Nick Usborne's Blog, page 2

October 11, 2024

The advantages of being a slightly older copywriter.

OK, so maybe I’m a little beyond being a “slightly” older copywriter. That’s what happens when you’ve been writing copy for over 45 years.

You also bump into something else at my age… ageism.

Yup… there is a fear among some prospective clients that I’m too old. I’m not sure what I’m too old for – or why – and so far I’ve been too polite to ask.

But yes, it stings when people look at you and make assumptions about your ability to do good work.

I take a contrary view (shocker!).

My age is a huge advantage.

First, obviously, is the 45 years of copywriting experience I bring to the table.

Second…

I have decades of life experience…

During my first year as a copywriter, at the ripe old age of 22, I remember writing a direct mail package for a financial company. Our audience? People in their 50s who were worried about falling behind with their retirement savings.

What did I know about being worried about retirement? Nothing! I was 22. So I had to imagine what it might feel like. I had to pretend I knew. I dare say I did a reasonable job… I’m sure I pressed all the right buttons in my copy… the fear of running out of money, and so on.

But to suggest I could truly empathize with my audience would be stretching the truth.

Today? No problem. I know all about planning for retirement.

I also know a lot about traditional and alternative health . (Remember, I’m slightly old).

I’ve been on multiple vacations of very different kinds.

I’ve moved home over a dozen times.

I’ve purchased more cameras than any sane person should.

I’ve raised 5 children.

I’ve mourned both parents.

And so on.

It’s the same for anyone with a few decades of life behind them. We’ve experienced many things firsthand. And we can tap into those experiences when we write copy and content.

Our life experiences give our writing authenticity, and empathy.

Been there, felt that.

This is something our younger colleagues can’t offer.

We can tell compelling stories too…

Stories have a unique power when it comes to copy and content.

Stories bridge the divides between people. They connect us and bind us.

Listen to a family conversation, or friends talking at a bar or in a coffee shop, and you’ll likely hear someone sharing a story.

“Do you remember the time when…”

“Did you hear about…”

The older you are, the more stories you accumulate. And the more you can share.

I’m not saying you should share personal stories in your copy. But having such a large library of stories at hand makes it easy to create brand and customer stories with more depth and authenticity.

Again, if you’re slightly older than most copywriters, your richer life story gives you an advantage.

Does this make us better than younger copywriters?

Not necessarily. Our experience as writers – and in life – give us an advantage. But if we go head-to-head with some super-talented young copywriters, that age advantage might not be enough.

Some young writers are just really, really good.

But one thing is for sure.

Being slightly old does not diminish our skills. It adds to them. And don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Note: I’m a huge fan of using stories and anecdotes in copy and content. In fact, I created a course on this topic… Selling With Stories. Check it out here…

The post The advantages of being a slightly older copywriter. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 11, 2024 08:06

July 15, 2024

5 Valuable AI Use Cases for Freelance Copywriters.

AI use cases for copywriters

I still hear people saying things like, “AI can never write as well as a human copywriter.”

Or, “I asked ChatGPT to write an article, and it was terrible.”

Respectfully, these people are missing the point.

Just because AI can’t entirely replace the full set of skills of a human writer doesn’t mean it can’t be valuable.

Look at this through a different lens…

Look at AI as an assistant who can help you with very specific tasks along your existing workflow as a writer.

Here are five you can try:

AI Use Case #1: Research & Analysis

Models like GPT-4, Gemini, Claude, and others have been trained on massive datasets. They’ve read and digested pretty much everything on the internet.

This means they KNOW more or less everything there is to know.

So… if nothing else, use AI as your ultimate research assistant. My go-to tool for this is Perplexity.ai, which is actually a hybrid AI/search engine.

Also, when it comes to crunching massive amounts of data… like a 200-page report, models like GPT-4 and Gemini can quickly find the information you want or create a 200-word summary of the entire report.

Using AI for research and analysis probably saves me an hour a day, pretty much every day.

AI Use Case #2: Avatar Creation

If you want AI to write good copy, you have to give it a good brief, just the same as you would with a human writer.

For me, this starts with creating a customer avatar. I want to know who I’m writing to!

