The author of the article is being paid by a profitable tech company (Zapier) to write an article about content marketing, which is creating useful or engaging content to attract attention for a company or brand. The author aims to help readers understand who's paying for what they're reading and how that affects their interpretation of it. Content marketing can be beneficial when done well, but the "bad" kind of content marketing pretends to be neutral while serving a specific agenda. To spot good content marketing, pay attention to the URL and research the organization providing the information, as this can help readers think critically about what they're reading. The author believes that being more open about their intentions and methods is essential for building trust with readers.