First of all, don’t scroll down to look for the list of how these types of articles are killing me. Actually, go ahead. Scroll your fingers off. I’ll wait. You won’t find any.
The fact that you did proves my point. In fact, that you clicked on this link and scrolled down to find the list of 5 ways without even bothering to read the main body of this post is why creativity in marketing and communications is at least dying if not already dead.
Oh, and don’t give me that TLDR shit either. Just suck it up.
You see, I used to make good money writing things; ads, white papers, articles, corporate videos, blog posts, whatever. I used to get paid to listen to people, think shit up, research concepts, develop ideas and brands, and create things that were interesting, creative, affected people, and lead to the development and success of my clients.
I used to pour my heart and mind out for my clients, using all I had to try to ensure success. You know, I wanted to do my part – be a good company man. Sure, I’m not completely altruistic. I’m as much of an egotist as the net person; dreaming of patting myself on the back for my creativity. But all I really wanted was to create something of quality, that I could be at least somewhat proud of, and see it used to further the goals of my clients. Of course, you can only do so much when writing about pizza, restaurants, greeting cards, internet technology, or the latest Ford F150. I found that creativity takes many forms. It worked.
Now, marketing has changed, and creativity along with it. Creating marketing content isn’t about creativity anymore, or even information. It’s about clicks. That’s all. My industry has become nothing but a producer of click-bait. Contract creativity is dead.
How many blog posts or articles have you read lately that were incredibly stupid, common sense, and just basically crap? Probably a lot of them. How many of those did you click on because of the title? Announcing the 10 Most Kick-Ass Things That Ever Kicked Ass – or – The 7 Ways To Guarantee You Get Rich By The Time You Finish Reading This Sentence!
Research continues to show that articles and blog posts that advertise a list (a listicle as I like to call them) are the most clicked content on the internet and on mobile devices. So, that’s what marketing agencies and business want. They worship at the alter of the great and powerful Gods of SEO. They think that creating a click is the best way to get attention and create customers. It’s what they want, so it’s what you get. the sad part is, they aren’t necessarily wrong. You’re lazy so they’re lazy. They create this shit, you click on it, and they move up the list on Google search results and get more business. The down side is most listicles say they will give you information that you need, and instead just get you to click and then disappoint you. Any number of sexual performance innuendos or cheesy metaphors come to mind.
What you might not know is that the content doesn’t matter any more. The simple act of clicking on that link justified its existence. Stupid shit was typed, a click-bait title was written, and you clicked on it, increasing the traffic on a website, increasing the perceived value of the company or website and the information within, increasing the ad revenue potential on that website, and slowly sucking the life out of me.
How many times have you read a title like, ‘The 5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Secure Your Financial Future’ only to find a couple hundred words extolling the virtues of opening a savings account and spending less money than you bring in. Wow. That’s some serious wisdom. It’s so disappointing. It’s kind of like internet dating – seeing that cute hipster guy with his trendy little man-bun and the clever looking smile only to meet and and see that he’s a fat part-time barista living in his mom’s basement and trying to launch his career as a gamer specializing in online Chutes and Ladders.
The click-bait culture of marketing now has rendered creativity unnecessary, and therefor, rendered the people that produce creativity unnecessary. As a result, it has decimated the financial value of creativity. I used to get paid to consult a business, listen to them, and think about the best ways to market a product or service. Now, I’m lucky to get job offers writing drivel for $20 every 1000 words as long as it has 12 of the most important key words and a click-bait title. What it says doesn’t really matter. They just need the clicks. Yay. Clients don’t even read what I write anymore. It’s all automated through freelance services like Writer Access or UpWork. Does it have the number of words? Does is have the key words? Done. Here’s your $5. Post-Click-Convert. Post-Click-Convert. We’re nothing but the depressingly annoying music coming from the broken down ice-cream truck. Click here. Click here. Hey kid, I have some candy in my windowless van. Wanna come on in and see?
It’s the same for design. For $100 or less anyone can get a logo or design created for their business. Through similar website services, you can have hundreds of designers create something for you and bid for your attention. You choose and the rest lose. Sounds great, right? But what happened to having a designer actually ask you questions, get into your head, and then design something that is actually you rather than just some colorful splotch in a JPG. If you think a hundred buck is all your logo is worth, then that’s what your logo will be worth.
Before you think this is just me bitching about the world passing me by (Get off my lawn) and my failure to adapt to the changing world, let me say – it’s not. Really. Sure, I want to make money for my creativity and my writing, but I also want to read things that are creative. I see value in creativity. I see value in quality information and in a business actually trying to market to its clientele in a clever and effective way. That is what we are now missing. I don’t want to live in a world without creativity. Not only are we as a culture diminishing the value of creativity, but we are losing interest in being creative altogether and losing the creative people who are able to produce. Now, everyone thinks they can do it. And at these prices, they probably can. A trained monkey can probably take my $5 and give me ‘The 6 most important things that are mostly important – number 4 will blow your mind!’
The problem with making it all meaningless and getting everything for cheap, articles, blogs, ads, clicks, designs, etc. is that’s all they become. Cheap and meaningless. You might get clicks, and that might be all you want. But what happens when someone actually reads the content for which you paid so little money and attention? Chances are, they’ll see it as cheap and meaningless. Then, they’ll think you’re cheap and meaningless, and that’s worse than not doing anything at all.
Good job getting those clicks, though. I’m off to grow my hair and get a job as a barista.