So… with this use case, I turn to AI for the creation of that customer avatar.

My process is to find as many customer reviews as I can, plus client interviews and transcripts of customer service calls.

In other words, I want to get a feel for the language, emotions, desires, and fears of a typical customer.

I then copy this information into my AI briefing document. That document also includes information about the product or service I’m promoting, plus background onthe company and its brand voice.

Then I write this prompt: “Based on the briefing document attached, create an avatar for my ideal customer. Give her the name Brenda, and remember it.”

In my experience, and I’ve created many avatars like this, AI models do an excellent job.

Once you have the avatar, every time you use AI to write to that audience, start your prompt like this: “Writing to Brenda, give me a first draft of…”

Creating and using an avatar is a huge time-saver and a way to increase the quality of the output from the AI.

AI Use Case #3: Ideation

Stuck for an idea for your next promotion or campaign? Try brainstorming with your favorite AI.

This is what master copywriter Bob Bly does. He doesn’t use AI to write – which he prefers to do on his own – but he does use it to help brainstorm ideas.

For example, he might be looking for a “big idea” for a long-form sales letter he’s writing. I don’t know his exact process, but he has told me he finds AI useful to help with ideation.

Well, if it works for Bob Bly…

AI Use Case #4: First-pass Feedback

Ann Handley is currently writing a new book. In a recent issue of her newsletter, she wrote about how she uses Claude.ai as part of her workflow.

“For first-pass feedback, after I write the first draft and need perspective on what would make it stronger: Would this grab a reader immediately? Does the narrative drag anywhere?”

That’s a little next level. She’s treating AI as something akin to a co-intelligence, asking for its feedback and “opinion.”

I love this because she’s pushing the envelope here. She’s taking her use of AI way beyond simply asking it to do some research or data analysis.

Follow her example. Give it a try.

AI Use Case #5: Proofreading

This is totally unexciting. But… in spite of earning my living as a writer for over 40 years, I’m still a two-finger typist, and I’m pretty inept with those two fingers. My spelling skills are really bad too.

So, whenever I write something – this post included – I copy and paste it into GPT-4 and ask: “Please proof this text and then list any changes you make.”

It always finds things that need correcting, and then lets me know.

Wrapping It Up…

Don’t look at AI models as tools that either should or shouldn’t replace human writers.

Look at them as a resource you can turn to for particular use cases along your workflow as a professional writer.

And enjoy the ride.

futureproof copywritring

The post 5 Valuable AI Use Cases for Freelance Copywriters. first appeared on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

The post 5 Valuable AI Use Cases for Freelance Copywriters. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 15, 2024 08:04

May 27, 2024

Don’t use AI as an Easy Button. Use it to get better at what you find hard.

AI writing easy button

People get excited by how AI models like ChatGPT make it easy to create copy and content at scale.

As a writer you can create way more content when using AI. And yes, it’s a lot easier. No more writer’s block. AI can help you come up with new ideas for content, suggest headlines, and even write a finished draft for you.

And instead of a new post or article taking you two or three hours, or more, you can get it done in 5 to 10 minutes. How awesome is that?

Well, it IS awesome.

But…

Is this your BEST use of AI?

After all, you’re perfectly capable of writing on your own.

I know… it’s tempting to use AI as an Easy Button when it comes to writing. Particularly when you’re struggling a bit, or have tight deadlines.

But writing is something you already do well. That’s why you’re here.

So don’t outsource your core strengths to create output that will never be quite as good.

Instead…

Use AI to get better at the work you find hardest.

You’re better at writing than AI models.

But there are some things AI can do a whole lot better than you.

For example, models like GPT-4 know pretty much everything there is to know. They’ve been trained on all the knowledge published online, almost every book and paper ever written, and so on.

This means you can use AI as the ultimate research partner. You’ll have all the information you need at your fingertips, almost instantly.

AI models are also incredibly good at summarising long documents. You can copy and paste tens of thousands of words into the context window and ask for a 500-word summary.

They are insanely good at analysis too. You can paste hundreds of customer interviews into the context window and ask any one of these models to conduct a sentiment analysis for you. They’ll spit out a result for you in just a few seconds.

