Mass-Produced Content, AI, and Authenticity

After consistently pumping out content three times a day, seven days a week, for over a month, I noticed something disheartening.

I had lost followers. 

My content just wasn’t engaging. 

My impressions had tanked.

And I was left wondering if I had gained anything from following the advice of “post consistently, use proven copywriting templates, hit pain points, and promote your services.”

The answer was yes, I had gained something: valuable feedback. 

Not directly from 𝕏 or my analytics. However, after self-reflection, I realized that my content lacked a personal touch and genuine connection, which are crucial for engagement.

I took some time off social media to ask myself why I was even making content.

The insights I gleaned will save you valuable time and headaches from creating content nobody cares about.

Chances are, if you’ve followed the same advice and been left burnt out, wondering why you’re trying so hard for minimal gains, it’s likely because you’re not being true to yourself or your potential audience.

The truth is, these tactics won’t help you if you don’t believe in your message.

Making content people care about is making content you care about, and that all starts with blocking out the noise and trusting your inner wisdom, a source of empowerment and creativity.

Trust Yourself

When I came across a strategy to produce more content, “better, faster, and smarter,” I thought I had it all figured out. 

By using successful creators’ templates and content strategies, I was assured it would be easy to replicate their success, especially when combined with the power of AI to generate endless ideas and inspiration.

But nobody was seeing my posts, and I knew why.

I wasn’t engaging with others, commenting on their posts, or doing any essential things you need to do to get eyeballs on your content.

It’s honestly not clear whether my content wasn’t any good or if I had undermined my content strategy by disregarding the main point of social media growth, which is to be “social.”

My content would have done better if I had interacted with people to get it seen, but honestly, I had a hunch the problem ran deeper than that. 

I was pumping out content to hit an arbitrary number because I thought that was what you had to do to be successful online.

But relying heavily on templates and AI to create more ruined my creativity and passion; I just didn’t care about what I was making.

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted my work to be seen, so I didn't interact.

I had to ask myself. Was I genuinely passionate about the things I was posting? Was this valuable content? Was my content helping people? 

The answer to all three was a blunt “No.”

I was disregarding the things that make me unique: my knowledge, wisdom, and intuition, as well as my ability to phrase concepts in a thought-provoking and inspirational way.

Creating this way was not only doing myself a disservice but also my clients and customers.

I had lost trust in my ability to interact with people, think, and write for myself, undermining my whole strategy.

Taking a short break from social media allowed me to self-reflect and reconnect with my gifts and how I wanted to show up.

For many creators like myself, consistent posting just doesn’t work. It’s too demanding.

For me, making stuff I care about is more important than producing things for the sake of it.

I'm not interested in hustle culture or heavy posting schedules, but after trying it, I questioned whether you have to produce that much to get results.

The truth…

You Don’t Have To Make So Much Content

Genuine expression and quality trump quantity every time.

If you’re like me, you’d rather be in the studio than on social media.

And you may not want to constantly worry about setting up cameras and lighting to record and document every part of your creative process, especially when you want to connect with your higher self and the creative spirit through your work.

Constantly thinking about how you will market and sell your work can take you out of the moment.

It ruins the reason you make art in the first place. 

You have to make a shift. Instead of viewing social media as a chore and a necessary evil, it must become either an extension of your art or an alternative creative outlet. It's about balancing promoting your work and staying true to your creative process.

I love video as a medium, but didn’t enjoy filming the creative process. This is one reason why I switched to writing about my work instead of filming myself creating it. 

However, I will continue experimenting with different mediums and content styles to find what I enjoy the most. This takes time, and I encourage you to do the same. 

But remember, you don’t have to use them all.

Social media has drastically leveled the playing field. 

Traditional media was expensive, and advertising was reserved for large companies, not for independent artists and creators. 

Now, you have an entire media company in your pocket. 

The best part is that there is so much media to choose from.

But these damn guru’s telling you you need to be on every platform, posting 3 times a day in several mediums and several forms. Audio, video, writing, images, long form, short form, vertical, horizontal, square, 4:3, 9:16, 1080x1920, 4K, 8K—it's no wonder you burn out or don’t bother.

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to do all of that.

You just have to be human.

Embracing your unique story and perspective is not only empowering but also a key to standing out in the crowded online space. It's a reminder that you don't have to conform to these marketing guru’s advice, but rather, be true to yourself.

The rise of AI technology presents an interesting opportunity for creators to stand out like never before.

