Why B2B SMBs Need Human Content Writers

It's unfortunate the B2B businesses who can least afford human-written content are also the ones who can least afford AI-generated content writing.

It sucks, but that's the lot B2B startups and small-to-medium-sized businesses/enterprises (SMBs/SMEs) have drawn.

There are several reasons why, but the big one is simple.

Market Leaders Have Strong Brands To Fall Back On

Top B2B brands are well known, reliable, and benefit from vendor lock in, making them attractive in a way smaller firms simply aren’t.

They can churn out zombie content and customers will keep coming.

A certain degree of zombieness is even expected when dealing with large corporations.

But if you're a small firm, you don’t have the luxury of zombie content, because you don't have that "brand gravity."

Content from a B2B SMB must prove your worth, and that you understand your customers.

Their Zombies Can Beat Your Zombies

Get into a contest of AI-generated content with the big brands, and I promise, you won't win that way.

Their prompts will be better. Their editing of any mistakes AI makes will be better. Their customer data and AI-powered personalization capabilities for this content will be better.

And they'll beat you on volume.

Your zombie army will have no chance against theirs.

Rebels Must Be Zombie Killers

When a prospect intentionally foregoes a market leader and seeks a smaller firm to work with, they expect a more artisan feel to the experience.

They want craftspeople who provide the human touch, not mechanized plastic fakery.

They want something less rigid, less corporate, and they want people who care.

And this absolutely must show in what your brand has written down.

Your content is likely to be a prospect's all-important first impression of your brand.

You don’t have prior fame and reputation to fall back on.

And you don't have the validation of B2B kingmakers like analysts, consultancies, or trade media.

Which means, outside of any word of mouth you generate, your brand's entire attraction and education workload must be done through your marketing, and a fair amount of the persuasion work as well (the first vendor a buyer contacts usually wins).

And when you're small, content may be your only marketing asset.

What If You Really Are Different?

If your firm offers something unique, different, or innovative (i.e., you truly have no category), AI will likely struggle to provide useful copy and content.

Because AI struggles with things it hasn’t trained on or seen before.

And what's more, you might not want it to (God knows where any sensitive information you feed a generative AI is going to end up).

Don't Forget, AI-Generated Content Sucks

I saved this for last because I didn't want to contaminate my previous points with any anti-AI bias you might think I have.

Setting aside the mistakes AI makes (of which I assume you're already somewhat aware).

Also setting aside complaints from writers regarding AI fixations on certain word choices, phrases, and punctuation (which the average non-writer will scarcely notice).

Also setting aside the plagiarism and other IP-related risks brands run when they use AI-generated material.

The big reason why I don't recommend AI writing of most marketing materials is this.

What AI writes is basically a weighted average of the Internet, and the Internet is mostly s**t, and often wrong.

So much AI writing feels empty and lobotomized.

Vanilla through and through.

Like an intern trying to bluff their way through a senior-level interview with only book knowledge.

Which is why I don't pass AI-generated words off as mine, especially when they're about marketing.

What AI writes about marketing is a vanilla frappe of banality, mixed with chunks of bulls**t and horses**t, served in a dogs**t plastic cup you'd never serve to important guests.

And it writes that way about a lot of professional and business subjects.

Its wordiness and overenthusiasm are also problematic, and not just for the reasons most people think.

AI-generated writing can make your brand seem weak and untrustworthy.

Because wordiness can indicate a lack of confidence (people tend to ramble when nervous or lying) while overenthusiasm can trigger people's fraud alarms.

Don't believe me?

A doctor with one or two degrees on their office wall looks legit.

A doctor with ten is almost certainly a quack.

And you don't have to trust what I'm saying about AI, trust B2B buyers.

Their complaints about vendor content shot up last year, and they're increasingly foregoing vendor content in favor of content from those kingmakers I mentioned earlier.

If you're a small B2B brand and your prospects turn away because they don't like what they're reading from you, you've lost. Game over.

Because the kingmakers aren't there for you.

Stop Acting Like You Can’t Afford Human-Made Content

Written content was the most affordable B2B marketing tactic in existence before ChatGPT and its ilk arrived.

Marketers cutting humans out of the loop now are just being cheap.

And for no good reason.

If you're a brand of limited means, publish less content.

Don’t play the volume game market leaders play.

You don't have a large enough audience of followers or subscribers for bulk content to be worth your time and effort anyway.

B2B content gets old quickly.

A small audience can only digest so much content (much less than a large one). Publish too much content too fast and it'll fly by them.

And what's more, the admin work with a big content footprint can overwhelm a small marketing team.

More so when they have to be on the lookout for the sort of f**kups AI makes.

So publish fewer, better, human-made content pieces, and spend the remaining money promoting them.

That way you’ll get more bang for your content marketing buck.

You might think you need copious amounts of content for SEO purposes, but AI is undermining the effectiveness of traditional TOFU-based SEO content in B2B.

So create just enough quality MOFU, BOFU, and buying-intent-based TOFU content (these stages can be combined into individual pieces) for an effective buyer’s journey.

Believe me, if you can't convince a prospect you're worth contacting with a nominal amount of content, you won't convince them with a lot.

When a B2B vendor is being vetted, education is needed but proof wins.

Finally, add one splashy piece of mothership content to attract eyeballs (like a whitepaper, e-book, or buyer's guide).

And promote that MFer with everything you've got.

This is far more likely to help a small B2B brand win than a mountain of SEO dogs**t.

Dogs**t turns prospects off, not on.

An AI Demonstration

Above was the end of the article and you can stop if you think the point is made.

Nonetheless, I've prepared a demonstration by letting AI have a try.