These are just a few areas where AI outperforms human abilities. By a huge margin.

This is how you use AI to do better work. Use the extraordinary capabilities of these models to dig deep into your subject matter, and thereby improve the depth and quality of your own writing.

Then add in one more layer focused on something else you do best… emotion.

AI models recognise human emotion. They have read the scripts of Love Story, and Romeo and Juliet.

But they haven’t experienced emotion firsthand. They’re never fallen in love, laughed, or felt sad.

As humans we feel and can express emotions deeply, even at their most nuanced.

Again, don’t outsource your strengths to AI.

If you rely in AI to add emotion to your writing, you’ll end up with writing that fails to engage, and falls short of moving your audience to take action.

Bottom line…

As writers we should practice our craft daily. It’s what we do. And to do our best work, we need to listen to our audience, and feel empathy for their hopes, needs and fears. We need that emotional layer.

Don’t outsource these core skills… the writing part and the empathy part.

Instead, use AI to improve your writing by doing the heavy lifting on areas we don’t do as well… like research, analysis, outlining, and more.

Don’t be tempted by the Easy Button.

Put in the hard work on the areas you do best.

And yes, this topic lies at the core of my course, Futureproof Copywriting. It’s all about combining the strength of AI with human power of Emotional Intelligence.

futureproof copywritring

The post Don’t use AI as an Easy Button. Use it to get better at what you find hard. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 27, 2024 07:44

May 20, 2024

When writing AI prompts, act less like an engineer and more like a musician.

Writing prompts shouldn’t feel like you’re acting as a “prompt engineer”.

Honestly, I don’t much like that term.

First, I think it’s disrespectful to true engineers. Writing prompts is not engineering.

But more to the point, I think the title steers us in the wrong direction. Engineering implies a fixed process and a certain formality. A process with a guaranteed and constant outcome. “Use these top 20 prompts for optimum results.”

That approach sounds attractive, but I don’t think it’s the way to get the best outputs from an AI model like ChatGPT.

These models are not like traditional software programs. We don’t enter our instructions in code, we engage with these tools by entering into conversation.

This is why I prefer to avoid painting myself as some kind of pseudo engineer. I’m more comfortable comparing my approach to learning a musical instrument.

Let me explain…

My favorite guitarist of all time is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

If you’re of my generation, David Gilmour’s playing will have seeped into your soul while you were a teenager. If not, spend a little time searching on YouTube and you’ll find him playing guitar.

He is an absolute master of that instrument. His playing is incredible, the music he creates is beautiful.

In fact, he inspired me to buy my own guitar, way back when. But a few lessons and hours of practice later, the noise I created was horrible.

Did I then blame the guitar? Did I declare that guitars are incapable of creating great music?  Of course not.

But that’s what often happens when people are disappointed by the output from their chosen AI model.

They complain about the quality of writing, and jump onto social media to declare with absolute certainty that AI will never be able to write as well as humans.

They blame the instrument before putting in the hours of practice necessary to master it. Unlike David Gilmour, they fail to put in their one thousand hours, and then ten thousand more.

The best prompting is collaborative, iterative, and steeped in emotion.

I’ve written elsewhere about my collaborative approach to writing prompts. In the same post, I write about how I follow an iterative process… always using a series on prompts to achieve the outcome I’m hoping for.

And I lead with emotion.

Emotion has always been at the heart of great writing and copywriting. Sharing emotion is how we engage our audience, and hold their attention… whether we are writing on our own, or with the help of AI.

Staying with our musical analogy, think about the player piano. A player piano is a type of piano that can play music automatically without a human pianist. It uses a piano roll, which is a roll of paper with perforations that encode the music.

A player piano can play a tune with perfect accuracy. But it doesn’t compare with the playing of a human. Why? Because it has no emotion or soul. It is mechanical, with no heartbeat.

In conclusion…

Don’t be a prompt engineer and use prompts that are the same an everyone else’s.

Instead, treat prompt writing as an art form, and AI models as instruments that need to be learned through repeated practice.

Step one? Take my course, Futureproof Copywriting, in which I expand on the craft of applying a high level of emotional intelligence to writing AI-generated copy and content.

