{"id":194696,"date":"2026-01-20T04:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=194696"},"modified":"2026-01-20T05:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T10:50:37","slug":"what-is-taste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Marketer Says You Need \u201cTaste\u201d. Here\u2019s What That Actually Means"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\"><!-- notionvc: 01d5a7d9-92bf-481b-9401-2158fa45d4fe -->For the first time ever, anyone can make content in seconds.<\/div><!-- notionvc: 74d19b2e-3076-4089-a6f6-c4fdf1053d27 -->\n\n\n\n<p>With just a couple of prompts, an LLM can generate an entire blog post that you can publish on your website. A solopreneur or a marketing team of one can pump out newsletters, social media content, ad copy, and blog posts without breaking a&nbsp;sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This should be revolutionary. But it has created a new problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody can find anything worth reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"796\" height=\"364\" class=\"wp-image-194697\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png\" alt=\"Tweet from Gael Breton saying &quot;everyone wants to create AI content but nobody wants to read it&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png 796w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c-680x311.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c-768x351.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>When anyone can create, creation alone isn\u2019t valuable anymore. Instead, something else becomes invaluable: the ability to know what\u2019s actually worth making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We call this <strong>taste<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What exactly is taste?\" data-section=\"what-is-taste\"><!-- notionvc: 3eff699e-7cb1-4bd8-8128-795ed631a53a -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_er3cw6i3ensj\"><\/a>What <em>exactly<\/em> is&nbsp;taste?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: d58578a8-43f6-4470-b9a2-2fdeb00fd23f -->\n\n\n\n<p>Go on LinkedIn and you\u2019ll find marketers proclaiming that \u201cgreat taste is the future.\u201d For example, here\u2019s a tweet from HubSpot founder Brian Halligan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1316\" height=\"412\" class=\"wp-image-194698\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-brian-halligan-saying-underrated-mark.png\" alt=\"Tweet from Brian Halligan saying &quot;underrated: marketers with good taste&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-brian-halligan-saying-underrated-mark.png 1316w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-brian-halligan-saying-underrated-mark-680x213.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-brian-halligan-saying-underrated-mark-768x240.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1316px) 100vw, 1316px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>I agree with them. Who doesn\u2019t want to have great taste? But saying \u201cyou need to have good taste\u201d is not actionable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How does one know what good taste is? And how does one learn to develop <em>that <\/em>taste?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, here\u2019s my attempt to make the concept useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_7jjfq1bk6rh\"><\/a>Taste is not elitism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, taste is not about liking obscure things or sneering at what\u2019s popular. Just because you vehemently dislike Taylor Swift doesn\u2019t mean you have better taste than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This confusion is common and destructive. Real taste has nothing to do with obscurity for its own sake. Plenty of popular things are excellent; they\u2019re popular because they\u2019re genuinely good. And plenty of obscure things are terrible; they\u2019re obscure because nobody wants&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the difference between dismissing mainstream content because it\u2019s mainstream versus having specific, defensible reasons for your preferences. Someone with genuine taste can articulate what makes something work or fail, regardless of how many people like&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_ugktgipubowq\"><\/a>Taste is applied judgment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the ability to consistently distinguish better from worse within your domain or industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing this requires pattern recognition across quality levels. You\u2019ve consumed enough content\u2014the brilliant, the mediocre, the actively bad\u2014that you can identify the hallmarks of each. You recognize when something is derivative because you\u2019ve seen the original. You spot genuine freshness because you know what tired looks&nbsp;like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taste is a coherent framework for evaluating quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You consume widely enough that you develop an internal system: specific traits you\u2019ve learned signal good work (precision, unexpected connections, structural integrity) and traits that signal lazy work (borrowed framing, unearned certainty, generic transitions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework is what lets you make fast, consistent decisions. When you see new content, you\u2019re pattern-matching against your accumulated experience. Does this earn its complexity or is it showing off? Is this insight or is it received wisdom dressed up? Your framework turns vague aesthetic feelings into actionable judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_jyzmyao0gf9h\"><\/a>Taste is cultural and contextual fluency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Taste requires understanding the moment you\u2019re operating in. It\u2019s knowing when a particular metaphor is tired, when a topic has been exhausted versus genuinely having a moment, and what your specific audience