P.T. Barnum once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” With the advent of the Internet, the same snake oil salesmen, con artists, and charlatans are back—only now, they wield the power of technology to “prove” their dubious claims. So, paraphrasing Barnum: There’s a sucker born every second… online!
Think about this: If I gave you the finest oil paints, the best brushes, and a premium canvas, could you paint like Picasso or Van Gogh? Of course not. Their creative mastery was honed through years of practice. Van Gogh, in fact, often lacked access to high-quality tools, yet he still produced extraordinary (if unconventional) artwork.
Clearly, the tools do not make the master. Yet, every day, we are bombarded with online claims of push-button success—mastery at the click of a button. The dream is tempting, but we must temper our hopes with a healthy dose of scepticism.
The Illusion of “Magic” Technology
We tend to give too much authority to technology, often because we don’t fully understand it. Some new tools seem so advanced they feel like magic. However, after more than two decades working with computers, I can assure you: there is no magic.
A computer is a finite state machine. It follows fixed rules, no matter how complex they appear. It cannot create outside of those parameters.
So, do you really believe someone has cracked the code for expressing a sunrise, crafting heartfelt poetry, or writing an engaging news story? And even if they had, remember: once something is defined by rules, it becomes predictable. Imagine the same sunrise every day… boring.
Yes, we can create templates, and automation can generate filler content, but the true essence of a compelling story, persuasive copy, or an engaging creative piece comes from human intuition. Language parsing is one thing; authentic creativity is something else entirely.
The False Promise of “Push-Button Success”
Why am I telling you this? Because just yesterday, I received yet another “exciting offer” for a so-called revolutionary tool promising to skyrocket my online marketing efforts with automated content creation and syndication. Knowing that high-quality content is king, I followed the link. After all, good marketing examples are worth studying.
What I found (and I won’t name the product) was a well-packaged and polished idea—with one glaring flaw. It minimized the importance of quality content. It led prospects to believe that tools alone could make them experts. Just push this button, and out pops a masterfully written article for syndication…
Hmmm.
This tool does have value: It syndicates content across multiple platforms, which is great. It provides learning resources and support, which is helpful. But what it cannot do—what it will never do—is transform you into an expert overnight. True mastery takes time, effort, and patience. For each person, the journey is unique.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
The next time you’re tempted by a “cure-all” for your online marketing success, especially one that promises effortless content creation, remember this: GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out. Automating garbage content only makes it more efficiently distributed—but it doesn’t make it good.
And finally, Marketing 101 tells us to differentiate ourselves. Does rules-based, auto-generated content sound like a way to stand out—or a way to blend into the noise of countless others doing the exact same thing?
Originality is your competitive advantage. Don’t trade it for an easy button.
