AI Copywriting: Does It Actually Work?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has always been an intriguing topic, especially for businesses. Albeit, some movies also make it a terrifying topic – looking at you 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Image via Giphy by @maudit
But its popularity for business is understandable. What company wouldn’t want an automated and inexpensive virtual helper? Unfortunately, some AI programs claim to be more helpful than they actually are. With AI, especially AI copywriting, the question people often ask is: Does it actually work? Let’s find out.
What Is an AI Writer?
An artificial intelligence writer is a program that auto-generates written content for the user. Most programs take input information, including the content’s subject and some keywords, then create content using that data. Depending on the program you use, it can help you write blogs, articles, and advertisements in the blink of an eye. At least, that’s the goal.
Progress of AI Copywriting
A lot of companies currently offer AI writing programs to businesses. These programs should deliver high-quality content that businesses and brands can use for their content marketing. But, mostly, that’s not how things go. Isla Bruce wrote an article for Half Past Nine where she tested seven different AI writing software programs.
After reading some examples of the content and her impressions, it’s safe to say that most AI software is not yet up to the challenge of writing good content. Most programs had trouble producing content with a unique tone or style, while others wrote about completely different topics than the ones she asked for. A lot of them also had trouble with writing sentences that actually flowed well together. Many paragraphs were jarring and nonsensical to the reader.
Image via Giphy
However, that doesn’t mean companies aren’t still trying. Recently, Writer raised $21 million dollars to help fund their software’s development. The tool currently focuses on helping writers edit their pieces to fit within a company’s style or brand. However, like other virtual writing assistants, it offers suggestions to help rewrite sentences and sections of content. May Habib, the CEO of Writer, says that he wants “great writing for everyone.” With the software’s current AI functions and new funding, it’ll be interesting to see where that goal takes them.
What Can AI Writers Actually Do?
Currently, the AI writers can’t do as much as you’d like. For the most part, AI writers and writing assistants are most helpful for editing and writer’s block. Some programs have features that can read through the content and check for spelling and grammar. They can also check for other things, like passive voice, readability, and cohesive thought. But even those features aren’t flawless. Other programs can generate content, but because they don’t always write well, they’re more helpful for writers to find new topics, ideas, and directions for their piece.
A majority of programs still rely on humans to make the final decision on the content or word choice. Essentially, the program can make all the suggestions it wants, but the human still has to read the suggestion and decide if it’s correct and necessary. That really reduces their usefulness. They’re certainly helpful, but they definitely don’t replace human writers and editors.
Should You Use an AI Copywriter?
Image via Giphy
At the moment, I would say avoid them. That’s not really a surprise coming from us, a company that uses real writers and editors to produce high-quality content. I get it. But honestly, the software just isn’t there yet. AI copywriters can’t currently do everything that human copywriters can. And certainly not to the point of saving you considerable time, energy, and money.
After you have the software generate content, you’ll still need to review it to make sure it’s logical, it fits within your brand’s style, and, for some programs, that it’s actually talking about the subject you assigned it. Writing assistants, like Writer, can still help you edit your content, but according to Isla Bruce and her research, full AI writing programs just don’t cut it.
What’s the Alternative to AI Copywriting?
There are two major alternatives to AI copywriters: you and content marketing companies. Though it’s possible to write and develop your own content for your business, this method can produce a lot of extra expenses. That’s because strong content marketing campaigns require the use of writers, editors, project managers, and quality assurance specialists. Content marketing companies, like CopyPress, already have all the experts you need to help you and your marketing campaign succeed.
But it doesn’t end there. CopyPress can not only help you create content—including blogs, infographics, and illustrations—but we can help you syndicate it, too. That means we can help you find the best places online to publish and share your content to increase your organic traffic and customer outreach. Schedule a free call with us today to see how we can help you with your content marketing needs.
CopyPress writer
More from the author:
