonstrate that they're learning from interactions along the way.

Social media provides the perfect framework for transitioning from broadcasting to conversation. Instead of treating platforms like rotating billboards, marketers can create opportunities for meaningful dialog.

Fill-in-the-Blank Posts: Murray recommends using simple engagement techniques like “the most challenging thing for my business right now is ______.” This approach works because it's easy for people to participate, everyone wants to contribute their perspective, and the responses provide valuable insights into audience challenges and needs.

Taking a Stand: Rather than always playing it safe with generic marketing language, brands can share unique perspectives on how they approach solutions. It's perfectly acceptable for people to disagree or create conversation around these positions, as this generates the type of engagement that builds relationships.

Employee Generated Content (EGC): This represents next-level advocacy beyond simply sharing user-generated content. EGC involves team members actively creating conversations, engaging through social listening, and building relationships on behalf of the brand. This approach allows brands to have conversations through real people with faces rather than having a logo constantly respond to interactions.

However, engagement without response defeats the purpose of two-way communication. Failing to respond to meaningful comments sends the wrong message: “Then it looks like the only reason I posted this was so you all would respond, and I get all the visibility. Thank you and good night.”

While you don't need to respond to every comment, meaningful contributions that add value to the conversation deserve acknowledgment and further dialog. The optics of posting engagement-driving content without participating in the resulting conversation can actually damage rather than build relationships.

Murray's colleague Ed Furtado advocates for using social media as a relationship-building funnel. The process begins with commenting on each other's content, progresses to direct message conversations, and eventually develops into email communications. By the time the first email is sent, the recipient already knows your name and recognizes your brand because the relationship was established on social media first.

This sequential approach transforms cold outreach into warm communication because the foundation of trust and recognition has already been established.

#3: Organizational Inflexibility: 3 Ways to Create a Company Culture That Adapts to Changing Consumer Behavior

Even when marketers understand the need for change, company culture often prevents adaptation to new strategies and evolving consumer expectations.

Murray has observed this challenge throughout his career in digital marketing. At his first Social Media Marketing World conference over ten years ago, there was a dedicated session about convincing leadership to implement conference learnings. Remarkably, at Content Marketing World two years ago, a speaker presented on the same topic – helping “content clueless” leadership understand new approaches.

“I think that speaks volumes, doesn't it?” Murray notes. “That even after all the change we've witnessed and how long we've all been immersed in digital marketing, that this is still the thing.”

This persistent challenge becomes even more critical as we witness rapid changes in SEO, AI, attribution, and other marketing fundamentals. Companies need internal cultures that empower team members who attend conferences and maintain growth mindsets to implement beneficial changes.

Murray's experience at Dallas Public Broadcasting illustrates the importance of supportive leadership during periods of experimentation. When asked to transform their failing fundraising drives, Murray implemented comprehensive changes across messaging, content, strategy, talent coaching, and on-air performance. The results were dramatic: record-breaking fundraising totals, drives ending in record time, and positive community feedback.

However, not every conference insight Murray brought back proved successful. Murray was demoralized when one initiative didn't work after a string of wins. His CEO's response proved crucial: “Even the best players in baseball don't bat a thousand year-round.”

This supportive approach created an environment where experimentation was not only allowed but encouraged. The culture empowered Murray to continue learning, testing, and adapting without fear of failure.

Evaluate Past Marketing Advice

The marketing industry itself demonstrates the importance of adaptability. Murray recalls early digital marketing advice that recommended being everywhere on all platforms and posting constantly throughout the day. The industry evolved to recognize that focusing on platforms where your audience actually engages produces better results than spreading thin across all channels.

Similarly, the focus shifted from quantity (thirty blog posts per week) to quality content that truly serves the audience. This evolution in best practices demonstrates why internal cultures must remain flexible enough to embrace beneficial changes as they emerge.

