From checkout attendants to factory workers, these days, it seems like few jobs are safe from the impending threat of a robot takeover.
Recently, a stream of content-writing tools has been popping up online offering to help users scale content production.
But is AI content writing destined to force human writers into the shadows of history? Which AI content tool is the best and should you give it a shot?
We’ll give you the scoop on the pros and cons of AI writers to help you decide for yourself.
What is AI content writing?
AI writing tools are pieces of software that are designed to craft human-like content using complex algorithms. Rather than spending hours researching a particular topic, AI content writing tools will automate the marketing process by scanning the web for relevant information related to the subject of your choosing.
There are now AI writing programs that can produce all manner of content, such as:
- Blog posts
- Articles
- Listicles
- Emails
- Social media ads
- Product copy and descriptions
- Outlines
- And more
Many AI content writers are even equipped with fancy tools that automate things like SEO and language considerations for specific geographic areas.
Which AI tool is best for content writing?
Gone are the days when finding a robot capable of effortlessly crafting content was preposterous. Now, your biggest problem will likely be choosing from the many options available.
While finding the best AI content writing tool for you will likely depend on your specific goals, here’s a collection of some of the top choices worth checking out:
- Rytr – provide a few details to generate anything from free blog ideas to song lyrics
- Writesonic – create SEO-optimized content for blogs, ads, emails, and everything in between
- Frase – geared more towards SEO and content marketing
- GetGenie – a great choice if you’re looking for an AI writer that works with WordPress
- Hyperwrite – a free, impressively human-sounding tool that’s available as a Chrome extension
Will content writers be replaced by AI?
Not completely – at least not yet. While some of the best AI writing tools can whip out content with impressive speed and accuracy, they still rely on human input.
Even the snazziest automated writing tools still need human guidance as far as selecting formats, subjects, and other major components. Another factor to take into consideration is that not all AI writers may be able to back up their lofty promises of launching you to the top of Google’s search results.
Google’s recently updated policies indicate that AI-generated content produced specifically as a shortcut to the top of the SERPs will be flagged as spam. The policy also assures crafty marketers that their AI writing bots are no match for Google’s AI-detection bots.
So are AI content writing tools worth exploring? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
The pros of AI content writing
The recent popularity of many AI content generators indicates that they’re definitely not without their benefits. Here are a few of the most popular arguments for the pros of AI content writing tools.
- Idea Generating Assistants
Anyone who has ever suffered from a case of writer’s block can’t deny the appeal of having a computer step in and provide a little backup. When viewed as writer’s assistants rather than replacements, AI writers don’t sound quite so menacing.
After all, not all AI writing programs are designed to do 100% of the work for you. Many will also produce outlines, headlines, or content that you’re free to edit or change however you like.
- Quick and Cost-Effectiveness
Not everyone can afford to hire a full marketing team. Small businesses looking for a quick and easy way to generate copy may find AI writing software an affordable solution.
- Mimic High Performers
AI content writing tools don’t just pull their ideas out of nowhere. They crawl the web looking for successful pages related to the type of content they’ve been tasked with producing.
They will then generate original content based on top-performing pages surrounding topics likely to appeal to your target audience.
The cons of AI content writing
Despite their convenience, there are many reasons that AI content writing tools didn’t replace human writers overnight. Here are some cons of AI writers worth considering.
- The Human Element
AI writers may have killer grammar skills, but human emotion just isn’t built into their non-existent DNA. While they’re great for churning out technical content, don’t expect them to show a lot of personality or go the extra mile to nail your brand voice.
Human writers may just stand a chance for the same reason that there are still human cashiers alongside self-checkout machines. There’s just something more personal about chatting about the weather with a Target cashier as she bags your impulse buys.
- Ethical Concerns
In late 2022, an AI art generator called Lensa debuted a new “magical avatar” setting that initially took social media by storm. It wasn’t long, however, before controversy erupted over the sudden swarm of AI-generated user selfies.
The bottom line was that, in order to create original AI masterpieces, the app relied on online images created by human artists. The same principle applies to AI content writing tools – while their content is technically “original,” it’s actually re-spinning the work of human writers.
- Plagiarism and Quality Concerns
As much as Lensa claimed its AI images were 100% unique, users were quick to point out artist signatures that snuck their way into its pieces. The same concerns are valid when it comes to AI content-writing tools.
While many tools include plagiarism and grammar checkers, a simple error could cost you when it comes to search engine ranking results.
How Is the Scenario Changing, and Why Should Your Company Care About Good Copy?
The digital marketing industry is changing all the time. Your business needs to learn how to connect with your customers among those changes to stay ahead of the curve and stay viable.
Digital marketing has many tactics that you need to know in 2023. They include things such as:
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Affiliate marketing
- Blogging
- Social media marketing
When you start looking closer, it can be truly overwhelming to see how much you have to do to promote your brand and stay relevant in a space where content is key.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution to the overwhelming amount of content your company needs: Hiring copywriters. Copywriters produce your company’s content for social media, press releases, newsletters for email marketing, blogs, and even your ads. Good copywriters can meet your SEO requirements and help your website rank well among competitors, which helps you reach more customers.
Creating content regularly and en masse is one of the best techniques to get your brand known. That’s a challenge when you have only a single person running your business or have no writers in-house. Luckily, there are hundreds of copywriters working in the industry today who can help with your content.