is ready for versus what would feel jarring or obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is harder than it sounds because context is always shifting. A framing that felt fresh six months ago might now be everywhere. A topic that seemed played out might suddenly become urgent again because of new developments. What works for one audience might completely miss with another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<div id=\"attachment_194699\" style=\"width: 1426px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-194699\" class=\"wp-image-194699\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/comment-from-ryan-in-basecamp-helping-me-develop.jpg\" alt=\"Comment from Ryan in Basecamp, helping me develop my taste\" width=\"1416\" height=\"918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/comment-from-ryan-in-basecamp-helping-me-develop.jpg 1416w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/comment-from-ryan-in-basecamp-helping-me-develop-656x425.jpg 656w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/comment-from-ryan-in-basecamp-helping-me-develop-768x498.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1416px) 100vw, 1416px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-194699\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan helping me develop my&nbsp;taste<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_k00hqxo42520\"><\/a>Taste is compressed experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s what remains after you\u2019ve made thousands and thousands of editorial decisions, some good, some bad, and learned eventually to trust your judgment about what&nbsp;works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why great taste is so hard to&nbsp;copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, your competitors can steal your content format, your design, and even your specific article. Yes, AI can analyze your past content and mimic your style, even replicating your sentence structure, vocabulary and quirks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what they can\u2019t do is to steal the judgment system that produced those choices. Your taste is opaque to outsiders because it\u2019s built on pattern-matching they haven\u2019t done and frameworks they don\u2019t share. Both AI and your competitors can execute your taste, but they can\u2019t originate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"830\" height=\"478\" class=\"wp-image-194700\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-saying-you-can-have-3rd-partie.png\" alt=\"Tweet from Visakan saying &quot;you can have 3rd parties generate and suggest possibilities, options, but you cannot outsource your taste, your discernment, your judgment&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-saying-you-can-have-3rd-partie.png 830w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-saying-you-can-have-3rd-partie-680x392.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-saying-you-can-have-3rd-partie-768x442.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>In return, your taste will survive platform and algorithmic changes because it\u2019s not built on hacks. And it\u2019ll create a raving fanbase because people want your curation, your lens, your style, and your particular way of connecting the&nbsp;dots.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How does taste show up in content marketing?\" data-section=\"taste-content-marketing\"><!-- notionvc: f9c5d2e7-a100-4929-96ef-9b40529d9287 -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_1w6i8bdmh42w\"><\/a>How does taste show up in content marketing?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: 08e276be-5a08-4052-b406-3bd2e68d6e07 -->\n\n\n\n<p>Taste isn\u2019t abstract nor is it a luxury. It has a measurable business impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Content with a distinctive point of view gets clicked more, shared more, and mentioned more. It generates replies and conversations, not just views. People spend more time with it because it\u2019s not skimmable filler. They return to it, reference it in their own work, and recommend it to colleagues. They DM you, telling you you\u2019ve changed their&nbsp;lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"592\" class=\"wp-image-194701\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-someone-saying-they-enjoyed-my-content.png\" alt=\"DM from someone saying they enjoyed my content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-someone-saying-they-enjoyed-my-content.png 930w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-someone-saying-they-enjoyed-my-content-668x425.png 668w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-someone-saying-they-enjoyed-my-content-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-someone-saying-they-enjoyed-my-content-768x489.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>These are signals that your content is actually landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how does taste actually manifest in the day-to-day work of content marketing? It shows up in specific, practical decisions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Topic selection<\/strong> \u2014 What do you choose to cover? More importantly, what do you refuse to cover even when it\u2019s trending? When everyone else is jumping on the same viral topic, do you have the confidence to skip it because it doesn\u2019t serve your audience or perspective?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Framing<\/strong> \u2014 How do you approach common topics in your industry? When everyone else is saying the same thing (just look at the SERPs), can you find an angle that hasn\u2019t been cheapened yet or have the courage to say something unpopular if that\u2019s where your judgment leads?