I prompted it to write an article about why B2B SMBs should use human writers.

Here's what it wrote:

Why B2B SMBs Should Invest in Human Writers

In the digital age, where artificial intelligence (AI) can churn out articles in seconds, you might question the need for human writers. However, for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) operating in the B2B space, human-crafted content remains an invaluable asset. Here’s why human writers should be your go-to for creating compelling, effective content that resonates with your target audience.

1. Understanding Nuance and Context

Human writers excel at grasping the subtleties of tone, context, and nuance—skills that AI tools often struggle to master. In B2B communication, where technical jargon and complex ideas need to be presented in an accessible yet professional manner, a human touch ensures your message is both accurate and engaging.

For example, a human writer can tailor a whitepaper for a specific audience, weaving in industry-specific insights and addressing pain points that resonate on a personal level. This level of understanding is difficult for AI to replicate without significant human oversight.

2. Building Authentic Connections

Authenticity is the cornerstone of successful B2B marketing. Decision-makers want to engage with brands they can trust, and content plays a vital role in building that trust. Human writers bring emotional intelligence to their work, crafting narratives that connect with readers on a deeper level.

Whether it’s a case study, blog post, or email campaign, human writers can inject personality and empathy into the content, making it more relatable and memorable. AI-generated content, while efficient, often lacks the emotional resonance that drives meaningful engagement.

3. Customization and Creativity

Every B2B SMB has unique goals, challenges, and target audiences. Human writers can adapt their approach to align with your brand’s voice and strategic objectives. They’re also adept at brainstorming creative ways to convey complex ideas, making your content stand out in a crowded market.

For instance, a skilled writer can craft a thought leadership article that not only informs but also inspires action. They can highlight your unique value proposition in a way that positions your business as an industry leader.

4. Enhanced Quality and Accuracy

While AI tools are improving, they still require human intervention to ensure factual accuracy and grammatical precision. This is especially critical in B2B industries where errors can damage credibility. A human writer brings a meticulous approach to research, fact-checking, and editing, ensuring that your content reflects the professionalism of your brand.

5. Adapting to Changing Trends

Content marketing trends and audience preferences are constantly evolving. Human writers stay updated on these shifts, allowing them to craft content that aligns with current best practices. Whether it’s optimizing for SEO, leveraging storytelling techniques, or incorporating data-driven insights, human writers can adapt their strategies to keep your brand ahead of the curve.

6. Supporting Long-Term Brand Building

Great content does more than drive immediate results—it lays the foundation for long-term brand building. Human writers understand how to create cohesive content strategies that align with your business objectives. They can help you develop a consistent brand voice, establish thought leadership, and nurture relationships with your audience over time.

Conclusion: The Value of Human Expertise

While AI tools can support certain aspects of content creation, they can’t replace the depth, creativity, and emotional intelligence that human writers bring to the table. For B2B SMBs looking to stand out in a competitive marketplace, investing in human writers is an investment in quality, authenticity, and long-term success.

When you choose to work with skilled human writers, you’re not just buying content—you’re building a partnership that empowers your brand to connect, inspire, and grow. In an era where trust and authenticity are paramount, the human touch makes all the difference.

My Analysis

I won't do a full blow-by-blow analysis of the AI writing (which is readable and impressively free of some of the usual AI tics), but let me point out a few of the big problems I see with it:

1. The AI chose the title "Why B2B SMBs Should Invest in Human Writers." I would never have chosen that title. For one thing, it's eight words long (an article title shouldn't be longer than seven words unless there's a colon separating it into sections because the human brain can't see more than seven words at a time. Also the word "invest," while it follows marketing convention, is wrong. Because I know the audience. I've worked with B2B SMBs and I run one. So I know the word "invest" is not what they want to hear in proximity to "writers."
2. Nothing in the article is particular to SMBs or smaller businesses. It could just as easily apply to large ones.
3. In section 2, there's a paragraph that says "Authenticity is the cornerstone of successful B2B marketing. Decision-makers want to engage with brands they can trust, and content plays a vital role in building that trust. Human writers bring emotional intelligence to their work, crafting narratives that connect with readers on a deeper level. " The "authenticity" sentence is wrong. Trust is the cornerstone, authenticity is not (big corporations often aren't authentic). Later there's the statement about "emotional intelligence," which is a vague unproven concept some dismiss as quackery. And even if it does exist, I've known human content writers who are absolute cyborgs and seem to have no understanding of human thought or behavior whatsoever. Same with the "narrative" bit.
4. Regarding section 3, a good chunk of that's wrong, too. An AI writer can do some of the stuff mentioned there if you give it enough effort (except thought leadership and original creativity).
5. In section 4, it says "A human writer brings a meticulous approach to research, fact-checking, and editing, ensuring that your content reflects the professionalism of your brand. " They do? This is news to me. Humans can be meticulous, but they can also be lazy. And they can screw up, too. The difference is that AI can make mistakes we don't expect to be made (human writers are more predictable with their screwups), which can make it more dangerous.
6. Finally, nothing in that article feels like it came from first-hand knowledge. It's all vacuous crap that's been said many times before — "a vanilla frappe of banality, mixed with chunks of bulls**t and horses**t."

Believe me, there's a lot more I could dig into here if I thought you were inclined to read it.

A human writer or editor could certainly smooth over the outright errors, choose a better title, and improve the copy, but they wouldn't be able to fix the emptiness and unoriginality of it all. They'd have to rewrite it from scratch.

Which is why I recommend cutting out the mechanical middleman.

AI doesn't care if it fails you, or if you fail.

Do you?