AI Is Good For Creators

I understand the opposing arguments and concerns. Yes, AI will come for creative jobs. It will become faster, easier, and cheaper to produce more. What used to take a team of people can now be done by one person who knows how to wield these tools.

It can copy and rip off art styles and all sorts of things that infringe on intellectual property.

But whether you like it or not, these situations aren’t just coming, they are already here.

This means that a great divide is currently forming in the online space between generic, mass-produced content and deep, thoughtful, heartfelt content.

Quick, easy, mass-produced content will dominate, providing cheap dopamine for the masses to flock to, like they do with McDonald's.

But this opens an interesting opportunity to stand out. 

Do you want to be the content equivalent of McDonald’s or a niche cafe selling organic, home-grown vegetables and freshly roasted coffee? 

AI presents us with a huge opportunity. You can use it to make generic hamburgers like everyone else, or use your creativity to grow rare truffles that attract a unique and worthy audience.

Your genius is your advantage, because AI will never replace the specific knowledge and wisdom you’ve gained through life's experiences. There will always be a need for real human connection; by definition, AI is artificial.

Lightbulbs can’t replace the sun.

AI can’t replace you.

People want to follow real humans, with all their flaws, quirks, and eccentricities.

They want to be understood, and what you offer is the exact medicine someone needs.

This realisation has profound implications for us as creators.

The main one being that we can finally be ourselves. 

Sharing our firsthand accounts, experiences, and transformations will help us build a genuine audience.

We can finally stop churning out surface-level content to appease the algorithm because content will be judged on its depth and authenticity. 

Creating from the heart and not the mind is the way to go.

But should you still use AI?

Using AI For Content

I nearly went all in on AI; for some people, it’s a good idea. I certainly won’t stop using it. I don’t think it’s an either-or situation.

But my relationship to it has changed.

AI could never have written this letter. It is a unique creation based on my insights and experiences. 

Writing, reflecting, and thinking are joys for me. Wrestling with language and creating something special is a worthy challenge.

AI can help us overcome creative blocks, plan content, and devise strategies. But do you really want to hand over all of the creative process?

I want you to see your content, not as a means to an end to sell your art. But as an art in and of itself. It can be an extension of your creativity and something you enjoy doing if you find the right medium and media.

Your content is a place to reflect, learn, grow, and share your uniqueness with others. It’s a way to get feedback and improve not only your work but yourself. Indeed, it could even be seen as spiritual work—a way to live with purpose and share your life’s work.

When you outsource your thinking, it doesn’t help you learn, grow, or connect with others.

That’s not to say we should shy away from AI.

Some people will wield AI like a paintbrush to create many wonderful, unique things. It is a tool like any other.

But unfortunately most people will use it to mass-produce crap content.

And here lies the fundamental problem. If you overrely on AI, your message will become a watered-down version of what it could have been. Your content won’t stand out; it will blend into the background with all the other artificial content.

Not only that, but you are missing out on an opportunity to learn and grow through creating.

So, instead of focusing on multiple platforms, focus on the content. 

Instead of focusing on producing more, focus on creating meaningful things.

Go deep, not broad.

I don’t want to tell you whether to use AI or not, but use it wisely. Not at the expense of pimping yourself out on the internet and ruining your creative abilities in the process.

Share What You Care About and Give Authentically

Take responsibility for your content and make things you believe will help people.

Create from the heart and not from the mind.

Tell your stories, reveal your transformation, and express your opinions because that makes you unique.

When you do this, you create from truth, presence, and inner knowing, where your true gifts lie and how you can help the right people.

Often, we don’t share our genuine selves because we fear a lack of support.

Fear of not receiving, such as likes and comments, stops you from giving and sharing your gifts. 

Society has taught you to barter for everything, and that you shouldn’t just give away your time and energy for nothing.

Sadly, people don’t realize that the more you give, the more you will receive.

When you give from the heart, you begin to trust that you will receive something in return from the collective consciousness and stop worrying about likes and comments.

Giving can not be outsourced; it cannot be faked. 

Genuine, authentic giving starts by supporting and giving to yourself. 

When you answer the question, "How can I best support myself?" you will also answer the question “How do I give authentically?”

When your cup is full, it will overflow.

Giving freely will open up opportunities you never imagined, and sharing online is one of the best ways to do that because you have access to people all over the world who share your same interests.

When you see content creation as an opportunity to share your gifts and connect with others, it will no longer become a chore but an outlet for your genius. 

Go make something you love.