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Structure<\/strong> \u2014 How do you organize information in your content? Do you default to templates (listicles, beginner\u2019s guides) or do you intentionally design the architecture for your audience? Sometimes your idea deserves its own unique structure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>References<\/strong> \u2014 SEOs replicate top-ranking pages.. AI tends to prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ai-brand-visibility-correlations\/\">popular brands that have the most YouTube or branded web mentions<\/a>. Taste means the opposite: being able to cite an obscure essay, the academic paper, or the personal obsession that creates unexpected combinations. Your reference library is a map of your&nbsp;mind.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tone<\/strong> \u2014 Can readers identify your work without seeing your byline? Do you maintain your perspective even when it\u2019s unfashionable?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Editing<\/strong> \u2014 Deletion is a taste decision. What do you cut? Are you willing to&nbsp;cut?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timing<\/strong> \u2014 Do you know when to speak and when to wait? When to ride a trend and when it\u2019s already exhausted? And do you know when your take would add value versus when it would just add&nbsp;noise?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>More importantly, it shows up in every member of your content marketing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I sincerely believe one of the reasons why our blog is well-known is because each member of the content team makes excellent taste-driven decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re not looking for an assembly line where each content marketer fills in the blanks to hit a goal of producing as many articles as possible. We genuinely want to make great content, and we know that great content builds brand and awareness, and therefore we hyper-invest in&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We look for content marketers who have taste and distinctive points of view, are able to defend their choices, and who\u2019ve developed clear expertise. We hire for judgment and not just execution. And we trust each individual to make taste-driven decisions and stand for themselves.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to develop taste\" data-section=\"how-to-develop-taste\"><!-- notionvc: 6b21a765-1b88-49b9-923f-cdc4b5f27637 -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_4uuwl9f326o\"><\/a>How to develop taste<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: b786b92c-a306-4610-b394-8f2860739b5c -->\n\n\n\n<p>Taste isn\u2019t innate. You can cultivate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My hot take? You <em>already <\/em>have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, like me, you\u2019re a native of the Internet. Add your years of reading, YouTube, podcasts, and even TikTok scrolls, and you would have consumed enough to begin developing an understanding of what you like and dislike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve just been duped into thinking you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, you\u2019d want to start by reflecting on yourself. What have you seen in your industry that you liked? And what have you seen that you think is distasteful? Why do you think that way for both your likes and dislikes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll start to understand what taste&nbsp;is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond that, you should also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_ack8an75nit\"><\/a>Consume a lot. Especially the good&nbsp;stuff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to know what\u2019s good, you have to consume. A lot, a lot, a lot of&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin Scorsese famously watched a movie every&nbsp;night:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1302\" height=\"1070\" class=\"wp-image-194702\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-weisser-saying-martin-scorsese-watched.jpg\" alt=\"Tweet from Weisser saying Martin Scorsese watched a movie every night\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-weisser-saying-martin-scorsese-watched.jpg 1302w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-weisser-saying-martin-scorsese-watched-517x425.jpg 517w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-weisser-saying-martin-scorsese-watched-768x631.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1302px) 100vw, 1302px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to develop taste in writing, you have to consume a lot of writing. No matter the format: books, articles, newsletters, magazines, and even newsletters. If you\u2019re making YouTube videos, consume a lot of them, even TV shows and documentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1292\" height=\"628\" class=\"wp-image-194703\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-how-creatives-are-pr.png\" alt=\"Tweet from David Perell about how creatives are prolific in their consumption\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-how-creatives-are-pr.png 1292w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-how-creatives-are-pr-680x331.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-how-creatives-are-pr-768x373.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1292px) 100vw, 1292px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Be familiar with the history of your industry. There\u2019s a reason why we\u2019re taught to read the classics. Ideas don\u2019t come out of nowhere; most of them are remixes of previous, older&nbsp;ideas.<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p><div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-njperzdfywc\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n\t<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n\t\t<div style=\"aspect-ratio:500\/281\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.200000%\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer 'none';autoplay 'none';bluetooth 'none';browsing-topics 'none';camera 'none';clipboard-read 'none';clipboard-write;display-capture 'none';encrypted-media 'none';gamepad 'none';geolocation 'none';gyroscope 'none';hid 'none';identity-credentials-get 'none';idle-detection 'none';keyboard-map 'none';local-fonts;magnetometer 'none';microphone 'none';midi 'none';otp-credentials 'none';payment 'none';picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create 'none';publickey-credentials-get 'none';screen-wake-lock 'none';serial 'none';summarizer 'none';sync-xhr;usb 'none';web-share;window-management 'none';xr-spatial-tracking 'none';\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-njperzdfywc\" data-lenis-prevent data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/nJPERZDfyWc?