A Brave New Hybrid Copywriting World

Over the last week, I have spent some time briefing ChatGPT to get a feeling for the capabilities of this much-hyped A.I. technology.

The fact of the matter is that ChatGPT and its ilk (including some A.I. offerings apparently designed specifically for PR and communications agencies) is powerful.

But it’s limited in application when it comes to creating effective online content on demand. On the face of it, ChatGPT will provide content that meets Google’s evergreen requirements of adding value to the lives of those who access it. The outputs can be filled with useful information in the same way that an instruction manual is filled with useful information.

The Promise and Limitations of A.I.

ChatGPT and other A.I. offerings have two major drawcards, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It’s cheap to use (for now) and it’s fast. You want an article on museums in Brussels and it will generate a list in the blink of an eye. Ask ChatGPT to look into the crystal ball or appeal to the emotions and things get a bit wobbly.

A question about interior design trends returned this medical warning at the top of the ChatGPT page:

‘As an AI language model, I do not have access to future information and trends beyond my knowledge cutoff date of 2021-09, but…..’

There follows a general list of trends that have obviously been scraped from Lifestyle sites across the web. The information is extremely general – and it omits to address the ‘why?’ (or ‘how’ – but we’ll leave that for the moment).

‘Why?’ is a very human response to new information. In fact, the argument could be made that curiosity has driven the evolution of the human race – and it certainly plays a part in supercharging Internet activity.

The Human Difference

When I went to Journalism school one of the first lectures I attended covered the information that should be included in an opening paragraph; ‘What?’, ‘Where?’, ‘When’, ‘Who’, and ‘Why’. Also known simply as the ‘Five Ws’.

Long years of experience had shown newspapermen that the average human being is not only extremely curious but also has a busy life, in a world that is increasingly saturated with Subsequently, the average reader had the attention span of a Goldfish.

Those industry experts would have a wry smile when presented with current reading habits. Some research shows that readers today only peruse about 20% of online long-form content or 20% of a website then abandon the effort.

So, some time spent with ChatGPT revealed that it isn’t so great when it comes to at least two of the ‘Ws’ - ‘Why?’ (and as I put it, the poor, lonely ‘How?’). ?To pique the interest of a human being and entice them to persevere with content until the final full stop, requires writers to go that extra mile to satisfy the curiosity and increase retention of readers.

‘Interior designing trends come and go – but you’re in good company when selecting Scandinavian-style furniture and décor highlight. Influenced by the Swedish concept of ‘Lagom’, or ‘sufficient’ the philosophy behind the Scandinavian interior design has proven timeless. The rise of flat-pack furniture offerings has only cemented the popularity of the style. IKEA, for instance, sold 1.5 million Po?ng chairs in 2022,?Lagom indeed.’

The good writer will provide value add, appeal to the curiosity of the reader and direct them to a source of either a required service or a product. However, the process of developing online copy, with its SEO requirements is only part of a structured communication strategy. That copy (blog or long-form) is the carrot. It is dangled in front of a prospective customer or client for numerous reasons, including building brand loyalty and positioning the organization as expert. That carrot is made tastier in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:

1.??????An appeal to the emotions

2.??????Lifestyle messaging

3.??????Financial implications

4.??????A solution to a need

?Of course, it’ll contain a CTA which will move the prospect to the next step in the sales cycle.

That copy needs to be interesting and informative.

And here is something well worth considering. A.I is not gifted when it comes to leveraging human psychology, including creating copy that unobtrusively promises to help the consumer navigate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (an oldie but a goodie).

A.I. is not a people. Empathy is not its strong point.

The Challenge of Complexity

Generating engaging and informative copy that acts as an essential cog in the machine that is an organizational communications strategy is complex. No component should be seen in isolation. A Press Release better have the same core messaging as your sales deck – or your blog entries.

Then, there’s a website. A whole, where every part and every message needs to act in concert in order to meet strategic communications objectives.

Consider the fact that a blog or any piece of online real estate isn’t just words. There are visual elements like images and video. These are becoming ever more important in order to elevate rankings on search engines. And each piece of content needs to be tagged, captioned, and described. Can ChatGPT create great captions? No, it can’t process image input through its current interface.

ChatGPT can perform an isolated task – with human oversight. It can produce simple copy (like lists) or possibly an instruction manual that will help to keep your 2007 Camry on the road – but useful, engrossing, and appealing copy that motivates that all-important next step in the B2B or business/consumer relationship. It’s not there yet.

The Hybrid Future

ChatGPT and similar A.I.-driven technology is incredibly powerful. As a research tool, it holds enormous promise. It can even generate the framework for the first draft of a business-orientated communication. But it lacks the human touch. It has no grasp of the fact that human beings react according to psychological drivers. Content is King – but a King needs to be aware of what makes his subjects tick – and the many ways that a monarch can meet the needs of a populace.

Last Words

Skilled and professional writers can help a company achieve its strategic goals, but at the same time, those skilled writers may have to embrace the idea of the human/machine hybrid. They’re already using the Internet to do research, now they can do it faster.

For small or medium-sized businesses it is extremely tempting to replace copywriters with Artificial Intelligence engines. The temptation is based on the fact that ChatGPT (and other A.I. systems) are fast and cheap. Hooray for those foundational drivers of business success. But not so fast. Think about the Customer Service Triangle.

The golden rule – fast, cheap, or good – choose two.

ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for PR and copywriting companies looking to enhance their services and improve their overall effectiveness. However, clients need to be wary of relying on A.I.

Companies focused on meeting organizational goals (including fattening up that bottom line) still need human copywriters. Professional copywriters are essential gatekeepers when it comes to the quality and effectiveness of communication tools.?