The verdict: Written content isn’t dying—it’s evolving into a trust-differentiated asset. While 82% of internet traffic is video and average attention spans have collapsed to 47 seconds, paradoxically: Substack hit a $1.1 billion valuation with 5 million paid subscribers, long-form content earns 77% more backlinks, and 62% of consumers distrust AI-generated content.

The real shift isn’t from “content vs. no content”—it’s from “content volume” to “content as proof of thinking.”

Dan Koe, with 4 million followers and over $4 million in annual revenue, captured it perfectly:

“Competent, forgettable writing is now $20/month via ChatGPT. The baseline got flooded. If your writing was already average, you’re now competing with infinite average. But the ceiling hasn’t moved. What makes writing great hasn’t changed: originality of thought, a voice that’s unmistakably yours, and the ability to make someone see something they hadn’t seen before.”

In this guide you’ll find a complete analysis of the debate, the data that matters, and a decision framework for executives who need to justify their content investment.

1. The Case Against: Why They Say Written Content Is Dead

The Absolute Dominance of Video

The numbers are striking and hard to ignore:

StatisticSource
82% of all internet traffic will be video by 2025Cisco
78% of consumers prefer learning about products via short video vs. 9% textWyzowl 2025
Social videos are shared 1,200% more than text and images combinedMultiple studies
LinkedIn video posts achieve 3x more engagement than text-onlyIndustry data
95% message retention from video vs. 10% from textInsivia

The Collapse of Attention Spans

Dr. Gloria Mark’s longitudinal research (UC Irvine/Microsoft) shows an 80% decline in attention span over 20 years:

68% of young people report difficulty concentrating on content lasting more than a minute. A 2025 APA meta-analytic study of 71 studies with 98,299 participants found correlation between short-form consumption and reduced cognitive capacity.

The AI Content Flood

The landscape changed dramatically:

The Prosecution’s Argument

If you want to capture quick attention and maximize reach, video wins. Meta, YouTube, and TikTok algorithms explicitly favor video over text. In a world of fragmented attention, why would anyone read 2,000 words?

But this is where surface-level analysis stops. Let’s see the other side.

2. The Defense of Written Content: The Data Nobody Tells You

The SEO Reality That Contradicts the Narrative

StatisticSource
Top Google rankings average 2,000+ wordsBig Drop Inc 2025
Articles of 1,000+ words receive 77% more backlinksSearch Engine Land
37% of bloggers publishing 2,000+ word posts report strong results vs. 20% for shorter contentIndustry studies
Long-form content (3,000+ words) earns 3.5x more backlinksSEOgismo 2025
Time on page increases 40-70% for content over 1,500 wordsMarketing LTB

Long-form content doesn’t just survive—it dominates in organic search.

The Newsletter Renaissance

Substack (March 2025):

Beehiiv (June 2025):

If written content were dead, why are newsletters exploding?

B2B’s Preference for Depth

This is where the argument becomes impossible to ignore for executives:

StatisticSource
99% of B2B buyers say thought leadership is important/critical in decisionsMomentum ITSMA 2025
73% of B2B buyers prefer learning through articles, not adsMarketing LTB
67% consume 5+ pieces of content before engaging salesSQ Magazine 2025
Senior executives spend 4 hours/week consuming thought leadershipGareth Lofthouse
60% will pay a premium to suppliers with strong thought leadershipEdelman-LinkedIn 2024
C-suite executives find articles and events the most valuable content typesMarketingProfs

Dan Koe’s Insight on Impact

”There’s a reason you remember the author of a life-changing book more than you remember the last viral TikTok you watched. It’s because a book holds your attention for 8 hours while a post holds it for 5 seconds. You don’t have enough time to spark transformation in their life.”

3. The Trust Verdict: Why AI Created an Advantage for Humans

The AI Content Trust Deficit

Consumer trust data is revealing:

StatisticSource
62% of consumers less likely to engage with content identified as AINielsenIQ 2025
52% reduced engagement once content is identified as AI-generatedNielsenIQ
AI content without human oversight ranks 40% lower in E-E-A-T signalsSmythOS 2025
AI content with human oversight performs 4.1x better than fully automatedSmythOS
57% of workers have made mistakes due to AI relianceKPMG Trust Study 2025

E-E-A-T: The Signal Google Prioritizes

Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has become more important precisely because AI can produce content that looks expert but lacks real experience.