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" loading=\"lazy\" name referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/nJPERZDfyWc?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" title width=\"900\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As Michael Ovitz puts it, \u201cif you know history, you can pretty much predict the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1316\" height=\"1330\" class=\"wp-image-194704\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-martin-scorsese.jpg\" alt=\"Tweet from David Perell about Martin Scorsese\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-martin-scorsese.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-martin-scorsese-421x425.jpg 421w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-martin-scorsese-768x776.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-david-perell-about-martin-scorsese-120x120.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1316px) 100vw, 1316px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Consume outside your job and vertical too. You want to know how I came up with this&nbsp;idea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"684\" class=\"wp-image-194705\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/my-blog-post-on-how-to-get-over-the-fear-of-creati.png\" alt=\"My blog post on how to get over the fear of creating thought leadership content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/my-blog-post-on-how-to-get-over-the-fear-of-creati.png 908w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/my-blog-post-on-how-to-get-over-the-fear-of-creati-564x425.png 564w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/my-blog-post-on-how-to-get-over-the-fear-of-creati-768x579.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>I was reading a book on free speech, and asked myself why I\u2019m unable to produce great thought leadership content. Turns out it was because of fear. Specifically the fear of the pushback from having strong opinions. So I wrote this post as my own version of therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funny how that works, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just so you know: The best content marketers don\u2019t just read marketing blogs. They\u2019re reading economics, finance, history, literature, psychology, and fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1102\" height=\"612\" class=\"wp-image-194706\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ryans-comment-on-linkedin-about-his-recommended-b.png\" alt=\"Ryan's comment on Linkedin about his recommended books\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ryans-comment-on-linkedin-about-his-recommended-b.png 1102w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ryans-comment-on-linkedin-about-his-recommended-b-680x378.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ryans-comment-on-linkedin-about-his-recommended-b-768x427.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1102px) 100vw, 1102px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>As Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman at Ogilvy Group, once tweeted: \u201cThe best books to read on advertising aren\u2019t about advertising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cross-pollination creates distinctive combinations. Your taste in one domain informs your judgment in another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_3yb85bf9opz9\"><\/a>Examine why they work (or don\u2019t&nbsp;work)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t want to just consume passively. You want to understand why they\u2019re good. Or why they\u2019re not good. You want to be able to explain your taste, in specific details. Not \u201cI like it\u201d or \u201cit was great\u201d but \u201cit was great because of X, Y, and&nbsp;Z.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"765\" height=\"432\" class=\"wp-image-194707\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tarantinos-quote-on-taste.png\" alt=\"Tarantino's quote on taste\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tarantinos-quote-on-taste.png 765w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tarantinos-quote-on-taste-680x384.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s probably the reason why <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Culinary_Class_Wars\">Culinary Class Wars<\/a> is one of the hottest variety programs on Netflix. The judge, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sung_Anh\">Sung-Jae Ahn<\/a>, may be a respected chef with three Michelin stars, but he\u2019s also able to articulate\u2014extremely clearly\u2014why he thinks a dish worked or didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you\u2019re consuming, think about asking yourself these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why does this&nbsp;work?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What do I like about&nbsp;it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How would I improve upon&nbsp;it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does the \u201cme\u201d version look&nbsp;like?