Why Your Content Plan Isn’t Working and How to Fix It

If you’re feeling like your content plan isn’t working, you’re not alone. So many of us business owners, especially content creators trying to market courses, coaching, or memberships, struggle with content creation and feel like their content marketing efforts aren’t bringing them the results they want. 

But the issue may not even be your actual content marketing strategy—it’s that the way you’re planning your content isn’t aligned with what you really need to make it successful.

If you’re a mom, you’ll know this to your core: you have no time. Truly, I look back at the time I had pre-motherhood and laugh at how tired I thought I was and how “busy.” 

When we step into motherhood as business owners, or step into entrepreneurship as mothers, our capacity doesn’t magically expand. There are still only so many hours in the day and there are still real needs that need to be addressed in both roles. 

And while content is our business, and/or how we market our business, it can feel incredibly draining thinking that our content plan isn’t working. 

Now, let’s talk about what I mean by a content plan. A content plan is the blueprint that outlines how you’ll create, organize, and distribute content to reach your business goals. It includes the types of content you’ll produce (like blog posts, social media posts, videos, or newsletters), the channels you’ll use (like your website, social media platforms, or email), and the schedule for publishing. 

Of course, there are a ton of logistics when getting strategic about your content strategy, but the way you set up your content plan and system is just as important and usually overlooked. 

Let’s look at some common reasons why your content plan feels stuck and how to fix them.

1. You Haven’t Accounted for Time, Realistically

One of the biggest mistakes content creators make is not accounting for how much time content creation actually takes. Don’t get me started on all those coaches promising you 30 days worth of content creation in 30 minutes…spoiler! that’s a crock. 

Crafting blog posts, social media posts, and email marketing content requires a lot of attention and effort. And when you factor in optimizing for SEO, formatting, scheduling, etc., time quickly becomes your biggest limitation.

Why this makes your content plan fail:
Let’s face it, your content marketing plans are overly ambitious and don’t take into account how much time you actually have to devote to creating content. Whether you’re working with a content team (like me) or flying solo, you need to be realistic about your available hours. 

If your content plan asks for more than you can handle, it can lead to burnout and a lack of consistency, making your content marketing plan ineffective.

How to fix it:
Be clear about your time. Conduct a time audit to determine how much time you can actually dedicate to content creation and focus on what matters most for your audience.
Create a content management system. Developing a content ecosystem can help you stay organized and prioritize the types of content that will engage your target audience most effectively without wasting time creating new ideas constantly.
Use tools to automate. Tools for scheduling social media posts and email marketing can save you time, plus using AI to help you repurpose and rewrap your content is also a huge time-saver.

2. Your Content Strategy Isn’t Aligned with Your Capacity

If you’re producing too much content—whether blog articles, social media posts, or email campaigns—and it’s not aligned with your capacity, you’re setting yourself up for big burnout. Not having enough capacity means even if you had more time, you wouldn’t be able to handle the work effectively. It’s a bandwidth issue that leads to an overextended workload.

Listen, I’m guilty as hell of this too, but overestimating the amount of content you can produce ends up screwing up your content plan royally. You’ll end up stressed and inconsistent because you didn’t align your capacity with your output. This may sound a little woo woo, but capacity is also about how much your body can handle. If you’re trying to pump out a shit ton of content, but you’re losing your message, that’s going to show up in your energy and the content won’t perform as well. 

Why this makes your content plan fail:
Without sufficient resources or a content team to support your content strategy, trying to produce too many types of content will lead to poor quality and missed opportunities. Over time, this affects your brand voice and diminishes the trust you’re trying to build with your audience.

How to fix it:
Align content production with capacity. Assess your available time and resources to create a content plan that’s realistic for your team or solo operation.
Repurpose content. The easiest way to maximize your content without producing more is by repurposing your most valuable content across social media platforms. Repurpose blog posts into social media posts, YouTube videos into newsletters, etc.
Focus on a specific type of content. Whether you’re focusing on blog posts, social media content, or email marketing, stick to one type of content at first to avoid feeling overwhelmed. You can also think of this from the platform perspective: choose one long-form platform and one short-form platform to start. As your time and capacity grow, you’ll end up growing your ability to produce more.

3. Your Content Plan Is Too Complex or Rigid

One basic reason your content plan isn’t working is that it’s fucking confusing. 

Maybe you’ve got too many types of content or too rigid a schedule for producing it. You’re trying to come up new ideas constantly and using an outdated system that doesn’t serve you or your business how they are now.  Great content should be somewhat strategic, sure, but it should also allow for flexibility to adapt to changes in your business goals, audience feedback, and your life outside of business. 

Why this makes your content plan fail:
When you overcomplicate your content strategies, it creates confusion and results in a lack of consistent content. This affects your ability to reach a wider audience and engage the right people. 

A rigid content calendar that doesn’t allow for spontaneous, fun, or personal content will also miss opportunities to resonate with your audience. Your content is more than just a sales machine. It has to connect to you and your audience.

How to fix it:
Simplify your content strategy. Get that ecosystem tightened up so you know what is coming from what. Focus on a few types of content that align with your brand’s goals and what your people seem to like. Start small and branch out down the road.
Be adaptable. Adjust your content based on performance and audience feedback, but don’t live and die by your analytics. Look at your content with a level of curiosity…why did this piece work better? What made people comment here? Adapt your content accordingly.
Repurpose to save time. I feel like a broken record, but…repurpose blogs, social media posts, and other types of content into new formats to keep things fresh without consuming loads of time.

4. You’re Stuck in Content Pillars—Not Using a Mix of Content

Many content plans revolve around the idea of content pillars, but I kinda sorta hate them. Getting too fixated on these pillars can limit your creativity and audience engagement. 

In my opinion, these pillars are outdated because when you sell with your content, you’ll naturally be talking about a specific topic. Add in your hobbies, personal stories, etc., and you have your “pillars.” However, focusing only on them creates monotonous content that fails to capture attention or spark interest.

We’re in the creative content era, folks…ditch the “rules.”

Why this makes your content plan fail:
If you only focus on content pillars, you risk creating repetitive piece of content that doesn’t give your people any variety. Your audience may start to tune out because the content feels predictable or one-dimensional. A content plan that lacks variety won’t keep your audience engaged over time and it certainly won’t make sales because while you may be creating new content, that creation may be stressing you out and unsustainable.

How to fix it:
Use a mix of content. Diversify your content formats by including blog posts, social media posts, videos, case studies with the goal to serve.
Blend in storytelling and personal content. Personal experiences and storytelling can add depth to your content and connect with your audience on an emotional level.
Stay flexible with content types. Instead of forcing everything into rigid content pillars, allow room for creativity and experimentation. Test different content types to see what resonates best with your audience.

Final Thoughts: How to Make Your Content Plan Work for You

So, why isn’t your content plan working? It’s not just that you don’t have a solid content strategy.

It could be a mix of things: lack of time, poor planning, unrealistic expectations, or not understanding your target audience. The good news is that by making small, strategic changes, you can fix your content plan and start seeing better results. 

Whether you’re a solopreneur or working with a team, these ideas will help you create a process that is both effective and sustainable with real results.

With a clear plan, realistic goals, and a focus on your people, you can create content that resonates with the right people, improves your marketing efforts, and ultimately drives growth.

Want a second set of eyes on your content strategy so it actually works for you? Your next step is to get a custom content ecosystem that’s aligned with your business goals and frees up your time. It’s the best way to make sure your content does it’s job, so you can do yours. Inquire here.