Create Bandwidth for New Ideas

One of the biggest challenges in adopting new approaches is finding bandwidth to implement them alongside existing responsibilities. Murray recommends regularly analyzing activities that no longer matter or provide value.

“Once people get kind of in a pattern of like documenting things in spreadsheets or doing certain kinds of actions, most people stick with that pattern kind of indefinitely, and they just pile it on,” Murray explains.

The solution involves asking, “Is there something we can stop doing so we can make room for something new?” This approach prevents the pattern of continuously adding new requirements without removing outdated ones.

Implement Adaptable Processes

Companies can create adaptability by establishing processes for evaluating and implementing new ideas rather than changing everything they encounter. The goal isn't to adopt every new trend, but to maintain awareness of developments and have systems for testing what might work for your specific situation.

Empower people who monitor industry changes, attend conferences, and maintain learning mindsets to bring insights back to the organization. Most importantly, it requires creating an environment where experiments can fail without punishment, as this psychological safety enables the innovation necessary to stay competitive.

#4: Reliance on Marketing Language: 4 Ways to Use Human Language in Your Copy

This shift from marketing speak to conversational language represents one of the most impactful changes marketers can make.

“We are beginning to find ways to get more comfortable talking more like people instead of the marketing way of speaking,” Murray explains. This transition requires significant adjustment because copywriters have been trained in traditional marketing language for years, and this same language appears everywhere in the marketplace.

The challenge intensifies because consumers have become numb to marketing speak. They've developed psychological defenses against traditional promotional language due to repeated exposure to clickbait, spam, and gated content that promised value but delivered disappointment.

Murray worked with a company that helped colleges promote their online degree programs through social media. The company produced excellent video content featuring real students discussing their experiences, challenges, and the value they received from their MBA programs.

However, the social media copy above these authentic videos undermined their impact. The original copy read: “Are you considering going back to school to enhance your career? Explore our one hundred percent online MBA programs designed for your success.”

Murray identified the problem: “As somebody who has gone after a couple of online degrees here of late, if I read that, I've already decided it's clear this is all about promotion and getting me to sign up. I may not even watch that good piece of content because that copy isn't speaking to me.”

The marketing language sabotaged viewers' opportunity to connect with authentic student stories because the promotional copy set expectations for more promotional content.

Another common example of ineffective marketing language appears in social media posts beginning with “We're thrilled to announce the rollout of our new product line.” Murray points out the immediate disconnect: “They lost me at the word we.”

This language pattern – “we're thrilled to announce this” or “we're thrilled to announce that” – appears constantly across social media but fails to create meaningful connections with audiences.

The Forrester study Murray references emphasized that consumers engage with content that demonstrates an element of surprise. When brands talk more like humans instead of advertisements, this naturally surprises audiences who expect promotional language.

“If we can evolve our language to sound a little more like a person trying to help another person and not a brand trying to get somebody to do something for them, that can go a long way,” Murray explains.

The following approaches work because they subvert expectations. When someone encounters genuine, helpful language instead of marketing speak, it breaks through the psychological defenses consumers have developed against promotional content.

Product Launch Alternatives: Instead of formal announcements, Murray suggests more conversational approaches: “Guess what? Our new product is here, and we think you will love it.” This creates curiosity and includes the audience in the excitement rather than delivering a corporate proclamation.

Personal Storytelling: For the student example, Murray recommends approaches like “Jane got the dream job she wanted. And here's her story.” This puts the human element first and creates narrative interest that draws viewers into the authentic content.

Creative Metaphors: When working with The Traveling MBA Student, Murray suggested copy like, “He was able to bring this with him and it didn't even cost him an extra carry-on.” This creative approach highlighted the practical benefits through relatable language rather than generic marketing claims about flexibility and convenience.

CEO Perspectives: Product announcements can become more human by incorporating leadership voices: “I can't believe we've been able to pull this off,” “I can't believe my team pulled this off. You're going to love this,” or “This is going to be a game changer for marketers struggling with [specific problem].”

