AI vs Writers: 7 habits of highly replaceable human writers
AI will replace 90% of writers out there. Jessica Lam Hill Young, Content Director at Adriel, may have made this conclusion only after reviewing 60+ applications for a writing role, but– you guessed right– there’s more. Like the fact that employers are insisting that ChatGPT effortlessly beats all the writers they ever hired. Ouch.
The truth? A hostile takeover is imminent and only a certain kind of writers would be left standing when this is all over. Except that, it’s probably never going to be over. Like it or not, AI is here to stay, and the technology backing content generators will only get smarter.
So unless you’re comfortable being that writer who gets palpitations each time a new god-level AI writing tool rolls out, it’s time to sit up. And by this, I mean knowing the exact kind of writers AI is replacing and striving to be nothing like them. See this as a classic case of keeping your enemies closer, with the foe here being your inadequacies, rather than AI.
At the end of this piece, you’ll have learned how to level up as a writer, and seeing generative AI as a threat would be beneath you.
Habit 1: They are just a ‘really good’ writer
Now that AI tools can produce thousands of grammatically sound words in a few seconds, you’ll need more than your writing skills to truly stand out. People who hire writers want to see something that’ll be nerve-wracking for AI to replicate.
No, one is asking you to be able to do every single thing from ideation to writing to editing and design without help. ChatGPT may be able to serve as a digital companion in one minute, and a wardrobe assistant in the next, all by itself. But you’re not a robot.
Source: Venturetwins
And so, by all means, get all the help you need to make your process more efficient. But what you cannot afford is being comfortable with simply knowing how to string words.
Be that indispensable writer who always knows the right metaphor to use but also understands marketing psychology. The writer emotionally intelligent enough to know that logic isn’t the only factor that drives purchase decisions. You can use your human creativity and critical thinking in situations where AI can only produce sorry zero-personality outputs.
“People buy emotionally, then justify rationally”- Liz Wendling
Because unlike AI trained to reproduce similar content, you can exercise judgment when creating. There are no algorithms to dictate the workings of the human mind and this is how creativity is born.
For instance, a writing assistant wouldn’t dare desecrate the sacred rules of prescriptive grammar. But you know who can? The empathic writer who understands their audience well enough to know that a little tweak would produce big results.
Here are a few things to infuse into your writing to rid it of its soullessness :
Personal opinions
Real-life examples
Storytelling
Insights from interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs)
These ingredients not only help you stay grounded in your craft but confers thought leadership on your brand.
Habit 2: They hate to adapt
Google uses over 200 ranking factors in its algorithm. In 2022 alone, the search giant released about 10 updates, not to mention the hundreds of social media updates being rolled out every other day. Bottom line? Keeping up can be exhausting.
But if you’re going to keep being relevant, then you need to do the tough work of learning new skills and being aware of trends. Why not? Even AI sharpens the quality of its outputs by learning from user interaction.
Algorithms change too often to let yourself be controlled by them, but that’s no excuse to not think ahead and experiment.
Adaptability means being able to adjust your writing tone and style to meet your ideal client persona right where they are. It may also look like diversifying to learn relevant marketing skills that help you speak to your audience’s pain points.
You’re on a journey to becoming a T-shaped marketer and without doing the work, AI might snatch your daily bread after all.
Source: DigitalMarketer
In three words: learn, unlearn, relearn.
Start by following relevant industry experts in your niche so you’re never the last person to hear about the newest good stuff. Engage with marketing opinions that challenge your worldview, consume diverse content, and embrace tech that helps you stay ahead.
Habit 3: They write for everyone
One telltale sign of AI content is that it is often repetitive and generic. AI never comes up with fresh insights. It only makes sense of what’s already out there and duplicates that in different ways.
The result is that everyone soon begins to sound alike. Zero brand differentiation, zero personality. Your approach must differ if you’re looking to beat AI at its shrewd game.
And it begins with writing for your one audience. Not everyone searching for keywords related to your product is your prospective customer. Hard sour fact but you need to have this in mind to create tailored content.
Remember, one part of your goal is to find your customer and make them aware of pain points they never even knew existed. But you’ll never get that right by doing what an AI tool would: writing content that lacks warmth and empathy.
So, rather than lose sleep over being replaced by a machine, use AI’s limitations to your advantage. To write content that resonates with your target audience, you’ll need to:
Understand what content types attract them the most
Speak to their frustrations by using their own words (VOC data)
Research your competitors extensively to find content gaps
Hang out in the same places as your target customers (social media, forums, etc.)
