Teach Your AI To Write Like You (A Guide for the Terminally Professional)

So you've finally decided to give AI copywriting a shot.

Excellent choice - your tired brain and that blank Word doc thank you.

But if you're thinking you can just waltz into Claude or ChatGPT, ask it to "write in my voice," and get perfect copy... well, I've got some oceanfront property in Switzerland to sell you.

Setting up AI as your copywriting assistant takes a bit more effort than that.

But don't worry - it's not rocket science.

Step 1: Ditch The Default Settings

First things first.

Inside Claude or ChatGPT, utilise the Projects feature. This is where the magic happens.

Think of it as your AI's personal notebook about you and your business.

But please, for the love of all things copywriting, don't just dump a bunch of random information in there and hope for the best

That's like throwing a bunch of ingredients in a pot and hoping it turns into a gourmet meal (I'm a follow-the-recipe-like-your-life-depends-on-it kinda gal, which is probably why my AI writes better copy than my attempts at 'creative' cooking).

Step 2: Give AI Your Brand Voice (The Right Way)

Remember when you tried to explain your brand voice to that freelancer and they came back with copy that sounded nothing like you?

Instead of telling AI (or - while I've got your ear - your human copywriter) you want to sound "professional but quirky" (what does that even mean?), give it actual examples of your writing.

I'm talking about:

- Social media posts that got great engagement

- Emails your audience loved

- Blog posts that sound exactly like you

- Sales pages that actually converted

And don't just cherry-pick your greatest hits.

Give it the whole spectrum of your company's content - from formal client proposals to casual social updates, from team meeting notes to customer success stories. Even those passionate responses to customer feedback at midnight.

Because your brand voice isn't just about sounding professional or quirky - it's about capturing the consistent thread that runs through all your communication.

All of your content should sound like it came from the same company. The more examples you give your AI to work with, the better it'll get at maintaining that consistency across your whole team.

Step 3: Your Audience's Language Is Gold

Now for the good stuff - your customer research goldmine.

Every frustrated email, every support ticket, every piece of feedback where your customers got real about their problems.

Every objection they raised before buying.

Every wishlist item they're dreaming about.

Plus those golden nuggets where they spill their secret desires, along with those heart-warming messages where they go Full Fan Mode about your brilliance.

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Because if you want copy that connects, it needs to sound like your audience's 3am Google searches, not your industry's jargon-filled whitepaper.

The real gold is in those raw, unfiltered messages - where they tell you what keeps them up at night, what makes them hesitate before buying, and what finally convinced them to take the plunge.

Feed that to your AI and watch it start speaking your audience's language.

Step 4: Custom Instructions

Let's talk about custom instructions - that critical bit many people skip because they're too excited to dive into the "fun stuff."

Don't make that mistake.

Tell your AI exactly how your business communicates:

- Industry terms that are absolutely banned

- Corporate jargon that makes your marketing team wince

- How you start every company announcement

- Your signature email sign-offs

- Those quirky phrases only your brand would use

Be ruthlessly specific. If you wouldn't let an intern post it on your company social media, don't let your AI write it either.

And while you're laying down the law, be crystal clear about:

- Topics your brand steers clear of

- Messaging that doesn't align with your values

- Industry clichés you refuse to perpetuate

- Competition you never mention

- Formats that don't work for your audience

Think of these as your brand's guardrails - keeping your AI from wandering into "thought leadership" territory or accidentally sounding like every other business in your space.

Step 5: The Voice Feedback Loop

This is where your brand voice training gets interesting.

Ask your AI to write something from your content calendar. A social post, an email newsletter, whatever's next on your list.

If it serves up copy that makes your marketing team collectively groan, don't bin it or rage-quit.

Take five minutes to edit it until it actually sounds like your brand. Then feed those edits back to your AI.

Each round of feedback teaches your AI more about your brand's personality.

Step 6: Frameworks Are Your Friend

Once you've got the voice down, start feeding it your favourite copywriting frameworks.

(Inside Copywriter In Your Pocket I give you dozens of frameworks you can use - sales pages and social media content and email sequences and registration pages and…well, you get the idea)

Upload them with an explanation of how and why to use them. Then reference them in your prompts.

Zero fluff. Maximum output.

Step 7: Regular Check-ins

Like any good assistant, your AI needs regular feedback and updates.

Has your brand voice evolved? Feed it new examples.

Trying out new content types? Show it what good looks like.

Audience language shifting? Update that messaging research.

Think of it as continuing professional development for your AI assistant.

Remember:

- AI is your (or your team member's) assistant, not your replacement

- The more specific you are, the better it gets

- It's okay to be picky about your voice

- Feedback makes everything better

- Weird quirks are what make your brand voice unique

- Regular updates keep everything fresh

- Perfect is boring - let your brand personality shine

And if AI writes something that makes you sound like a corporate robot having an existential crisis, that's on you.

You're the boss here. Train it better.

Now go forth and create your perfect AI copywriting assistant.

P.S. If anyone tells you they have the "perfect prompt" that will make AI sound exactly like you without any of this setup work... well, I've got a bridge to sell you too.

P.P.S. Yes, I used AI to help write this post. And yes, it still sounds like me. Because I practise what I preach.

Tired of your content sounding like it was written by 12 different people having various identity crises?

I systematise your brand voice, and create AI tools your whole team can use.

Give your team everything they need - the AI tools, frameworks and training support that make staying on-brand as easy as making fun of corporate buzzwords.