The post When writing AI prompts, act less like an engineer and more like a musician. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 20, 2024 17:20

Writing prompts for AI should feel like you’re playing a musical instrument.

Writing prompts shouldn’t feel like you’re acting as a “prompt engineer”.

Honestly, I don’t much like that term.

First, I think it’s disrespectful to true engineers. Writing prompts is not engineering.

But more to the point, I think the title steers us in the wrong direction. Engineering implies a fixed process and a certain formality. A process with a guaranteed and constant outcome. “Use these top 20 prompts for optimum results.”

That approach sounds attractive, but I don’t think it’s the way to get the best outputs from an AI model like ChatGPT.

These models are not like traditional software programs. We don’t enter our instructions in code, we engage with these tools by entering into conversation.

This is why I prefer to avoid painting myself as some kind of pseudo engineer. I’m more comfortable comparing my approach to learning a musical instrument.

Let me explain…

My favorite guitarist of all time is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

If you’re of my generation, David Gilmour’s playing will have seeped into your soul while you were a teenager. If not, spend a little time searching on YouTube and you’ll find him playing guitar.

He is an absolute master of that instrument. His playing is incredible, the music he creates is beautiful.

In fact, he inspired me to buy my own guitar, way back when. But a few lessons and hours of practice later, the noise I created was horrible.

Did I then blame the guitar? Did I declare that guitars are incapable of creating great music?  Of course not.

But that’s what often happens when people are disappointed by the output from their chosen AI model.

They complain about the quality of writing, and jump onto social media to declare with absolute certainty that AI will never be able to write as well as humans.

They blame the instrument before putting in the hours of practice necessary to master it. Unlike David Gilmour, they fail to put in their one thousand hours, and then ten thousand more.

The best prompting is collaborative, iterative, and steeped in emotion.

I’ve written elsewhere about my collaborative approach to writing prompts. In the same post, I write about how I follow an iterative process… always using a series on prompts to achieve the outcome I’m hoping for.

And I lead with emotion.

Emotion has always been at the heart of great writing and copywriting. Sharing emotion is how we engage our audience, and hold their attention… whether we are writing on our own, or with the help of AI.

Staying with our musical analogy, think about the player piano. A player piano is a type of piano that can play music automatically without a human pianist. It uses a piano roll, which is a roll of paper with perforations that encode the music.

A player piano can play a tune with perfect accuracy. But it doesn’t compare with the playing of a human. Why? Because it has no emotion or soul. It is mechanical, with no heartbeat.

In conclusion…

Don’t be a prompt engineer and use prompts that are the same an everyone else’s.

Instead, treat prompt writing as an art form, and AI models as instruments that need to be learned through repeated practice.

Step one? Take my course, Futureproof Copywriting, in which I expand on the craft of applying a high level of emotional intelligence to writing AI-generated copy and content.

The post Writing prompts for AI should feel like you’re playing a musical instrument. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 20, 2024 17:20

May 12, 2024

In a world of AI-generated marketing, where’s the Creative Director?

creative director and team

As a budding young copywriter in the early 1980s, I worked with an art director as my partner, and our work was overseen by the agency’s creative director.

Creative directors were at the top of the pile in Creative Departments. They were the best of the best, and inspired the work of everyone. They shaped the overall creative output of the agency. They also used their experience and judgement to decide whether any particular piece of work was good enough.

In my early days, the creative director would look over my shoulder and sometimes say something like, “Interesting idea, but I don’t think it’s working”. Or, “Bit of a second rate headline, Usborne. Try again.”

The point being, nothing left the creative department without the creative director’s approval.

Five years later I was a creative director myself, with three creative teams in my department. Now I was the one responsible for inspiring, shaping and then reviewing the agency’s creative output.

How does this work in the world of AI automation?

There are now numerous service tools and agencies out there that use AI to generate a company’s creative output.

As much as possible is automated. Data analysis, persona development, text and image development, deployment of creative, and so on.

I see the attraction. These AI models can create work at incredible speed.

But… where’s the creative director?

Who judges the AI’s work and decides whether it’s good enough?

