AI for copywriters: Let’s get real about going deeper with AI

Ever feel like you’re constantly chasing your tail in the content creation game? Let Artificial Intelligence (AI) rescue you. It isn’t a futuristic concept anymore; it’s becoming a copywriter’s no-so-secret weapon. Let’s dive in!

Recently, I attended a talk by Kerry Harrison, an AI educator and practitioner, which means she really knows her stuff about how AI works and how to use it. But she’s also a copywriter herself, so she genuinely understands the challenges and opportunities we face in the writing world.

The AI lineup: Who’s worth your time?
Think of these as your new best buddies in the AI world:

• Chatgpt: This one’s like the Swiss Army knife of AI. It’s a fantastic all-rounder.
• Claude: If tone is your jam, Claude’s your go-to. It’s super good at nailing the right vibe for copywriting.
• Copilot: This is your all-around assistant that plays nice with others. It’s integrated right into your Edge browser and Word, giving you extra goodies to make your workflow smoother.
• Gemini: For those long-form writing projects, Gemini’s got your back. It’s got features that really help with lengthy content and can even help you double-check things.

How AI can spark your writing genius

AI isn’t here to replace you; it’s here to supercharge your creativity. Here are three ways it can help you get inspired and informed:

1. Summarising documents: Got a mountain of documents to read? AI can quickly condense them, saving you precious time and pulling out all the important stuff.
2. Brainstorming partner: Stuck in a rut? AI can be your creative partner, spitting out ideas and helping you conquer that dreaded writer’s block.
3. Gaining different perspectives: Ever feel like you’re seeing the same old thing? AI can offer totally new angles and different viewpoints, adding serious depth to your copy.

What I really loved about Kerry was her focus on “AI sandwich”. It’s about how human brains and AI work together.
Here’s how:

•   Firstly, you start with your human smarts for planning, creative thinking, research, and figuring out what’s important.
•   Next, AI jumps in to generate the content.
•   Finally, you, the human, come back in to polish, fact-check, and make sure it all makes sense.
  It’s a team effort!

How to talk to AI (and get what you want)

Think of prompts as your instructions to the AI. The better your instructions, the better the result. Try using the “BETTER” framework for creating awesome prompts:

• Background: Tell the AI everything it needs to know – your objectives, context, role, and information about your product or service.
• Expectations: Be super clear about what you want it to create and what the final output should look like.
• Target audience: Who are you talking to? Being clear about your audience makes a huge difference in the AI’s response.
• Tone: Don’t just say “friendly.” Outline your exact tone of voice.
• Examples: Show, don’t just tell. Give the AI examples or style references to guide its writing.
• Refine: It’s not a one-and-done deal. Think of prompting as a back-and-forth conversation. Review what the AI gives you and tweak your prompts until it’s perfect.

You can also try “model-guided prompting.” This works well if you’re a bit fuzzy on the details yourself. It’s a great way to feed your own ideas into the AI, and then the AI uses that info to give you exactly what you need.

5 golden rules for using AI wisely

As cool as AI is, it’s not magic. Here are some crucial things to keep in mind:

1. Always fact-check: AI can sometimes “hallucinate” – meaning it makes stuff up, and it can sound very convincing! Always, always, always verify the information independently.
2. Guard your data: Think about what information you’re putting into these AI tools. Is it sensitive? Is it confidential? Be smart about it.
3. Be transparent: If you’re using AI for client work, be open about it. Have those conversations.
4. Go green with AI: Believe it or not, AI uses energy. Let’s use it efficiently and be mindful of its environmental footprint.
5. Keep learning: The AI world is moving fast. Make sure you and your team are continually learning and staying up-to-date so everyone is using AI wisely.

So, there you have it! AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a partner that can help copywriters unleash their full potential. Embrace it, learn it, and use it wisely to craft even more amazing content. Happy writing!