Everyone is talking about how to prompt AI for better content creation. At least that’s how it seems when visiting networking platforms like LinkedIn. You can’t scroll two clicks without landing on several how-to guides on the topic. Prompt engineers impart wisdom about how to get AI language learning models to do your bidding. Most of the advice centers around AI content creation and how to use the technology to replace professional copywriters and content creators on your marketing team. It’s possible to use AI like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Claude to create content with precise directions from a human. However, that’s not necessarily the best way to leverage the power of AI technology. Michael Goldrich offers a more effective way to use AI to achieve your marketing goals. The founder and chief advisor at Vivander Advisors LLC, Goldrich relies on a 5-step process to guide companies through an AI transformation. His new book, Too Many Hats, Too Little Time explores Generative AI and its transformative impact on the business world. Innovators and leaders can learn how to integrate AI while preserving human judgment and creativity. Thinking outside the AI content creation box“I see a lot of stuff online where people are selling tools for specific business problems, but I think it’s backward thinking,” Goldrich said. “You need to look at the entire company and see how people work before offering them specific solutions.” So, what exactly does that mean? When you understand the business's overall challenges, you can provide more robust solutions. Instead of prompting AI to create content for your brand, Goldrich suggests something more groundbreaking: AI personas. An AI persona is a character or identity created for an artificial intelligence system to interact with users. Creators give the AI persona a specific personality, tone, and style of communication to mimic a human-like quality. Think of the last time you interacted with a chatbot or virtual assistant on the website of your favorite brand. They were created with an AI persona tooled toward improving the customer experience. What Goldrich proposes cranks AI personas up a notch to serve a more innovative purpose. Last year, he spent considerable time experimenting with ChatGPT 4. He first learned the art of creating effective AI prompts. “One of the first principles of creating a good prompt is to create a role. For example, you are a digital marketer, or you are a social media manager. After the role is created, you write the prompt to provide enough context that is associated with the role to deliver the output you want. Writing good prompts is the key to getting the AI to do what you want it to do,” he said. “Once I had that down, I started getting specific with it and asking the role to persist through the chat.” Asking ChatGPT to persist means it maintains continuity and context throughout the conversation. Requesting persistence creates a more coherent and meaningful interaction between a human and AI. Goldrich then used what he’d learned to create two separate AI personas and directed them to interact through ChatGPT. Each persona had unique characteristics such as a profession and a tone of voice. After much experimentation, he succeeded in using the AI personas to solve a specific conflict by interacting with one another based on his prompts. He continued to experiment with creating AI personas until he had an entire “board” of them, each with an area of expertise beneficial to his business marketing goals. The personas could converse with one another and with him in a similar way you would expect to see a board of directors operate, Goldrich said. 5-step plan for AI persona successHe was so stunned by the results he decided to share them. In his book, Goldrich outlines the steps he took to tailor personas to align with company goals and have them interact in meaningful ways. He includes screen captures of real, unedited conversations he had with his team of AI personas to demonstrate how the process works. “A quarter of the book is these back-and-forth conversations,” he said. Goldrich expresses in his chapter on strategies for engaging with AI personas that how you choose to engage with the digital entities significantly impacts the quality of insights they provide. He provides basic and advanced techniques for prompting and AI persona creation so you can get the results you need. Goldrich likens AI language models like ChatGPT 4 to a remote employee on the first day of work. “You can get them to do what you want, but you have to be clear and concise on what you want,” he said. One of the challenges of prompting with AI is drift, Goldrich warned. “You can’t use the same prompt over and over because you won’t get the same response each time.” You must give it adequate context. For instance, you can’t just say, “be a copywriter” and expect it to understand your input and produce quality output. “One of the reasons people get so frustrated when prompting AI is because Google has trained us to type a series of keywords into a search bar,” said Goldrich. “ChatGPT is the exact opposite. It’s not 3 or 4 words but three or four comprehensive sentences. The more thoughtful you are, the better the output is going to be.” His step-by-step guide makes understanding the purpose of AI personas and creating ones to suit your needs