Beware the Siren Song of AI-Generated Copy
Why You Should Always Edit Before You Post
I will start this post by saying that AI tools like Chat GPT have become invaluable resources in my marketing toolbag. ChatGPT, in particular, has saved me tons of time and headaches in my content creation workflow and has even helped me in my personal life by helping me build out a meal plan when I simply do NOT have the headspace to make one more decision about what’s for dinner.
But while AI can save time and offer useful suggestions, there’s a danger in relying too heavily on it without any edits. So, before you hit "post,” here are three reasons to always review and refine AI-generated copy.
Inaccuracies Happen.
While AI tools are great for offering draft ideas and inspiration, they’re not perfect. Sometimes, they generate information that is outdated, incomplete, or flat-out wrong. One time I asked it to help me write a post about budbreak in the vineyard (because, seriously, after marketing for multiple wine brands for several years, I’ve run out of unique ways to talk about it) but I didn’t specify for the northern hemisphere. The post it gave me was largely accurate, except that it listed dates for budbreak in the southern hemisphere, September and October. Had I not had experience working in vineyards myself, I might have taken ChatGPT’s word for it.
Why It Matters: If you post incorrect information, you risk confusing your audience or damaging your brand’s credibility.
It’s Not Just You—Everyone’s Using the Same Copy.
Many thousands of people are using AI tools like ChatGPT to write their marketing copy. AI technology relies not only on information it scrapes from the WWW but also on what its users feed into its program. The more wineries that use AI without editing, the more generic the copy becomes. It will become an echo chamber and you’ll start seeing the same exact phrases and marketing language across multiple brands, which strips away the uniqueness of your voice. The other day, I was browsing through the Facebook Ads Library to see what was performing well for a client, and saw no less than five wine brands using nearly identical copy that was almost certainly written by AI.
Why It Matters: Your winery is unique, and your copy should reflect that. If everyone is using similar language, your content becomes indistinguishable from the competition. Plus, copying and pasting AI-generated text can make your posts sound bland. Taking the time to add your unique personality, tone, and voice will make your content stand out and resonate with your audience in a more meaningful way.
AI Can Sound Robotic or Overdone
AI often uses formal or overly technical language that doesn’t match how people actually speak. It may give you long-winded sentences full of words that no one actually uses in a casual conversation. This can make your posts sound stiff or unnatural, which isn’t ideal if you’re trying to connect with your fans.
Why It Matters: Marketing is about building a connection with your people, and part of that connection comes from sounding human, relatable, and approachable. Editing AI-generated copy lets you inject personality and a more conversational tone into your messaging. Your followers want to feel like they're hearing from you, not a robot.
How to Fix It
Instead of viewing AI as a replacement for human creativity, think of it as a starting point to help you streamline your ideas. I like to use AI to generate first drafts, flesh out ideas, or braindump, but I always take the time to:
Fact-Check: I like to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, especially when discussing my clients’ wine, processes, or values. Since I have experience in the wine industry, this part is pretty easy for me, but if you are working with an intern or someone who is new to this industry, be sure they run copy by you first.
Edit for Authenticity: I add in my clients’ unique voices and personalities to make the content feel real. This takes some time to do. A program like Grammarly can help with this, though, as you can set parameters for your copywriting tone like “conversational,” “welcoming,” “professional,” “informative,” “irreverent,” or “casual;” and the more you use it the better it gets.
Simplify and Humanize: Break down complex sentences and reword phrases to sound natural and conversational. One of my clients and I have a code for editing copy — TTH, which stands for "Trying Too Hard," which allows us to highlight sentences and words that can be simplified. ChatGPT has a tendency to spit out phrases like "Discover the Essence" or "Savor the Excellence," which, let’s be honest, nobody actually says. So when it gives us phrases like those or even sentences with a ton of superlatives and adjectives, we mark them as TTH and either cut them out or try to rephrase them if we liked where the idea was taking us. Again, Grammarly is great for this kind of thing. When in doubt though, read the copy out loud (preferably to someone else) and see if it sounds natural.
AI tools like ChatGPT can be so, so helpful, but they should never replace your judgment, creativity, or brand voice. When it comes to your marketing copy, don’t just copy and paste—review, edit, and add your unique touch.
If you need help improving your winery’s copy, I offer monthly consulting to help you make your marketing even better.
Disclaimer: While I used AI to assist in refining this post, all the ideas and final wording are my own. Because I practice what I preach over here. xoxo True Love Always