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_e6gwhbstjc6s\"><\/a>Put in your&nbsp;reps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice I said that \u201ctaste\u201d is compressed experience. And guess what? If you want experience, you have to <strong>do<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no way around it. You have to make a lot of editorial decisions (some good, some bad, but mostly bad) before your taste becomes reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time you do, every time you analyze your work, you\u2019re practicing and building taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Judgment only improves with volume. You want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visakanv.com\/blog\/do100things\/\">do 100 things<\/a>. Write 100 essays. Make 100 YouTube videos. Post 100 times on LinkedIn. Create 100 TikTok videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Scott Young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/26\/10x-rule-ambitious-goals\/\">writes<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"546\" class=\"wp-image-194708\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/quote-from-scott-young-saying-how-you-need-to-have.png\" alt=\"Quote from Scott Young saying how you need to have written at least a hundred essays first\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/quote-from-scott-young-saying-how-you-need-to-have.png 934w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/quote-from-scott-young-saying-how-you-need-to-have-680x398.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/quote-from-scott-young-saying-how-you-need-to-have-768x449.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019ve done 100, do more. I\u2019m 154 articles in and I feel like I\u2019m only getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"526\" height=\"680\" class=\"wp-image-194709\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/number-of-articles-ive-written-for-ahrefs-so-far.jpg\" alt=\"Number of articles I've written for Ahrefs so far\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/number-of-articles-ive-written-for-ahrefs-so-far.jpg 526w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/number-of-articles-ive-written-for-ahrefs-so-far-329x425.jpg 329w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>My taste is developing but it\u2019s nowhere good yet. But trust the process, put in the reps, and it\u2019ll&nbsp;come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1312\" height=\"984\" class=\"wp-image-194710\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-showing-how-prolific-picasso-wa.png\" alt=\"Tweet from Visakan showing how prolific Picasso was\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-showing-how-prolific-picasso-wa.png 1312w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-showing-how-prolific-picasso-wa-567x425.png 567w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-visakan-showing-how-prolific-picasso-wa-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1312px) 100vw, 1312px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_wsaizygpldlm\"><\/a>Create feedback loops with your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you\u2019re gratifying your own taste, your work ultimately needs to be seen and accepted by an audience. So don\u2019t work in a silo and don\u2019t work in stealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put your work out there, then talk to people. Have conversations. Online and offline. What do they reference back to you? What do they share with others? What makes them reply \u201cthis is exactly what I needed\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"834\" height=\"770\" class=\"wp-image-194711\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-another-writer-appreciating-one-of-my-post.png\" alt=\"DM from another writer appreciating one of my posts\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-another-writer-appreciating-one-of-my-post.png 834w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-another-writer-appreciating-one-of-my-post-460x425.png 460w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dm-from-another-writer-appreciating-one-of-my-post-768x709.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Having taste and a point of view isn\u2019t to massage your ego; it is to serve your audience and help them move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_aqzaox9rgbi7\"><\/a>Accept that taste alienates as much as it attracts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\u201cThe best art divides the audience, where if you put out a record, and half the people who hear it absolutely love it, and half the people who hear it absolutely hate it, you\u2019ve done well because it\u2019s pushing that boundary. If everyone thinks, oh that\u2019s pretty good, why bother making it? It doesn\u2019t mean as much.\u201d \u2014 Rick&nbsp;Rubin&nbsp;<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>If everyone loves your work, you\u2019re probably not making strong enough choices. A distinctive point of view naturally repels people who don\u2019t share&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Polarisation is a feature, not a&nbsp;bug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But too many people take this to mean they should intentionally create polarisation. No. Polarisation happens because you\u2019re gratifying your taste and your genuine and sincere understanding of why something should be that way sometimes grinds others\u2019 gears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not because you\u2019re saying something controversial (even though you don\u2019t believe it) or ragebaiting people online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194696-_gmopbzrbg1do\"><\/a>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Internet removed the gatekeepers of publishing content. Today, AI has removed the gatekeepers of creating content. Production is no longer the bottleneck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new, scarce skill is the skill of knowing what\u2019s worth making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a world where everyone can create, the only sustainable differentiation is judgment about what should be created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the opportunity for you: most brands will use AI to chase efficiency and cut costs. They\u2019re more than happy to sacrifice a modicum of quality and abandon taste in order to save more money. They\u2019ll produce rivers of acceptable content that nobody