easy. Whether you’re seeking specialized advice from a legal AI persona or want a panel of AI collaborators, following his instructions makes it possible. Goldrich’s plan is ideal for startups and small to medium-sized companies that lack the resources to hire expert advisors. “You can have a sandbox environment of advisors to help you identify the ‘gotchas’ with ideas for growth or other business operations,” he said. His book includes a cautionary note about using AI personas. “It’s important to remember these AI personas draw upon training data to respond in a way that’s consistent with an expert’s public persona,” said Goldrich. “It’s emulation, not impersonation. They can’t capture the full scope of that person’s knowledge, experience, or consciousness.” AI’s take on AI personasPerhaps the most entertaining part of Too Many Hats, Too Little Time is the conclusion. It features book reviews from each of the AI personas he created. “Some of them liked it, some of them didn’t,” Goldrich said, laughing. “The lawyer (persona) was concerned about privacy, while some of the others were concerned about losing the human in the loop.” You can find Goldrich’s book on Amazon. Interested in learning more about how his company helps organizations transform with the power of AI? Feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn or send him an inquiry via email. About the Author - Shari Berg
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Your 8-Step Guide to Creating a Content Marketing Strategy That WorksSmall business content marketing success requires an effective strategy tooled specifically for your ideal customer. Before you ever craft a single word, you must establish a list of marketing objectives and how your content helps you achieve them. Whether you want to boost brand awareness, direct more traffic to your website, or generate more leads, your content efforts must tie in with measurable goals. Maneuvering your brand’s content creation and distribution to align with goals requires an upfront commitment. However, a limited budget doesn’t have to hold you back. You can learn how to craft a content approach that gives you a competitive edge that pays dividends over time by following these 8 steps. 1 – Know Your AudienceBlindly creating content without first nailing down your target audience is a rookie mistake in small business content marketing. Conducting customer research helps you understand the demographics, interests, pain points, and values that influence your ideal customers’ buying habits. Combine the following research methods for the most comprehensive customer profile.
2 – Set Measurable GoalsOnce you’ve identified your ideal customer and understand how to meet their needs, the next step is to set measurable goals for your content marketing plan. The most effective way to determine if your content marketing strategy works is by tying content goals to business objectives. Using the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) method for setting content strategy helps you identify marketing goals that align well with business objectives. Let’s examine a few of the most common goals and measurable metrics you can track to determine effectiveness.
3 – Create a Content GuideSome small business content marketing agencies call these content calendars. They may recommend creating a year’s worth of content materials and publication dates for your brand to help improve content consistency. Mapping out content topics for each month and pairing them with promotional tie-ins that align well with your brand’s products or services isn’t a bad idea. However, don’t over-plan your content to the point that you squash creativity. Leave room for original thoughts inspired by industry trends and other insights that might not present themselves that far in advance. Your content is more likely to stay fresh and relevant for your target audience if you leave some wiggle room in the planning process. Repurposing ContentOne way you can get the most bang for your buck is by repurposing content. Finding ways to recycle and reuse your content saves you time and money. Don’t worry about people realizing you’ve published a specific item before. You might retain customers who visit your digital assets regularly. However, as your brand grows, you’re going to attract new people to your website and social media feeds who have never seen any of your earlier content. Even if someone views your content frequently, the chances they’ll remember you made the same post 4 or 5 months ago is slim. Don’t be afraid to take posts that have performed well in the past and republish them again later. If aspects can be updated to provide more value, then feel free to make some minor adjustments before hitting the publish button the second (or third) time around. 4 – Focus on Quality Over QuantityNever lose sight of the fact that you’re producing content for people, not search engines. Does that mean you shouldn’t pay attention to SEO best practices for helping your content get found online by consumers eager to do business with your brand? Not at all. However, getting found by search engines like Bing and Google doesn’t mean much if you can’t close the deal once someone finds your content. Small business content marketing strategy works best when it includes content that builds brand awareness, educates your ideal customers, and solves problems. The key to creating relevant content that keeps your ideal customer coming back for more is to conduct thorough research, relying on subject matter experts to provide valuable insights not found elsewhere. Don’t forget to promote your best-performing content across multiple platforms to get the most out of your content strategy. 