Using AI to Improve Human Language

Murray has successfully used AI tools to enhance the human elements of his content. His approach involves providing context about the intended emotional response: “I'm trying to get this point across. I'm trying to make sure it doesn't generate a negative response. And I want them to feel something like this when they read it. So based on what I have here, how would you improve it if that's the goal?”

This technique leverages AI's analytical capabilities while maintaining focus on human emotional connection. Murray reports being “very happy with the adjustments it made” when using this approach.

Additionally, AI can analyze content for emotional intelligence gaps, helping identify missed opportunities or unconsidered perspectives that could improve human connection.

#5: Lack of Predictive Intelligence: 4 Ways to Understand Consumer Responses to Marketing Content

You need to anticipate how your audience will respond to content before publishing it. This step involves developing a deeper understanding of your audience's behaviors, motivations, and likely reactions.

Modern consumers have developed sophisticated psychological defenses against marketing content. These defenses stem from repeated negative experiences with clickbait headlines, spam messages, gated content that promised value but delivered disappointment, and forced calls-to-action that interrupted valuable content.

“Their brain is like, okay, we're going to make sure we don't go through this again,” Murray explains. “So we're taking more time to think about those experiences and what we can do on the content side to make sure that we may not generate, you know, defenses up, and maybe we can lower them a bit.”

Academic research supports this understanding. Studies show that when social media content includes direct sales language like “click here” or “buy this,” engagement drops dramatically. People stop sharing, commenting, or interacting because they want the opportunity to discover value and make their own decisions without being told what to do.

Leverage Internal Resources for Predictive Intelligence

Organizations often possess untapped resources for understanding audience behavior through employees who interact directly with customers and prospects.

Customer Service Teams: These team members handle daily interactions with customers experiencing problems, asking questions, and expressing frustrations. Their insights can inform content that addresses real concerns rather than assumed pain points.

Sales Teams: Sales professionals speak with prospects and customers regularly, gaining direct insight into objections, concerns, and decision-making processes. Murray recommends asking sales teams: “You know these people because you're talking to them every day. So if you put this in front of them, what do you think their reaction would be?”

Conference Speakers: Team members who present at industry events often return with valuable intelligence about trending questions and concerns they hadn't previously addressed. This real-time market feedback can inform content strategy and identify content gaps.

Public-Facing Employees: Anyone with external interactions brings a valuable perspective about how audiences think and respond to different approaches.

Surveys and Direct Feedback

Rather than assuming you understand your audience, predictive intelligence actively seeks feedback about their preferences, concerns, and responses to different approaches. Modern technology makes conducting surveys, interviews, and direct audience research easier than ever.

This might involve post-conference interviews, customer survey data, social media polling, or even informal conversations during networking events. The goal is to replace assumptions with actual data about how your audience thinks and responds.

Research-Based Predictive Intelligence

Murray recommends three sources for a better understanding of audience psychology:

Nancy Harhut’s work focuses on behavioral science applications in marketing, including how people respond to different approaches and the subconscious emotional triggers that influence behavior.

Guy Kawasaki's Enchantment provides insights into creating content that genuinely enchants audiences rather than simply promoting to them.

Studies in consumer behavior, buyer psychology, and digital marketing effectiveness offer evidence-based insights rather than assumptions about what works.

Analyze Audience Response to Content

Rather than hoping assumptions prove correct, predictive intelligence involves creating systematic approaches to learning about your audience through content itself.

Fill-in-the-Blank Testing: When implementing engagement posts like “the most challenging thing for my business right now is ______,” analyze the responses and response patterns. Low engagement might indicate the wrong question rather than a lack of interest.

Response Analysis: Examine which content generates meaningful discussion versus surface-level engagement to reveal what topics truly resonate with your audience and which approaches feel authentic versus promotional.

Behavioral Pattern Recognition: Track how audiences respond to different language choices, content formats, and engagement approaches over time. This builds predictive intelligence about what works for your specific audience.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

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