In the age of AI, why would you use a human to write your content?

Writing a website can take a while

They evolve over time. They respond to changes in search engine behaviour. They broadcast new content and boast dedicated sales pages that support promotional campaigns. As much as possible, they flex with the business, and let's face it, small and mid-sized businesses shift quickly. 

All of this can be costly. Some organisations spend vast amounts paying people to write, build and maintain their website. In bigger businesses, you'll find entire content teams. For SMEs, small charities and not-for-profits, such resources are rarely an option, which is why people like me exist.

Recently though, things have changed. Recently, there's a new kid on the block. By 'kid', I mean 'robot', and like it or not, this robot child is going nowhere. And why should it? It's far quicker than any human. It could conjure and test five versions of your sales page before I've made a cuppa. You could prompt it to generate a blog post, optimised for every conceivable channel, while I'm still filling the kettle. With AI chuntering away in the background, your whole website could be fully updated before my brew has cooled enough for me to take that first scrumptious sip. 

When it comes to speed, there's no doubt that AI has the edge. The question is, is that enough?

There's lumps of it round the back

"Rewrite this with Geoff," says everything. "He's your new AI assistant and whatever you're doing, Geoff's peering over your shoulder, waiting to get his grubby little mitts on your work." 

Sometimes, you can switch Geoff off. If you're a Microsoft 365 user, you can opt out of their Geoff entirely, and as a bonus, pay less for your annual subscription. More often, however, Geoff and his kin aren't so easily dispatched. In fact, these days, Geoffs seem to turn up just about everywhere. And we're being charged more for the privilege. 

Head into the internet and you'll be served stomach-bursting portions of AI slop. If you can loosely describe what you're after, AI will dish up big lumps of it. Probably with some bizarre extra ingredients thrown in. Certainly without any seasoning. The next course in this online feast will feature the large-scale roll out of Agentic AI. Bland, cheap and free from human interaction, it's rich in profit and high in energy consumption. Delicious, right?

"Rewrite this with Geoff," says everything

Like the Murphys, I'm not bitter

I'm aware of how this sounds. Like someone who's concerned for their professional future because of the sudden and seemingly ubiquitous arrival of a technology that threatens to undermine the value of what they do for a living, despite its  distinctly inferior output. To be honest, I think my concerns are fair enough. Even if they are only half the story.

You see, my reasons for poo-pooing AI aren't entirely selfish. For starters, AI generated content lacks imagination. It all sounds the same. Because it all is the same. The Large Language Model has no capacity for originality, because it relies on the reproduction of other people's work. 

Besides that, so much of it exists, as far as I can tell, for the sake of training the AIs themselves. Remember the 'here's me as an action figure' fad? How about the 'make myself look like I'm out of Studio Ghibli' craze? More recently, there's the 'roast my profile picture' nonsense. And people are lapping it up while the web bloats with AI generated toss. 

But this crapness is the least of it. The environmental impact should be everyone's biggest concern. Hidden, deferred, distant, and very real. Although, apparently, not in a way that gives us sufficient pause when it comes to just "running it through ChatGPT." 

AI itself tells us that, "the environmental impact of AI is significant and multifaceted, stemming from the energy-intensive processes involved in training and running AI models, as well as the production and disposal of AI hardware. Data centers, essential for AI operations, consume large amounts of electricity and water, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and potentially exacerbating climate change. Furthermore, the mining of materials for AI hardware and the improper disposal of e-waste pose additional environmental risks."

This doesn't seem to be a sufficient deterrent. We're still collectively training it for free, at the cost of originality, creativity and the environment. 

Authentic, connected, purposeful

Aside from it being largely pointless, homogenous crap with a substantial environmental impact that can't simply be brushed under the carpet, I also think people can do a much better job than AI. Slower? Yes. More financially expensive? Sure. But still better.

Especially, say, if that person is an experienced copywriter who uses insight, empathy and understanding to create your content. Though, this isn't limited to copywriters. Anyone can do a better job than AI, just by the fact that they're a real person with real experience, and not a series of noughts and ones that have never seen a rainbow or smelled a flower or felt, well, any feelings at all.

You see, as a human, we can find connection and meaning. We can write with authenticity and integrity. We can discover value and purpose in the process. AI can't do any of those things. All AI can do is copy what's gone before.

Anyone can do a better job than AI, just by the fact that they're a real person

People buy from people

Your website is your shop window and your copy is a conversation with the customer. We choose brands because we feel a connection with them. Even online. Think about the websites that stand out. They do so because they speak to us on an emotional, human level. 

This connection comes from a process that helps us understand your customers' pain points, then write words that speak to them. That's why, when I'm writing content, I ask a lot of questions. 

• To understand what your customers need and why your business is uniquely positioned to meet those needs. 

• To find meaning and connection through shared values, through your story and through the people that make your business what it is. 

• To make sure that the words resonate in a way that feels compelling and meaningful. 

Good copywriting is about more than just putting words on a page. It's about insight, understanding and empathy. In turn, insight, understanding and empathy are what motivate customers to choose you over your competitors. They help you show that your values are aligned. They allow you to cut through the noise and stand out from the crowd. They build connection and meaning, which can last long after the webpage has been closed. 

They make you feel real. Like a person.

Be yourself. Everyone else is taken

Your website should sound like you. Authentically you. That way, you sound human, allowing you to build trust and develop lasting relationships. That way, your customer experience is consistent and congruous, whether online or face to face. That way, you stand out amongst the noise.

Going back to where we began in this piece - your website is your shop window. It's where many customers will get their first taste of your business. It sets expectations and builds assumptions about what it means to work with you. Written well, it'll deliver a consistent experience that goes way beyond the initial interaction. Done with authenticity and integrity, it'll lay the foundations of a strong and lasting relationship that keeps customers coming back time and time again. 

A good copywriter doesn't only help you find the right words to put on the page. A good copywriter will make sure those words sound like you - the very best version of you. 

The very real and very human you. 

The true value is found in the doing

Writing content is a process. It doesn't arrive fully formed. Like any other writing, it takes thought and effort and a lot of editing. Here, the same is true whether it's written by a human or a robot. Anyone who thinks that AI will produce website-ready copy is either fooling themself or is in for a shock. In fact, I'd argue that the AI version will take a lot more wrangling than the human copy. Not least because the human copy is continually refined throughout its creation. 

The process is as much about the research and insight as it is about the words. This is how we turn features into benefits. We spend time with your products and services, understanding what makes them special and what makes them appeal to your customers. We also spend time with your customers. We dig into their pain points, their needs, desires and interests, then we find connections between what they want and what you offer. Here, where these things meet, is where the magic happens. Then, we show that magic through carefully selected words that sound like you. 

The very best, very real, very human you that you are. 

Anyone who thinks that AI will produce website-ready copy is either fooling themself or is in for a shock

It takes one to know one

Good content should build strong connections with your customers. It should sound like you and be an authentic representation of you. That way, as your customer interactions move from online to the real world, the experience is consistent and congruent. Web copy doesn't arrive fully formed. It's a process - a journey - that takes time, effort and human interaction to make those connections and build genuine and lasting relationships between your business and your customers. People make this happen in a way that AI simply can't.

So, why use a human when AI is so much cheaper and quicker? Because you're also a human, speaking to other humans. Real, complex humans with real, complex emotions. A good copywriter will understand and tap into those emotions and help you build real, meaningful relationships with your customers. And that's something that AI simply cannot do.

Do you want a human to write content that speaks to your human customers?

Get in touch - I'd be delighted to have a real, human conversation.