Get insights from the customer-facing team on customers’ questions/complaints
Ask your audience what their struggles are
With Google’s helpful content update prowling, making the visit worthwhile for potential leads is crucial. Not focusing squarely on your target audience could hurt your rankings and credibility.
Habit 4: They shun experimentation
AI adheres to a set of algorithms that help it reproduce similar content based on its training data. The result is predictable content with the same style and technique. Of course, mastering prompting can help refine output with generative AI models. But the blandness in the content almost always stands out.
You’re no different from these tools if you’re stuck on the same techniques, so much that your audience becomes bored. It’s not enough to know too much about the topic if you’re not willing to make it more engaging.
So be open to experimentation when writing. Try ditching the formality in your tone, mixing mediums, and trying out the different copywriting formulas you’ve studied.
A/B testing may seem like an advertising-copy thing but is just as relevant in long-form writing. Infuse some trigger words, try embedding video content, and experiment with different headline structures. Just test.
Joanna Weibe of Copyhackers encourages writers to create a list of 50 different headlines before picking the one.
“The best copywriters on the planet ALWAYS write AT LEAST 50 versions of a headline" – Joana Weibe
Habit 5: They neglect the brand voice
Nothing screams “human touch!” better than a well-written piece laced with personality. And personality doesn’t have to always be about packing humor into your content.
Everyone appreciates a good dose of entertainment but you’ll need more. Like infusing brand stories into the copy and making your readers feel like they’re having a conversation with another human.
Think of your brand as a person and speak in the voice of your target audience. AI tools still have a hard time consistently replicating brand voice and any serious business owner knows not to gamble with their brand’s authenticity. After all, 60 percent of consumers believe trust to be one of the most important traits a brand must have.
Google rewards authenticity too. Its latest E-E-A-T update revolves around creating an experience for the reader that’s built around trust. As content strategist, John Iwuozor, puts it, “What's the use of the other quality raters if the website and content creator have a negative reputation?”
So, do not be afraid to sound human. Ditch the need for perfect writing and let the brand’s core values shine through your words. Remember, people always remember stories, so tell a good one.
Habit 6: Their research process is at best…meh
The average time a writer spends on research varies, depending on the scope of work and how familiar they are with the topic. But conducting research is the one task that good writers spend the most time on and for good reasons. A thoroughly researched article might involve:
Researching the competition
Reading thought leadership pieces to better understand the topic
Gathering facts and industry data
Trying the product to get firsthand experience
Interviewing professionals for expert insights
Listening to podcasts and other materials on the topic
The point is, a lot of work goes into meaningful research that produces non-regurgitated helpful content, and relying completely on automation may create problems that'll cost you extra time.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have limited info, which means you cannot rely on them for recent industry data that add perspective to your content.
So if your research process is typically comprehensive, AI has nothing on you.
Habit 7: They see automation as the enemy
If we’re being fair, writers have legitimate reasons for antagonizing AI. A machine that always has answers and could never experience writer’s block? Churns thousands of words in seconds and doesn’t bill enough? That’s a handful.
Rather than being a writing purist, what if you begin to see these tools for what they are: a way to enhance your productivity and output?
Fun fact, the outline for this piece was created using AI and that sure saved me some good minutes.
Yes, I still had to look to the SERPs for better insights on what questions to answer but there’s no denying the fact that the tool gave me a good head start. AI is here to stay and your job as a writer is to find ways to make it work for you, rather than see it as a contender.
Think about how much time you can save when you automate any of the following writing processes:
Outline and brief creation
Headline brainstorming
Keyword research
Intro idea
John recommends comparing your result against what a tool provides. If your content isn’t better than AI’s output, then you know you have some work to do.
Just remember to always run your piece through a human editor to avoid unnecessary blunders like the one we see this student committing:
This example is clearly a lazy case of totally leaving the fate of your writing to AI, a sacrilege you should never attempt even as a newbie writer.
Conclusion
The 2023 AI Index Report by Stanford features a survey that says only 35% of sampled Americans agree that products and services using AI had more benefits than drawbacks. Site owners are running submissions through AI detection tools because they’re scared that AI-generated content comes with risks.
In the end, the real competition is between writers and their skills. AI writing tools will keep getting sophisticated but so can your mind. Bring a fresh perspective into your writing, shun fluff, introduce first-hand experiences, and you’ll realize AI is here to assist rather than replace you.
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