USING AI TO WRITE COPY FOR YOUR BUSINESS
When Chat GPT launched in 2023, it sparked a lot of excitement in the world of content creation. Some see it as a handy tool to help them spark ideas or get jobs done faster, while others will tell you to avoid it like the plague. Whatever your opinion, it still has a long, long way to go before it can be considered a worthy substitute for a professional, experienced copywriter. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful at all.
We’re here with the facts to help you decide if these kinds of AI copy generation tools could help you when it comes to your business.
The pros
It’s fast
The main reason why most small business owners are starting to use tools like Chat GPT to write content is to save time. What would take you or I a few hours can be knocked up using AI in a mere 20 seconds.
It’s free
If you’re on a budget, paying out for a professional copywriter can seem like a luxury – even if you know it’d be a good investment. As a temporary alternative, many business owners are turning to AI content generation to help them churn out words for their websites, blogs and social media posts themselves.
It can spark ideas
We all suffer with a bit of writer’s block every now and then. And sometimes, a little help from AI is all it takes to get our creative juices flowing again. This is especially helpful for short-form copy, like subject lines for marketing emails, because even if the results aren’t the best, you can often use them as a starting point to come up with better alternatives.
The cons
It’s not trustworthy
When you generate copy using AI, you have no idea where it’s come from or how credible it really is. Sure, you can ask Chat GPT to cite sources, but then you have to spend ages checking through them, and making changes in cases where those sources are unreliable. If you want to create trust and demonstrate that you’re an expert in your field, it’s far, far better if your content comes from you, or at least a human with top-notch research skills.
It’s not original
Chat GPT and other AI tools are only able to generate copy based on what’s already out there on the web, which means creativity goes out the window, and you end up with other people’s content, just re-hashed. If you’re using it a lot, it won’t be long before your content starts sounding repetitive. That’s bad news for your position in search results, because Google likes unique content. And, worst of all, your readers aren’t silly – they’ll pick up on it, too, and it can negatively affect their opinion of your business.
It requires detailed prompts
In order to get Chat GPT to come up with a piece of copy that does what you want it to do, you need to provide the right prompts. This is actually a bit of a skill in itself. You’ll probably find that the first piece of copy you get misses the mark, so you have to add more detail to your prompt and try again, and again, and maybe even again, before you get something that’s workable. This, of course, takes time, which often adds up to about as much time as a professional copywriter would take to knock up the copy from scratch (and do a better job at it).
The bottom line
While AI copy generation tools like Chat GPT can save you time and spark ideas, they can’t do what an experienced copywriter can. And until they have the ability to think creatively, they never will.
Being on a tight budget doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pass on hiring a professional copywriter. If you’re interested in finding out how we might be able to help grow your business with clever copy that converts, get in touch with us today – we’re always happy to chat!