Is it okay to use AI copywriting tools?
There has been a lot of talk about AI in the past few weeks—probably because it feels like a new AI tool is being launched every other day. And while we’ve been interacting with AI for years now, the technology isn’t just being used behind the scenes to help us categorize our financial transactions or recommend shows to us on Netflix. Nope, AI is now something all of us regular-non-data-scientist humans can use—and it’s pretty fucking cool!
And, I’m not going to lie, I started using an AI copywriting tool earlier in the summer of 2022. (Not for any client work though! I write everything you hire me for without AI technology.) I thought about it for months because it felt like an ethical issue for me, but in the end, I decided if I could use it to crank out the actual mountain of content I need to create for my startup, Enji, that it was worth a try. So today, I don’t want to just give my hot take on the AI copywriting tools that seemingly just busted their way into our collective consciousness, I want to share my real takes as someone who has been using it for the better part of a year. Because I have more than just an opinion about—I have the first-hand experience (as a user and someone who’s built an AI copywriter) to help you use it effectively if you choose to.
You still have to do the research
Going to cut straight to the chase here and tell you that using an AI copywriting tool (like Enji’s, Jasper, or Canva Magic Write) is pretty mind blowing, but it still takes effort on your end. Specifically, you have to point it in the right direction in order to get it to write anything of value—which means you still need to do the research. Because even though these tools have read a pretty significant percentage of the internet, they are still robots that need to be told what to go out and look for, then write about. And trash in = trash out.
Pro-tip: Know what SEO keywords you want to use as well as the main arguments and data points. Then work them into the creative brief or input section for whatever tool you are using.
Robots only have so much nuance
Here is the other thing, AI copywriting tools are really good at writing about facts—the nuances of the wedding industry? Not so much. And that has been my experience using an AI copywriter to help me write blog posts for Enji—it’s great at writing about the commonsense facts or points you want to make but the copy sounds stiff. I mean, a robot wrote it, so I’m not surprised. So my approach has been to write the introduction myself (this helps it get smarter because I’ve fed it more information) and revise each section I have it write before going onto the next.
Pro-tip: An AI copywriting tool isn’t going to nail your brand voice—though Enji’s brand voice generator means it gets pretty dang close. That being said, adding more personality is an important part of your review process before you hit publish.
It's great for speeding things up
If you’re looking for a way to get the first words on the page and get to a complete blog post faster than you could possibly write it yourself, then an AI copywriting tool is something to consider. The other way it probably makes a ton of sense to use? To help you quickly write social media captions and Pinterest descriptions. You know, all those things that are currently keeping you from consistently doing what you need?
Pro-tip: Be patient as you start because it might take a try or two for this type of tool to feel familiar. But give it a bit of time and you’ll figure out a way to have a workflow that saves you time in the long run.
It won't communicate your VALUE for you
Remember when I said AI copywriting tools are great at writing about facts but miss the nuance? Well, one of the biggest nuances it is not going to write about is your value—you 100% still need to do that. So be very mindful of that fact and take the time you need to work back through the draft and add in what you need to communicate why you’re great at what you do, how you help couples plan their wedding, and the reasons you are the wedding pro they should hire.
Important pro-tip: These tools can definitely help you write more and faster, but you should never share or publish what you get without adding a human touch. That’s because AI written content can look spammy which is not what the Google gods want. Google’s goal is to deliver the highest quality content it can to people who are searching for something on the internet—and that means content that isn’t just a smattering of facts. You need to always add in your value, expertise, and personal experience to make the copy worth it—and be valuable for search engines.
When to use AI and when to hire a professional copywriter
So, the question you might be asking yourself right about now is If I do start using an AI copywriting tool, can I use it for everything or are there things I should still hire you for? And the answer is there are still things I think a professional copywriter is going to be way better at!
Hire a professional copywriter to write your website copy
Work with a professional copywriter to write pillar blog content
Pay a professional copywriter to create email sequences and/or templates
Because I want you to think about using AI tools to write like fast fashion—it’s cheap and helps you look awesome in the moment but it’s not going to stand the test of time like a piece you invested in. And your website, the foundation of your blog, and the things you use to actively book clients are pieces you need to stand up to the dryer (so to speak, ha!). So don’t be afraid to start utilizing this great new technology—just don’t think it’s going to treat your business with the care a human would.
