How to Integrate AI into Your Copywriting Strategy

As a copywriter, I’ve had a first-hand look at all of the buzz around AI and what it means to the industry. AI isn’t a new thing, but when ChatGPT came onto the scene, the AI movement exploded. 

There are still many unknowns and even more opportunities. But before we dive into today’s post, I want to make perfectly clear where I stand on using AI in your writing, specifically in copywriting.

I am a fan of using AI as an assistant or a tool when it comes to crafting your copy. I am not a fan of using copy-and-paste AI-generated content and calling it good. 

The thing is, while AI can do a ton of work for you, YOU still have to be the driver or the creative director when it comes to creating high-quality content. And above all, you shouldn’t use AI to write about things you’re not already knowledgeable about. The best way, in my experience, to approach writing with AI and specifically when leveraging AI for better copywriting, is to take on the role of an editor and infuse everything with your personality and expertise. 

And to show you that I practice what I preach, that’s exactly how I approached writing this blog post. Everything you’ve read so far was written by me from scratch, but the post below was outlined and started using AI. Then, I went through it all, line by line, and turned it into a unique blog post. Are you ready to see it in action? Let’s dive in!

What Makes Great Copy and Why It Matters

Great copy isn’t just about selling products or services. And it’s definitely not about peer-pressuring someone into buying your stuff (gross). It’s about starting conversations, stirring emotions, and creating memorable experiences by building authentic connections in your sales and marketing messaging. When your copy is authentic, your audience feels seen, heard, and valued. And when people feel valued, they are much more likely to engage with your brand.

Why High-Quality Content is Always Better Than Salesy Tactics

Now, we’ve all seen those loud, in-your-face sales pitches that feel more like a shout than a conversation. But let’s face it: nobody likes to be sold to. What your audience wants is high-quality content that speaks to them, not to them. High-quality content is about delivering value, providing solutions, and sparking interest. It’s not about pushing your product down someone’s throat like the spammy bro marketers do.

When you focus on crafting high-quality content that informs, entertains, or inspires, you create an environment where selling happens naturally. Your audience doesn’t feel bombarded by salesy tactics, but instead, they find themselves wanting to learn more, engage more, and yes, even buy more.

The Role of Copywriting in Talking to Your Target Audience

First of all, if you’re not exactly clear on what copywriting is or what I mean when I say “copy,” make sure to check out this post before you keep reading (trust me, it will make everything make much more sense!). 

At its core, copywriting is the process of writing sales and marketing messages. But just because it’s about sales and marketing does NOT mean it has to be annoying, spammy, or in-your-face. Instead, I like to think about it as a starting point to create meaningful conversations with your target audience. It’s like having a one-on-one chat with each person, getting to know their needs, desires, and pain points, and then offering them a solution—your product or service.

When your copy is personable and engaging, it forms a bond with your audience. It makes them feel like you’re talking directly to them, even though you could be reaching thousands of people at once. This is where the magic of copywriting truly shines (and why you need to be crystal-clear on who’s in your target audience!). 

At the end of the day, you have to truly understand these principles if you want to use AI in a meaningful way and to get better results, in your business writing.

Exploring the Concept of AI in Copywriting

Let’s get the nerdy AI stuff out of the way first, shall we? AI operates on two key concepts: Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.

Machine Learning is like the brain of AI. It helps an AI tool learn from data without being explicitly programmed. Think of it like a virtual sponge that soaks up information, analyzes it, and uses it to make smarter decisions.

Natural Language Processing, on the other hand, is the language skills of AI. It helps AI understand, interpret, and generate human language in a way that’s both meaningful and contextually appropriate.

How AI and Human Copywriters Can Work Hand-in-Hand

Perhaps the biggest fear I’ve seen in copywriter circles is that AI will replace human copywriters. While that may be the case for businesses who don’t care about the quality of their content, I don’t see the industry phasing out experienced writers because only humans with a deep understanding of sales and marketing strategy can craft truly compelling copy. 

AI tools can handle repetitive tasks, analyze huge amounts of data, and even suggest improvements for your copy. But they can’t replicate the emotional intelligence, creativity, and personal touch that you, as a human copywriter, bring to the table.

Think of AI as a trusty sidekick. While you focus on crafting engaging stories and creating an emotional connection, your AI sidekick can help with things like grammar, tone, and even SEO optimization. When human creativity pairs with AI efficiency, you’re looking at a match made in copywriting heaven. 

I like to think of AI (specifically ChatGPT right now) as my junior copywriter who puts together outlines and messy first drafts that I then go back through and edit, applying copywriting principles and connection points along the way. 

But how exactly do we leverage this power duo in copywriting? Well, friend, I’m so glad you asked! 

The Human Touch to Using AI: Balancing Creativity and Efficiency

There’s a common misconception that AI tools take away from the creative process, turning vibrant, expressive copy into something that sounds, well, robotic. And if you don’t add your human touch to AI, that’s exactly how your copy will sound. 

Luckily, that’s not how I teach using AI. Instead, I look at it like an employee. I give it specific parts of the job to do but never expect it to replace me or my creative process. 

AI has the ability to take care of time-consuming tasks such as correcting grammar errors, analyzing keyword density, or suggesting more engaging synonyms, leaving you with more room to let your creativity bloom. 

The Fear of Losing Authenticity: How to Prevent That From Happening

If you’ve been hanging out with me online for even a few minutes, you know by now that authenticity is extremely important to me. It’s also what truly drives persuasive, resonant copy. And the last thing you want is to compromise that by using AI tools. 