Signals algorithms now value higher:

Dan Koe’s Evolved Position on AI

”I said I’d never use AI to write. I meant it. But something has changed… I’ve found a process where AI handles a lot of the labor while I stay in control of the thinking, and personally I think this is the future of writing. The words on the page are still mine. But my job changed—and surprisingly I’m writing more than ever.”

The future isn’t human vs. AI. It’s humans using AI as a tool, not as a replacement.

4. The Decision Framework for Executives

When Written Content Wins

Written content is superior when:

  1. Complex purchase decisions: B2B, high tickets, long sales cycles
  2. Long-term trust building: Thought leadership, expert positioning
  3. SEO and organic discoverability: Google still indexes text better than video
  4. Audiences that research deeply: Executives, technical buyers, informed purchasers
  5. Evergreen content: Material that remains relevant for years
  6. Documentation and reference: Guides, tutorials, technical resources

When Video Wins

Video is superior when:

  1. Mass awareness: Reaching new, broad audiences
  2. Visual demonstration: Products that need to be seen in action
  3. Quick emotional connection: Storytelling, testimonials
  4. Mobile audiences: Consumption on the go
  5. Ephemeral content: Trends, reactions, current events
  6. Personality and charisma: When founder/CEO presence is the differentiator

The Reality: Hybrid Wins

For most B2B companies, the optimal strategy is hybrid:

Awareness (Video) → Consideration (Articles) → Decision (Case studies/Whitepapers)

Dan Koe’s content hierarchy explains it perfectly:

Need to evaluate your content mix?

Use our ROI Calculator: Written Content vs. Video to analyze how much you should invest in each format based on your industry and goals.

5. The Content Strategy for 2026

The Newsletter-First Approach

The most effective strategy for executives in 2026 follows this order:

  1. Weekly newsletter: Your deepest and most valuable content
  2. Pillar articles: Comprehensive guides that rank in SEO
  3. LinkedIn posts: Excerpts and derivatives from the newsletter
  4. Twitter/X threads: Condensed versions for virality
  5. Occasional video: When the format warrants it

AI-Assisted Production, Human Direction

The modern content creation process:

  1. Human: Define the unique insight, perspective, the “why”
  2. AI: Help with research, structure, first draft
  3. Human: Edit, add voice, inject real experience
  4. AI: Reformat for different platforms
  5. Human: Final review and approval

This process allows producing more while maintaining authenticity.

”Content Debt” Management

Just as there’s technical debt, there’s content debt:

The strategy includes:

Ready for thought leadership?

Before investing in content, assess your current strategy’s maturity. Use our B2B Content Maturity Quiz to get a personalized diagnosis and action roadmap.

6. The Thought Leadership Imperative

Executive Presence as Competitive Advantage

The 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn report (7th year, 2,000 global professionals) revealed:

The Cost of Not Investing

Executives who don’t create content:

The LATAM Opportunity

The Spanish-speaking market for executive thought leadership content is virtually untapped:

For companies serving the Latin American market, the window of opportunity is now.

7. Conclusion: Written Content Is Evolving, Not Dying

The Debate Synthesis

  1. Written content volume is being commoditized by AI
  2. Human-insight-driven writing is more valuable than ever
  3. Video wins attention; text wins trust and conversion
  4. B2B and executive audiences still require depth
  5. The future is hybrid: AI-assisted production, human-directed thinking

The Right Question Isn’t “Is Written Content Dead?”

The right question is: “Does your written content demonstrate original thinking that AI cannot replicate?”

If the answer is no, then yes—your content is competing with infinite average and will eventually become irrelevant.

If the answer is yes—if your content reflects real experience, unique perspectives, and an unmistakable voice—then you’re on the right side of the divergence.

Ready to elevate your content?

At Mazkara Studio we help executives and companies create thought leadership content that passes the “Human Test”—content with genuine insight, distinctive voice, and perspectives that build trust. Get your free consultation to explore how we can help you.

Have questions about this guide or want to discuss your content strategy? Reply to this newsletter or contact us at hola@mazkara.studio.