How to create content that doesn’t make you cringe
Do you experience ‘content cringe’ in your content marketing? Or with certain types of content online?
As someone who has been creating content for all the different platforms (Instagram, Blogging, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube etc.) for the past 9/10 years, I definitely cringe when I look back at some of the things I’ve made in the past.
For the most part, cringing at old work is totally normal, but sometimes there’s a deeper meaning behind that feeling, so I wanted to talk about that in this blog post, as well as sharing tips on how to create content that feels more genuine and non-cringey!
Prefer to listen? Listen to this as a podcast episode instead (or keep scrolling to read):
Table of Contents
Firstly, remember that ‘cringe’ is a very normal part of growth
As I mentioned above, there are PLENTY of things I’ve done in my content and in my business over the past 8+ years that make me cringe! From the quality of my very first YouTube videos, to some of my old branding and logos when I first started out in 2015.
No one picks up a new skill and immediately starts creating perfect results straight away. New skills take practice; they require us to make stuff that isn’t that good, or have a few ‘failures & flops’ along the way in order for us to grow and get better.
Eg. A pianist probably looks back at the first videos of themselves playing and ‘cringes’! But them learning and creating music that wasn’t perfect was a necessary step for them improving.
And content marketing is a skill, just like that!
So I just wanted to get that out of the way first, because cringey-ness is very normal in many cases and we need to not be so hard on ourselves!
I recently followed a girl on TikTok who shares funny stories about celebrities who did cringey stuff in the past, to help us all realise that everyone has to climb ‘Cringe Mountain’ in order to be successful! She also has a newsletter called ‘Cringe Mountain’ too.
Secondly, ask ‘is this content actually cringey or is this a reflection of my mindset?’
We can be our own harshest critics, so it’s common to label something we’ve made as ‘cringey’ when it actually isn’t. A lot of the time, the piece of content we’ve made isn’t actually cringey to anyone else but us, and your feelings are indicating something else, such as:
You don’t feel confident in your message or your audience
This can happen if you don’t have a clear idea of exactly who you’re creating for, or what the message is that you’re trying to get across.You feel silly putting it out when your audience feels ‘too small’
When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to think ‘what’s the point’ when creating content that only a couple of people will see BUT we all have to start somewhere! You need to create for the audience you want, not that you have.You’re struggling with the idea of being ‘visible’ and putting yourself out there
It can be daunting to put yourself out there, whether that’s with written content, or even showing your face or personality in photos or videos! This is something we all feel when becoming more visible, but again, we can’t grow or improve if we don’t keep practicing.You have a case of ‘imposter syndrome’
Similar to the worry of being more visible, this is often when the classic ‘imposter syndrome’ can kick in, where you feel like ‘who am I to be creating content like this!". No matter what level of business you’re at, we ALL experience these feelings. I’ve made a few resources & podcast episodes about imposter syndrome before too.
These are all very normal and valid reasons for cringing over a piece of content you’ve made, but remember that this is your own mindset, and isn’t something your audience will be thinking.
Tips for creating content that doesn’t make you cringe
Get clear on your ‘why’ and who you help
When you revisit your ‘purpose’ behind why you set up your business, and clarify exactly who your target audience is with your content, it makes it easier to see whether the content you’re creating is ACTUALLY beneficial to them or not. If what you’re creating is valuable for the right people, does it matter if it makes you feel a little uncomfortable?
Write down your values to reflect on
Your feelings of cringe could also be coming from you not feeling aligned with your values. This is where it’s important to make a note of these somewhere; both your values when it comes to business, and in life and how you want to come across! Things to consider include:
What do you want to be known for?
What do you NOT want to be known for?
What values are important to you in other business owners?
What values are important to you in general communication?
What are the things you stand for and against?
Pick a content marketing platform that plays to your strengths
If you’re using a platform and creating content that you genuinely don’t enjoy, then you’re much more likely to end up cringing at the content you create.
However if you play to your strengths, you’re much more likely to end up with content that you feel proud of and excited by!
Note down why certain content ‘cringes you out’
If you come across content that makes you cringe (whether it’s your own past content, or content made by someone else), take a moment to objectively make a not of exactly what you don’t like and why - without judgement!
Everyone’s content styles and preferences are different, so what makes you cringe may not make someone else feel the same, so bear that in mind.
Evaluate trends first & avoid imitation
‘Trends’ can come along in all sorts of ways; the editing style of videos, the filters used on photos, the audios used in Reels/TikToks, or the format of a podcast episode, for example.
When you see a trend that other people are using, and it’s seemingly successful, just take a step back before you jump on it. What do you like & not like about this trend? Does it fit with your brand? Does it align with your values? Are there other ways you can get your message across that feel more you?
Develop your own tone of voice
These days, especially in an era of AI generated content, having a unique tone of voice and sharing your own authentic takes, stories and anecdotes is even more important than ever.
When you’re clear on this, it also helps you to remain authentic with the content you create as well, because you won’t accidentally end up imitating someone else and regretting it later.
Invest in learning content best practices
Maybe you feel like your content is cringey because you don’t think you’ve ‘done it right’. Again this is common when trying any new skill, and is a learning curve we all have to endure!
However you can definitely help yourself with this by investing in training or courses that show you how to create content in a way that both works for you, and gets results by using best practices.
My online courses on content creation, blogging, email marketing, Pinterest marketing and more will teach you the best practices and how to get the best results from your content.
Take small steps to develop confidence
Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone to learn a new skill and try something new, but you don’t have to be perfect and 100% confident straight away. Think of ways you can ‘test the waters’ - for example if you want to improve at video content, start by recording voiceovers rather than leaping in to ‘face to camera’ type videos.
However I’m also an advocate for not forcing yourself to do stuff you HATE. So if video content isn’t for you, don’t force it! There are plenty of other content platforms and types you can use to achieve the same effect.
Create for your fans, not your haters!
This is a phrase we say all the time in the Mastermind business group I’m in. Again, we are our own harshest critics so it’s easily for us to scrutinise every piece of content, worrying that people will pick up on every mistake.
But your true fans and your true ideal customers are not going to care about your small mistakes. Create for the people who LOVE to receive your content and view it in a positive light, rather than worrying what the Negative Nancies might think.
