5 Common Content Marketing Mistakes SMEs Make (and How to Fix Them)

Content marketing is a powerful tool for small and medium businesses, but it can also feel like a maze without a clear direction. 

One of the biggest challenges SMEs face is avoiding common mistakes that can drain time, money, and effort, without seeing the results they want.

At Kate&Co. Content Marketing, we’ve seen it all, and we want to help you overcome these content marketing pitfalls. 

In this post, we’ll break down the 5 most common mistakes SMEs make in their content marketing efforts, and more importantly, how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Not Defining a Clear Content Strategy

What’s the problem?
It’s easy to get caught up in creating content without a clear plan. But here’s the thing, random, unfocused content doesn’t work. Posting for the sake of posting can confuse your audience and waste your resources as well as your brain power!

Why does it matter?
Without a strategy, your content lacks purpose and it’s impossible to deliver on your business goals. Plus, it’s much harder to measure success when you don’t know what you’re aiming for.

How to fix it:
The first step is defining your content goals. Ask yourself questions like:

• What do we want to achieve with our content?

• Who is our target audience?

• What type of content will resonate with them?

• What kind of content is  working well for your competitors?

Once you have those answers, create a simple content strategy document. This could include your goals, audience personas, content types, distribution channels, and posting frequency. 

If you need help creating a full content strategy document, drop me a message.

Mistake #2: Ignoring SEO and AI Overviews

What’s the problem?
Many SMEs put time and effort into creating high-quality content, but they overlook two crucial distribution channels, SEO and AI Overviews. 

If your content isn’t optimised for both search engines and AI-driven summaries appearing at the top of search results (like Google’s AI Overviews), your audience may never see it, no matter how valuable it is, and well, that’s just a real shame!

Why does it matter?
Search engines still rely on classic SEO signals, like keywords, page titles, backlinks, and site structure, to rank your content. 

But now, AI-generated summaries are pulling from a range of content sources to generate quick answers. If your content isn’t structured clearly and semantically (and doesn’t surface the right entities and context), it may not be used in those AI-generated answers at all.

Ignoring SEO means missing out on long-term organic traffic. 

Ignoring AI Overviews means missing out on visibility right when people are asking questions your content could answer.

How to fix it:
Start with traditional SEO best practices:

• Do keyword research using tools like AHREFs, Answer the Public, or Google Keyword Planner to find the phrases your audience is actually searching for.

• Use your target keywords naturally in titles, subheadings, and body copy.

• Write clear, concise answers to common questions, AI systems love well-structured, scannable content.

• Create a strong meta description that includes your keywords and communicates real value.

• Use alt text for images, and add internal links to relevant posts or pages.

To optimise for AI Overviews specifically:

• Answer questions early and clearly in your content—ideally within the first few sentences.

• Use structured formats, like bulleted lists or Q&As, that AI can easily parse.

• Keep language clean and factual, as AI models prioritize clarity and trustworthy tone.

• Include reputable outbound links, especially when citing facts or data.

By optimising for both SEO and AI Overviews, you increase your chances of not only ranking, but being featured where your audience is already looking.

Mistake #3: Only Posting Promotional Content

What’s the problem?
It’s tempting to use content as a direct sales pitch, but if all you do is sell, your audience will quickly tune out.

Why does it matter?
People want value from the content they consume. They’re looking for useful tips, insights, or entertainment, not just another product pitch.

How to fix it:
Balance your promotional content with valuable, informative content that helps your audience. A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be helpful, educational, or entertaining, while only 20% should focus on promoting your product or service.

Think about adding:

• How-to guides and tutorials

• Case studies or customer success stories

• Behind-the-scenes looks at your business

• Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• And generally more fun!

This approach builds trust and positions your brand as an authority in your field as well as being likeable and feel more human.

Mistake #4: Not Repurposing Existing Content

What’s the problem?
Creating new content is time-consuming, so why create something from scratch every time? Many SMBs forget to repurpose their best content, which means they’re working harder than they need to.

Why does it matter?
Repurposing your content is a smart way to maximise the value of what you’ve already created. Instead of starting fresh every time, you can take your top-performing blog posts, videos, or infographics and transform them into different formats for wider reach.

How to fix it:
Here’s how to get more mileage out of your content:

• Turn a popular blog post into a YouTube video or podcast episode.

• Create social media posts (quotes, stats, highlights) from long-form content.

• Turn a webinar into a series of blog posts or a downloadable guide.

• Share snippets or infographics from your content on social platforms.

This way, you get multiple uses from each piece of content, maximising its impact.

Mistake #5: Not Measuring What Works

What’s the problem?
Content marketing without measurement is like driving with your eyes closed. You might be going somewhere, but you won’t know if you’re on the right path, and frankly, it’s just silly.

Why does it matter?
Tracking and analysing your content’s performance allows you to see what’s working and what’s not. Without this data, you’ll never know if your content is helping your business grow or if it needs tweaking. Plus when you know what’s working you can double down, and stop spending time on what’s not working.

How to fix it:
Start by setting up tracking tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor key metrics. Keep an eye on:

• Traffic to your blog and website

• Engagement metrics like time on page and social shares

• Conversion rates, especially if you’re using content to drive leads or sales

This data will help you make informed decisions about your content strategy moving forward. Regularly review your analytics and adjust your approach based on what resonates most with your audience.

Conclusion

By avoiding these common content marketing mistakes, SMEs can save time, improve engagement, and see a higher return on their marketing efforts. Remember, a little planning, SEO optimisation, and consistent tracking can go a long way.

If you’re struggling with content marketing or want to ensure your efforts are on the right track, drop us a line, we’re here to help!

Content Marketing FAQ’s:

1. What are the most common content marketing mistakes for small businesses?
The most common mistakes include not having a clear strategy, ignoring SEO and AI overviews, focusing too much on sales promotion, failing to repurpose content, and not measuring results.

2. How can I improve my content marketing strategy?
Start by defining clear goals, understanding your audience, optimising for SEO, and balancing promotional content with valuable, informative posts.

3. How do I know if my content is working?
Track key metrics like website traffic, engagement, and conversions using tools like Google Analytics. Regularly assess which content pieces drive the most results and double down on what’s working.