Just creating content is no longer enough
As the effectiveness of content drops, it is more important than ever for creators to work on engaging and retaining their existing audience.
As social media platforms have grown and technological tools have improved, the friction associated with creating content has decreased dramatically. It is easier than ever to make a podcast, create a video, or write an article, and share it with the world. Unsurprisingly, this has led to the proliferation of content.
As people are continuously bombarded with clickbait titles and endless mountains of content, they become increasingly desensitised leading to a drop in content’s effectiveness as an attention accumulator.
Quality is increasing, but content effectiveness is dropping. The average number of shares per post has actually fallen by nearly 90% compared to two years ago.
Plus, the life of an offer - like an ebook - is actually dropping in effectiveness, as measured through lead velocity. An offer's effectiveness used to be roughly 6 months, whereas today that effectiveness has dropped to less than three.
Source: https://www.profitwell.com/recur/all/content-marketing-customer-acquisition-cost
To try and maintain their content effectiveness, creators have two options: diversify distribution channels, or improve their content.
In marketing terms, this phenomenon is the equivalent of a reduction in effectiveness of the top of the funnel, meaning that it is more important than ever for creators to improve their lower funnel activities (engagement, retention, etc.). The recent trend towards community building which promises better engagement and retention is very much consistent with this phenomenon.
As it becomes harder and harder to acquire new fans, it is more important than ever for creators to be able to keep the fans they already have.