3 Common Content Adjustments

Monday, we asked a simple but uncomfortable question: If your marketing disappeared for 30 days, would anyone notice?

If you are like me, once you realize the answer might be “probably not,” I usually don’t stop posting. I adjust.

The problem is, most of those adjustments don’t fix what’s actually broken. They just make people feel busy again.

So to help you with some practical solutions, here are the three most common adjustments content creators make once they realize their content isn’t landing, and why those changes rarely work.

1. Posting More Often

This is the most common reaction.

“I just need to be more consistent.” “I should post every day.” “I probably need to show up more.”

So you increase volume. More posts. More platforms. More effort.

What’s really happening is not a consistency problem; it’s a clarity problem. You are flying the plane in the wrong trajectory, but now faster.

If one post didn’t resonate, ten similar ones won’t either. Posting more frequently without a sharper message just gives people more chances to scroll past you. Consistency only works when people know why they should care.

A better adjustment is not posting more, it’s making one post so useful or specific that its absence would be noticeable.

Take your time and think through ONE solid bit of content, answer your audience's questions, help solve their problems, rather than saturating the space with more filler content.

2. Chasing Formats Instead of Fixing the Message

When posting more doesn’t work, the next adjustment is usually format hopping.

Reels instead of static posts. Carousels instead of videos. Trendy hooks. Trending audio. New layouts.

This feels productive, but it treats a message problem like a format problem.

If the idea itself doesn’t matter to the person reading it, changing the container will not suddenly make it meaningful. People don’t share formats; they share ideas that help them think differently or act differently.

So I always advise my clients to go with the format you feel most comfortable with, you are most likely to be consistent there.

An even better adjustment is to find the content that already created a conversation and double down on that message, not reinvent everything from scratch.

3. Making Content More Polished and Less Human

When formats don’t work, many creators go in the opposite direction. More editing. More scripts. More professional language.

The content looks better, but it feels colder.

This is where people confuse credibility with distance. In reality, polish often removes the very friction that makes content relatable. The small imperfections, the real examples, the honest admissions are usually what make someone stop and think, “That’s me.”

People do not leave because content isn’t perfect. They leave because it feels safe, generic, and forgettable.

A better adjustment is to say the thing you usually soften, or share the example you normally cut because it feels too obvious or too specific.

The Pattern Behind All Three Adjustments

Here’s the pattern that shows up every time when I work with clients: When content isn’t landing, people adjust around the problem instead of at the problem.

They increase activity instead of sharpening the message. They chase tools instead of choosing a lane. They polish instead of committing. Then they blame the algorithm.

But the real issue is almost always the same. The audience doesn’t know what they would miss if you stopped showing up.

One Simple Action for Today

Before you post anything else, answer this question honestly: What adjustment am I making to feel productive instead of being precise?

Then make one change that increases clarity, not output.

AND PLEASE, PLEASE start having fun making your content. When you enjoy it, when you feel comfortable and excited then you will create consistency. There is a reason we don't have broccoli stands, but do have ice cream stands...make your content the ice cream stand.

To have a quick chat about how your marketing plan is working, here is my calendar: https://calendly.com/livelocalteam/15-minute-marketing-analysis