5 – Distribute on Multiple PlatformsContent that performs well is ideal for this small business content marketing strategy to maximize your ROI. You can take a blog post that’s generating significant traffic on your website and turn it into smaller chunks of information presented in stunning graphic mode for your social media platforms. Just make sure you’re meeting your audience where they already consume content. More than 100 social media platforms exist. Narrowing down which ones work best for your brand goes back to the first tip in this guide about knowing your audience. E-commerce brands do exceptionally well on platforms like Instagram and TikTok because they’re set up for visual success. You can feature photos and videos of your products and services, customer testimonials, and even snippets of your products in action to boost engagement. A common mistake small businesses make is to try to be everywhere online. The only thing spreading yourself too thin accomplishes is unfocused content marketing that leads to burnout for the person handling your social media feeds. Start with two platforms your audience frequents and begin creating shareable content that aligns with your marketing goals and prioritizes quality over quantity. Track your metrics to determine if your efforts are producing results. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit to discover which social media platforms yield the best results. However, give content creation enough time to work before jumping ship. You can expect a solid 6 months to get reliable measurable results. 6 – Diversify Your ContentA solid content marketing strategy uses a variety of formats. While some customers may prefer infographics that deliver snippets of valuable information, others may connect most with in-depth blog posts or instructional videos that educate and entertain. Go back to the first tip in this guide about knowing your audience. Social media listening is especially valuable for determining the content formats your audience prefers. As with social media platforms, you’re going to want to experiment a bit before you determine which content types generate the most engagement from your ideal customers. 7 – Analyze PerformanceSmall business content marketing success relies on analyzing performance data. Otherwise, you’re just taking shots in the dark. Refer to the second tip in this guide to learn some effective ways to track metrics for common small business marketing goals. Analyze patterns to determine which topics and formats resonate most with your ideal customer. Identify any content gaps where competitors are outperforming you and figure out meaningful ways to plug the holes. Lastly, review buyer journeys to reveal how prospects interact with your content, then refine your strategy to increase your ROI. 8 – Outsource Small Business Content MarketingCreating content isn’t as easy as it looks. Designing pretty graphics doesn’t do much good if the messaging behind the visuals doesn’t resonate with your target audience. Plenty of courses exist for learning how to create content. However, not everyone is cut out for creating content that achieves your marketing objectives. If you’re a small business owner struggling to use the power of content marketing to build brand awareness and generate leads and revenue, there’s no shame in asking for help to achieve your goals. Consider hiring small business marketing content creators who can manage your digital assets to reach your audience more effectively. Large agencies may charge more than you can afford. Options include working with independent content providers who align with your budget and take on increased responsibilities as your brand grows. Outsourcing to the right content creation partner allows you to focus on your core business while still executing a smart content marketing strategy. Small Business Content Marketing Solutions to Help You GrowFocus on the 8 tips in this content marketing guide to find the solutions you need to consistently provide value through content. With a strategic, targeted content marketing strategy in place, your content can effectively attract prospects and convert them to loyal customers over time. Invest the time to research your audience, set measurable goals, and focus on quality over quantity, and your ideal customers will reward your business with engagement and trust. About the AuthorAdmit it. You see all the people liking, sharing, and commenting on your biggest competitor’s Instagram account and are feeling a wee bit jealous. Mimicking their style was an epic failure. You had hoped it would work, but no joy. The repeated attempts to replicate their results have left you frustrated and feeling social media is a waste of your time. What do you have to do to get the same level of engagement from your ideal customers? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution that works for every brand (no matter what some self-proclaimed experts claim). The outrageous – and borderline chaotic – posts that populate Wendy’s social media feeds might backfire if you tried it on your accounts. That’s because Wendy’s knows its target audience and crafts every piece of content it pushes out with their entertainment in mind. So, what’s an entrepreneur or small business owner to do? You’ve come to the right place for some practical tips on how to unlock the power of social media engagement to build brand awareness and boost sales. What’s the right social media strategy for your small business?Small business content marketing strategists often disagree on the most effective way to boost engagement on your brand’s social media accounts. Some are die-hard traditionalists who believe there’s no place for personality or creativity in brand social media accounts. They encourage rigid, “professional speak” that makes visitors to your socials feel like they’re being talked at rather than part of a conversation. The rest of us see things differently. You don’t have to be all prim and proper to resonate with your ideal customer. Nor do you have to go all unhinged in the style of brands like Wendy’s, Duolingo, and Ryan Air. Striking a balance between boring and extreme that makes you more relatable to your target audience – without crossing boundaries that are uncharacteristic of your brand – is the key to success. Crafting a buyer personaHere’s where the hard work of small business content marketing begins. Thorough customer research is the first step in understanding the psyche of your ideal customer. You can’t create content that resonates if you don’t know what makes your ideal client tick. Follow these steps to create a buyer persona that helps your brand create focused content:
How do you craft compelling content that resonates?You can’t speak to your people if you don’t understand how they like to have conversations. And social media content is absolutely a conversation. The quickest way to turn off your followers is by posting and ghosting. Social media is meant to be interactive (that’s why social is in the name). Don’t just talk at your audience. Engage in meaningful conversations with them. You can do this in one of two ways.
The role of storytelling in engaging contentContent that prioritizes a personalized experience for your customers is more likely to build brand loyalty. That’s where strong storytelling skills come in handy. No one wants to do business with a nameless, faceless entity. People connect with people. The most effective way to humanize your brand on social media is through relatable stories about the people behind your brand, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the journey of your products. Let’s say your company just released a new product. Use your social media to tell the story of how it was developed. Highlight the challenges and the triumphs during the design process, the inspiration behind it, and real customer testimonials about how it changed their lives. What’s the role of user-generated content?Small business content marketing pros understand that user-generated content is one of the most effective ways to build trust in your brand and boost engagement. Statistics don’t lie. Customers are more likely to connect with social media content created by their peers rather than solely relying on your branded messages. They consider it more authentic and reliable. Testimonials, reviews, and even demonstrations of how to use your product from social media influencers can foster a sense of belonging. Collaborating with influencers to boost social media engagementSpeaking of social media influencers, some brands have found great success collaborating with them to increase social media engagement. Influencers have followers who align with their niche. When that niche aligns with your industry, you can tap into their established audience to reach potential customers who might not have otherwise discovered your brand. Sharing content from your social media accounts to theirs gets more eyeballs on your feed. The exposure can lead to increased engagement from a targeted and interested audience. Influencers also serve as social proof for your brand. When their followers see someone that they admire and trust endorsing your products or services, it lends credibility. If you decide to work with an influencer, give them creative license to promote your brand in the way they know resonates best with their audience. Create small business marketing content that convertsCreating content is challenging. Even pro content marketers struggle with it occasionally. Social media engagement is not just about gaining likes and comments. Use it to build meaningful connections that ultimately lead to conversions. Transforming your social media strategy into a powerful tool that helps to achieve your content marketing goals is the most effective way to drive small business success. Craft compelling content, foster genuine conversations, and use the visual appeal of your brand to create a thriving social media presence your customers enjoy engaging with every day. Need a little more help? Consider registering for our 1:1 content training sessions or joining our small business content marketing community where you can get ongoing feedback and support. About the AuthorSarah Hendess and her sister, Charissa Howe, were on a family trip in England when they hatched their plot to start a publishing company for independent