Who gets to say, “Bit of a second-rate headline, GPT4. Try again”?

Simply having a human in the loop isn’t always enough.

I know. There is often a human or two reviewing the output of these tools and services.

But – and no disrespect intended – what are the creative credentials of the people who do the reviewing?

Could they stand side-by-side with Bill Bernbach of DDB in New York? Collin Millward of Collett Dickenson Pearce in London? Hal Riney of Ogilvy & Mather in LA?

Or even to a lesser-known, but qualified creative director at a mid-range agency?

A good creative director holds everyone to a high standard. And to do that, they have to be the best of the best themselves.

The role of creative directors has diminished in the agency world over the last couple of decades. But it appears to be altogether absent in the world of AI-automated marketing.

The inevitable result is that mediocre work slips through, all the time.

This is not a good look for companies, large or small.

While companies may love the speed and economy of using AI to generate their marketing materials, are they prepared to accept the damage done to their brands by mediocre creative?

In the near term, I think we’ll see a surge in the automation of marketing, followed by a pull-back as companies see the damage being done to their brands.

Volume isn’t enough. You need quality.

That means hiring people who have the experience to tell the difference between average creative and outstanding creative.

And if you want to follow in the path of great creative directors, you also want to hire people who have a high level of emotional intelligence… creatives who know how to listen, and have empathy for their audiences.

The winning companies of the future will hire for creativity plus emotional intelligence.

If you’re a creative yourself, and want to put yourself in the position to be one of those hires, a good first step is to check out my course, Futureproof Copywriting.

The post In a world of AI-generated marketing, where’s the Creative Director? appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 12, 2024 10:19

April 22, 2024

How to be more collaborative when working with AI.

collaborating with AI

Much of the time, we use tools like ChatGPT to answer questions.

Search engines like Google have trained us for decades to interact with the internet in this question-and-answer format.

“Where can I find the best price for an all-inclusive vacation in Cancun?”

“How do I make coffee with a percolator?”

We bring those same habits to models like ChatGPT, or hybrid tools like Perplexity.ca.

When not asking questions, we simply instruct these tools to write something, or design something.

“Write me an email promoting our latest product launch. Details below.”

“Create a photo-realistic image of two sheep dancing on a beach at sunset.”

What we don’t do very often is pause and ask the model to take the lead.

My own moment of epiphany…

A while back I was working on a presentation, and asked GPT-4 to outline the topic in 5 steps.

It did as I asked. But I wasn’t particularly happy with the result. So I paused and then asked:

“Never mind my requirement for a 5-step outline. How would YOU best organize the information in this presentation?”

The result was way better.

I’d stopped telling it what to do, but instead asked a question.

At that moment, we began to collaborate… a human intelligence working with an artificial intelligence.

How to work with AI tools in a more collaborative way.

I’ve often said that not a word in my blog is written by AI.

Today, I’ll make an exception, in the spirit of collaboration.

Up to now this post has been all me.  The following 5 tips on how to work more collaboratively with AI were written by GPT-4.

1. Be Specific in Your Queries: The more specific your questions or prompts, the more likely you are to get useful and relevant responses. Ambiguity can lead to vague or off-target answers, so clarity in your inputs is crucial.

2. Iterative Interaction: Think of your interaction as a conversation where each response from the model builds on the last. If an answer isn’t what you expected, refine your question or ask follow-up questions to narrow down the information.

3. Utilize Feedback Loops: Use the responses you get to inform how you phrase future queries. Learning how to “speak” the language of the model—figuring out which prompts elicit the best responses—can greatly enhance your collaborative experience.

4. Explore Different Approaches: Don’t hesitate to experiment with different styles of prompts or inquiries. This can include asking the same question in different ways or using hypothetical scenarios to gauge different outcomes.

5. Patience and Adaptability: Developing an effective collaborative relationship with an AI requires patience and adaptability. The learning curve can involve understanding the best ways to interact with the model and integrating its strengths into your workflow.

Working collaboratively with AI puts you in a more positive place.

OK, I’m back.

A lot of people feel a little adversarial towards AI. All doom and gloom.

And if we simply use it like a search engine, our relationship is neutral, and passive.