remembers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The brands that win will be the ones that slow down, that develop point of view, that make strong choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll publish less and matter more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With just a couple of prompts, an LLM can generate an entire blog post that you can publish on your website. A solopreneur or a marketing team of one can pump out newsletters, social media content, ad copy, and blog<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[339],"class_list":["post-194696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-marketing","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Every Marketer Says You Need &quot;Taste&quot;. Here&#039;s What That Actually Means<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what&#039;s worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here&#039;s how to develop it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Every Marketer Says You Need &quot;Taste&quot;. Here&#039;s What That Actually Means\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what&#039;s worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here&#039;s how to develop it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"796\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"364\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Si Quan Ong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@siquanong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Si Quan Ong\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7\"},\"headline\":\"Every Marketer Says You Need \u201cTaste\u201d. Here\u2019s What That Actually Means\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2344,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/every-marketer-says-you-need-8220taste8221.-by-si-quan-ong-content-marketing.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Content Marketing\",\"General Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/\",\"name\":\"Every Marketer Says You Need \\\"Taste\\\". Here's What That Actually Means\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what's worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here's how to develop it.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/what-is-taste\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png\",\"width\":796,\"height\":364,\"caption\":\"Tweet from Gael Breton saying \\\"everyone wants to create AI content but nobody wants to read it\\\"\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7\",\"name\":\"Si Quan Ong\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpga792b2ebf044ff0f390a6e1c76bf4a0e\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Si Quan Ong\"},\"description\":\"Content marketer @ Ahrefs. I've been in digital marketing for the past 6 years and have spoken at some of the industry\u2019s largest conferences in Asia (TIECon and Digital Marketing Skill Share.) I also write about my curiosities on my Substack.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.siquanong.com\\\/\",\"si-quan-ong\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/siquanong\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/si-quan-ong\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Every Marketer Says You Need \"Taste\". Here's What That Actually Means","description":"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what's worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here's how to develop it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Every Marketer Says You Need \"Taste\". Here's What That Actually Means","og_description":"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what's worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here's how to develop it.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":796,"height":364,"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Si Quan Ong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@siquanong","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/"},"author":{"name":"Si Quan Ong","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7"},"headline":"Every Marketer Says You Need \u201cTaste\u201d. Here\u2019s What That Actually Means","datePublished":"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/"},"wordCount":2344,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/every-marketer-says-you-need-8220taste8221.-by-si-quan-ong-content-marketing.jpg","articleSection":["Content Marketing","General Marketing"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/","name":"Every Marketer Says You Need \"Taste\". Here's What That Actually Means","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png","datePublished":"2026-01-20T09:00:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T10:50:37+00:00","description":"AI makes content creation free. That means taste\u2014knowing what's worth making\u2014is now your only differentiation. Here's how to develop it.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-taste\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tweet-from-gael-breton-saying-everyone-wants-to-c.png","width":796,"height":364,"caption":"Tweet from Gael Breton saying \"everyone wants to create AI content but nobody wants to read it\""},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7","name":"Si Quan Ong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpga792b2ebf044ff0f390a6e1c76bf4a0e","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/SiQuanOng_2x.jpg","caption":"Si Quan Ong"},"description":"Content marketer @ Ahrefs. I've been in digital marketing for the past 6 years and have spoken at some of the industry\u2019s largest conferences in Asia (TIECon and Digital Marketing Skill Share.) I also write about my curiosities on my Substack.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.siquanong.com\/","si-quan-ong","https:\/\/x.com\/siquanong"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/si-quan-ong\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194696"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=194696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}