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How (not) to use AI-generated content as a small business owner


How (not) to use AI-generated content as a small business owner

I remember watching Tomorrow's World in the 80's - I'd be glued to the TV as Judith Hann and her co-presenters would bring us the next big things in science and technology that would revolutionise our lives.


It was brilliant and wacky all at once, and part of the joy was in not knowing which of the predictions would 'make it' and which would flop.


Based on predictions, we should now be travelling around in flying cars, hydrating meal pouches for lunch and being served by robots and artificial intelligence on a daily basis...


And that's what I want to talk to you about today.


There’s no denying that AI is big business and we’re all wondering how it’s going to weave it’s way through our everyday lives.


Or not, as the case may be - depending on which camp you're in!

Either way, you can’t have failed to notice the noise around it.


AI tools for speeding up your content creation


An area where there seems to be some traction and where small business owners can find a practical application is copywriting.


Apps such as Jasper.ai, Copy.ai and Copysmith.ai are leading the charge and are promising to save you time and make creating copy for your business a breeze.

With content creation being one of the biggest time commitments in our marketing, business owners across the world are being lured by the vision of a magical utopia - where content is created effortlessly at the touch of a button.

As an aside, Google has been flip flopping about whether or not it will penalise users for using AI to generate large swathes of content for your blog or website...so it's hard to know how that will play out.


But what we do know is that it will always penalise low quality or spammy content.


But just because the AI functionality is there, it doesn’t mean you should use it

Whether or not Google says it’s good or bad, there remains a big question around why you would even want to use it in the first place…

Which is what I’m going to explore today.


If Content is King, then QUALITY CONTENT is Queen.


And we all know who wears the trousers in that relationship.


Quality content over volume is definitely where it’s at.


Whilst the thought of having AI generate blog posts for you whilst you put your feet up and watch the world go by might sound appealing…there are some very compelling reasons we might want to stick with doing it ourselves.


We also have to ask ourselves...what’s the purpose of our content?


If it’s simply to create a blog post that’s stuffed full of keywords that will help you get your website ranked, then I'd urge you to rethink, because you’re missing a trick.


If it’s to nurture your following, create connection and position your offers in a way that’s attractive to your ideal audience, then you'll want to be VERY considered with how you use copywriting apps - because they are certainly not a magic bullet towards creating the connection you're seeking.

And this is because there are some things that AI, no matter how advanced, simply can't do.


What the AI bots can't do for your business and marketing...


  1. Understand and utilise the subtleties of human language and emotion to help readers to feel something.

  2. Infuse your tone of voice and personality in a deeply authentic way.

  3. Interweave stories and personal anecdotes that will resonate with your readers.

  4. Tread the fine line between vulnerability and sharing too much.

  5. Feel into what needs to be said in the moment based on your unique intuition.

  6. Create thought-leadership content that challenges the status quo and adds your perspective to what you see happening around you.

This last one is a biggie because as we move into a time that’s more about the individual than the corporation, the ability to position yourself as a leader and put your individual stamp on your content is crucial.


It’s what’s going to set you apart.

Ultimately, the bots are going to be great at sharing from the head, but not so much from the heart…

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it, it’s a really valuable tool in conjunction with the above and we're going to explore this now.

Where AI-generated content is useful:

  1. To generate descriptions and ‘what is’ content that you can sprinkle throughout your long-form content.

  2. To help you simplify complicated topics that you can’t find the right words for.

  3. To generate ideas of what to write about in the first place.

  4. To create catchy headings and titles.

  5. To rework chunks of your own copy to give it a fresh new feel.

  6. As a starting point for content which you can then pepper liberally with your perspectives and humanness.


Copywriting apps are a great tool in our marketing arsenal, but when you're creating content for your brand don't ever forget the following:


Artificial Intelligence can't replace YOU as the voice of your brand


Stick with me now because I'm going to get a bit gushy on you...but I TRULY believe the following:

YOU. ARE. AMAZING

You are a totally individual, once in a lifetime creation and wholly unique. There is no one else on the planet now (or never will there be) who is JUST like you.


Isn’t that an amazing thing?! It blows my mind and gives me the same kind of feeling I get when I look up at the stars.

Our individual humanness is our superpower if only we can lean in to it.


Often, we can see this amazingness in others, but we can't always see it in ourselves - which is why I love sharing the life-changing magic of Human Design with people who are open and receptive to it.

Now more than ever people are looking for openness, authenticity and connection.

But here's the thing, content that has been created by AI is the antithesis of that whole sentiment, isn’t it?

Sometimes things (like AI) come along as a catalyst to speed up our awareness of what truly matters…to bring us back to ourselves.


What do we do in the face of this then?


I feel that now is the time that we should be leaning into our humanness more than ever. With large swathes of people jumping on the AI band wagon, the people who are writing content from one human to another human and from the heart are going to stand out.


If you haven’t started your blog or podcast yet, now is the time.

Tell stories in your writing, speak of your experiences and lessons, share perspectives, be vulnerable and open (as much as you can be)- and most importantly, speak from the heart and not the head.

Are you with me?


If you think you don’t have anything to say, think again. Don’t underestimate the power of your micro stories - the seemingly unremarkable moments of the everyday - to create connections with your ideal audience.


If you need help unblocking this please do drop me a note. I’m really passionate about it.


If the tech associated with setting up your blog is a blocker for you, then again - get in touch.


All of this can and SHOULD be really easy and I'm absolutely committed to bringing simplicity and removing overwhelm for you.

What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to know if and how you use AI to speed up your content creation or if you’re leaning into intuitive writing.


With heart,


Lucy

I'm a brand designer, photographer and Wix website specialist based in Dorset

About Lucy:

I'm a brand designer, photographer and Wix website designer based in the UK. I help wellness & creative businesses build their brand and online presence through photography and web, brand & human design, so that they can create positive ripples in the world.


Sign up to my email list to join my inner circle and for help on creating impact in your brand.


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