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How to Combat the Single Biggest Threat to Your Body of Work in the AI Age

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Something you likely noticed but may not have been able to name is that the unexpected events of 2020 created shifts that still ripple through nearly every industry to this day… and they were a precursor to what’s happening in the online space now.

People quit or got laid off, and they started new businesses in droves.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the increase from 2019 to 2020 in total applications [for new businesses] exceeds 20%, which is double the growth rate in any other year.”1 Follow that with the numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau in January of 2022, which shared that “a whopping 5.4 million new business applications were filed in 2021, surpassing the record set in 2020 of 4.4 million.”2

And that’s just official businesses…

It doesn’t include sole proprietors who never registered as a business entity but started freelancing and contracting during the pandemic, and it doesn’t include the side gigs that sustained so many.

Despite a slight decrease in new applications in 2024, the trend is undeniable:

When global events disrupt economic and industry stability, people turn to the internet to make money.

And now, half a decade later, AI is only just beginning to rise. That means that more people without any skill or training can produce content, programs, and books, or provide a variety of service offerings, simply by entering prompts into a chatbox.

And if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that most will undercut the pricing of those who have been doing it for years. Similar to the internet removing gatekeeping from coveted industries, AI is allowing anyone to sell anything with little to no experience.

So, yes. AI is indeed a game-changer, but most aren’t looking at what’s beyond this initial bubble, and it’s not the same thing as a new tool or marketing trend.

The reality is:

Major corporations and techy business owners are replacing entire teams…

The ability to create content without outsourcing is advancing rapidly…

Economic growth is slowing, with a 40% probability of a recession…

Ecological changes that directly impact us (and commerce) are intensifying…

Media literacy, comprehension, and online trust are eroding significantly…

The average duration of unemployment in the US has increased…

Simply put, the landscape of online marketing and business is shifting again.

And the biggest threat to your body of work in the AI age?
Not focusing on forward compatibility.

Forward compatibility, also known as upward compatibility in telecommunications, refers to a system’s ability to seamlessly handle inputs from a newer version of a related system. In short, it ensures that older systems (our businesses and bodies of work) can still function effectively with newer technologies and systemic shifts (such as the rise of AI, growing distrust and burnout among many online consumers, and significant economic and social shifts)—without failing.

Forward compatibility is about: l o n g e v i t y.

And the first steps?

Developing true thought leadership
(which is NOT content creation on its own!)

Laying a foundation for longevity on a platform you own with search engine optimization (SEO).

There are more, but let’s start here.

Believe it or not, the current shifts have created massive opportunities today:

📈 Opportunity #1:

We’re well past the tipping point of social media’s effectiveness in reach and impact.

Content on social media depreciates rapidly, if it gets any reach and engagement at all, not to mention it’s housed on a platform you don’t own and can’t control (we see people lose their well-established accounts all the time for no reason and with no ability to restore them). Shadow bans are limiting quality conversations that are necessary for truly transforming the world, and the type of content that gets prioritized is consumed by those looking for a stream of quick entertainment (with a touch of education or inspiration at times) but doesn’t lead to the conversions and growth that most businesses are hoping for.

If you’re like most entrepreneurs and business owners, you’re churning out an endless flow of new, brilliant, and helpful content… but reaching no one (and absolutely over it!)

📈 Opportunity #2:

The extreme oversaturation of content and offerings with the rise of AI is only beginning.

Creators are using A.I. to craft books, programs, articles, videos, illustrations, photography, and social media content.

More specifically, at least 77% of businesses are either using A.I. or experimenting with its potential. With 333.34 million businesses worldwide, that means that over 250 million of them are exploring or using A.I. in their daily operations.3 With more of these tools being released and improved all the time—and even more people working to churn out more content daily (see opportunity #1)—the oversaturation is real.

The noise is growing louder and the subpar content is infiltrating every space and channel, making it even more challenging to be seen and heard, let alone stand out.

We know you might be thinking:
“These seem more like obstacles than opportunities…”

They’re opportunities because they show just how many entrepreneurs, creators, nonprofits, thought leaders, and companies are still heavily invested in the outdated, defunct, and soon-to-die-off ways of marketing and business-building.

And they’re investing in spaces people are actively leaving.

Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends Survey interviewed more than 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 75 about their use of social media. Of those, 22% said they had either temporarily or permanently stopped using it.4

According to recent research from Hill Holliday’s internal research group, Origin, 34% of Gen Zers say they are permanently leaving social media, and 64% say they are taking a break from the platforms.5

Add to that, 45% of Facebook users in the US have thought about deleting their accounts.6

The trends don’t lie:
social media is losing its luster.

The good news is you don’t need to constantly create new content or use social media at all.

In fact, stepping away from or significantly scaling back your social media means you can instead create a powerfully positioned online hub and marketing machine supported by search engine optimized pillar content that actively builds momentum over time.

This means that as you create an optimized content library on your website (which you own and the social overlords can never take from you or punish you for the conversations you want to have), you’ll continuously grow your website traffic organically over time.

Yes, more and more people will find you as time goes on, with less and less effort.

Better yet, strategically optimized content in the form of thought leadership posts builds a different kind of trust immediately and allows for a much shorter sales cycle.

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Even more exciting, a majority of businesses (remember: at least 77% of them!) are leaning on AI to create their content and graphics while following the same trends they see working for the Big Names with the hope of achieving the same success. Content that can’t be copyrighted and pulls from mostly the same database of information on the internet, alongside graphics that are often created using the same Canva templates as a base (135 million people use Canva—at least 800K teams, over 400,000 nonprofits, and 85% of Fortune 500 companies.7)

No shade to Canva as a tool, just for the practice of using the same canned templates as everyone else, further watering down brands and adding to the perpetual noise of the internet.

The opportunity to establish a unique, effective, profitable, and impactful brand and rank on the first page of Google for exactly what your right clients and customers are searching for is enormous.

And now is the best time to get started.

That’s why we’re sharing our seven-step guide on How to Combat the Single Biggest Threat to Your Body of Work in the AI Age for those courageous enough to shift into the next wave of marketing.

This series will deliver a downloadable workbook, walking you through the process of building an appreciation-based marketing plan that will help you create the impact you desire.