Hey guys, it’s Alex and this week I’m answering the cringey question on every new copywriter’s mind…
WILL AI EVER REPLACE COPYWRITING?
It’s a valid question.
And while there are HUGE advancements being made in the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence and boy would I love to clone myself at times… I truly believe automated copywriting will never COMPLETELY replace real copywriting skills possessed by a real human.
Now listen, I realize the primal need for self-preservation may make my opinion a wee bit biased, but I have 5 reasons that back it up, based on my 10 years of experience in this field.
You guys have heard me say before that one of the secrets behind great copywriting is empathy – truly being able to relate and resonate with your readers and customers.
The truth is, EMOTIONS govern a massive part of our intelligence. In a 2012 study, neuroscientists actually proved that emotional intelligence AND cognitive intelligence share many of the same neural systems for integrating processes and making decisions.
We are humans and we need emotional connection. Period.
And while it is possible to emulate empathy with AI, I don’t think robots will ever COMPLETELY replace real, human interaction. I mean, you wouldn’t marry a robot, would you?! No judgment.
So rather than seeing this inevitable advancement in technology as a THREAT or a defeatest excuse to not get started, instead think strategically about how AI can SUPPORT your copywriting journey.
The way I see it, AI will continue to play a bigger role in certain aspects of copywriting, like mass template creation and fast real-time content generation.
But could you imagine if every single business used the same AI software to create their copy on the fly…
Everyone would start to sound the same.
Is it a good place to start? Sure! Just like any template or swipe file…
But there is a reason (5 in fact, and I’ll get to those in just a hot second) why copywriting still continues to be one of the highest-paid and most highly sought-after freelancing jobs in the world today.
Most people know what copywriting is and how it works, but not enough people realize just how much good copywriting can positively impact a business.
I often see business owners and entrepreneurs make the mistake of whipping up some generic content on their websites and think – great, I can tick copywriting off my marketing checklist – then they wonder why they keep missing the mark.
Copywriting massively impacts business revenue and that’s because copywriters are not just fill-in-the-blankers or copy-and-pasters.
The best copywriters in the world are also great marketers, strategic thinkers and powerful communicators. They understand that copywriting is a science of connection AND conversion. They tell stories. They relate. They think brand first and they are passionate about creating community and credibility with powerful and precise wording.
And that is EXACTLY why I started this blog and my YouTube Channel. To mobilize the NEW school of copywriters, who are just as influential as they are authentic in their writing. So, if you’re down to be part of the raddest, baddest crew of copywriters on the planet, you’re in the right place. I release a new article here every single week.
And now, here are 5 reasons why I believe copywriting is the most important part of any business and will NEVER be fully replaced by AI.
Reason 1. Without Copywriting, You Don’t Have A Brand
A brand gives your company and product MEANING in the minds of your customers. It defines your mission, your personality, and more importantly — your voice and your story. And if your brand doesn’t have any of this in the 21st century… you don’t have a brand at all.
However, many businesses still make the mistake of jumping straight from product to market with just a name, price tag and packaging… and wonder why they don’t get the kind of attention they want.
Sure, there are those iconic brands like Nike, Apple, Chanel, and Starbucks whose brand identities are so recognizable that their logo and designs alone communicate a strong message to their audience.
But hey, we’re talking about seasoned brands that have put decades of thought and innovation into their message — which goes way beyond that logo.
Creating a strong brand voice involves clearly and creatively communicating what is unique about a business, what it stands for and what stories it needs to tell to engage and resonate with its audience.
And that, my friends, is where copywriting comes in. Every element of a marketing strategy, from social media to ads to the website, cannot work harmoniously without a strong and clear, brand voice, which – yes – you guessed it is ultimately the job of a copywriter, not an automated AI software.
Taking the time to craft this message will result in more customer loyalty and brand recognition down the line… especially if you’re a new business trying to stand out in today’s overcrowded market.
Reason 2. Without Copywriting, Design Doesn’t Matter
Another big mistake I frequently see businesses make over and over again is to put design ahead of copy.
I’ll get emails from clients that say – “Hey, Alex… I just got a new site designed and now I need copy for it.” Which is basically like telling an experienced artist to paint a picture… in a coloring book.
Copywriters are creative and strategic and need to be able to communicate with the RIGHT language, without being boxed in by an already designed webpage.
Don’t get me wrong — I do believe that great design is a crucial element of any website, ad or sales page. In fact, if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m all about communicating my brand in the most beautiful way possible and I always go back to the same awesome designers because I’m in love with their work. It puts juge into the copy I write…
But in most cases, great design will only work with great copy. Your sales page is WAY more likely to convert with great copy and crappy design, versus ones with great design, but bad copy.
