NCET Biz Tips: The art of using AI for marketing

How can you tell if AI is writing this?

You can’t. Yet. But you will. 

The answer lies in this article’s creativity.

Creativity is rogue thinking. It’s outside the box, against the grain, unique, novel.

And yeah, AI is creative. But its process is algorithmic and templated, predictive based on large datasets and pattern recognition. 

Humans create… differently. We’re emotional and intuitive, imaginative and playful. We’re contextually, culturally, and ethically sensitive. 

And we’re f$%#ing crazy sometimes. 

Jack Kerouac improvised like jazz on a 120-foot scroll without concern for conventional grammar or structure to give us the unparalleled On The Road, which defined the Beat Generation. The Starry Night was painted by a mood-swinging, ear-chopping, unhinged asylum resident. If Kerouac and Van Gogh created like AI, they’d have produced work that would have been forgotten as soon as it was finished. But they gave us something unique. And memorable. Human creativity is a mystical spark that connects with the deepest parts of our souls. And it sticks with us. 

“Yeah, human-made art is nice, but how does this affect my bottom line?”

Great question. This is a business article, after all. So let’s get down to business.  

Here’s my answer: emotions are at the core of the buying process. People make purchases because they feel something. 

So if your marketing content—which is instrumental in your customers’ buying journey—doesn’t emotionally connect, then it’s going to be irrelevant and ineffective. And they’ll move on.  

Sure, AI can create your web copy or blog posts or logo with a prompt and a click—but it won’t be unique enough to engage your audience. And it might get you into trouble, too. It can lie, offend, and plagiarize. It can kill your credibility, your SEO, and your competitive edge.

AI-generated content doesn’t emotionally connect because it’s created by an emotionless intelligence. But human creativity is intertwined with emotions, which is vital to making marketing content—written and visual—that connects with the humans we’re trying to reach. AI simply is not, and will never be, a replacement for our species’ mystical spark.

But! 

This is not an article about rejecting AI. Even Van Gogh would think that’s crazy. AI is a powerful tool to enhance, not replace, the human creative process.

So here are five tips for using artificial intelligence without sacrificing your emotional intelligence:

1. Do your own thinking, brainstorming, and research.
The creative process is messy at first. Embrace it. 

2. Work through your ideas.
Figure out what you want to say and who you’re saying it to. Get to the heart of what you’re trying to communicate.

3. Write your own crappy first draft.
First drafts are never meant to be perfect. As writer Ted Chiang says, “Your first draft isn’t an unoriginal idea expressed clearly; it’s an original idea expressed poorly.”

Then…

4. Bring in AI to do its thing.Have it do supplemental research for you. Ask it to generate content ideas and lists that you can compare with yours. Let it refine your content and fix your grammar. This is where it will save you time, tedium, and trouble. 

Then…

5. Put the finishing human touches on your content.

Tweak it to make sure it has your voice and personality.

The bottom line is that if you don’t use AI, you’re going to waste valuable resources and energy. But if you use it too early in the creative process, you’re going to waste your opportunity to stand out. 

So did AI write this article?

I think the answer is obvious now.
Learn about The Art of Using AI for Marketing at NCET’s Biz Bite on Sept. 25. NCET is a member-supported nonprofit organization that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology. More info at www.NCETbite.org
NCET is a member-supported nonprofit organization that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology.
Brandon Evans is a solopreneur content writer (evanswriting.net) and verifiable human.