Over the past year, an influx of AI Writers released has made this remarkable technology both commonplace and ineffective. Content generators’ broad availability has spoiled its advantages for content marketing strategy and SEO. Yet talented writers and marketers have gained a competitive edge by personalizing and “humanizing” their copy. Indeed, a content marketing agency can help you meet your business goals by speaking to your customers’ needs.
Arlington, VA, business owners seeking to build or refresh their digital marketing strategy can do so with KME.digital. One of the DMV’s top marketing providers, KME works with local and regional businesses in several industries. Our team tests the latest strategies and tools to see which can boost our clients’ visibility and branding efforts. Call (703) 585-3321 to speak with an expert about your website content strategy.
Below, we detail why human content writers are more crucial than ever to long-term marketing success:
AI’s Impact on SEO and Content Writing
AI Writers are a form of generative AI technology. They entered the public spotlight when OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022 and Google released Bard (now Gemini) in January 2023. Since then, dozens of free and subscription-based AI Writers have appeared.
These tools prompted various industries to explore how automation could improve productivity, reduce overhead, and deliver more consistent services. However, a majority of American workers reported anxiety over AI and its implications on their livelihood. The technology has also raised numerous ethical and legal concerns that may affect its capabilities in the future.
ChatGPT and Bard/Gemini were not the first generative AI writing tools. Yet their capabilities were so impressive that many companies have laid off employees to focus on AI resources. Do content marketing service providers still have a role in this playing field?
The Advantages of Human-Written Content
The unprecedented capabilities of AI Writers sparked their widespread adoption. Yet as mentioned above, broad availability erodes competitive advantages. AI Writers (which leverage predictive text) generate stilted, bland language that adapts poorly to distinctive brand voices. This tendency has resulted in a glut of subpar blogs and website copy.
Furthermore, search engines learned to recognize machine-written materials. Google now ranks AI-generated content below the work of individuals, prioritizing the more helpful materials. Additionally, Google’s March 2024 Core Update identified low-quality and AI-generated content and deindexed the websites it appeared on. Google aims to clean up search results from useless, repetitive, and unoriginal content, a trend that spells trouble for anyone relying on AI.
In an ironic twist, AI Writers have increased the value of human-written pieces of content. The programs can recycle and reuse phrases they “learn” but cannot produce novel ideas or styles. Creativity remains the exclusive domain of people, which smart marketers can capitalize on.
How to Humanize Your Website and Marketing Materials
So, any content creation agency that aims to remain competitive must emphasize quality over quantity. Producing material at scale no longer has much value; personalizing it does. You can humanize your content marketing plan with a few strategies:
- Tailor content to people rather than search engines
Instead of catering website copy and marketing materials to mere lead generation, emphasize your customers’ needs. Ensure your writing speaks to your audience’s pain points rather than just dropping buzzwords and key phrases. Leverage the buyer’s journey to meet potential customers where they are (which search engines recognize and reward).
- Write and revise material based on previous customers’ behavior
Unless you have a brand-new company (or offering), use your previous customer interactions to generate or enhance copy. For example, identify the most common questions about individual services and revise your messaging on the relevant service pages. Alternatively, pick out the key phrases your customers use to describe pain points and incorporate them into service descriptions.
- Speak to your product or service experts
AI Writers usually generate vague descriptions of offerings with few useful details. Avoid this pitfall by collecting specifics about your company’s offerings from those who know them best. A sales team member or product specialist can help enliven your content marketing campaigns. Their insights give customers a straightforward understanding of options and benefits.
- Incorporate firsthand experience and voices
How better to avoid bland, machine-generated text than through individual voices? Satisfied customers are often happy to provide feedback on their positive experiences. Their authenticity, personality, and storytelling will shine far brighter than mass-produced copy.
- Remember that AI is just a tool
Personalizing your content doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding AI Writers at all costs. On the contrary, many marketers find these tools helpful for brainstorming and generating outlines! Nevertheless, take AI’s suggestions with a grain of salt and always proofread any machine-generated writing. If the material lacks a distinctive voice or offers no benefit to customers, revise accordingly.
Content Marketing Strategy and Insights for Arlington, VA, Businesses
Although AI disrupted some traditional market wisdom and roles, it can benefit content marketing strategy professionals and their customers. Arlington, VA, organizations and entrepreneurs can find such experts at KME.digital, one of the region’s best marketing agencies. Learn more about our options or get a digital evaluation by calling (703) 585-3321.