This afternoon in the ‘Content Loyalty and Site Optimization’ Track of eTail West, Jonathon Colman, Content Strategist at Facebook, shared the top 6 things he thinks brands are doing wrong when dealing with content today, along with what can be done instead:

1. Seeing Content as just another commodity: Instead content needs to be seen as a critical business asset. Stakeholders within your organization that deal with content need to be brought into communication with one another

2. Publishing as much content as possible: Instead, brands need to look at what customers need and value and then curate compelling content around that. An inventory needs to be done of what content you already have and and research needs to be done to see what content your customers are looking for

3. Not Scheduling or editing content before it is published: Instead, plan when your content is going to be published. Put together an editorial calendar that highlights yearly events that are important to your customers

4. Releasing content that is useless and inconsistent: Instead, make sure content is clear and complete

5. Designing first using placeholder copy: Instead design with the content in mind

6. Allowing your platforms to define how content works: Instead, content should shape your platform