But when we collaborate, that changes our mindset.

Like I said in a recent social media post…

“AI is a tool for enhancing human potential, not eclipsing it.”

In my own experience, I almost always get better results from AI when I collaborate with it.

And the act of collaboration puts me in a more positive place… and that feels good.

futureproof copywritring

The post How to be more collaborative when working with AI. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on April 22, 2024 11:20

April 6, 2024

Be the Human In The Loop… And dramatically increase your value as a freelancer.

t-shirt with logo saying I am the human in the loop

You have a lot of choices when using AI to write copy and content.

First, you can choose between the major Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude3 and others.

Then you have dozens, if not hundreds of new AI-writing platforms, most of which are using these models as the engines that drives them.

It’s little wonder the web is being flooded with new AI content, most of it sounding like it was written by a well-meaning robot.

The content isn’t badly written. With some decent prompts, most of these tools will give you a very passable first and second draft.

But there IS a problem.

There’s no human in the loop. And that means most AI writing lacks the human touch. It doesn’t appeal to us or engage with us at an emotional level.

It has zero emotional intelligence.

And that’s a problem, because it’s emotion that grabs our attention, builds loyalty, and increases conversion rates.

This is why you need a Human In The Loop (HITL)

Yes, HITL is a real thing. I didn’t just make it up.

Often applied to the learning cycle of an AI, HITL can also be used to describe human involvement in the AI output of copy and content.

Ethan Mollick devotes a few pages to this in his book, Co-Intelligence – Living and Working with AI.

The point being, the output from these tools really is lacking the human touch. As much as companies might love the idea of maxing out on automation, you do need a human or two in the loop.

First, you need a human to review all the AI-generated content, and then to create a final human-centered draft, rich in emotional intelligence. That may be the person also responsible for fact-checking, and watching for AI hallucinations.

Second, you need a human or two to review the text from a legal, privacy, and ethical standpoint.

You can’t leave it all to the machines. Well, you can. But you shouldn’t.

The conversations you should be hearing, and having.

Within companies and organizations around the world, managers and leaders should be asking:

“As we dive into using AI, how many humans do we need in the loop, and what should they be doing?”

As a freelancer, you should be reaching out to your clients and prospects, saying:

“When it comes to copy and content, I can be your human in the loop.”

This is a powerful message, and a great way to market your services, particularly if you start early and are among the first to talk to a company about the need for a Human In The Loop.

Of course, to do this, you’ll also need to be proficient in the craft of adding layers of emotional intelligence to AI-generated drafts of copy and content.

Which is why you might want to take my course, Futureproof Copywriting.

The post Be the Human In The Loop… And dramatically increase your value as a freelancer. appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on April 06, 2024 14:25

Be the Human In The Loop… And dramatically increase your value as a freelancer

t-shirt with logo saying I am the human in the loop

You have a lot of choices when using AI to write copy and content.

First, you can choose between the major Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude3 and others.

Then you have dozens, if not hundreds of new AI-writing platforms, most of which are using these models as the engines that drives them.

It’s little wonder the web is being flooded with new AI content, most of it sounding like it was written by a well-meaning robot.

The content isn’t badly written. With some decent prompts, most of these tools will give you a very passable first and second draft.

But there IS a problem.

There’s no human in the loop. And that means most AI writing lacks the human touch. It doesn’t appeal to us or engage with us at an emotional level.

It has zero emotional intelligence.

And that’s a problem, because it’s emotion that grabs our attention, builds loyalty, and increases conversion rates.

This is why you need a Human In The Loop (HITL)

Yes, HITL is a real thing. I didn’t just make it up.

Often applied to the learning cycle of an AI, HITL can also be used to describe human involvement in the AI output of copy and content.

Ethan Mollick devotes a few pages to this in his book, Co-Intelligence – Living and Working with AI.

The point being, the output from these tools really is lacking the human touch. As much as companies might love the idea of maxing out on automation, you do need a human or two in the loop.

First, you need a human to review all the AI-generated content, and then to create a final human-centered draft, rich in emotional intelligence. That may be the person also responsible for fact-checking, and watching for AI hallucinations.

