Copywriting is one of many industries being reshaped by AI. But if you're handing over responsibility for your writing to a computer, be careful...
Just over a year ago, I wrote a blog post about Chat GPT. I set out to answer the question: can you get AI to scribble your copy for you?
At the time, I wrote: "Here's the bottom line – you can try using AI to create content for your website or marketing material, but you need to intervene to make sure it is 'humanised.'"
Boy, was that prophetic.
Over the past 18 months, I – like many copywriters – have been itching to see what ChatGPT and now Gemini could do. Or, more honestly, what it could do for me.
Would it help me work more efficiently?
Would it swamp me with awesome ideas when my poor brain was frazzled?
Would it cut hours of research down to seconds?
Equally important (the question that has kept all copywriters up at night): would it delete me and my copywriting brethren completely?
So, of course, I tested it out. A lot.
How my 'research' played out
Let's be clear – I've not exactly done PhD-level research into AI's capabilities in the copywriting arena. But I've had more dealings with it than some.
This is what I tried...
I got AI to do some research for me before writing a couple of articles.
What happened: ChatGPT literally made things up – quotes included. It invented quotes from non-existent people. I know this because I checked what it so kindly offered me. When I asked for sources, these were fake, too.
Verdict: D. Not quite completely useless – AI is pretty good at summarising things – but it is currently about as reliable as a (insert not very reliable thing here) when you need hard, proven facts.
I asked AI to come up with some ideas for stuff like slogans and headlines.
What happened: much better. Copywriters can easily get lost in the weeds, so asking AI for some "great headlines involving sports puns" or something like that can yield potentially usable results. Which means a win for the client, who I often bill by the hour. A faster me = a lower fee for them.
Verdict: B+. Decent. This is AI's forte in the world of copywriting.
I followed a very precise Neil Patel prompt which was designed to compare some web copy I was working on with that of some other high-ranking sites.
What happened: this is where AI's weaknesses were really exposed. The information I kept getting back was non-specific and, for want of a better word, horseshit. I got the distinct impression Gemini was telling me what I wanted to hear. I was further troubled when I asked it to improve 2,000 words of incredibly carefully tailored (and SEO-optimised) copy so that it would rank... only to be given 150 words of generic content in return. There's not a hope in hell these 150 words would have improved the website's rankings.
Verdict: F. An utterly underwhelming and confusing series of responses.
I asked it to sharpen up some copy I wasn't happy with.
What happened: sometimes a copywriter working alone needs a little external help. It's good to bounce ideas around. Sadly, my copywriting friends are few and far between, so in this instance I thought I would run my work up the AI flagpole to see if it could help. It couldn't. It made up quotes again, and added several sentences that weren't true.
Verdict: F again. About as helpful as a monkey in a helicopter.
Why I am breathing a sigh of relief – for now
In March 2023, one of my more progressive and switched-on clients asked me to create content for him using ChatGPT to see if it would expedite the process. It did. I shaved about 40% off the total time needed to write the kind of blogs I had written for him before.
The copy that came back was mostly fine, but it then needed editing, a few things needed to be checked (a couple of 'facts' were completely wrong), and I had to run it through a plagiarism checker. It also needed loading into WordPress, running through Yoast – copywriting can be quite a process.
Today, though. Forget it. AI for copywriting is more help than hindrance, and the small amount of gold it does bring to the party needs to be paid for in lost hours checking if what it said is actually true.
Luckily, most of my clients have no interest in AI-generated content. They're looking for original copy, tailored to their business and their clients. They come to me for my experience and my understanding of how websites work.
But hey – try AI copywriting for yourself. If you're happy with 'filler' content, go for it.
However, if you want your website to stand out, entertain, convert and convince, experienced human copywriters are still the best solution.
No budget for a real human? I'll meet you half way. I now offer AI editing services on demand. If you want to get AI to do the donkeywork, I'll make sure it's fit to use.
Contact me for details.
Written by Mike Peake, UK freelance copywriter and website content writer.
T: +44 (0)208 133 4306