Basic content is dying (and that's good news)

I had a fascinating conversation with one of my Creator MBA students recently. It made me rethink everything I know about content marketing.

We were talking about his social media strategy and went down a rabbit hole around content creation. Ultimately, we agreed the traditional content funnel is dying, and most creators haven't noticed yet.

Remember when you could post some basic tips, a quick how-to, or "5 ways to do XYZ" and attract a bunch of new followers?

‍That worked because it was hard to create consistent, thought-provoking content at scale.

But not anymore.

Now AI generates an endless stream of surface-level content in seconds! Beginner social accounts are able to produce 10x the amount of content I did just a few years ago, with a fraction of the effort.

Just scroll through any platform, and you'll find tons of accounts sharing identical "wisdom" — all generated (or inspired) by AI. Content has always been regurgitated. Of course that’s nothing new. It’s the scale at which this is happening that caught my attention.

At a break neck pace, basic content has become worthless. Because when everyone sounds the same, nobody stands out.

Why The Traditional Funnel Is Broken

The traditional content funnel worked like this:

• Top: Tips, trends, observations, and opinions to attract attention
• Middle: Deeper insights to build trust
• Bottom: Specific solutions to drive sales

But there’s a change happening now: AI has commoditized the top layer of flag-waving, attention-getting content. Anyone can create "good enough" basic content.

One of my friends runs a 7-figure course business. And last month, his top-of-funnel engagement dropped 30%. Why? Because 50+ other creators in his niche started posting similar content — mostly AI-generated, all saying similar things.

The moat around basic content creation has dried up.

The New Reality

The old funnel is transforming into something much more narrow — more of a cylinder than a funnel.

Instead of starting wide with basic content and narrowing down, you need to lead with your deepest expertise right from the start. Your "top of funnel" content should be as valuable as your former middle-of-funnel material.

Think about it: When was the last time a surface-level "5 tips" post actually convinced you to follow someone new? We're all drowning in basic advice.

And what catches attention now is genuine expertise and unique insights.

I've been testing this idea recently, and here's what seems to be working:

Share deeper insights — the ones you'd normally save for your paid products, minus the detailed implementation steps. Tell stories about real problems you've solved — not theoretical advice anyone could give. And focus on counterintuitive lessons you've learned — the stuff that goes against "common wisdom" that Claude or ChatGPT pumps out to the masses.

One of my students tried this: Instead of posting basic marketing tips, she shared detailed breakdowns of campaigns she'd run, including what failed. Her engagement was 15% higher than her previous top-of-funnel efforts.

The Bottom Line

AI has killed the age of easy content marketing.

And this is good news for people with real expertise.

Because now, the only way to stand out is to be deeply helpful. To share real-life expertise. To talk about what you actually know, not what you think you should say.

Will this approach attract fewer people? Probably. After all, content consumers love philosophizing and boisterous sound bites.

But the people you do attract will be much more likely to stick around and eventually become your customers.

It’s time to stop casting a wide net with basic content. Start leading with your expertise earlier. Because in a world of AI-generated content, depth isn't just an advantage — it's a requirement.

If you want to build a thoughtful, authentic, unique brand on social media, check my course, The LinkedIn Operating System. It's the system used by 30,000+ students, 70 LinkedIn Top Voices and 20% of the Top 100 LinkedIn Influencers (as rated by Favikon).

And that's all for this today.

See you next Saturday.