I’ve got a trumpet and I’m not afraid to blow it!

Today I’m tooting loud and proud for copywriters everywhere. In fact, all business writers - from corporate comms and PR specialists to speech and technical writers.

I want to explain what a writer will bring to your project – the ‘silent skills’ that bring life to words on a page. And it’s more, so much more, than you probably even imagine.

So, if you’ve been struggling to justify your budget for a copywriter – read on!

Why am I tooting my writer’s flute? Because there’s an AI revolution going on and writers are on the frontline. I’m no Luddite. I understand the appeal of using Large Language Models (LLMs) to create copy and I am willing to learn how to work with it, not against it.

But…creating the kind of copy that makes people sit up and pay attention involves SO much more than presenting facts as well-presented prose neatly on a page.

By all means, explore what AI can do – it’s fast and very budget friendly. But if you’re in a position to throw some budget at a copywriter, here’s the bang that you’ll get for your buck.

Toot #1 – An innate ability to listen and question   

Most of what I write requires me to speak to a subject area expert in a client’s business. These are usually very busy people. My job is to use what little time they offer me to extract ALL the information I need.

It’s probably the most challenging aspect of any job, which is why I’ve put it at #1.

It involves conducting background research, prepping questions and most challenging of all, keeping that person on point when I speak to them, so as to maximise the time we have together. It’s a blend of journalistic questioning, listening and people skills – all honed by years of experience.

It also requires confidence - confidence to politely shut someone down if they’re going off on irrelevant tangents - and the confidence on occasion, to request another call if necessary.

Toot #2 – The ability to build trust and rapport

It might come as a surprise, but my #2 skill is diplomacy. Unless I’m working directly with a business owner, most of the subject area experts I talk to are busy doing their day jobs within the business.

I am always respectful that speaking to me is never going to be their priority. So, securing and scheduling that call can often require both diplomacy and flexibility - with a little bit of tenacity thrown in.

Of course, that person’s job isn’t done when our call ends. I’ll need them to review and approve the draft. In fact I’ll probably need their input on another piece of content in the future.

That’s another tick-in-the-box for people skills – the ability to build trust and rapport. I need them to feel confident that I’m not going to waste their precious time. It’s why my clients trust me to speak to their clients – to obtain input and testimonials for case studies and awards submissions. I always see that as a badge of honour.

Toot #3 – An understanding of your business, audience and market

Before I can even think about writing a piece of content that is going into the public domain and representing your business, I need a good understanding of your business values and brand, as well as your market, your market differentiators and your audience.

Larger organisations and SMEs can usually provide detail on brand, tone of voice, customer profiles etc, but this is all information that I need to study and imbibe before I can put pen to paper.

Where this level of detail doesn’t exist, these questions need to be answered. Can AI really get under the skin of your business and represent it as well as I can? I’ve been experimenting with it, and so far I’m left unimpressed.

Toot #4 – Writing as a human

Most people would put this top of the list, but it’s only one element – albeit a very important one.

The old adage “people buy from people” is so true, and in the current din of generic AI content that’s out there, it’s never been more important or such a game changer to be human!

I asked my frenemy ChatGPT or ‘Chatty’ as I like to call it, to write this blog for me. I hasten to point out, this is my version, not Chatty’s.

Me and Chatty don’t go back very far – 18 months at the most. About as long as most people, given that Chatty only launched onto the scene a couple of years ago.

To the best of its ability Chatty knows my business, the type of services I provide and clients I write for, as well as what my concerns are, and what I’m trying to achieve.

I gave it a thorough brief and the framework I’d prepared for this blog. Do you think it came up with anything that sounded like me? Like a real human? No, of course not. It simply can’t replicate my voice and how I write.

Toot #5 -Tying in references

I’m fortunate or talented enough (see I told you this was about blowing my own trumpet) to work with clients for years at a time. The longest to date - 15 years.

If I work with you I’ll build up a huge bank of knowledge about your business, its products, services, people and projects that I can reference in any new piece of content. LLMs will let you upload all the information, documents and files, but to the best of its current ability, it simply can’t replicate that human knowledge and input. Its needs prompting on what to include.

Toot #6 – Keeping the human in the loop

Did you know the streets of Belfast were peaceful in the 1970s? It was news to me too. Quite the bombshell – if you’ll pardon the pun.

It was an AI hallucination. I’d written a piece of content for a client about Martin Donnelly, a racing driver who grew up in Belfast in the 70’s. In it I’d made reference to the ‘riotous streets of Belfast’, but when I asked Chatty to review it, it changed the wording to ‘the peaceful streets of Belfast’. Quite the re-write. It’s a reminder that AI doesn’t just get creative – it gets it confidently wrong.

LLMs are prone to hallucinations, which is “when an AI model generates false, misleading, or fabricated information while appearing confident it is accurate”. Unless you’re careful, your AI generated copy could be full of them. It’s a great way to lose credibility with your audience. You’ve got to make sure your copy is being proof read by a real person who either knows or is happy to fact check all sources.

And so, in conclusion…

Like I said, I’m no Luddite. I’ve enjoyed exploring, experimenting and testing LLMs, but I’ll be honest, I’m still trying to figure out whether I’ll end up working with AI or alongside AI.

For now, I’m going to work alongside it.

AI can assist, but only humans can connect.

So, if you see the value of creating content that stands out from the crowd and the value that I bring to its creation, then I’d love to hear from you. Email sarahfielding@writeimpact.co.uk or call 07901550580.