Why Your Content Strategy Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)
You’re showing up. Posting. Outsourcing. Checking all the boxes.
But if visibility isn't building traction, you don’t have a content problem. You have a strategy problem. In a world overwhelmed with content, consistency isn’t enough. Clarity is what earns trust. This edition of Thavma Insights is your guide to fixing the disconnect between effort and impact, so your content finally starts to work for your business.
Beyond the Blueprint: Expert Perspectives
Strategy isn’t just about planning ahead.
Sometimes, it’s about stepping back, seeing patterns others miss, and connecting the dots hiding in plain sight. This week, Michael Sullivan shows us why your next breakthrough might not come from creating more content, but from understanding what your customers and teams are already trying to tell you.
“Often, the most powerful breakthroughs come from teams recognizing patterns. From seeing how one piece of information links to another, across functions, systems, and time. In a world overwhelmed with data, the value isn’t in having more information. The value is in connecting it.
Connecting information means stepping back far enough to see relationships others miss. It means noticing when what marketing hears from the field aligns with what customer service logged last quarter. It means recognizing that an outlier in the data set isn’t just noise—it might be the start of a new story.
Leaders and colleagues who do this well are rarely the loudest in the room. But they are often the ones with the clearest view—because they’re not just collecting information. They’re curating it. Contextualizing it. Building bridges between the numbers and the narrative.
And here’s the important part: Insight alone isn’t enough. Teams that succeed don’t just spot the patterns—they act on them. They translate understanding into action: refining their messaging, adjusting their go-to-market approach, shifting strategy when needed. And when that connection is made—between insight and execution—the momentum inside the business is palpable.
Real strategic advantage doesn’t come from shouting louder. It comes from seeing smarter. It comes from connecting what you already know into stories, solutions, and strategies that resonate more deeply with the people you’re trying to reach.”
What A Content Strategy Actually Looks Like
As Michael Sullivan says, “The value isn’t in having more information. It’s in connecting it.”
The same is true for your marketing. A true content strategy isn’t about doing more. It’s about connecting what you already know, your audience’s fears, questions, objections, to the message they need to hear next.
Everyone talks about “having a content strategy.” But if you ask five people what that means, you’ll get six different answers. Here’s what it is and why it’s the missing link between visibility and traction:
It’s not just a calendar.
It’s not “post more.”
It’s definitely not “go viral.”
A content strategy is a plan to create the right content, for the right people, at the right time, with a clear purpose. It’s how you connect your visibility efforts to your business goals. It’s how you build trust before you ask for action. And it’s how your content goes from background noise to strategic asset.
4 Reasons Your Content Strategy Isn’t Working (Even If You’re Consistent)
If you’re putting in the effort, posting consistently, showing up on multiple platforms, even outsourcing creative support, but still not seeing engagement or traction, it’s time to look deeper. Here are four of the most common (and fixable) reasons content fails to connect:
It’s too generic. If everyone could relate to it, no one will respond to it.
It’s too self-focused. You’re talking about your business before building relevance.
It’s out of sync with the customer journey mapping.
It lacks emotional relevance. It doesn’t reflect how your audience feels or what they’re experiencing day to day.
Strategy Isn’t a Checklist—It’s a Filter
Strategy isn’t about doing more. It’s about making better decisions. Once you’ve defined your offer, your audience, and your goals, use your strategy as a filter to shape every piece of content:
Awareness: Help your audience name the problem and understand what’s possible.
Trust: Validate their concerns. Show empathy, results, and real stories.
Conversion: Make the next step obvious, easy, and aligned with their goals.
Quick Win: Diagnose Your Last 5 Posts
Before your next content planning session:
What was I really trying to say?
Who was this for?
What stage of the journey were they likely in?
Was I meeting them there or skipping ahead?
Would I respond to this if I were in their shoes?
Unclear answers aren’t failures, they’re feedback.
Your Best Content Ideas Are Already in Front of You
You don’t need to start from scratch.
Some of your most powerful content ideas are already sitting inside your business.
Your sales calls
Your customer support tickets
Your onboarding conversations, and even your lost deals.
Look for patterns across:
Questions your prospects ask during sales conversations
Frustrations or objections customer support teams hear often
Themes in onboarding surveys or customer interviews
Common reasons behind lost sales or delayed decisions
Every question, hesitation, and objection is a signal. A clue about what your audience needs to understand before they’re ready to trust you. When you start pulling content directly from the real conversations you’re already having, you don’t just create more posts.
You create CONNECTION.
You meet your audience exactly where they are and move them forward with clarity and confidence.
And, as Michael Sullivan said: “Real strategic advantage doesn’t come from shouting louder. It comes from seeing smarter.”
AI Assist: Want to speed up your content idea generation? Use this AI prompt to pull strategic insights from your customer conversations. Prompt: "Analyze the following customer conversations (sales calls, support tickets, onboarding surveys) and identify the top themes."
Fix the Gap: Your Thavma Content Strategy Filter Worksheet (Free Download)
Ready to turn this audit into a repeatable system? Download the Thavma Content Strategy Filter Worksheet. A tool to pressure-test your next piece of content and align it with your content strategy.
✔️ Validate your audience
✔️ Clarify your message
✔️ Align with your marketing goals
✔️ Check against the Marketing Hourglass™
Turn Visibility Into Trust: How to Build Strategic Content
In Michael Sullivan words: “The next great idea might not require new data. Just a new connection.”
Building trust with content isn’t about posting more. It’s about connecting at the right moment, with the right message. Now let’s break it down into a system you can start using today:
Step 1: Clarify What You’re Really Trying to Do. Awareness-driven content - Trust-building content - Conversion-oriented content
Step 2: Use These Prompts to Generate Strategic Content Ideas. Answer top customer questions - Overcome objections - Show behind-the-scenes - Share micro-stories - Pull from real conversations - Explain key concepts
Step 3: Set Up Strategic Content Buckets. Thought leadership - Behind the scenes - Success stories - Problem/solution - Values and mission - FAQs and objections
Step 4: Map Content to the Marketing Hourglass™. Know - Like - Trust - Try - Buy - Repeat & Refer
Be the Voice That Cuts Through the Noise
Stop trying to be everywhere. Start showing up with purpose. Trust is the currency. Content is the vehicle. Strategy is the map. When you know who you're speaking to and guide them with empathy and precision, your content becomes more than visible. It becomes valuable. The internet doesn’t need more content. It needs more trusted voices. Be that voice.
Ready to sharpen your strategy? Start here!
Access our free strategy resources and learn more about Thavma Consulting.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn: Fotine A Sotiropoulos | LinkedIn
Let’s Turn Your Visibility Into Traction Schedule your free marketing checkup.
