If I’m being honest, AI is a great tool to use. (That hurt me to say it)
It helps generate content with just a few taps on you keyboard.
With a few simple prompts you can create five hundred word blog or create an image. But it takes time to be able to learn and get it right.
But is AI the best answer for businesses?
The business appeal of AI.
Now, if you’re a small business owner I can see the appeal of using AI (ChatGPT) to craft your content. You already wear many hats and content creation is just another one you need to put on from time-to-time. So, why not make your job easier?
Imagine just sitting at your laptop and in two hours you have enough content for a couple of months. With a little bit more effort you can edit the content to include keywords to appease the Google gods.
But you don’t have to. You could easily copy + paste it all into your blog and call it a day. I can definitely see why using platforms like ChatGPT can tickle the fancy of any small business owner.
Is AI right for all businesses?
If you’re a time-poor business owner like above, then AI-generated content will be your best friend. With just a few prompts you can easily pump out blogs to your heart’s desire.
But let’s say you’re a medium-sized business. You have a few more hands on deck to get work done, but you’re relying heavily on AI to create your blogs.
Here’s a scenario that’s quite common…
It’s time to update your site, so you begin the ominous task of auditing your content. Through your audit you come across your blog section and start to read all the content you’ve created.
And that’s when you notice it.
There’s no personality. No tone. No you! You realise you’re forcing your way through the blog, fighting the urge to fall asleep.
Is this what your readers have been doing?
The simple answer is ‘yes’. And if you have any form of metrics attached to your site you’ll probably confirm this by the amount of time they spend on your blog.
You’ll also probably find it’s done your business more harm than good. If your customers aren’t reading your blogs, they’re not seeing the benefits of your products or the value you can add to their business.
Now, you can do one of two things:
- Scrap everything and start from scratch.
- Repurpose your content to something that reflects your brand’s personality.
Seems like a simple choice. However, there is a third option.
Add a touch of humanity.
AI-generated copy will give you exactly what you ask for. No more. No less. Sure, it can spit out a 1,000-word article in a few minutes. But it still needs your attention and care to make it sound like your brand.
This is where the skill of a seasoned copywriter comes in handy.
If you don’t want to lose all that content then you will need to spend some time with a copywriter. They’ll understand your brand’s personality and then repurpose your content so it sounds like your brand.
They can also kill two birds with one stone by incorporating SEO into your content therefore appeasing the Search Engine gods and creating something people actually want to read.
And that’s another thing. Content is created for people.
AI will do its best by pulling content from the web to deliver the blog you want but essentially will give you a ‘word salad’ it tries to pass off as content.
However, if your budget doesn’t allow for you to hire a copywriter or content writer, here are some things to consider when writing your content or tweaking AI-generated content:
3 Quick tips for writing your own content.
- Brevity is best.
Keep it short. That goes for content and individual words. Remember, you’re writing for humans that are pressed for time. Get to the point as soon as you can. Say what you have to say and stop there. As you improve and delve into SEO, that’s when you’ll be able to write to the recommended word count of between 500 to 1,000 words. - Ditch the jargon.
Unless there are terms that are exclusive to your company don’t include jargon in your content. - Put you in your content.
Write how you talk (with the exclusion of curse words, obviously). You’ll be surprised to know that people prefer reading content that sounds like it’s been written by a human. They connect with it more, and by extension, with your brand.
(Check out my blog ‘What the hell is a TOV and do you really need one’ for some examples of Tone of Voice)
What does this all mean?
It means you’ll need to make your own decision whether using AI is right for your business or brand.
As a copywriter, I want to tell you NOT to use it. I want your business.
However, I get it. If you don’t have the time to write your content, or the budget to get someone to write it for you, then go ahead.
I just suggest that you do some research and experimentation on how to generate better prompts to get what you need. And be wary of “AI gurus” trying to sell you courses.
But if you’re fortunate enough to be in the position to hire a copywriter, even if it’s just to tweak your AI content, then drop me a line, and let’s talk about your content strategy.