Content mills used to be the go-to solution for companies that wanted to produce lots of content quickly and cheaply. But let’s be honest: the content produced by these mills was rarely high-quality, and it often felt generic and soulless.
Fortunately, the tide is turning.
More and more marketers are realizing that investing in quality content is the key to building a strong brand and connecting with customers in a meaningful way. In this post, we’ll be discussing why content mills are on their way out, and what real marketers are doing instead.
But First, How Did We Get Here?
Notice that I use language like “slow” and “agonizing” when it comes to the death of content mills. I used “agonizing” because their demise represents a significant shift in the marketing landscape. For years, companies relied on these mills to produce large quantities of content quickly and cheaply. Unfortunately, this often resulted in the aforementioned low-quality content that failed to engage audiences or build lasting relationships between brands and their customers.
Marketers don’t necessarily like change because it means having to re-learn how to do something. For the most part, we like to automate as much as possible and then depend on those systems to do their friggin’ jobs.
Painful as the shift is for marketers, however, it’s especially agonizing for the writers who worked for these content mills. Many writers were paid very low wages and were expected to produce a high volume of work in a short amount of time.
Understandably, this led to burnout, frustration, and a lack of job satisfaction, along with a race to the bottom in terms of quality. That said, it was a steady income for a group of professionals who typically didn’t earn one. As more companies moved away from content mills and invested in quality content instead, writers were forced to adapt into marketers themselves or die off (aka find new careers).
Content Mills Adapt or Die
You might not feel sorry for those left out in the cold, as this is an issue that’s been going on for several years now. I mean, couldn’t they get the hint before it was too late?
In the early 2000s, it was not uncommon for businesses to turn to popular sites like Demand Studios, Associated Content, and Helium for their needs. These outlets would pay writers pennies per word (sometimes not even that) to churn out article after article with more editorial standards than were justified by the wages.
While it took Google a little while to catch up, the search giant soon began to realize that quality was more important than quantity, and it became remarkably good at distinguishing between the two. As a result, marketers adapted. They started investing in subject matter experts, who could produce high-quality pieces that resonated with their audience.
But that also meant they ended up paying more for greater services and expertise, such as keyword research, industry knowledge, and in-person or remote conferencing to develop an effective content strategy. All things, not even the content mills had the balls to ask from their writers at the paltry 2 cents per word they were paying them. This shift forced many of the content mills to go out of business or pivot towards other business models.
For example, Demand Studios shut down its article marketplace in 2013 after Google’s algorithm updates hit the site hard. Carol Tice still has one of the best analyses of Demand’s well-deserved downfall here. Associated Content was bought by Yahoo! in 2010 but eventually shut down in 2014 due to declining traffic and revenue. Helium also struggled financially before ultimately closing the doors on its writing platform in 2014.
There’s a lesson in all this, and whether you’re a marketer or a writer, you need to be learning from it. Now, as promised, let’s get into the main reasons content mills are no more and what marketers are doing instead.
Quality over Quantity
One of the biggest problems with content mills is that they prioritize quantity over quality. Writers are often paid pennies per word and are expected to churn out as many articles as possible in a short amount of time. This leads to articles that are rushed, poorly researched, and filled with grammatical errors.
Real marketers, on the other hand, understand that quality is far more important than quantity. They invest in talented writers who can produce well-researched, engaging content that resonates with their target audience. They understand that creating fewer high-quality pieces is more effective than producing a high volume of low-quality content.
Building Trust with Customers
Another issue with content mills is that the content they produce often feels disingenuous. It’s clear that the articles are written purely for SEO purposes, and there’s little attempt to connect with readers on a personal level.
Real marketers, in contrast, understand that building trust with customers is essential for long-term success. They invest in creating content that speaks to their audience’s pain points, interests, and values. They aim to educate and inform, rather than simply sell their products or services.
Embracing Creativity
Content mills are notorious for churning out the same generic articles over and over again. This not only makes for boring reading but also fails to set companies apart from their competitors.
Real marketers know that creativity is key to standing out in a crowded market. They encourage their writers to experiment with different formats, voices, and styles and are always looking for ways to inject personality and humor into their content.
Turning to AI Writing Tools
Some marketers are now turning to AI as an alternative to content mills. AI-powered writing tools can generate articles at lightning speed, and they’re often much cheaper than hiring a human writer. However, while these tools can be useful if you’re looking for slightly better results than content mills, they’re not without their own set of limitations.
One of the biggest challenges with using AI for content creation is that it lacks the human touch. While AI-generated articles may be grammatically correct and factually accurate (well, sometimes, but usually more grammatically correct than factually accurate), they often lack the creativity, nuance, and personality that comes from a human writer. This can lead to content that feels flat or impersonal, which can ultimately hurt your brand’s reputation.
Another issue with relying solely on AI-generated content is that it’s not always reliable. These tools are only as good as the data they’re fed, and if the input data is flawed or incomplete, the output will be, too. Additionally, AI isn’t yet advanced enough to understand context or tone in the way that humans do, which means it may produce inappropriate or offensive content without realizing it.
How to Handle AI If You’re Gonna
That said, some marketers are finding success by using AI as an assistant rather than a replacement for human writers. By leveraging AI-powered writing tools to handle more mundane tasks like sentence formation and differentiation, writers can focus more on developing ideas, accurate research, and tone of voice.
These elements work together to create high-quality content that resonates with a target audience. It also allows for a balance between efficiency and creativity while still ensuring that the final product meets high standards of quality. AI-powered writing tools have a place in modern marketing strategies, but they should never fully replace human expertise because, ultimately, that’s whom you’re writing for.
The Bottom Line
Content mills are on their way out, and for good reason. Real marketers understand that investing in quality content is essential for building a strong brand, connecting with customers, and standing out in a crowded market.
They prioritize quality over quantity, build trust with their audience, and embrace creativity to create engaging content that resonates with their target audience. By investing in talented writers and creating content that speaks to their audience’s pain points, interests, and values, real marketers are able to build lasting relationships with their customers and drive long-term success for their brands.
If you’re looking for a way to differentiate your content from the generic, soulless crap churned out by content mills, look no further. With my help, you can produce high-quality content that resonates with your customers and builds trust. I specialize in delivering engaging and informative words that speak to your customer’s pain points, interests, and values. My name is Aric Mitchell, I’m local, and you can shoot me an email to get started.
Image via Library of Congress Archives