A recent survey conducted by SEMRush revealed that U.S. consumers prefer AI-generated content over content written by humans. When faced with a series of AI vs. human content, the majority of the 700 respondents preferred the AI piece. Does this mean us content writers should pack up our tents and go home? No, but it does mean we need to take a close look at the ways AI-generated content might be besting ours and learn, quickly. We need to figure out how to work with AI while realistically identifying our own value adds, and positioning ourselves as indispensable in the ever-evolving AI landscape. In other words, it's time for content writers to unleash their inner cowboys and conquer the wild west of AI Writing.
AI Writing & You: Saddling Up
Know the Lay of the Land
In the era of AI, content writers can't afford to continue business as usual. Business has never been more unusual, and we need to embrace that. This means assessing the volatile AI landscape, staying on top of the trends and keeping our options wide open. Content writers who embrace technology will be ahead of the curve, while luddite-leaning writers will be left in the dust. Depending on your comfortability with AI, you may have a lot to learn and you have to learn fast. The good news is that there's a ton of resources to help you. Google's official AI blog is a good place to start. Sites like Techcrunch and Venturebeat can also get you up to speed. Once you know the possibilities of AI, you can ideate ways to harness it in your content. Remember, too, we don't know what we don't know. Talk to AI experts. If you don't have one in your friend network, take to LinkedIn and social media. Follow people like @AndrewYNg, @drfeifei, @garyvee, and, @KirkDBorne.
Keep Your Moral Compass
Out here on the lawless AI frontier, where copyright is still a matter of debate, there aren't currently repercussions for copying another's AI output or claiming AI content as your own writing. But keep your moral wits about you. First, that could change as AI-detection tools get smarter and governments set harsher terms for AI creation. So let's keep things simple: If it's not yours, don't claim it is. We're content creators, not content copiers. Not everyone can write the way you do, no one tells a story the same way as you. Be proud of that and do what you can to protect your fellow storytellers.
Put Some Tech in Your Holster
Before rushing off to ply your trade in the brave new world, make sure you have the right tools. These days, you'll want more than just Google Docs. There are tons of great apps, plug-ins and extensions that use AI to help writers create compelling content. Grammerly and Wordtune don't just improve our grammar, they help us perfect the right tone and make confident and convincing appeals. The Hemmingway Editor helps us vanquish passive voice and defeat word clutter. Zettlr doesn't incorporate AI but if you're prone to distraction, its simple interface might be your ticket to productivity.
AI-vs.-Human-Generated Content: It's High Noon!
Size Up the Competition
At first glance, the SEMRush survey results seem pretty damning. But even if all 700 respondents voted in favor of AI content it would still be far from a mandate. It's also important to know exactly why these respondents preferred the AI-generated piece to its human-generated counterpart. According to SEMRush, the AI pieces were judged to be more to the point, easier to understand and contained clearly stated value adds. The isssue isn't that AI writes better than us; the issue is AI is giving the reader what they want. If you're writing an article about what Americans need to travel to Europe safely, you don't have to write paragraphs about how beautiful Europe is, or tell story after story of U.S. citizens who couldn't get their visa on time. As interesting as we may think that is, our readers have come to the article to find out what they need to travel to Europe. So, give them what they need in the most efficient, but most human way possible.
So, writers, is there even a rival in this High Noon at all? No. Humans must find a balance when it comes to AI. For writers, maybe Hemmingway's old adage, "Write drunk; edit sober" needs a modern update: Write AI; Edit human. The fact is AI will never replace you. Other writers who know how to use AI will.
Rely on True Grit & Smooth Talk
Writing on the AI frontier is not for the faint of heart. As more companies turn to AI for creative solutions, we have to move fast to prove our worth. Part of this is learning everything you can about AI prompting. AI writers are only as good as the prompts creative humans like you give them. Remember, generic prompts beget generic outputs. Let's say you're creating a prompt about eating healthy for teens. Here are three prompts you could use to get what you want:
Write a blog about eating healthy
Write a blog about eating healthy for teens
Acting as a content writer and nutrition expert write a 1000-word blog about eating healthy for teenagers. Include ten key points every teen should know and provide current links to back up your claims. Optimize title and headers for the keyword "eating healthy for teens".
