If you’re feeling like your content just isn’t hitting like it used to – less reach, fewer leads, and limited community growth – you’re not alone.

In my recent launch of the Volume membership, I offered a “Growth Content Audit” as an early bird bonus. I completed 32 audits for creators, coaches, and service providers, and the patterns were undeniable. Across the board, I saw the same eight areas of opportunity popping up in their content strategies.

In this post, I’m sharing the exact gaps I found and how you can course-correct them today to unlock more reach, resonance, and results in your own content.

Let’s dive in.

1. You’re Not Creating Share-Worthy, Save-Worthy Content

You’ve likely seen (or even made) carousels with tips like “3 ways to XYZ.” But unless you’re delivering deep, juicy, expert-level value, they often fall flat.

What works instead?

• Create mini guides or in-depth carousels that break down your frameworks, methods, or signature strategies.

• Prioritise value over virality. You might not get 10,000 views, but you’ll get saves, shares, and build trust.

Content idea: A full breakdown of your methodology. For example, “My 5-step content planning system that grew my audience by 1,000 in 100 days.”

This is especially powerful if you’re a coach, expert, or service provider with a unique perspective or IP. It’s the kind of content people bookmark and come back to.

2. You’re Missing a Signature Series (and a Repeatable Content Style)

One of the key traits of creators who are consistently growing?

They’re known for something.

It could be a weekly reel series, a specific story format, or a named content segment that sets them apart.

Examples include:

• A copywriter who does “Tuesday Taglines” every week

• A community strategist (hi) who shares “Here’s what to post this week”

• A messaging expert doing weekly roast sessions on followers’ copy

This kind of repeatable content builds familiarity and expectation. It also makes your content creation easier.

Pro tip: Start experimenting. You only need two or three posts to test a series. Double down on what clicks.

3. Your Visual Hooks in Reels Are Weak or Missing

Reels don’t need to be cinematic masterpieces. But they do need to grab attention visually — immediately.

Common mistakes I saw:

• No visual hook in the first one or two seconds

• B-roll that feels totally random

• Text that doesn’t appear until several seconds in

Visual hooks don’t have to be elaborate. For low-lift creators like me (I’m Type C, thank you very much), they can be as simple as:

• Putting on sunglasses

• Sipping an iced coffee

• Wearing a standout outfit

Your goal is to make someone stop scrolling.

And if you’re a Volume member, we’re bringing in a video expert next month to walk you through visual hooks and low-effort edits that get results.

4. You’re Not Leveraging Trending Formats for Top-of-Funnel Reach

Trending formats aren’t just for Gen Z or creators who love dancing. They’re plug-and-play visibility tools. When you skip them, you’re missing a major opportunity to expand your audience.

Why they work:

• Built-in virality triggers

• Easy to apply to your niche

• Fast to produce (especially with Volume’s templates and ChatGPT integrations)

Let’s drop the snobbery around trending formats. You’re not selling your soul — you’re opening the top of your funnel.

You can still share your deep, unique value in carousels, emails, and podcasts. But use trending formats to bring people into your world.

5. Your Content Lacks a Clear, Singular Takeaway

Across dozens of audits, I saw incredible insight — but it often came in tangled or overwhelming ways.

Top-of-funnel content needs to be:

• Snackable: one clear point, not three competing ones

• Tidy: tied up in a bow with a takeaway

• Focused: avoid over-explaining or stuffing too much into one piece

This doesn’t mean dumbing down. It means giving your audience the clarity to actually remember and use what you said.

Try this test:

Before posting, ask, “Can someone easily sum up the one thing they just learned here?”

6. You’re Talking At Your Audience, Not With Them

So many creators are in broadcast mode — posting, preaching, educating — but forgetting the core ingredient of community: conversation.

We need more content that invites engagement:

• “Which one are you?”

• “Have you tried this before?”

• “Reply back with X and I’ll send you something.”

Use your calls to action not just to sell, but to spark dialogue and build trust.

Inside Volume, we teach you how to craft CTAs that fuel engagement, community, and conversions — without sounding desperate or robotic.

7. You’re Only Evoking Negative Emotion (And It’s Costing You)

Here’s the truth: too many creators are leading with frustration, pain points, and “you’re doing this wrong” content.

And while this can grab attention, it also:

• Lowers self-trust in your audience

• Reinforces their fear that they’ll never “get it right”

• Doesn’t inspire action or hope

In today’s market, we’re not just in a trust recession with brands — we’re in a self-trust recession. Your audience needs to believe in themselves as much as they believe in you.

Balance is everything.

Yes, agitate the problem…but also show:

• Possibility

• Wins

• Joy

• Empowerment

• Client transformations

8. You’re Still Too Broad (This One’s the Biggie)

This was the most impactful pattern I saw across all 32 audits:

Creators who weren’t growing were still speaking too broadly.

Creators who were growing knew exactly who they were for and what they solved.

Being specific is non-negotiable.

Not this:

• “I help creatives.”

• “I support female founders.”

Try this:

• “I help burnt-out brand designers sign premium clients without relying on Instagram.”

• “I help ADHD entrepreneurs organise their client workflows using Notion.”

You need three things:

1. A specific person

2. A specific problem

3. A specific position in your industry

If your audience doesn’t know that your content is for them, it won’t land. It’ll feel generic — and that’s the fastest way to fade into the background.

Recap: The 8 Opportunities to Audit in Your Own Content

1. Create juicy, save-worthy mini guides that showcase your expertise

2. Develop a signature content series you become known for

3. Use strong visual hooks to stop the scroll in Reels

4. Leverage trending formats for top-of-funnel reach

5. Focus on one clear takeaway in each post

6. Talk with your audience, not just at them

7. Balance frustration with belief, hope, and empowerment

8. Get specific about your person, problem, and positioning

Want Help Putting This Into Action?

I’ve put together a free ChatGPT tool that helps you refine your positioning, brand hook, and messaging — the very foundation of everything above.

Visit vixmeldrew.com/free-gpt to get started.

And when you’re ready to transform your content (without spending more time creating), join Volume — my membership for creators and experts ready to grow their communities by the thousands every 100 days.

Message me “VOLUME” on Instagram or Threads and I’ll share the details.