Why my content is still quiet, even with AI
I just read something that made me go quiet for a while.
It’s from the newsletter of Ruben Hassid, a content creator who grew organically from 8,000 to 770,000 followers in 3 years, using AI.
The question hit hard: “If AI is smarter than you, why is your content still so quiet?”
Only taste and consistency are left
The point is simple, but it stings.
AI has made things that used to be hard easy: getting started with content, putting together a strategy, finding ideas. None of that is an advantage anymore. Everyone can do it.
The only two things that make a difference now are taste and consistency.
And honestly, I don’t feel I’m there yet on either.
Make it about the reader
One line made me stop scrolling: “No stranger cares about your achievements.”
Picture it. You post “Alhamdulillah, I just got certification X” or “Just finished project Y.”
Who likes and comments? Coworkers, family, your closest circle.
People who don’t know you yet? They scroll right past. Not because the content is bad. It’s because they don’t feel it’s about them.
People only stop scrolling when the content is about THEM. Not “I achieved X” but “here’s how you can get X.” For example:
- “My online business just passed 100 million” → people scroll past.
- “Here’s how I made my first 5 million selling online” → people stop and read.
We follow people who are useful to us. We praise the posts of people we know. Not the same thing.
Stop the scroll
About opening lines: the first two lines are everything.
On social media, you’ve got about 2 seconds before people scroll past. Those lines have one job: make someone who’s scrolling on autopilot suddenly stop.
It’s called a “pattern interrupt”, like someone shouting your name in a crowded place. You turn your head on reflex. That’s what the first 2 lines of your content need to do.
Some of the opening techniques Ruben uses:
- The opposite: “My worst post got me the most followers.”
- A specific, odd number: “I unfollowed 2,000 people. My engagement went up 3x.”
- A direct accusation: “You make content to make your mom proud, not for your audience.”
- Reading people’s minds: “You know your content is boring. So do the people scrolling past it.”
The point: make it impossible for people not to click.
One more thing that stuck: the image matters more than the text.
The posts that take off aren’t the ones with long captions. They’re the ones with an image that makes people stop scrolling.
And oddly, images that are “super polished”, like ad designs, actually perform worse. The ones that win look like handwritten notes. Scribbles in a notebook. Notes on a phone.
Because people don’t scroll to look at ads. They stop when they find something that feels honest.
Move first
But the most honest part of the piece: “You don’t actually want a lot of followers.”
Even with every step handed over, many of us wouldn’t follow through, because deep down we’re not convinced it’s worth it yet.
So we wait. Wait for “the right thing” to show up on its own.
But what makes people succeed isn’t waiting for perfect timing. It’s moving first, then evaluating as you go.
Three things I’m keeping from this piece:
- AI makes “starting” easy. The hard part now is taste and consistency. That’s what sets you apart.
- Make content about the reader, not about yourself. People follow what’s useful, not what’s showing off.
- The more you post, the more you learn what works. Move first, and the understanding comes after.
Ruben’s newsletter is really worth reading if you’re serious about content.
I’m still at the start of this journey myself. But now I understand one thing: what’s missing isn’t the tools. What’s missing is the courage to move every day and not stop.