Using AI to generate content? Here’s something to think about.
As an editor and writer, I spend my days reviewing, revising, and writing draft blog posts and articles. Because many phrases have become commonplace, particularly within industries, one of my routine checks is to identify commonalities by running pieces through a plagiarism detector.
“30% of your document appears to be AI generated”
A few months back, I noticed that Grammarly had upgraded its plagiarism detector, adding an AI check. In addition to flagging passages that show similarity to existing online copy, the tool now highlights passages that “contain patterns often found in AI text.”
Why is this a problem? I’m confident that none of these pieces – written according to detailed briefs submitted by clients – were generated by AI. Recent pieces I’ve written were 100% original, the product of my brain only. So why does Grammarly think that substantial chunks of my work resemble AI-generated content?
The answer is clear. Because AI tools like ChatGPT were trained on available online content, that content (including a lot of marketing material) forms the basis of their understanding of what web copy should be. And because these AI tools used well-established standards – including format, voice, length, headers, and keywords – when writing that content, it’s not surprising that ChatGPT tends to see itself when new content follows those same standards.
We don’t need new standards
AI and its predecessor, humans, have many common expectations about what makes excellent marketing copy, especially when you’re trying to enhance readability:
Shorter sentences are easier for many people to read and understand.
The active voice makes text more dynamic and engaging.
Headings, subheadings, and lists give readers a heads up about what’s coming next, especially useful on smaller screens.
Keywords help readers find posts and generate organic traffic
I’m certainly not going to suggest that these are problems. But what happens when marketing copy doesn’t try to go beyond ticking these boxes?
I believe it will soon be very difficult (if not downright impossible) to distinguish between original marketing copy and AI-generated marketing copy. If you’ve ever seen a blog post and thought, “Gosh, I read something very similar just the other day,” you know exactly what I’m talking about here.
Strategies to help your copy stand out
So, what’s the solution? How can marketers ensure their work stands out in this increasingly flattened landscape?
Understand your audience. What do they need? What are their specific pain points? How can your company help them? Unless you’ve got access to an AI trained on your particular business case, you’ll likely do a better job here.
Work with your writer. If you’re working with an external writer, take the time to help them understand your audience. Leverage your writer’s skills and unique voice by giving them as much information as possible about what your clients are looking for. Share examples of prior work: both pieces that have worked well, and those that fell flat. Above all, don’t be afraid to give feedback on drafts.
Do what AI can’t do. Most companies have a tremendous untapped resource: the skills and experiences of the people who drive the company forward. Leveraging that information – by interviewing SMEs, talking to customers, and writing case studies – is far and away the best way to create fresh, engaging, and unique content. Quotes add interest and dynamism to marketing copy. And don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from current customers. It’s a great way to help future customers see themselves working with your company.
Here at HeadStart, we’re going against the grain
And we have been doing that for many years. We don’t want our clients to sound like everyone else, so we’re leaning in to writing with humans, for humans, and by humans. We work with you to create powerful, engaging marketing copy that gets attention. Will the gains made by AI make it harder to stand out? What do you think?
Some
Clients
HeadStart is different because the subscription-style service offers greater flexibility and opportunities for productivity increases. As a marketer, I appreciate HeadStart because they are committed to delivering the highest-quality editorial output. Our favourite thing about HeadStart is the personalized service aspect.
Our favourite thing about HeadStart was how we could scale up our content production with a team dedicated to Briq's success. We were able to produce more long-form content and branch out into different styles thanks to HeadStart's expertise and knowledge. Lawrence — our writer — was always up to the task and recreated the Briq voice and tone through multiple content styles.
HeadStart is different because: the true care and value that they provide us. Creating content is a huge part of my role, so being able to trust an agency that captures the voice of our customer perfectly is essential. As a marketer, I appreciate HeadStart because they: are easy to work with and understand our needs.
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HeadStart is an extension of your team to help you finish your content projects. Call 1.416.712.4440 or contact us.