As things stand today, every idea on the internet is plagiarized.
That’s a shame to say, but it’s us, the marketers who’re weighing the internet with low-quality, commodity content by saying the same thing over and over again with slightly modified titles, new graphics, and a bit different lingo.
Ryan Law, former CMO of Animalz, refers to this form of content as copycat content.
(There may be some overlaps in the literal meaning of copycat and commodity content. However, commodity content is slightly different, at least in my interpretation. More on that later.)
While commodities like sugar and flour bet on prices for a sales boost, marketers rely on ranking ahead in hopes of a few hundred extra clicks.
I come from the same ecosystem, so I’m in no position to play the critique here. However, the rise of AI in content marketing, frequently changing SEO and Google search algorithms, and the increasing content abuse, make me feel being stuck on a deserted island.
This piece is a compilation of my research, raw thoughts on the matter, and ideas from folks from the industry I truly admire. (Consider this my self-rescue operation)
What is commodity content, anyway?
I went through multiple blog posts, social media posts, and community forums to collect people’s minds about “commodity content”. While I came across varying definitions floating, they tend to emphasize one fact clearly.
“It’s a content form, just good enough to help the reader, but doesn’t have anything new to offer, something that any other blog cannot provide.”
Jordan Scheltgen, founder of Cave Social—a Social Media Marketing Agency, thoughtfully mentioned commodity content on social media in his YouTube video. He says, “Commodity content is something (information or industry news) shared as it is without adding your thoughts or opinion.
While it’s an interesting opinion and might precisely fit social media marketing, I had to revisit the idea and my thought process to come up with a simple and plausible explanation.
So here’s how I’d put it:
“Commodity content is a mediocre, transactional, and generic form of content that might just be enough to help the reader but fails to leave a lasting impression. No personality, no brand recall, just more noise.”
To put it simply, it’s the kinda content that might seem helpful at the moment but forgettable. It’s that generic stuff you skim, get what you need, and never think about again.
There are multiple ways to differentiate your content from commodities.
It can involve creating opinion-based content that is independently unique, putting in extra effort to compile and organize information that’s not easily available, or interviewing experts to bring in fresh perspectives and expert opinions.
For instance, Ryan’s article on copycat content is an excellent example of an opinionated “non-commodity” article.
I also recall reading Nupur Mittal’s awesome piece on content research methods on the Buffer blog. It’s a great example of a well-researched and compiled article.
It’s the type of content you don’t easily forget or feel like sharing with your friends or peers to check them out. I call ‘em non-commodities.
Where did we go wrong?
I’d like to start by establishing some common ground. I come from the place where you all do. So, whenever I refer to “marketers”, I’m also calling myself names.
1) The wrong definition of “good” content
The article marketers considered to be good is actually a commodity. So, the problem starts with our opinion of “good” content. Brian Dean, renowned SEO expert published a detailed guide on “Skyscraper technique” and the longer content pieces started being considered “good”.
The idea was to create a list referring to top 10 SERPs and curate a more thorough, informative, and interactive piece.
Fast forward to today, when AI generates a couple thousand words before you blink, content length becomes irrelevant. It isn’t a differentiator anymore.
So how do we define good, quality content today? Quality content typically refers to content that is helpful, accurate, reliable, and relevant to the reader. It’s a well researched piece that offers practical guidance and aligns with your brand’s voice and messaging.
The four forces of good content include:
- Authenticity: Does your content present any unique idea or perspective? The goal should always be to share fresh ideas. If your content isn’t unique, it’s not worth publishing. (Intellectual plagiarism doesn’t count as UNIQUE.)
- Authority: Are you asked for advice on the topics you write about? It’s okay if you’re not the “expert”, you can always borrow it from those who are. Interview subject matter experts for accurate and credible information.
- Relevance: Does your content fulfill its purpose? A persuasive, thought-leadership article is worthless if the idea doesn’t resonate with your target audience. An informative article should inform and a persuasive piece should persuade. That’s all there is to it.
- Presentation: A good idea requires a good presentation to work.
using data from HubSpot’s
State of AI survey, which includes insights from over
1,062 U.S. marketers.
I’ll also share AI-generated content examples and
tips so you can see its potential
in action. By leveraging these insights, you can enhance your content strategy and gain a competitive edge.