Is content helping your marketing strategy, or are you just spamming?

Thirty posts a month, daily TikToks, weekly reels and always-on storytelling. Your brand may be everywhere, but is anyone actually paying attention? For Pat Law, founder of GOODSTUPH, this isn’t a rhetorical question. “If those 30 posts don’t offer value, insight or relevance, you’re not marketing – you’re spamming,” she says bluntly.

In a world where audiences can scroll past in an instant, the obsession with volume over meaning is costing brands the one thing they can’t buy: attention. It is a common mistake by most brands where quantity is being prioritised over quality, resulting in inconsistent messaging and disengaged audiences. 

More often than not, brands overlook tailoring content to their specific target audience, missing opportunities to connect on a deeper level. "Perhaps the most important thing to take note of all is the issue of focusing too heavily on promotional content rather than providing genuine value, which can erode trust and limit long-term connection with customers," said Alex Chan, head of brand, communications and marketing, Geneco. 

This sentiment is backed by data where over 60% of marketers plan to increase investment in creators and content-driven strategies in 2026, according to Kantar. This signals a shift toward long-term, strategic impact rather than sheer output, making content marketing no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a necessity for any brand that wants to be remembered. 

Don't miss: MARKETING-INTERACTIVE launches inaugural Content360 Awards in SG   

What's fueling the volume obsession? 

It's no secret that artificial intelligence has rapidly become a staple in marketers' toolkits. The ability to generate an image or copy with the click of the mouse has allowed for greater efficiency. In fact, roughly 71% of content teams are using AI extensively, according to CleverTap.

The challenge then lies in how and where it's being used. Whether it is to drive efficiency of operations, ideation or in actual content development, the unique elements of human experience, intuition and soul should still continue to be part of strategy, said Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive, marketing group, Singapore Tourism Board. 

Consequently, one must not confuse AI-generated content with creativity. "If you're using AI just to churn things out, you're not being innovative - you're being lazy at scale," said Law, adding that:

AI should sharpen thinking, not replace it. The sweet spot is when human insight meets machine speed.

In time, audiences are going to get inundated with AI slop and will turn to brands that awaken them sensorially in relation to the brand and product experience. 

From campaigns to ecosystems

Content marketing is shifting from isolated, one-off campaigns to interconnected ecosystems. No longer confined to single hero moments, content is increasingly designed to be modular, adaptive, and intelligent where it's able to live across platforms without losing meaning. According to industry professionals, who will serve as judges for the inaugural Content360 Singapore Awards, the brands that succeed won’t be the ones producing the most content, but those asking sharper questions, setting clear guardrails, and knowing precisely where human judgment still matters. 

At its heart, this evolution is about storytelling. “We are in the business of persuasion and persuasion requires storytelling. This means that whether it was a newspaper ad back in the day to how someone finds a brand on Gen AI today, telling a persuasive story about your brand through content marketing has always been incredibly important," explained Mansi Trivedi, B2B strategy lead, dentsu. 

This shift also opens the door to immersive and personalised experiences. Chan points out that the next frontier lies in content that engages audiences on multiple levels, powered by AI and informed by data. Interactive storytelling, personalised formats, and real-time engagement are poised to drive deeper connections and more memorable interactions.

Yet, Chan emphasises, authenticity remains essential. Even as short-form video and real-time content dominate, brands must maintain a clear voice and purpose to foster ongoing conversations with audiences.

Most importantly, the most impactful content will pre-empt traditional customer journeys. Instead of mapping content strictly to observed behaviour, brands can design the experiences they want audiences to have, fusing content and brand experience to leave lasting impressions. 

Taken together, these insights signal a clear evolution: content marketing in 2026 is about ecosystems, not output. Technology, data, and AI are tools to inform and scale, but human insight, creativity, and authentic experiences remain the core of campaigns that audiences will actually notice and remember.

Showcase your most innovative content and gain recognition from a panel of industry leaders by entering the inaugural Content360 Awards. Submit your work today and be part of the celebration that honours the campaigns defining the future of content marketing.

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