authors. They sat inside an English pub, forming the idea for Two Sisters Press into a solid plan. “I jokingly call us a PUBlishing company considering where we were when we had the bright idea,” said Hendess, laughing. Independent authors don’t have to worry. Their decision to dive into the publishing business wasn’t inspired by too much ale. As readers, they found themselves frustrated over the inability to find the specific types of books they enjoyed and wanted to have options. “Starting our own press just seemed like a good solution to the problem,” said Hendess. A pledge to deliver a better experienceAs an author herself, Hendess is a huge fan of independent publishing companies. She worked with a small family press (Wild Rose Press) to publish her historical novel, Second Chances in Hollywood. “I was in a weird space,” she said. “I wasn’t having any luck with agents because no one was sure how to position my book in the market, even though it’s clearly a historical novel.” That’s when she ended up on Wild Rose Press’s proverbial doorstep and had decidedly better luck. Hendess said she’s happy with her publisher and has signed on with them to exclusively publish her second book, A Capital Christmas. The historical romance takes place at the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C. Hendess and Howe hope to provide the same kind of service to the independent authors they hand-select for publication with Two Sisters Press. “One of the biggest frustrations I had as an aspiring author was how long it took to get a response from a press or an agent,” said Hendess. “The standard is to wait four to six months, and if you don’t hear from them, then assume it’s a no.” They don’t want authors querying their press to ever experience that level of aggravation. “We want every single author who submits something to us to get an answer one way or the other within four weeks. We feel it’s considerate and respectful of the author’s time. Even if it’s a no, we’re going to tell them.” How the publishing process worksThe publishing process for Two Sisters Press is straightforward. Any author of adult historical fiction, young adult fiction, and middle-grade fiction can submit a partial or full manuscript for consideration. A full list of genres is on their website under the publishing tab. “It’s a shorter list of things we don’t take,” said Hendess. “We’re not doing nonfiction except for memoirs. We’re not interested in graphic violence or Stephen King-style submissions. We’re both big fans of historical novels and specifically seek out rom-coms and other romance novels.” Hendess said the sisters prioritize lesser-heard voices when they have a waiting list for publication. Two Sisters Press currently is in a holding pattern for new submissions until January 2024 because it has reached capacity, she said. Because of their small size, they can only publish between six and eight full-length novels and 15 to 20 picture books per year at this time. “When we are accepting new manuscripts, you can find a form on our website to fill out that asks for a synopsis, contact information, and the first five to 10 pages of the manuscript. We then review it to decide if it’s a good fit for our press. If we think it is, then the next step is for us to ask for the full manuscript.” Sending the full manuscript isn’t a guarantee of publication, Hendess warned. “Sometimes once we get the full manuscript, we can see that the premise is good, but the manuscript is lacking somewhere.” As a traditional royalty publishing house, authors won’t pay anything upfront if the sisters accept their manuscript for publication. “Our rates are 40 percent on eBooks and 10 percent on print sales,” Hendess said. From submission to publication takes approximately 12 months. Shorter books or those that need less polishing before printing can get out the door faster. “We don’t want to do it too fast because we want to have time to hype up the book and do a proper book launch,” Hendess said. A few words of advice to new authorsAlways do your research before submitting your manuscript to agents or publishing houses. Hendess said that’s the number one piece of advice she can offer aspiring authors to increase their chances of success. “We sometimes get submissions from authors who clearly haven’t done their research on what we accept and don’t accept,” she said. “You’re setting yourself up for failure when you blindly submit your manuscript. A rejection from us doesn’t mean your book is bad. It just means you queried the wrong person.” Another tip she offered was to find critique partners who will tell you the truth about your manuscript and help you make it better before you submit it for publishing. “My critique partners are the reason that I have a published book,” said Hendess. If you’re an author who partakes in the NaNoWriMo challenge to complete a manuscript in 30 days during National Writing Month in November, Hendess begs you not to submit that manuscript on the first day of December to any publishing houses or agents. “Trust me, they’re not ready for query. Do yourself a favor and hire a freelance editor first to do some polishing and line checks. A lot of (small presses) are doing this on the side, so if it needs more work than we have time to put into it, then we may take a pass.” Lastly, don’t be afraid of small presses as an independent author