Who’s creating your social media content? Helen A.S. Popkin recently wrote about what she delightfully calls “Dude-centric Wikipedia.” A study by the United Nations University and Maastricht University revealed that the typical Wikipedia writer is a well-educated male grad student in his mid-20’s. Additionally, it found that 90% of the site’s editors are male. Popkin also cites a related New York Times article that found that female-centric topics (like Sex in the City) had shorter entries compared to more conventionally male topics (such as The Sopranos).

We can argue all day about the relative weight of Carrie’s Jimmy Choos versus Tony’s Homer Simpson/Don Corleone lifestyle—and what effect that weight has on Wikipedia readers. For marketers, there’s a more relevant question here. Content creation is a key part of social media strategy, but are brands using the right people to craft the right message?

Consumers can sniff out content that’s created for its own sake. For example—and we’ve all read it before—think of that awful content that sounds like it was written by a computer (and, sadly, some of it was). But there are others ways to sabotage brand content and sink an online presence:

• Have in-house editors stripped the corporate blog of any semblance of personality, humanity, or authenticity?
• Are brands monitoring conversations across all platforms, allowing the consumers to inform them what kind of content the consumer finds relevant?
• Is content posted because the brand is jumping on the social media bandwagon, or is it a carefully considered part of a social media strategy that aligns with overall brand goals?

What’s your content doing for you?