As a professional writer, I’ve been questioning whether or not AI will put me out of work. Initially, I avoided using AI out of principle, but I’ve realized that I need to learn how to best embrace it as a valuable tool rather than an enemy. The fact is, AI is everywhere, and it’s here to stay – for better or worse.
For businesses, it can be tempting to turn to AI to write blogs, ad copy, social media posts, and even product descriptions quickly and more cost-effectively. However, speed doesn’t necessarily fall in line with a proper content strategy. The fact is, having a strategy is important rather than simply cranking out content randomly without a plan. Whether it’s a strategy for blogs and social media or website content and product descriptions, a writer can ensure cohesive messaging that makes sense.
Another reality is that AI can often miss the mark when it comes to your company’s brand, voice, and tone. And customers can detect that misstep. You’ve likely noticed it yourself in a blog, post, or web copy that something seems just slightly off, out of character, or the copy sounds suspiciously like other copy you’ve read elsewhere.
A copywriter doesn’t simply write words. They delve into a company’s brand voice, which is vital for consistency and recognizability. Writers learn that voice, the tone, and the intended audience in order to write compelling copy that resonates with the users while upholding the brand’s integrity. This lends itself to customer trust and brand loyalty. If you want your message to really connect and build trust, you want more than just words. This is where you need the insight of a skilled copywriter.
AI Writes and Copywriters Connect
The reality is that AI doesn’t understand emotional intelligence; humans do. We understand nuance, empathy, humor, and cultural context in ways AI doesn’t. You can prompt AI to write copy, but it may often lack those human qualities as well as the nuances of a company’s brand voice and tone. It can feel flat or simply out of character for the brand. For example, you’re scrolling your Facebook feed and see your insurance company posting content with emojis and verbiage you know they’ve never used before. Unless they’re known for being playful, that’s a huge AI red flag.
Copywriting isn’t about just providing words; it’s about telling a story that resonates with customers. Writers have the ability to tap into human emotions to adapt messaging that consistently fits a brand’s voice – their identity. They know when to use playful language and emojis and when to avoid. They know the brand, and they know the audience. You may think the audience won’t notice, but one study showed that half of consumers actually can, with millennials being the best at spotting AI content.
Strategy Beyond Words – Aligning Content with Business Goals
Just as writing is more than words, great copy is never random — it’s purposeful. Copywriters think about the bigger picture, asking questions like:
- Who’s the target audience?
- Is the copy speaking their language?
- What stage of the buyer’s journey is this audience in?
- What objections need to be addressed?
- What action should the user take next?
AI can generate sentences, but it doesn’t inherently understand marketing psychology. It doesn’t understand why one message converts over another. It doesn’t know how to tap into human emotions for truly persuasive content. Professional writers understand a company’s business goals in order to form a content strategy. They’re able to answer the questions AI can’t. They know how to turn curiosity into clicks, clicks into conversions, and conversions into loyal customers.
Writers Help Businesses Avoid Costly Mistakes
A copywriter’s job is to provide accurate content – and yes, that often takes time, and for good reason. And while AI is fast, it’s certainly not flawless. AI is known to produce outdated information, misrepresent facts or statistics, misquote sources, or even create tone-deaf messaging that can damage your brand. And let’s not overlook the potential for plagiarism since AI pulls from existing patterns in its training data.
Writers, however, bring accountability – and accountability matters. They research, fact-check, refine, and ensure that the message not only sounds good but is accurate, ethical, and safe for your brand.
Copywriters Offer Collaboration and Adaptability
Copywriters don’t work in a vacuum, simply delivering words. They collaborate by working with stakeholders, designers, and marketers to fine-tune content that fits your company’s goals. By collaborating, they learn the business needs, the brand voice, and the intended audience. Copywriters are able to adapt copy based on feedback and real-world results. They know how to adjust the tone and voice in a way AI simply cannot. While you can prompt AI to rephrase copy, it doesn’t inherently know the context or strategy the way a writer does.
Embracing AI as a Tool
Hopefully, you can see that a writer does still matter, and they bring a wealth of knowledge, training, and understanding to the table in ways AI can’t. So, does that mean AI is out? Not necessarily. AI can be used as an efficient tool. It’s great for brainstorming, for jumpstarting a draft, and even for testing phrasing. Writers can take those outputs and add in human creativity, content strategy, and emotional connection – the things AI is unable to do.
Copywriters and AI – What’s the Takeaway?
The fact is that AI is indeed efficient. It certainly has its place when used properly as a tool, not in place of an actual human. Plain and simple, AI writes; copywriters connect. A skilled writer doesn’t just put words on a page; they craft messages that inspire, persuade, and build brand trust.