So you’re using AI to write your content?
As a copywriter, who writes words for a living, I should be giving you a judgemental raised eyebrow right now.
But I won’t.
At least, not where you can see me.
Truth is, we all have our own ways of doing things. Mine isn’t writing with AI, but yours might be. And if support from AI makes you feel more confident about writing, then who am I to judge?
The problem is, it’s not just me who’s judging the quality of your communications. It could be your ideal clients or customers.
People judge brands that use AI
The results of a survey by Studio Cotton revealed:
- More than 85% of readers believe they can tell when an article was created using AI
- More than 85% of readers trust AI content less than human-written content (none trust AI more)
- More than 88% of readers believe brands post AI content primarily to save time or money writing content
- If readers found out that a brand whose content they loved was using AI to create all of their blog posts, 79% would view that brand less favourably.
The telltale signs aren’t what you think
Every day, on LinkedIn, I’m seeing posts telling me how to spot the telltale signs of AI-writing.
Emojis, emoji bullet points, em dashes, semicolons… err… perfect writing.
Basically, all the things professional writers have been using since long before ChatGPT. And that figures, because AI has been trained on the work of professional writers.
But these aren’t the telltale signs of AI-written content.
So if you think removing these elements or adding mistakes will make your content seem more human, I’m afraid I have some news for you.
The real telltale signs of AI-written content
Want to know what really makes your content shriek AI?
Continue reading and I’ll reveal some of the actual telltale signs you need to avoid.
Content that’s generic and boring to read
If you give AI generic prompts, you’ll get generic results. Dull, one-dimensional — and a dead-ringer for AI.
Seriously, the last thing you want is to sound like every other brand using AI and fade away into the noise.
But that’s exactly what will happen if you use the same basic prompts as those other brands. Because, although AI might seem human, it’s still just a computer program, working on algorithms and machine learning principles.
Not to mention, the basic content it produces is super-generic and kinda blah.
What kind of copy do you need?
What your copy actually needs to do is sock your readers between the eyeballs and wake them from their scrolling trance. It should speak to them like you can see into their souls. Make them sit up and pay attention — and inspire them to take decisive action.
Is any AI-written content going to do that?
Probably not.
But by using some better prompts, you should, at least, get something more engaging.
Even better, take the content from ChatGPT as a starting point and rework it to add your own twist.
Content that’s too polite and has no personality
ChatGPT’s default is polite, professional, and even in tone. In other words, it’s vanilla.
Safe, kinda bland and not very exciting. Is that really how you want people to think about your brand?
If default ChatGPT were a person, you wouldn’t invite them to your dinner party. So why would you foist them on your readers?
You need a distinctive brand voice that aligns with your business and is uniquely yours. Not just friendly and professional — *yawn* — but something that matches your brand’s personality, adds some charisma and brings some fire.
Why does your copy need personality?
Content with personality sounds human. It speaks to your audience in a way that shows you understand them. It’s engaging, and it makes them want to read it.
AI will add some personality to your content, if you ask it to.
It might not be quite the right personality for your brand, but it will make your copy more captivating and less forgettable than all those brands that don’t bother.
Content that’s too balanced and offers no opinion
ChatGPT’s default stance is balanced. It’s good at showing both sides of an argument, but then just leaves it dangling there.
What is your audience supposed to do with that?
It’s not like you have to have an opinion on everything. But it’s unnatural never to have a firm stance, especially if you’re talking about the industry you work in.
Your audience wants your expertise
Your audience will want you to break down the information and give a balanced overview. But they’ll also want you to give your expertise. You know, the thing that will persuade them you know what you’re talking about and you’re the best brand for them to work with/buy from.
ChatGPT’s default won’t convince them of either.
So how do you add your expertise?
Easy — take each point ChatGPT has given you and say what you think about it.
For example:
- Why is this a good or bad idea?
- In what circumstances might this be the best option to consider?
- Do you recommend this to your customers and why or why not?
- What would you recommend?
What if your opinions are polarising?
What if you state your opinion and some people don’t agree with you?
Well, we’re not talking politics here. We’re talking about your industry and your experience — which means your opinions count.
