Copywriting is tedious, as many copywriters would agree. You would need to devote time and effort into creating the holy grail: the perfect copy.
Whether you’re crafting website copy, social media post, blog post, PPC ads, or product descriptions, there’s always the need to generate content that engages readers and evokes the emotions you want them to feel.
Until a few years ago, human copywriters would swear that copywriting (or writing in general) could only be done by them. I mean, who else can figure out what’s needed to engage a human reader but a fellow human?
Enter AI writing (AI copywriting); the latest trend in the digital marketing space. At first, it sounded too good to be true. Like the early versions of voice-activated AI assistants, people were a bit reluctant to rely on AI writing. Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant were not very cutting edge in the early stages of their development.
But as time went by, so did technology flourish. Now, an AI writer can write compelling copy in half the time a human can. But the question remains, are AI writing tools more effective than humans? That’s what we’re here to find out.
What is AI Writing and How Does it Work?
As the name suggests, AI writing is computer-generated written content that uses Natural Language Processing or NLP tools.
Of course, an AI writer can’t do everything on its own. First, you pick what kind of copy you want to write about and do the necessary keyword research needed.
The type of copy you pick depends on your specific needs. The type of copy you decide on could range from a blog post to a product description.
Then, you set the parameters that the AI writer needs to follow. You heard it right. Even if this technology is cutting edge, humans still need to lay down the rules!
For example, companies who serve clients with a need to produce blog articles would probably set parameters that would enable the AI writer to find content that’s already existing on the web and give out a finished product that’s new and free from plagiarism.
It doesn’t end there! Besides providing content that will pass any plagiarism check, an AI writer can also give editing suggestions, which, by the way, are also plagiarism-free.
The Benefits of Using AI Writing Software
JP Morgan Chase, a global player in financial services, has just signed a five-year deal with Persado, a small tech company that uses artificial intelligence to generate content in their marketing campaigns.
In a test conducted by the banking giant, they found out that AI-generated marketing copies generated higher Click-Through Rates (CTR) than the ones crafted by human copywriters. The results here were certainly interesting but not conclusive.
To better answer the question of whether AI writing is better than human writing, we need to look at the benefits of using AI writing software.
Saves Time
Humans are certainly capable of doing a lot of mental feats, but nothing beats a computer in processing speed. In fact, research suggests that the human brain can process information at 60 bits per second; far lower than regular computers, whose processing is measured in GHz now (1 Hz is equal to 2 bits per second).
Therefore, AI writing assistant software is the clear winner when talking about time efficiency. They can analyze data like you wouldn’t believe.
No Writer’s Block
Every copywriter has experienced writer’s block at some point in their career. An AI writer doesn’t have that disadvantage. If you’re a writer who doesn’t know where to begin, AI writing tools can help you “brainstorm” and get you started.
It Doesn’t Get Bored
Have you ever done a task so mindlessly boring that you want to scream in agony? Well, some copywriting tasks are like that. Imagine being tasked to create one product description after another for 2 days?
It’s a good thing AI writing tools don’t get bored at all! They can generate whatever you ask them to do in less time for you to get bored.
Your Content Will Already Be Plagiarism and Grammar-Checked
As a human copywriter and content creator myself, I use all kinds of tools to get to the finished product. One of those tools is the grammar checker. It isn’t that hard to use these types of writing tools, but having an AI article writer that produces quality content without grammar mistakes is a Godsend.
That’s one less thing to worry about for content writers who need to dish out multiple articles every day to make a living. It’s worth noting that not all AI writing tools offer this feature. Some can be used after signing up for a paid account.
Frees You for Other Tasks
Not all AI-generated output can be used as written. Some need to be edited a bit depending on how powerful the AI capabilities are. Even when this is the case, it still saves you loads of research and writing time. Editing something that’s already SEO-optimized is a lot easier than writing it from scratch.
If you’re a small digital marketing company with a workforce of one (just yourself), it’s essential to make it easier on yourself. If you have an AI writing assistant who can generate content for you, that will free you to do other important tasks like KPI tracking and lead generation.
You Can Write in Different Languages
Need to write in a different language but you don’t speak it? Not a problem! Many AI writing tools can write effective content in more than one language, sometimes in more than 10 languages.
This ability can help increase your traffic to not just English speakers. However, editing something you don’t understand would be a challenge! Comprender?
AI Writer Limitations
Though this tool is extremely impressive, there’s no denying it has its limitations like everything man-made. You can’t honestly gauge the advantages of artificial intelligence in content generation without considering its limitations as well.
Here are some of them.
Nothing Truly Original
The way an AI writer creates content is by analyzing a lot of information on the web and pumping out a finished product that’s just a mish-mash of ideas created by human copywriters.
Of course, the resulting article will be new since AI writers are programed to avoid plagiarizing content. However, this “new” content is nothing but somebody else’s words, paraphrased.
Not Able to Evoke Powerful Emotions
I can’t sit here and say AI-generated content can’t make readers feel something. That’s not true. Since these tools generate articles that have been taken from the work of human copywriters, they should be able to evoke at least some emotion.
However, the perfect combination of words that can make readers feel powerful emotions will and can only be written by human writers. SEO performance isn’t everything. To be able to entice readers, your words should make people feel something.
Can’t Detect Offensive and Awkward Statements
A human content writer can quickly pick up on possible offensive statements or awkward phrases. Though AI may be quick to detect some obvious examples of this, subtle references can be easily overlooked.
2 Top AI Writing Tools for Content Creation
Most of the AI copywriting software we have today follows the AIDA Marketing Model, which follows a customer’s journey through their Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action for a product or service.
If you feel you’re ready to try out some AI writing software, here’s a list of the better ones out there to use in content marketing:
1. Jasper
Previously called Jarvis, is one of the best AI writing tools available in the market today. By consulting with market and SEO experts, the company who developed it was able to create algorithms that can create copy for almost any writing situation.
Using this tool is a breeze! When using the Long Form Editor, all you have to do is input your blog idea and Jasper will automatically give you options on the introduction for your blog post- plagiarism-free of course!
Pros
- It offers a free trial to new users for 5 days
- Has a wide variety of templates
- Its AI abilities are exceptional
- Has plagiarism and grammar check included
- Works in many languages
- Has the ability to create short and long-form copy
Cons
- It has no unlimited plan (Starter plan has max 20k words, Boss plan has max 50k words)
- Some features are paywalled
- Long-form content is only available on the Boss plan, which costs $59 per month
2. WordHero
Honestly, this is the only AI that can compare to Jarvis in copywriting capabilities. It’s also a good option for creating long-form content because it gives you an outline complete with subheaders and you can follow it up with the content.
To generate the content, you have to use the outline. For example, you need to copy the introduction from the outline given by WordHero and paste it in Blog Intros. There, the app will provide you with several intros it has generated.
Pros
- It has an unlimited plan with no word limit
- Has lots of templates available
- Has plagiarism and grammar check included
- Works in many languages
Cons
- You still need to edit the finished copy
- It doesn’t offer a free trial
The Sharpest Tool in the Shed
As people keep doing content writing and search engines find these pieces of content, so will AI writers continue to have more to analyze. The scary thing is, it’s becoming more possible for these AI writers to replace humans in creating effective, click-worthy content. As things go, this tool is the sharpest tool in your shed, so you better use it well.
If you want help creating quality content and increasing organic traffic to your website, the company to contact is Mack Media Group. Send us an email and we can discuss how we can aid you in Digital Marketing.