Kill Your Content: The Many Reasons This Article Shouldn’t Exist

It’s OK to be a chameleon, but we must reject content that doesn’t meet our standards. Our audiences (and our souls) will thank us for it.

Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Unsplash

I’m aware of the irony of writing a piece about why certain content shouldn’t be created. But bear with me because I think there’s value in taking a pause to ask, “Are we doing it right?” Here are some reasons I think the answer is “no” to that question.

1) Arguing Just to Stir the Pot

Am I just being contrarian for the sake of it? It’s a valid question. There’s a line between offering a fresh perspective and stirring the pot for attention grabs. We’ve all seen the clickbait headlines and the hot takes that seem to exist solely to generate outrage and drive traffic. And while there’s a place for bold, counterculture ideas, we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of creating argument echo chambers that don’t add value to the conversation.

2) Lack of Subject Matter Knowledge

Do I really know what I’m talking about? There’s a danger in creating content with only a surface-level understanding of a topic. Content writers are often expected to be experts on everything, even if our knowledge only goes skin-deep. But like a chameleon, if you poke me, you’ll see I don’t actually belong in this particular world. We need to be honest with ourselves and our audience about the limits of our expertise.

“She said, “You don’t know shit
Because you’ve never been there”
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Kill Your Television

3) Someone Else Said it Better

Am I compromising a message by repackaging it? Content is saturated, and writers get a bad rap because of all the content mills. If we’re not adding something new and valuable to the conversation, we’re contributing to the noise. In the worst cases, creators become plagiarizers. In the best case, we’re failing to take the time to read the room. Every writer is responsible for producing original, substantive work. It takes courage to write with value, or not at all.

4) It Doesn’t Feel Right

Call it instinct or cognitive dissonance, but sometimes we know in our gut when a creative brief or writing project doesn’t feel right. Maybe we’re chasing a trend that doesn’t resonate with our internal values, pausing our internal quality tests, or giving a pass to meet a quota. But stuff lives forever these days. And in this world, it’s the stuff that we can’t not write that make me want to both read and continue creating.

“I’ve always found that writing comes from a great inner pain.”
Barton Fink, Coen Brothers, 1991

5) Lack of Reflexivity

Does this article pass the test? You tell me. I hope that by asking the question, I’m emboldening both myself and others to be more reflexive. We need to be willing to interrogate our own motivations so we can rehabilitate content marketing. I believe content writing can reflect a more realistic image and uphold a higher standard.

Off With My Headings

Killing this article is about recognizing the flaws in content marketing. It’s about being willing to say “no” to the content churn, so that we can say “yes” to a better future.

This is your call to action: Take me to the chopping block.