Complaining about AI? It Killed the How-To Blogger

byMrDon1

1.2K followers

5 months ago

Guys (and Gals), the AI hit pieces this weekend prompted this piece. Aside from killing the vibe in useless comments, it also killed the "How-To" Blogger. I have been around long enough to witness this full circle.

For years, we were told to blog by teaching our "How-Tos"

• "Five steps to do this."
• "Ten tips for that."

It worked—until it didn’t.

Then AI walked in, flipped the script, and gave everyone access to everything.

Overnight, “How to” became less valuable. Why?
Because now anyone can ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to provide an instant answer with no scrolling, no popups, no fluff.

But something unexpected happened in the wreckage.

The Pendulum Swung Back

People didn’t stop reading blogs. They just stopped reading generic blogs.

What they want to read today is different from what they wanted yesterday.

I read an interesting piece on Email Capturing. The post was timely, I was dumping The Chimp, due to its lack of "automation support". Anyone with an email list knows how important that first email is. A person grabs your lead magnet, and your system sends a polite thank you message. Well, The Chimp has dropped all automations on its free plan. <- Word to the wise, if you have a free Chimp account, you need to move it.

When I started blogging, this would have been an acceptable post. But not today.

Today, people are looking for honesty. Friction... Curiosity... A Voice.

They want to hear your process, not just your product.

What was missing in that post was the actual what did you do to set up your email list?

That is what I wanted to read. I did not want to read a generic piece telling me about the importance of capturing emails, with a recommendation to use the Chimp.

"Is Blogging Dead?"

No, blogging hasn't died in the age of AI.
It simply evolved from being a teacher to becoming a thinking partner.

And the ones who embrace this shift?
They’re about to dominate this next wave.

New School = Old School

When blogging first started, it was little more than a daily journal of what you were doing and what worked and what didn't.

The people would join your site and comment,

"Oh yeah, that didn't work for me either, but this did... Or WOW! I never thought of that, what a great idea!"

Google Changed Everything

SEO, keyword targeting, link structures, content pyramids, and pillars became the rage. We started writing for robots instead of readers. Suddenly, the “How-To” format took over. And for a time, it worked. Rankings brought traffic. Traffic brought income. Some of my best posts were obscure "How-Tos". "How to Keep COBOL Running in 2000 was quite popular.

But those days have faded fast, if not gone altogether.

The March 2024 Google's Helpful Content Update was a wake-up call. My Google impressions fell off a cliff. Thousands of clicks a week—gone. I wasn’t alone.

The Culprit? AI

AI didn’t just kill my traffic. It exposed a bigger truth.

People don’t need you to teach them anymore. They need you to guide them.

Now, we’re back to where blogging began. But this time with better tools and higher expectations. You can’t just share what you know. You have to share how you got there.

That’s your real value now.

The Death of “How-To” Content

AI doesn’t get tired. It doesn’t gatekeep. It knows everything. It can pass the Bae Exam, has several Medical Degrees, and a Doctorate in International Business. It doesn’t forget Step 3 in a rush to get home, and never complains about my weird hours and overtime.

That means:

• “How to start a blog” = outdated
• “How I started my blog and what I’d do differently now” = relevant

What is the difference? Your perspective has been added.

In the AI era, your personal process is more valuable than perfect instructions.

Your failures, adjustments, and lived examples are what people seek. Not for the outcome, but for the context. AI can't fake that. At least not yet!

The Return of “Show, Don’t Tell”

One of my followers was struggling in their niche and mentioned that they were going to drop it in favor of going back to Etsy. You Do You Niche Selection is alive and well! Your niche isn’t what you teach. It’s what you do.

Blogging is becoming where open journaling meets behind-the-scenes meets personal innovation.

Aside from being a blogger. You’re:

• A testing lab
• A pattern finder
• A guide with mud still on your boots

People follow that.
They relate to that.

And most importantly, they buy from that.

Why “Teaching” is the Wrong Frame of Mind

Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t trying to be online professors. We got into niche blogging and affiliate marketing to make money, and when we started, "teaching" How-Tos was the way to do it. But that is not who we are.

We’re learners. Tinkerers. Explorers.

AI has flipped the teacher/student model upside down.

Now:

• The facts are coming from the bots
• The meaning comes from you

The New Authority is Process Transparency

Authority used to mean having answers.
Now it means documenting your process with clarity and intent.

Instead of:

"Here’s how to use Notion."

Try:

"Here’s how I’m using Notion to fix my broken weekly workflow and what tripped me up at first."

That’s what pulls people in.

In a sea of sameness, that’s what makes your content unforgettable.

Old School is New Again

The sooner we drop the old content habits, the sooner we’ll find our voice again.

You don’t need to outdo AI.
You need to out-relate it.

So here’s a simple rule for your next post:

If AI can say it better, don’t write it.
If AI can’t say it your way, write it loud and clear.

Let your next blog post be a snapshot of your real work.

• What you’re testing
• What you’re building
• What you’re trying to figure out

That’s what resonates with today's readers.

Because in 2025, they are not asking “How do I do this?”

They’re asking:

“Who’s already on the path and can I trust their take?”

When you walk that road, share the view.

And if you want help choosing the path that matches your story, skillset, and goals, I've built a system for that. It’s called The Amazing Niche Master, and it exists for exactly this moment in time.

Because AI isn’t your competitor.
It’s your collaborator.

But the direction... the story... the voice?

That still belongs to you.

So don’t write to teach. Write to reflect.

What did you try this week?
What broke?
What surprised you?
What shortcut saved you an hour?

Those posts have lasting power because they’re personal and practical.