However, modern AI tools are sophisticated enough to adapt to your specific brand voice and style. They learn from the data you feed them, so the more you use them, the more they sound like you. Think of it as teaching a new team member how you like things done.

(I did a training on how to use ChatGPT to create a brand voice guide inside my free Facebook group, Creative Copywriting for Entrepreneurs. It’s not posted on YouTube because allllll of my kids decided to make appearances, but if you want to see it, come join the group!)

When used the right way, AI tools can actually enhance your authenticity by ensuring consistency and precision in your messaging, all while freeing up your time to invest in building those authentic connections with your audience. It’s a win-win!

Leveraging AI for Better Copywriting: A Step-by-Step Guide

Like any powerful tool, knowing when and how to use AI is key. Different copywriting tasks might require different AI features. For example, you might use AI to suggest engaging headlines for blog posts (but PLEASE don’t use “Unlocking the Secret” for anything! ChatGPT loves to suggest that one all.the.time.), optimize keyword usage in product descriptions, or test different calls to action in ad copy.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Blog Posts: AI can help generate topic ideas, recommend SEO-friendly headlines, or even suggest subheadings based on popular trends related to your content. My favorite way to use AI for blog posts is to have it write a comprehensive outline for me, then I riff on that. 

Ad Copy: AI tools can analyze large amounts of data to determine what type of messaging resonates best with your target audience. It can also A/B test different versions of ad copy to find the most effective ones. I’ll be honest, I haven’t used it much in this way yet, but once I do, I’ll come back and update this section!

Product Descriptions: AI can assist with SEO optimization, making sure your product descriptions are rich with relevant keywords without sounding forced or unnatural. I especially love inputting all of my long-form copy about a product or even pieces of the product itself and asking ChatGPT to create a product description with those details in mind. 

Best Practices for Integrating AI Tools into Your Copywriting Process

Now that you’ve got a clearer idea of where AI can assist, let’s look at some best practices for integrating it into your copywriting process:

Start Small: Don’t feel the need to automate everything at once. Start by using AI for smaller tasks like grammar checks, headline suggestions (you’ve been warned), or creating blog post outlines.

Train Your Tool: Remember, your AI tool learns from you, and the better the information that you input, the better your output will be. I like to create “mega prompts” to start off any chat thread in ChatGPT which includes a brief introduction to me, my business, my signature framework, and my brand voice guide. After giving it that,  will then ask for it to begin on the task at hand. That’s been a game changer for the quality of the output I receive, and it’s helped many of my Creative Copy Club members as well.

Review and Refine: I don’t care how good you think your AI-generated output is, I need you to read through it and, at the very least, edit it a bit. Personally, I like to add sentences, rearrange things, and take out robotic or generic-sounding language wherever I can. This is one of the ways you can continue to build trust with your audience, by maintaining the role of creative director and having the final say on everything you put out into the world. 

Using AI for Optimum Search Engine Visibility

One of the major perks of using AI in your copywriting process is its ability to help optimize your content for search engines. AI can analyze your text for keyword density, suggest related keywords, and even provide insights into what your competitors are doing. But remember, while SEO is important, it should never compromise the authenticity and readability of your copy.

The AI Revolution: Embracing the Change as a Copywriter

There’s no doubt that AI is changing the landscape of copywriting, offering a range of tools and capabilities that were unimaginable a few years ago. And while the speed of innovation can feel overwhelming, it’s an exciting time to be a copywriter.

At this point, I don’t think AI will replace us, but rather be a complement to our skills and help us reach new levels of efficiency and effectiveness (without compromising quality). By embracing AI, we can free up time and mental space to focus on what truly matters: creating authentic, engaging copy that connects with our audience on a deep, human level. I feel strongly that those of us who learn how to leverage AI into our copywriting processes will thrive. 

And at the end of the day, without a piece of knowledge of copywriting, you won’t be able to elevate AI-generated content to the next level anyway, so that’s where strictly AI-written copy will continue to fall flat. 

Leveraging AI for Authentic, Personalized Copy

As AI continues to evolve, it’s becoming increasingly adept at generating copy that’s not just technically accurate, but also engaging and authentic. It can help create a personalized experience for each reader, making your copy more effective and memorable.

Remember, the goal of copywriting is not just to sell a product, but to tell a story that resonates with your audience. And with AI, we can tell those stories more accurately, more personally, and on a larger scale than ever before.

Stay Tuned: Continual Learning and Adapting

The world of AI is continually evolving, and to make the most of it, we have to be willing to learn and adapt. As AI tools become more sophisticated, we can look forward to even more ways to streamline our work, enhance our creativity, and connect more deeply with our audience. But I’m telling you now, if you don’t get on board, you WILL get left behind. I don’t want that to happen to you, which is why I’m chatting with you about all of this!

Just as with any other aspect of our work, the key is to keep learning, keep experimenting, and above all, keep putting our audience first. Because no matter how technology evolves, the heart of great copywriting will always be human connection.

And that’s the future we’re looking forward to one where AI and human creativity go hand-in-hand to create copy that truly connects and converts.

At the heart of the Connect + Convert™ Framework is authenticity. By leveraging AI tools, we can ensure consistency and accuracy while focusing on connecting deeply with our audience. Your unique voice is not only preserved but also strengthened, backed by the precision and data-driven insights provided by AI.

Remember, in this AI revolution, you’re not alone. Here at the Creative Copy Shop, we’re right alongside you, ready to guide, support, and learn together as we navigate this exciting new terrain.

Embrace the change, harness the power of AI, and let’s write a future where technology and creativity merge to produce outstanding results. After all, copywriting is all about telling a story, and with AI, your storytelling prowess just got a supercharged boost!