In recent years, most professionals have undoubtably asked themselves a variation of the same question – could technology replace me?
For writers, editors, content producers, and marketing agencies, it’s become a daily debate. In B2B marketing, the advancement of technology is something regularly written about on clients’ behalf. So much so, that B2B clients now often ask their content partners to incorporate generative AI tools into their work.
After just a few years in existence, such tools have dramatically altered how content is put together. ChatGPT, the world’s most used generative AI tool, officially has more than 300 million weekly users. Unconfirmed reports put this closer to 1 billion.
With such unparalleled platform growth, it’s no wonder writers and their content peers are uncertain about the future. There’s no doubt that technology makes the process of creating content more efficient. And for some forms of content – think meeting notes, transcriptions, internal briefs – using ChatGPT and the like makes clear business sense.
But for B2B content marketing at least, technology can’t replace the need for human writers, editors, and producers.
Here’s five reasons why:
- Robots don’t speak human
This is probably generative AI’s weakest link. It simply can’t write like a human. Conversely, every good human writer’s greatest strength is their ability to tell stories. Most audiences can quickly tell if a piece of content has been written by a robot. At best, this is a wasted opportunity to connect with your audience. At worst, unnatural and inauthentic language could damage your reputation.
- A sourcing risk
Professional writers learn early on (sometimes the hard way) that not all sources should be weighted equally. B2B marketing in particular demands a calibre of source credibility that only comes from human writers’ careful due diligence. Leaving this vital verification process to a robot that scans the internet without clear parameters will be too risky for most.
- True relationships are evergreen
The best content producers will put in all the effort needed to understand your brand. They will spend time getting to know your business, your goals, your marketing history. Over time, this should strengthen your partnership, leading to seamless briefings and a shared understanding of content and marketing goals. Such human connection cannot be fully replicated or replaced by technology.
- AI and the jargon graveyard
Business leaders are increasingly calling out jargon as unnecessary, confusing, and annoying. Content producers know this, and work hard to keep clichés out of their work. Yet the internet is full of outdated jargon, from which generative AI tools continually source ideas. To stand out from your competitors, reliance on artificially generated jargon should be avoided.
- Surprisingly waffly
Waffle is another content marketing practice overdue extinction. Filler words and painfully long sentences are a quick way to lose readers’ attention. Yet while we have shorter attention spans than ever, generative AI writing can – ironically – be repetitive and nonspecific. A human writer who clearly understands your brief will be able to convey the same message with fewer words.
Ready for some old-fashioned connection with your audience? Financial Content Lab is here to help. Please reach out if you need content support for your next project.