because the benefits are numerous, she said. “It’s a good way to get noticed by the big five (publishing houses) if it’s your goal in life, especially if you win any awards.” Visit 2sisterspress.com to learn more about submission requirements or to check out their list of published authors. About the AuthorFewer things in life stress me out more than a prospective client obsessed with SEO. You might think that sounds strange since The Write Reflection specializes in SEO content. Let me explain why. There’s a right way and a wrong way to include SEO in your content marketing strategy. Unfortunately, some folks are stuck in the past. They cling to SEO tactics that were designed to game the system, not create high-quality content. Staying updated on SEO best practices is the only way to perform better in search results and drive organic traffic. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of the 7 most outdated SEO strategies that can hurt your brand marketing efforts. If you’re still doing any of these things, step away from your electronic device and reach out to me ASAP. I’ll get your SEO strategy in tip-top condition in no time without any underhanded tricks. 1 – Writing for Search Engines, Not PeopleIn case you missed it, The Write Reflection is not a fan of writing for search engines. I’ve made it my mission to write for people, not Google (or Bing, or Yahoo, or any other search engine). Heck, I so firmly believe in it that I’ve made it my business motto: People First. SEO Second. All other SEO strategies take a back seat. Back in the day, when the locals still sported mullets and checked out their pagers for new messages every 3 minutes, some SEO practitioners were busy writing content that appeased the search engine gods. As you can imagine, the content was hardly user-friendly or informative. Readers weren’t impressed. Google may have found your content, but it was doing nothing to build a loyal brand following. Today, most SEO professionals worth their salt know how to create content that ranks well but also engages your target audience. I rely on my journalism skills to craft stories that resonate with your ideal customer and focus on the user experience. Yes, I still use SEO keywords. However, they’re an afterthought, not a priority. 2 – Keyword StuffingWhen I first started providing SEO content for clients, I found myself stuck with a lot of people who subscribed to the theory that the more keywords you used in an article, the better. They bought into the recommendations of SEO plugins like Yoast and Frase that dictated how many keywords you had to use and the exact number of times you must use them to rank well. If you followed that guidance, what you ended up with was unnatural-sounding text that quickly turned people off. In their defense, some SEO providers followed these insane rules because they seemed to work with Google. They gamed the system because the search engine giant encouraged it. Thankfully, Google has seen the error of its ways and no longer prioritizes content stuffed with keywords. With its Helpful Content Update, Google claims it now rewards relevant content focused on providing value to readers. Some days I have my doubts the search giant is following its new rules, as I occasionally see other SEO strategies – some of which are mentioned in this blog post – still performing well in search results on Google. 3 – Spinning ContentHave you ever plugged in a keyword and checked out the 5 top-ranked results? Chances are, you’ll feel like you’re reading the exact same article from 5 different organizations. That’s because back in the day, some SEO professionals (and I use that term loosely) took the best-performing content for a target keyword and basically rewrote it with their client’s name on it. Called article spinning, the practice does very little to create content that adds value to your readers. Sure, it may get the attention of search engines. But it’s not going to engage your target audience or encourage them to become brand devotees. Instead of falling for this cheap SEO trick, examine whatever piece of content Google or Bing currently favors. Find holes you can fill to breathe new life into the topic, then create a better version of it for your website. 4 – Over-Optimizing Anchor TextAnchor text is important to SEO. It serves as a signal for search engines to understand the context and relevance of the linked content. Users who click on anchor text (ideally) are taken to another web page or piece of content associated with the text. Here’s the problem: some SEO pros started over-optimizing anchor text, using the same keyword or keyword phrase repeatedly in anchor text. Falling into this trap of manipulating search engines is detrimental to your SEO efforts. Do it often enough, and Google and Bing may penalize your web pages for keyword stuffing, loss of relevance, and negative user experience. Instead, link an SEO keyword to a relevant internal document or page that adds value or offers further explanation of a topic. Never do it more than twice in the same piece of content for the best results. 