We all know that success can cause the things we love to change. Think of the band you’ve followed since their first album that adjusted their sound to chase mass appeal. Or the film franchise that once felt fresh but slowly turned into a conveyor belt of sequels, spin-offs and reboots. As the popularity grows, a new set of challenges, incentives and expectations take hold and the fans that have been there from the start notice changes in the experience they value.
The same process is happening across the internet. In 2022, writer Cory Doctorow coined the term ‘enshittification‘ to describe the way that many online products and services seem to decline in quality over time. Also known as platform decay, it’s the idea that online apps, marketplaces and other services that were focused on serving users are now all about profit. The user goes from being a valued customer to an extractable resource.
Doctorow’s phrase resonated so deeply, because we have all experienced ‘enshittification’ at some point. Platform decay also provides a real opportunity for brands that want to stand out, build credibility and retain audience trust. Having the right content strategy in place is central to standing out and providing authenticity.
What is platform decay?
Platform decay is a process. You have probably been impacted by it in some way even if you weren’t aware of it at the time. At a very high level, the process looks something like this:
1. When platforms start out, they understandably need to focus on serving existing users and attracting new ones. Products that solve a clear need are complimented by features designed to remove friction, build loyalty and encourage habitual use. Growth is the priority, so the experience needs to feel fast and intuitive. And, in many cases, it is initially offered for free to get people through the (digital) door.
2. Once the user base hits a certain level, the balance begins to shift. On a logistical level, more users mean more infrastructure and operating costs. But often more important is hitting a “growth wall”. At a certain point, there just aren’t as many new users to add.
3. Once a company hits a growth wall, it needs to decide how it is going to try and continue showing quarter-over-quarter growth to investors. Typically, the answer is to shift from growing the user base to increasing the average revenue per user. This is where platform decay really starts to kick in.
The changes are subtle at first, then increasingly hard to ignore. Interfaces become busier and less intuitive. Content that once felt relevant is replaced by sponsored results, recommended posts and paid placements. Features that were once standard are moved behind paywalls or bundled into premium tiers. The experience feels noisier and increasingly diluted as users spend more time filtering out what they do not want.
Why we’re all starting to lose patience
Platform decay is everywhere and is getting harder and harder to ignore. Google Search took over the world because of the speed, relevance and convenience of its offering. But today, the platform is seen as serving advertisers first at the expense of users. The newly introduced AI search result function shows you information deemed most valuable by the system – which is sometimes incorrect.
Another decaying giant is Amazon. For decades the company set the standard for simple, reliable online shopping. Today, the experience is cluttered with inconsistent search results and dominated by sponsored listings, near-identical products and sellers optimised for visibility rather than quality. Features designed to reduce friction now demand more effort from the customer.
What unites these two examples is the idea that content once designed for the user now prioritises the needs of other stakeholders. Faced with this, it can be hard to know what to do as a user. If we leave the platform, we lose the service. Or we just accept the fact that the platforms we use are doomed to get worse over time. Either way, there is a real opportunity for brands to stand out.
Content strategy in age of ‘enshittification’
Brand content strategies need to shift away from chasing algorithms and volume. Reach is harder to earn, feeds are saturated with AI-generated content and users are increasingly scrolling past anything that feels repetitive, generic or insincere. And while some people are choosing to disengage, others are scrutinising the language brands use and whether it is matched by their actions.
Creating positive engagement in your brand requires a shift in mindset. Perhaps it’s time to step back, clarifying your content goals and focus on achieving them in an authentic and credible way.
Quality over quantity
At its heart, platform decay is a demonstration of how scale doesn’t automatically equal happy customers. Many content strategies aim for more volume, often through the use of AI. But in an environment saturated with low-value material it might be time to think about fewer, higher-quality pieces. Content that is well-researched, well-written and genuinely useful will stand out in a sea of generic corporate content.
Clear intent
Strong content strategies focus on where your brand has something credible to say, and where that perspective adds value. Publishing with intent builds authority while publishing for the sake of volume damages it.
Stay consistent
Your brand is probably an expert on a handful of topics, and that is how it should be. Consumers love expertise when it helps solve their problems, but will quickly stop paying attention if it doesn’t. Staying consistent with your voice, standards and messaging shows you are confident in what you are saying.
Trust as a differentiator
Consumers want to engage with brands that say something and then back it up. Clear thinking, transparent messaging and consistent quality help brands maintain the credibility that turns into trust over the long-term.
Authenticity is a real brand asset
Like death and taxes, platform decay seems inevitable. But the gradual ‘enshittification’ of the internet it is also showing us what really matters. Content that reflects real expertise and is based on a clear audience-centric strategy is an essential part of preventing platform decay.
The goal is always to service your audience better. That’s how authenticity becomes a true competitive advantage.