In this case, being polarising can actually benefit your business. It means your content will be more likely to repel wrong-fit customers, while gaining the trust of your ideal customers.
Content that’s non-committal and afraid of being wrong
ChatGPT openly admits that it holds back from making bold or absolute claims to avoid being wrong.
Instead, it uses words like 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, and 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴.
But this “soft hedging” approach actually weakens your copy. And, rather than sounding assured and confident, you’ll come across as dithering, indecisive, and like you haven’t bothered to do your research.
The importance of being certain
Bottom line: your copy needs to be certain because your audience needs to be certain.
Solid evidence and indisputable proof will help them make an informed decision.
Likelihoods and maybes will only make them hesitant.
How to write more convincingly
If you want your content to be more convincing, you need to back it up.
Wherever ChatGPT has made unsubstantiated claims, you need to find credible evidence to support them. And when you’ve done that, you can take any vague, fluffy wording it’s used and make it precise and specific.
For example:
❌ Many people in the UK now have access to the internet.
This example is vague, wishy-washy and pretty, bloody obvious — duh.
✅ According to Statista, 97.8% of the UK population now have access to the internet and online services.
In this example, you’re giving actual figures from a credible source. This gives your content more power, helps build your brand’s authority, and gains the trust of your audience.
Content that’s devoid of human emotion or experience
ChatGPT’s output is, in its own words, ‘emotionally neutral’. Seriously, what kinda human being writes like that?
Truth is, ChatGPT will never have the benefit of feeling human emotions or having a human experience. This means its content will always be lacking in these areas and will never sound truly genuine.
Human content connects with its audience by tapping into genuine human emotion and real human experiences. These are the things that will make your audience feel seen and understood.
But while ChatGPT might be able to describe these feelings, it doesn’t have the capacity to make your audience feel them. And, ultimately, it will always feel kinda flat.
People buy from people
People will naturally be drawn to other people more than faceless corporations. Which is why those faceless corporations go to such great lengths to make their brands sound more human.
They create communications with personality, that draw on human experience and stimulate human emotion.
How to make your audience feel something
Here are some ideas for writing content that will resonate with your audience:
- Use storytelling — it’s engaging to read and will make your content more memorable
- Make it relatable, so your audience can imagine themselves in the story
- Stir their imaginations, with vivid descriptions and sensory language
- Include notes your audience will identify with, like past events or elements of nostalgia.
Content that doesn’t sound human
As I’ve outlined here, ChatGPT’s default is devoid of personality, opinions, facts, emotion, and genuine human experience.
It also repeatedly uses the same stylistic patterns, transitional phrases, mild formality and structured examples. And you don’t have to be an expert to spot them in action.
If you want to sound human — and not like AI — you need to avoid all of these and do the opposite.
You might think of ChatGPT like this
Let’s say you’re a sculptor and you’re going to create a statue.
If you type a default prompt into ChatGPT, you’ll get a rectangular block of stone.
It’s generic and it has no form. Which means it’s a starting point and nothing more.
If you think more carefully about your prompt and give more detail, you’ll get something more refined.
Now the block of stone has a vague outline of what you want to sculpt. But it’s still just a rough starting point and a long way from being a fully formed piece of work.
The magic only starts to happen when you take that vague outline and start to work on it yourself.
Refining the form, defining the contours, adding the fine details, creating the character.
Turning a crudely shaped block of stone into something real and human-created that has the capacity to move people.
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About the author
I’m Jenny Lucas, a freelance copywriter and content strategist based in Leicester, UK.
Full disclosure, I’m no fan of AI. Could you tell?
I have to concede that some people are going to use AI no matter how I feel about it.
But if you are going to use it, you should at least know how to use it well. So your brand doesn’t just get swallowed up into the rest of the generic noise out there.
Because it would be a shame to see you disappear. Sincerely.
Who do I work with?
I write for brands that want to embrace their differences and make a different sound.
Maybe after reading this article, you’ve realised that’s you.
If it is and you’d like to find out more about working with me, here are some links that will give you all the information you need.
