Welcome to 2023, where artificial intelligence drives cars, wins photography competitions, and writes term papers!
Have the latest AI breakthroughs ushered us into humanity’s much-anticipated Star Trekian utopia, with nothing left to do but quit our day jobs and explore the universe?
Not quite.
Self-driving cars are twice as likely to crash as conventional cars (9.1 crashes per million miles traveled versus 4.1 for cars with human drivers). A German artist humbly declined his first-place photography win after revealing that the image was made “in collaboration” with AI. And AI writing generators have made recent headlines for delivering misinformation, blatantly plagiarizing content, and even contributing to mental health tragedies.
So what does AI technology mean for you? More specifically, what do AI writing generators like ChatGPT, GetGenie, Rytr, and Writesonic mean for your B2B content marketing strategy? Are “robot writers” artificially intelligent enough to replace human writers, editors, and thought leaders?
Here at Every Little Word, we’ve been asking ourselves the exact same questions.
And because we’re fearlessly nerdy about all things written, we decided to explore the latest craze for AI-based content marketing tools for ourselves—to walk right up and poke the bear, as it were.
Here’s what we found out.
ChatGPT: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and What It Means for Your Content
Built on OpenAI’s API platform, ChatGPT is the new kid on the AI block. On ChatGPT’s homepage, you’ll find this description:
“We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”
In other words, ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence is capable of learning, course-correcting, and recognizing queries that are unhelpful or harmful. Some folks call it “revolutionary;” others call it a “magic bullet.”
But what can’t ChatGPT do?
ChatGPT can use words that imply feeling. But it cannot feel.
It can regurgitate original ideas. But it cannot develop its own ideas.
It can deliver the answers to questions. But it cannot answer questions no one has asked yet.
It can write content that’s searchable. But it cannot necessarily write content that’s shareable.
In short, an AI writing generator can’t be a person.
ChatGPT cannot be a thought leader. But you can.
ChatGPT is a consumer, not a creator
Today’s AI content marketing tools were made possible by the internet—well, by millions and millions of people using the internet. We, humans, have been educating AI for decades. What we post, how quickly we scroll, where we click, what we search for: every little word and interaction is on the buffet, ready to get gobbled up by Google, Facebook, and—yes—ChatGPT.
ChatGPT doesn’t create; it consumes.
Compelling content—the kind of content audiences save and share—comes from the minds and hearts of individuals with experiences and stories and ideas and dreams and perspectives. What we call “thought leadership” doesn’t stop with facts or statistics; it builds upon them, layering data with passion and purpose that only a living, breathing person can possess.
If you ask us, the rise of ChatGPT creates an incredible opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves with high-quality thought leadership.
Edelman’s B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study revealed that consumption of thought leadership is high among C-suite executives and decision-makers, but “the flood of low-quality thought leadership has diluted its value.”
Now is the time to share your fresh takes (the kind that only humans can generate) and rise above a sea of mediocre thought leadership and uninspired AI-generated content.
ChatGPT is a safety net, not a superhero
We’ll admit that ChatGPT can be useful for specific purposes. For example, it can be a helpful content marketing tool for drafting outlines or writing a quick caption. With time and training, you may even succeed in fine-tuning the AI to closely resemble your company’s brand voice.
We’ve come to look at AI-generated content as a sort of safety net, offering support to inexperienced writers and ensuring a baseline of quality for stressed marketing teams. With some thorough editing, you can probably elevate your robot-written content by a solid 20%, but keep in mind that even the best editors can only do so much with low or mid-quality AI-generated content.
If you truly want your brand to be the superhero of someone’s story, it needs more than good grammar, facts, and keywords. Your brand’s content needs—no, it deserves—a cape and a superpower.
What is your brand’s back story? What does it fear? What will it fight for?
ChatGPT can’t tell these stories because it does not know them. Only you and the industry experts on your team have the insight and intuition to tell timely stories to your carefully curated audience. And if we’re being completely candid, only a real writer—a human writer—can craft your brand message with not only accuracy but also creativity, meaning, and a strong nod to those superpowers you’ve worked tirelessly to refine.
When Content Is Everywhere, Quality Is Queen
Content consumption has become as natural as breathing for most of us. We read, watch, and listen to so much content that we’ve become especially good at ignoring it. We no longer need to endure a dull article for lack of better alternatives because alternatives are multiplying like rabbits.
The bar has been raised. Content for content’s sake is nothing more than noise. So you can join the fray and hope for the best. Or you can set your sights on quality and meaning.
Tell the true story.
Take the bold stand.
Explore the wild idea.
Be a thought leader.
ChatGPT and other AI-based content marketing tools can’t get you there. But Every Little Word can.
Schedule a Discovery Call to find out how.