Whether you need to keep a blog updated, want to focus on social media marketing, want help with optimizing your current content, or are creating marketing content for affiliate marketing, professional copywriters can get your content on track and give you an opportunity to get your brand seen and supported.
Learn How to Win More Leads With Good Content
One of the best ways to get good leads (and to get more of them) is to use excellent content to market your brand. Generating qualified leads with solid content (as well as content promotion) can help set your business apart and get you on track to have a better year with a higher ROI.
What is good content, though? Well, that depends on your audience. It needs to be straightforward, has a hook, and be informational or entertaining. Some of the options you can use include video content, copywriting on a blog or website, and search engine optimization to help it all get seen.
Get Seen With Video Content
The first kind of content to look into is video content.
People love watching videos, as you can see evidence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram (reels).
Video content with a strong message and solid hook can be an excellent way to reach thousands (or millions) of viewers and bring in leads by the bunch. On many platforms, you can set your videos up to forward people to your storefront or website. You can also set up playlists or groups of videos to keep them scrolling through your content, which makes them more familiar with your brand.
You can hire a copywriter to put together a script for you, too, which could help you produce better content over time without the slowdown of ideation.
Boost Your Blog With Solid Copywriting
Whether you have a landing page or you run a busy blog, good copywriting is a fantastic way to get more leads and see a real difference in your company’s ROI. As we mentioned, posting regularly makes a difference and can quickly build your audience.
Knowing that you need a copy to make your brand stand apart, you have to ask the question, “What makes a good piece of copy?”
The answer is simple:
- The content speaks to the audience to give it information or answer a question it has.
- The content is persuasive.
- The piece meets Google’s preferred SEO guidelines, making it easy to find the content online.
- The piece has a hook or call-to-action phrasing that encourages the audience to take the next step, like calling your business or signing up for a service.
- The content has solid research, so it’s accurate and timely. Evergreen content, which is content that is applicable every time of year, is beneficial when updated and refreshed on occasion.
These are some of the key points that help a piece of the copy stand apart. Your marketing team needs to have a specific message in mind for your audience that the copywriter can focus on, and then, when they do, you’ll find that your audience is willing to listen to you as an expert in your field.
Hiring a single copywriter or, if you have the budget, a team of copywriters can help keep your content updated and interesting. Check out the writers at Writer Access to find writers at all price points willing to work with you to help build your brand.
SEO-Balanced Content
Finally, don’t forget that you should develop SEO-balanced content.
While people often think about optimizing their content with keywords, one thing you don’t want to do is make your content poor by stuffing it with keywords. Think about the keywords that actually apply to your industry or topic, and do the research to find the four or five main keywords that apply to this piece of content.
Mix up your keywords. For example, if you sell Honeycrisp apples and run an orchard, try short-form keywords like “apples” and “Honeycrisp.” Add in longer-form keywords like “Honeycrisp apple recipes,” or “Honeycrisp apple orchard.”
You can also have long-tail keywords like “Find a Honeycrisp apple store near me.” You will want the keywords you choose to be reasonable. The writer should be able to put them into the content fluidly, so the keywords don’t make it harder to read.
How Can Your Company Hire the Best Copywriters?
Now that you know how to create good content and what that content will look like, think about how you’re going to get that content built out.
In our opinion, the best option is to turn to a company like Writer Access to hire copywriters. Why? When you hire copywriters, you:
- Give yourself more time to work on other tasks, like developing your brand or interacting with feedback
- Receive strategic content marketing tips. For example, good copywriters will have suggestions on content that works at this time of year or can help develop the content to work toward a goal (like getting prospects to make a purchase through the marketing funnel).
- Get a clear copy every time. These are professionals. As professionals, they know what works. They can tell you what kind of content is doing well and how it should be laid out. You get the final say, but hiring a copywriter can take jumbled thoughts and turn them into content others understand easily.
Before you try to hire copywriters, remember that your company needs to define its goals. You will need to put together a brief to go over what you’re looking for and to clarify your needs.
Some things you should start doing now include:
- Determining your budget
- Deciding what kinds of projects you need help with
- Deciding if you have to use someone in your industry or if anyone with writing skills could produce the content (the cost can vary accordingly)
- Determining your target audience
- Putting a strategy in place, so you use the content you purchase effectively.
After you decide to hire copywriters, it is time to find them. This search can take a little time, and content takes time to develop, so start early.
Where Can Your Company Find Qualified Copywriters?
If you’re looking for copywriters who are highly qualified to speak on your industry or to work on your content, you’ll love browsing the writer profiles at Writer Access. When you sign up, you’ll get a free two-week trial that lets you see who responds to your casting call.
Why is that important? Not only will you save yourself money and avoid spending it during the search phase of your content project, but you’ll also get to read and learn about those who are professionals in the field of copywriting. Plan to send out test articles to one or two of your favorites to see who hits the mark best, or set up a team of writers to help you knock out content quickly and easily.
There is no better place to start if you want the process to be quick and easy. So, whether it’s for a content refresh or a completely new landing page, the writers at Writer Access are there to help.
Wrap-Up: Want a human alternative to AI content writing tools?
Whether you choose to check out AI writing tools or not, it’s nice to know there’s a human alternative available. Streamline your content without supporting the robot takeover with the verified human freelancers available at WriterAccess.
Start your 14-day free trial today at WriterAccess to access top writers with absolutely no plans to overthrow humanity.