AI Copywriting

This article has been written by Sarah Bailey, KIJO’s Copy & Content Lead.

It’s Wednesday afternoon. You can’t have another coffee or you won’t sleep tonight and that 5pm, EOD deadline is creeping closer. Unfortunately, your Google Doc of notes are refusing to write themselves into said promised article and they’re just sitting there, silently mocking you. Then, your Gen Z colleague casually asks, “Shall we just ask Chat GPT?”

Cue the mix of emotions. Relief, because yes, that might help get the ball rolling this Hump Day. Panic, because what if the result sounds super robotic and has an em dash in the last sentence of each paragraph? And somewhere, deep down, that little nagging thought: if AI can write this, do they still need me?

You’re not alone. I think marketers everywhere are feeling this tug-of-war between excitement and anxiety about AI copywriting. But, it doesn’t have to be scary! Quite honestly, it used to scare me. And then I dipped my toe (I think I asked it to help me riff some blog titles with an awkward, non-grammatically-ideal keyword), and now it’s my daily lil assistant! So trust me, I get it. 

Used well (and not as a crux), it is a tool that can help enhance your current ideas and inspire new ones! It can take care of the heavy lifting (like first drafts, outlines, and even email subject lines) so you can focus on what you do best; strategy, creativity, and applying that all-important human flair! 

And when I say all-important human flair, I mean it. Data from Energy PR has shown that ​​88% of consumers say authenticity is important to them when it comes to deciding which brands to engage with… And there’s nothing more authentic than your voice and humanness!

Whilst your feelings are valid, unfortunately AI isn’t going anywhere. Frankly, you’ll only get left behind if you keep ignoring it. I’ve written this article to show you how to embrace AI copywriting and see your AI tool as an ally, not an enemy vying for your job! It can genuinely help you to save you time, overcome writer’s block, and help you repurpose and create more useful content!

Related Read: 9 Brand Copywriting Tips for High-End Businesses

How Can AI Enhance Copywriting?

AI isn’t really here to replace our creativity or steal our jobs (and obviously we mustn’t let it!). Call me naive, but I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg really wants to replace human beings… But, whatever your feelings toward the Meta boss, what AI can do is improve our workflows and be a really helpful sounding board for ideas too!

 Here’s how it can make your marketing life easier:

• Beat the blank page
  Staring at a blinking cursor? Ask AI to draft you a starting point. You can always rewrite whatever it churns out, but it can help to spark momentum!
• Generate ideas fast
  Blog post topics, social captions, email subject lines – AI can throw out 10 suggestions in seconds that will help inspire the final version.
• Rephrase and tighten copy
  Got a wee sentence that sounds clunky?Ask AI to offer you a punchier version. Want to check something’s definitely written in an active voice at 4.30pm when your brain’s melted on a Friday? Ask it to verify that what you’ve written is!
• Research shortcuts
  Some platforms can summarise reports or find quick data points for you (but always double-check them, people! AI might seem like magic, but it ain’t Gandalf just yet…)

How to Incorporate AI into Copywriting

You should treat AI a bit like a writing mentee; it provides better results if you give it clear direction. Here are my tips (tried and tested, of course):

1. Teach AI Your (and Your Brand’s) Voice – Don’t Just Tell It

Instead of just saying “write in a friendly tone,” give it examples of your actual writing. Paste a paragraph of your website copy and ask it to emulate it. You’ll find you’ll get something much closer to your desired style!

2. Be Super Specific

Tell AI what you’re writing, who it’s for, and even the structure you want (or feedback on your ideas!). For example: “Write me a 200-word Instagram caption aimed at UK female business owners in their 30s, with a playful tone and a call to sign up to our next webinar at the end.” Seriously, the more detail, the better!

3. Ask it Questions

AI is brilliant at expanding on ideas if you ask it to. If it gives you a list, ask it to “expand on point three.” If it writes a paragraph, ask “can you make this sound warmer/more playful/more persuasive?” Treat it like a conversation, until you land on something closer to what you’re after.

Then, comes the all important edit…

Why Editing is Key in AI Copywriting

I cannot stress this enough – AI isn’t perfect and it should not be depended on. It can get facts wrong, miss subtlety, and sound a bit too generic if you start to depend on it. That’s why editing is where your expertise comes in.

• Fact-check everything
  Never publish AI-generated stats or claims without verifying them. Research your stats and check the source is accurate, up-to-date, and reputable. 
• Add brand personality
  Your tone of voice, humour, and values are what make your and your brand’s copy stand out. This is how you work WITH it.
• Make it accurate and relevant
  AI doesn’t know your target user/customer like you do, so trust your knowledge and keep tweaking it until it speaks to them.

Seriously – think of AI as a helpful lil buddy that’s eager to learn from you. It can draft, brainstorm, and polish, sure. But, it still needs your attentive, triple-checked sign-off and expert input before it’s published or sent.

What is the Best AI Platform for Copywriting?

There are so many tools out there right now and whilst they all offer similar services, they’re not all built the same. The right tool for you will depend on how you work, what you’re writing, and how much time you want to spend training it. The good news is, there are some clear front-runners that UK marketers and business owners are already using to streamline their workflows every week.

AI Copywriting Platforms to Consider

• ChatGPT
  If you’re just dipping your toes into AI copywriting, ChatGPT is typically the first stop. It’s intuitive, it’s fast, and it’s good for brainstorming ideas, creating first drafts, or even helping you rewrite that tricky headline ten different ways. It works best when you’re very specific in your prompts. Tell it your tone of voice, your audience, and what “good” looks like to you.
• Claude
  Think of Claude as ChatGPT’s thoughtful cousin. It’s great if you want a more conversational, nuanced response. Many copywriters claim to find Claude better at summarising long research docs or writing content that feels a little warmer and more human. If your brand voice is chatty and personal, Claude might be a good option to try!
• Perplexity
  Perplexity is arguably a good candidate for research-heavy content. So, blog posts that need up-to-date stats or thought-leadership pieces that reference current events. Perplexity actually cites its sources too. This means you can fact-check more easily (and avoid that AI problem where the tools just make things up – obviously still double check it all though!)
• Specialist Tools
  If your focus is eCommerce or email, marketing-specific AI tools like Jasper or Copy.ai may be more helpful in generating product descriptions, ad copy, and subject lines at scale. Some even integrate directly with WooCommerce or Shopify, which is a big time-saving perk if you manage lots of SKUs!

KIJO Pro Tip: You don’t just have to pick one platform and stick to it. Many marketers I know use a mix. Think of these tools as collaborators, not competitors. And, your job is to direct them, enhance them and edit them!

Is it Okay to Use AI for Copywriting?

Loads of businesses and content marketers are using AI now. So, yes – as long as you’re curating the output. And, Google agrees! 

Gary Illyes, an analyst at Google, confirmed that AI content is perfectly fine as long as it’s high quality and reviewed by a human for accuracy. He even said that “human created” isn’t really the right way to describe the search engine’s policy. It’s more about “human curated.”

So yes, you can use AI for copywriting without worrying too much about search engine penalties. Just make sure the final version feels polished, on-brand, and genuinely useful to your audience!

Need Help Navigating Your Relationship with AI Copywriting?

At KIJO, we help busy marketers, brands and business owners discover the real power of their websites. If you need help setting up AI workflows, crafting an on-brand tone of voice, or simply want to get more valuable content marketing generated, we’re here to guide you.

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