I’m going to be completely honest- my relationship status with tech is best defined as “it’s complicated,” and for many of us in the marketing world, it can fluctuate daily between love and hate.
There is no doubt that today’s technology has made many aspects of my job easier- creating content through video/image apps in a matter of clicks, checking analytics in real-time, and being able to engage with a virtual community instantly are very real benefits that I appreciate. With the popularity of AI and tools like Chat GPT, people often ask me if I worry about them taking marketing into their own hands since they can create instant copy, graphic design, logo creation, etc., with just a few swipes.
Am I worried? Heck no.
Why?
Because the best AI in the world cannot replace the most critical part of marketing – and that is the HUMAN connection. Marketing is just as much an art as it is science, and the best in the business know and understand this- hello, Carlson Integrated!
As a writer, I know I must have an innate, almost instinctual understanding of a client and their business to create good copy. I must understand their unique voice, write in a way that connects with the target audience, and, most importantly, connect with our clients authentically. How? By sharing their passion, concern, and excitement for marketing their business in every aspect.
I’ve experimented with Chat GPT, and although it’s amazing in many ways, I don’t worry about it replacing me. The output is very dry, with no sense of personality or nuance. I can easily tell when people use it to write because it’s so…. blah—the same thing with graphic design. There is a huge difference in branding and logo creation done by a professional versus a layperson using AI, and the difference is that it just doesn’t look professional. Sure, it may be tempting to save some money by trying to create marketing materials on your own using these AI tools, but no technology in the world can recreate the connection that is part of collaborating with a professional writer or designer.
Is AI good for inspiration?
Sure, as long as it sparks creativity and doesn’t replace a real human. What I am afraid of is the soul-less, bland homogenization of writing and design and the lack of uniqueness that is becoming more prevalent thanks to the unscrupulous use of AI on social media, branding, and websites.
Marketing is and always will be a business of human connections, and your business deserves better than automated everything.
We KNOW it does.
