Stop Calling Yourself a Content Creator

If you've ever called yourself a 'content creator' or referred to your readers as 'traffic,' it's time to reconsider. The author of this piece, a former Google engineer who quit to run his own business, makes a compelling case that the language we use to describe our work shapes how we think about it — and not always for the better.

The problem with 'content'

The term 'content' gained traction after Bill Gates' 1996 essay 'Content is King,' where he predicted the internet would commoditize creative work. Since then, business school jargon has infected how engineers, writers, and artists describe their output. Calling Michelangelo's David a piece of 'content' sounds absurd, but we're not far from that mindset when we lump blog posts, videos, and software documentation under the same generic label.

The author recounts attending an indie business conference where solo founders talked about 'capturing value,' 'expanding distribution,' and 'increasing lifetime value' — language that treats customers as revenue streams rather than people. This realization prompted a personal shift: stop using corp-speak and start using honest words.

What to say instead

Instead of 'content,' say 'blog post,' 'tutorial,' or 'documentation.' Instead of 'traffic,' say 'readers' or 'users.' Instead of 'engagement,' say 'comments' or 'feedback.' The change isn't just semantic — it reframes your relationship with your audience. When you think of visitors as 'traffic,' you optimize for clicks and metrics. When you think of them as 'readers,' you optimize for trust and value.

The author notes that his paying customers read his behind-the-scenes posts. Would they enjoy being referred to as 'traffic' or being schemed for more 'lifetime value'? Probably not.

Choose your own terms

The point isn't to police language but to question whether you chose your terms or had them chosen for you. If you write software tutorials, you're an educator. If you build open-source tools, you're a maintainer. If you run a blog, you're a blogger. These labels carry more dignity and precision than the sludge term 'content creator.'

For engineers who write, this is a reminder that language matters. The next time you're tempted to call your work 'content,' ask yourself: what would I call this if I weren't trying to sound like a business school textbook?