Remember COPY IS QUEEN and it needs to be written FIRST.
In various split tests done by Hubspot, they found that their pages performed better when copy was done before design, or when copy was optimized with barely any changes to the design.
I get it — businesses want to get the job done fast so they can get the product out to market asap. But trust me on this if you try to rush your website without putting copy FIRST, you will massively hurt your long-term conversions and, ultimately, end up having to redo your entire website. That’s a lot of time and money wasted.
To me, this proves the fact that copywriting is a thoughtful and strategic process—not machine-generated fill-in-the-blank content.
Reason 3. Without Copywriting, Your SEO Is Pointless
SEO may help boost your website in a Google search – and sure, a lot of SEO content can be generated by AI.
But what’s in charge of actually keeping your prospect there to engage, sign up and ultimately buy from you? Copywriting, people!
Let’s face it—Google’s algorithm has changed so much in the past decade that your pages can only survive today if they hold quality content and copy that doesn’t sound like a robot wrote them.
In fact, Google rewards websites for how well they engage with their audience and compel them to and take action… Whether that’s to get them to stick around and read an article, click to another page on the website or sign up or purchase.
And the best way to do that is through relevant, engaging, and compelling copywriting that meets your audience where they are at – customized to their level of awareness.
Reason 4. Without Copywriting, You Don’t Have A Content Strategy
If you haven’t been utilizing content in your marketing strategy, get with the times. According to Demand Metric, 90% of businesses use content marketing to promote their brand, and that it costs over 60% less than conventional marketing methods.
And analysts from Technavio project that the content marketing industry will be worth over $412 billion by 2021!
However… like most things — content marketing will only work if you do it right. It’s not as easy as just outsourcing your content, or pushing an AI button to churn as many posts, videos and images as possible.
An effective content marketing strategy relies on consistent high-quality content that is RELEVANT to your brand and your audience.
While you may have some really awesome content writers who are ready to communicate your story and conceptualize some amazing ideas… you have to make sure that on a high level, you have a solid voice and vision for them to follow.
And YES this involves someone who understands the power of an effective brand voice… a copywriter!
I’ve worked with many clients that have fantastic marketers and content writers on their team, yet – when it comes to their content marketing strategy – they focus solely on quantity, not quality.
They take the quick-easy-automated-spaghetti approach – you know, when you throw everything on the wall and hope something sticks – rather than thoughtfully map out a strategic campaign.
Whether you’re spreading the word through your blog, videos, or social media, content marketing and copywriting need to work together to guide messaging, engagement and conversion across the board – or else, answer me this, what is the damn point?!
Reason 5. Without Copywriting, You’ll Lose Sales
If you’re a company that relies on a sales team to follow up with people who sign up on your website — which is common, especially in B2B businesses and SaaS services niche — how many prospects you get ultimately depends on how good the copy is on your landing page.
Yes, the sales team is obviously a critical part of the organization. But while they work the floor to persuade and close prospects — the copywriter is in charge of getting them to the party!
It’s the top of the funnel that A LOT of businesses with a longer sales cycle often forget about.
Think about it, if this particular landing page converted at 20% that would mean that for every 100 people who visited, 20 would sign up for a sales call. Let’s say the average close rate is 10% on a $1000 offer. That would mean that for every 100 people who visited the landing page, you’d make about $2000 in revenue.
If you had a copywriter that could, say, increase the conversion rate on that landing page to 30% – without changing ANYTHING ELSE in the sales funnel – you would increase your revenue by a massive 50%, to $3000 in revenue.
AI might be able to generate a templated landing page, but can a robot anaylze the current copy, and make strategic revisions or come up with new hooks to increase impact and boost conversions? I’m not so sure…
So there you have it guys — 5 reasons why I believe copywriting will continue to be an essential part of any business, even as AI advances and new copywriting tools enter the market. Trust me on this one – business owners are hungry to pay good money to copywriters who get it. Copywriters who know that it’s not about hypey tactics and douchey marketing strategies.
- Copywriters who know how to write an entire integrated sales funnel of copy assets.
- Copywriters who put branding and storytelling at the forefront.
- Copywriters who can write copy that connects and converts.
So, if you’re ready to Learn, Write and Ignite your copywriting business this year with the help of me and my team… check out my 5-Day Write & Ignite Challenge.
I hope this article has inspired you to explore and elevate your copywriting game. Leave me a comment if you found this helpful!
Thanks so much for reading and head over to my YouTube Channel for more content like this too!
I’ll be back next week with a brand-new tutorial. Have a great week guys — ciao for now!
