There is enough noise in the world already. Generative AI simply reads all that noise and spits it out again with enough individuality to avoid direct plagiarism.
What the world needs is our unique voice and creative outlook. Personally and as a brand. The world needs you. Exactly as you are. Imperfections and all. Not another version of generic content written by AI.
Authenticity in marketing means human creation
When we talk in marketing about showing behind the scenes, or being authentic, we do not mean asking a generative AI model to write as if it were you. We mean really being you.
In small business that human connection is the core of your brand story. We connect with our clients by showing them we empathise with where their experiences, showing them that we are real people behind a brand, and building trust by showing that we know what we are talking about.
Realising content has been written by a machine damages the trust I have in a brand (how do others feel?). Even as a copywriter I would rather read poor spelling and grammar written by a human who specialises in something other than words than something written by AI that feels off brand and inconsistent with who they are as a person or brand when I meet them or go in store.
AI for data analysis not creativity
I feel the same about generative AI for music, visual art, and all creative spaces. I want to feel what the artist felt, the pain of the musician’s lived experience, the glimpse of soul and raw and human. Even in marketing, I want to feel that the person writing can see me, understands my problems, feels what I feel and has been here too. I want the human in my authentic connection and creative spaces.
Let’s leave these creative pursuits and connections for the humans and focus on AI that supports us in data and systems, making our lives easier in real ways. Let’s focus on getting AI to do the behind the scenes work based on numbers and facts. Things like:
- Ordering the milk delivery automatically when we run out
- Scheduling social media posts (that a human has created) at a time when more of our customers are online
- Automating payments and appointment bookings
- Data analysis and statistical reporting
That way we can all benefit without losing the small opportunities for connection that come from creative endeavours.
The elephant in the room – ghost writing
As a copywriter I have often debated the authenticity of the ghost writing part of my job. But I do that part as a human, grounded in human experience, and in conversation with the humans I represent. If you feel connected to something I have written under someone else’s name or page, you are connecting to a human hybrid of myself and my client. Still a human.
I’m so passionate about small businesses building confidence to use their own voice that I’m building a range of Copy Confidence workshops. Please contact me if there is a topic you would like me to focus on for a workshop, Write with Me session, or if you can’t see a date that suits you.