Second, you need a human or two to review the text from a legal, privacy, and ethical standpoint.

You can’t leave it all to the machines. Well, you can. But you shouldn’t.

The conversations you should be hearing, and having.

Within companies and organizations around the world, managers and leaders should be asking, “As we dive into using AI, how many humans do we need in the loop, and what should they be doing?”

As a freelancer, you should be reaching out to your clients and prospects, saying, “When it comes to copy and content, I can be your human in the loop.”

This is a powerful message, and a great way to market your services, particularly if you start early and are among the first to talk to a company about the need for a Human In The Loop.

Of course, to do this, you’ll also need to be proficient in the craft of adding layers of emotional intelligence to AI-generated drafts of copy and content.

Which is why you might want to take my course, Futureproof Copywriting.

The post Be the Human In The Loop… And dramatically increase your value as a freelancer appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on April 06, 2024 14:25

March 14, 2024

What if Sam Altman is only half right about AI doing 95% of your work?

Kyodo Photo via Credit: Newscom/Alamy Live News

This is what Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said in an interview last fall:

“It will mean that 95% of what marketers use agencies, strategists, and creative professionals for today will easily, nearly instantly and at almost no cost be handled by the AI — and the AI will likely be able to test the creative against real or synthetic customer focus groups for predicting results and optimizing. Again, all free, instant, and nearly perfect. Images, videos, campaign ideas? No problem.”

To put this into context, he’s not talking about GPT-4 or the upcoming GPT-5. He’s talking about when AI achieves Artificial General Intelligence, AGI.

AGI is broadly defined as the stage at which an AI model gains enough skills to perform any task that humans can do, with equal or better proficiency.

We’re not there yet.

Sam Altman predicts we’ll be there in 5 years. Futurist and investor Ray Kurzweil agrees. Elon Musk predicts AGI will be with us by 2025.

It’s at that point – the achievement of AGI – that Sam Altman predicts 95% of marketing tasks will be handled by AI.

This isn’t just about marketing, it applies to all knowledge work.

Altman was asked specifically about the marketing industry in that interview. Hence the focus on marketing in his answer. But there’s no reason to think the same wouldn’t apply to all knowledge work, across multiple industries.

If he’s right, or even just half right, the implications are stunning. Beyond imagination. This would impact the lives of millions of people. And we have only 5 years to plan and adapt.

Humans have adapted to many technological advances over the centuries, from the invention of the printing press, radio, TV, and the Internet.

But in each case, these technologies evolved slowly, over the course of decades, or close. People had time. Legislators had time.

The thing with AGI is that its impact will be universal, and pretty much instantaneous. How can we, as a society, even begin to deal with that?

Huge questions, way above my pay grade!

As for marketing writers, we have a small window of opportunity.

The AI tools we have right now, like GPT-4, Gemini, Claude-3 and others, are just a starting point… the equivalent of a the original “brick” cellular phone.

We’re at the “brick” moment right now… but the iPhone moment is coming soon.

As a writer, how do you plan to stand out and thrive? What’s your plan to put yourself among the 5%, and not the 95% replaced by AI?

If you’ve been reading my posts recently, you’re already familiar with my 2-step plan.

Step 1 is to lean into the technology. Learn about AI and the writing tools it powers. Get to the point where your expertise is at a level that allows you help and support your clients with their own struggles to adapt to AI.

Step 2 is to do something AI can’t do… and that is to write with a high level of emotional intelligence. AI tools can read about human emotions, and can only pretend to feel them… second hand.

But, as I wrote recently, “AI can’t shake with anger, tremble with fear, or burst into tears.” In other words, AI can’t experience the full-body, physiological experience of feeling emotions.

Tap into that deep well of emotions as a writer, and you’ll always have something to offer, beyond what any AI can achieve.

Want to know how… before it’s too late?

Check out my course, Futureproof Copywriting.

The post What if Sam Altman is only half right about AI doing 95% of your work? appeared first on Writing for the web - online copywriting and content writing..

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on March 14, 2024 12:01

Nick Usborne's Blog

Nick Usborne
Nick Usborne isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.
Follow Nick Usborne's blog with rss.