Using ChatGPT and other AI tools has its place.
Eliminating inefficiencies. Unclogging bottlenecks. Transcribing interviews.
I’m absolutely all for creating shortcuts and saving time — but when it comes to sharing your brand story with an audience, it’s humans all the way.
AI is not cheaper. It doesn’t produce more quality content or take less time.
You’re probably thinking, “Of course she’d say that; she fears for her job.”
Well, yes and no. Yes, because more companies are turning to AI versus copywriters to churn out content. But no, because I value the type of work we copywriters do, and whichever human being you turn to for that work, I want it to be performed at top-level.
But asking someone who’s afraid AI will make their job obsolete is like “asking a turkey to vote for Thanksgiving,” May Habib, CEO and co-founder of the enterprise AI startup Writer, told Axios.
C-suite execs and employees aren’t aligned on AI use
There’s noted tension around the use of generative AI, with 42% of surveyed executives saying it’s “tearing their company apart.”
Here’s what Writer found in its AI survey:
88% of employees and 97% of execs say they’ve benefited from generative AI
45% of employees and 75% of execs say their company has been successful in adopting and using generative AI over the past 12 months
“Generative AI holds transformative potential, but it’s also creating deep rifts within companies that are relying on a patchwork of point solutions or developing internal apps in a silo,” said Habib.
There’s also a noted distrust of AI output, particularly among Millennial and Gen Z employees: 41% admitted to sabotaging their company’s AI strategy, in part due to concerns about the quality of AI tools.
“Employees are so unhappy with their employer’s tools that 35% are paying out-of-pocket for the generative AI tools they use at work,” Writer reported. “This is a significant cost burden to employees, and it could also be creating a security risk for organizations.”
Until your company has a thoughtful, organization-wide aligned AI strategy, you’re stuck with people. (Poor, old-fashioned you.)
6 reasons it pays to outsource your content marketing to a professional copywriter
(Like this one.)
1. Human touch and creativity
For all its advancements, AI can’t replicate the human touch of, well, humans. Copywriters bring an emotional intelligence to their work that’s more nuanced than artifice, and we can write toward that emotion, understand context and include the cultural sensitivities that often elude AI.
Using tools like this might provide a framework based on the tweaked prompts you’re giving (and by the way, having to refine your prompts is time-killing effort and work on your part), but then a person still has to copy, cut, rearrange, add personality, change to match brand voice, etc.
2. Tailored brand strategy and voice
AI is a computational system that performs a task. Once given specific goals, it spits out results. A copywriter with a long career like mine knows how to pace a story’s telling and a company’s content delivery to build trust with an audience, all within the voice a brand works so hard to create and align across platforms.
It’s a long game that requires strategy, intention and industry knowledge, not just content based on patterns.
3. Ethics
You can’t build credibility and trust with an audience if a machine is doing it for you. We see that now when prospects even suspect that content is AI-generated.
Audience loyalty develops organically when brands humanize themselves. Choosing AI puts your values at risk because you 1, undervalue what your audience deserves, and 2, it lacks the contextual understanding of sensitive topics. You really want those subtleties recognized and cared for by a human copywriter.
4. Sophisticated SEO understanding
SEO stuffing is gross, and audiences recognize when they’re being talked down to. It’s a poor read when there’s obvious keyword placement, and you’re still always writing for humans in the end, not for the algorithm. Copywriters are skilled at SEO trends and know how to optimize your content so it reaches the right audience.
5. Trend recognition
Being plugged into an industry every day as a person who reads, interprets and strategizes based on current events — it’s complex. Every industry move is analyzed, every shift in consumer needs is studied, and every written word is thoughtfully chosen to enter that dialogue. I’m a fast writer, but I’m a long researcher because I write for clients who deserve my deliberate inquisition.
6. Quality over quantity
That brings me to my main beef with AI and my opposition to the type of work that bores me. I don’t want to churn out blog posts and website content. I could, sure; I’m capable of a fast turnaround by employing a company’s keyword list and writing to their audience profiles.
However, content marketing is a craft I’ve devoted years to studying and improving, and you won’t find my work anywhere else.
There’s nothing unique about AI-generated content. And if being a brand that stands apart is important to you, then you should choose a person who’s in your corner.
I’m here for a long time and a good time.