It should be no surprise that the third option is your best bet. Even still, once the AI writer generates the blog you should make sure the tone is right for your audience, it's informative and specific, and that it's providing a value add that competing articles lack.
Your prompts also have to consider the two-year data lag. When you ask most AI writers for the most up-to-date information on any given subject, the data they give you will be two years behind. However, apps like ChatGPT include plug-ins like Scholar and keymate.ai, which will ensure that you're working with the most recent information available.
One of my favorite things to do with AI is ask it to judge a piece of content on a scale of 1 to 10 based on specific criteria. For instance, if I want to know how well optimized an article is for a specific keyword, I just say: Rate this article on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how well-optimized it is for the target keyword, "eating healthy for teens." You copy and paste the entire article and it will give you a rating as well as a rationale. You can then follow up with: "What will make it a 10?" It should provide instructions for how to improve optimization. Again, though, this works best when you have a SEO plug-in.
Harness Your Emotional Depth
If there's one thing AI can't effectively replicate, it's empathy. Sure, a human user can prompt an AI writer to write a story that tugs at the heartstrings, but the output would be melodramatic and without nuance or depth. Writers can leverage their emotional intelligence to reach users on a deeper level, crafting narratives with emotional resonance. Conversions depend on emotions. You can't simply tell someone to 'act fast,' 'sign up today,' or 'buy now' and expect them to do it. You need to connect the product to their emotional needs. AI simply cannot do this successfully. Your heart, your empathy and altruism is needed now more than ever.
Be Quick on the Draw
The winds of change are blowing stronger than a prairie storm, and writers need to be ready to roll with the punches. Tech moves fast; what's popular today will be obsolete tomorrow. You need to do some legwork to make sure you're not left in the dust. That might mean learning some new tricks like how to prompt, how to run data reports and analyze them, and keeping up with all the new AI trends. The more you learn about AI the more you'll find ways to use it in your content. Whether it's experimenting with interactive storytelling, exploring virtual reality, or collaborating with AI-generated characters, writers can push the boundaries of their craft in exciting new ways. But remember, out here in the wild west of AI, you can't afford fear or hesitation.
Writers In the AI Era: Ride off into the Sunset
Stake Your Claim
In the lawless frontier of AI, it doesn't have to be every writer for themselves, but you still want to protect what's yours. That means keeping a close eye on your intellectual property. Whether it's officially copyrighting your work or putting a watermark on it, it's essential to protect what's yours. In the same vein, it's important not to steal from other writers. We can and should be excited and inspired by each other. Healthy competition leads to new frontiers.
Harness the Power of Data
In the Wild West of AI, data is gold. By mining data insights, writers can better understand their audience, tailor their content, and optimize their strategies for success. Whether it's analyzing website metrics, conducting keyword research, or tracking social media engagement, data-driven decisions can lead to greater impact and influence.
As writers, more than a few of us might be numbers-averse, but here's the thing: Numbers don't lie. If you want to prove your worth to your CEO or other stakeholders, numbers are the only way to do it. We have to either learn to love them or buck up and tolerate them.
Believe it or not but numbers give us more ways to be creative. When we look at click-through rates, top queries and even keyword gaps, we're giving ourselves creative challenges to craft new content optimized for similar queries and keywords, and devise new ways to add even more value to our existing content.
Above all else, Spin Your Yarns
In the flash and shine of the digital age, good storytelling is even more important than ever. People are hardwired to connect to stories and they always will be. AI isn't the end of the story; it's just the beginning.
Artificial intelligence isn't just a new frontier, it's a pathway to unlimited new frontiers-- completely new fields of study, products someone will think up next week, startups launching tomorrow., new tech debuting today. And each is going to need human storytellers. In the age of AI, content writers have a decision to make: hide in the old homestead or blaze new trails.