It's Okay to Try an AI Tool for the First Time and Suck

The AI learning curve is bigger than you think.

It came as a shock to me — that's because Tiktok and Instagram proclaim that, within a couple of clicks, AI will solve all your marketing problems.

But, if you've really used these tools to deliver actual marketing work, you know there's a lot of nuances, tricks, and quite frankly, frustrations.

Yes, the hope is that it gets easier over the next few years (Sora is a big step forward). But, I'm kinda tired of folks promising it will solve everything in "a one sentence prompt".

Every new tool — whether that's Photoshop, Google Slides, or even Canva — requires some time to perfect. Give a Google person Microsoft and they'll lose their mind, and vice versa.

Therefore, this is an article that simply wants to tell everyone: it's okay to try an AI tool for the first time and suck, EVEN if you've been promised it's "easy".

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few examples we've experienced and hear about yours in the comment section:

??? Realistic imagery: there are still uncanny issues to deal with, and this requires a multi-step workflow. Taking a Midjourney image, add to Photoshop, remove weird "AI" elements, and then add filters on top to deliver a final image.

?? Consistent imagery: initially, we found it difficult to get characters to repeat themselves. We've solved that now with some clever prompting techniques, and training of Midjourney spaces and custom GPTs, but that takes a moment and some patience.

?? Adding text: if you've tried to create product images with Midjourney or Dalle, then you know that it loves to screw up text on labels, packaging etc. It's got better, but it won't add everything you need to an image. Therefore, it often requires prompting with keywords and then hopping into Photoshop to finish up.

??? Tone of voice: ChatGPT doesn't know what's in your brain. And there are a billion Roads to Rome when it comes to an article, blog, or creative headline. Therefore, take the time to train it on past pieces of writing, and then ask it to analyze its own training, and THEN ask it to help you write something net new.

The Point

AI isn't going to solve things in one click. Please stop saying this MaxAI, OneClick, AI Book Generator, and many other culprits. No, you can't "generate ebooks with just a click". That's just ridiculous, unless you want it to be generic and awful.

All these tools take a moment, and some of them require a multi-step workflow.

The good news is that will already improve your efficiency by at least 20-50%.

With that promise, give yourself a break — take a second to learn the nuances of a specific tool, and teach it the information, so that it can TRULY help you succeed.

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