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The internet is flooded with an ocean of content — blog posts, ads, videos, infographics, user-generated content (UGC), social media posts — the list goes on. And what it means is that it is getting more and more challenging to stand out, be unique and ensure your brand’s voice is heard.
Content saturation is a real threat, especially in competitive fields such as B2B, SaaS and ecommerce. Unoriginal content can overwhelm your audience, drive down engagement and make it even more harrowing to climb the search engine rankings.
Considering that situation, the knee-jerk reaction might be to scale back or become more conservative in sharing information. However, that would be wrong.
Instead of pumping the breaks, it’s time to rethink your approach and get more thoughtful about how you cut through all of that content clutter.
Related: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Content Marketing Space
The key factors fueling content saturation
Content saturation isn’t a coincidence nor entirely out of left field or unexpected. Instead, it results from several forces converging in the digital world — a “perfect storm,” if you will.
Here’s why it’s happening:
The copycat culture: Too many brands and entrepreneurs are cutting corners and taking the shortcut of replicating what works for others, often without bringing anything fresh, original or insightful, while slapping the label of “Thought Leader” on themselves. This leads to an endless cycle of vanilla sameness, making it harder for any voice to stand out … even when they might have something to say.
Platform preferences: Search engines, like Google, and social media channels, like Facebook and LinkedIn, are built to favor content that drives engagement — enabling the cream to rise to the top. This means that well-crafted, albeit generic, content gets buried underneath an avalanche of content begging for attention.
Audience fatigue: Our brains are flooded daily with blogs, emails, ads and social media content. This constant barrage leads to content burnout, leaving consumers less inclined to engage with any brand that doesn’t immediately grab their attention (and let’s face it … combine that fatigue with very short attention spans … and Houston, we have a problem).
- The rise of AI-generated content: There’s no use in beating around the bush. AI is both a blessing and a curse to content creators. And the people using it without thinking about how they’re using it are at fault. By simply churning out AI content without a focused intent, the content that is spewed out reads like the back of a cereal box. It lacks personality, empathy and depth. All things that actual human audiences crave and desire.
Related: Is Your Content Getting Lost in the Crowd? Use This Powerful SEO Technique to Make It Stand Out.
Cutting through the noise
When you’re neck deep in the content saturation swamp, the first thing to remember is this: It’s not about stopping content creation; it’s about elevating it.
So, how do you rise above the noise?
Here are some actionable ways to cut through nonsense and reclaim your place in the spotlight.
1. Create insightful, experience-based content: Generic content isn’t going to get you far anymore. To stand out, infuse your writing with unique insights from real-world experiences, proprietary data or expert opinions. People are looking for authentic, genuine, emotional and entertaining content. A reader wants to hear about actual challenges and solutions — not about some random, abstract, fictionalized situation.
- Example: Instead of a post titled “X Social Media Tips for B2B Businesses,” offer something more unique, such as “How This Social Strategy Led to a 300% Increase in Engagement in 3 Months.” This provides real-world value, a fresh perspective and a barrier to copycats.
2. Focus on original thought leadership: You’ll get lost in the crowd if you can’t challenge the status quo. Develop a strong point of view on industry trends and be able to back it up. Being a thought leader isn’t about stating what’s popular — it’s supposed to get someone to think.
- Example: When everyone else is shouting “SEO is Dead” from the rooftops, it’s your job to explain how it’s evolving — and why it’s not going away and provide real data and insights to back your claim.
3. Prioritize interactive and engaging formats: Blogs are great, but try diversifying your content. Use podcasts, videos, webinars, live Q&As, interactive tools and infographics — and share them across owned, earned and paid media.
4. Refresh and repurpose high-performing content: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when creating content. Sometimes, you need to polish up something to make it look brand new. Revise old content with fresh data or turn existing content into a different format, like a LinkedIn carousel post, a quick explainer video or a podcast episode.
5. Leverage niche and long-tail keywords: Don’t waste time competing for broad and competitive keywords. Instead, target phrases your audience is searching for.
- Example: Rather than “blankets,” go after “Washable Wool Blankets” (assuming your blanket is made of wool).
6. Build authority with data and research: People desire new information — especially if numbers accompany it. Conduct original research or partner with a credible source to offer something unique.
7. Invest in personal branding, user-generated content (UGC) and employee advocacy: People trust people more than brands — organic reach soars when your customers or employees share content. Content resonates when it feels real, of the moment and unscripted.
8. Improve readability: Your content has to hold a person’s attention — so you have only a few seconds to grab them. Short paragraphs and bullet points are great for skimmers. Storytelling is ideal for engaged readers. And real-world experiences and case studies are key to credibility.
9. Measure and adjust: Track what is working and hold a funeral for what isn’t. Don’t double down on content your audience is rejecting and spin your wheels.
Related: Cutting Through the Noise: A Guide to Messaging in an Age of Marketing Saturation
Content saturation might be here to stay, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of your story. Rather, consider it an opportunity to push the boundaries, innovate and show the actual value of what you create. When you focus on the value and uniqueness of your distribution, you’ll rise above the noise.
Remember, the key isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality. Publish with purpose.