5 – Focusing Only on GoogleI realize this may come as a shock to some of you, but there are other search engines out there besides Google. Yes, Google gets roughly 90% of all web traffic each day. No one is arguing it’s not the dominant search engine. However, focusing only on Google could leave you missing out on potential traffic from other search engines. One of Google’s competitors – Bing – is ripe for the picking right now if you know how to create SEO content that it favors. Long before Google promised to reward helpful content, Bing was following that best practice. You rarely found keyword-stuffed drivel in the top search results generated by the search engine. Bing even has a competitor to Google My Business called Bing Places for Business. I recommend to all my clients to create a Bing Places account. If you don’t want to maintain both GMB and Bing Places, Bing has made it easy for you with a feature that automatically imports anything you post to GMB to its platform. You can use other SEO strategies with Bing to get your content noticed as well. Reach out to me today to learn how. 6 – Ignoring Mobile SEONearly 93% of people access the internet from a mobile device. Failing to optimize your digital assets for mobile is a huge mistake. Gone are the days when you could assume everyone was sitting at a desktop or laptop using the internet. Most web designers understand how to optimize for mobile. It’s crucial you work with a website pro who implements the key steps for mobile friendliness:
7 – Targeting Multiple Keywords and Their VariationsThe only thing worse than stuffing the same keyword into a 500-word blog post is seeing 25 variations of the same keyword used repeatedly. Back in the day, some search engines (cough, cough, Google) rewarded content that used as many versions of the same keyword or keyword phrase as possible. As with keyword stuffing, this practice made content unreadable for most humans. You’re better off choosing a high-value keyword and focusing on it throughout your content in a natural way. Mentioning your target keyword 3 to 4 times is sufficient. SEO strategies that boost website performanceRelying on some of these outdated SEO strategies can spell disaster for your brand. Commit to abandoning these 7 tactics and embracing modern SEO best practices that focus on putting people first, not search engines. Stop watching other websites outperform yours by following bad SEO advice. Give me a call today to schedule your hassle-free consultation to whip your SEO strategy into shape. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. ARE THE LIFE INSURANCE PAMPHLETS IN the UPSTAIRS DRAWER If you’re wondering what the heck you just read, you’re not alone. Posts like this litter the social media accounts of the fast-food chain Wendy’s. The style of posting is eerily reminiscent of a 5-year-old who got hold of their mom’s iPhone and started posting random nonsense to her social accounts. It ranges between utter gibberish and juvenile jib-jabbing with other brands and customers. Wendy’s isn’t the only brand embracing this style of engagement. Ryan Air, Duo Lingo, and Innocent Drinks have gotten in on the game as well. Some organizations have gone all in on this unhinged trend of posting to their socials in their quest to become more relatable to their target audiences. At least that’s the theory behind this latest social media craze. Social media managers have mixed feelings about the risky marketing strategy. Some embrace it while others caution their clients to think twice before going all-in. Making the (social media) connectionBrands taking on a human persona isn’t a novel concept. Social media managers for brands like Denny’s and Wendy’s hit the social media scene in the early 2000s with some quirky posting designed to ditch corporate speak in favor of a more down-to-earth persona. However, those posts didn’t rise to the level of derangement seen on some of those same accounts today. So, why the shift? In one word: engagement. The goal is to make themselves more relatable to their core audience. Making a connection to build a strong relationship is the driving force that leads brands to shout in all caps and insult those who dare interact with them on their social feeds. Ivory Bandoh, a social media manager and image consultant for B2B and SaaS brands, said the trend started picking up in 2020. “The pandemic hit, and (social media) became like the Wild, Wild, West,” she said. “People weren’t going into stores or using products physically, so the main place to get interaction with brands was online.” Differences in the market forced brands to find new and innovative ways to connect with – and entertain – their audiences. Unhinged posts were more about staying top of mind than converting traffic to sales. The wilder, the better. “At that point, all bets were off,” said Bandoh. Targeting the right marketKristina Sanderson, founder and principal strategist at Clique Marketing, said the unhinged trend opened the door to natural conversation between brands and their followers on social media. “There was never that sort of two-way communication between brands and consumers before,” she said. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, become loyal to organizations that embrace this style. The more disturbed, the better. A quick stop by the comment sections of Wendy’s, Duo Lingo’s, and Ryan Air’s social media accounts confirm it. “Younger generations want to feel that connection,” she said. “They don’t trust and follow brands just because they’re legacy brands. It’s a question of buy-in and how do you get that from a generation that isn’t going to inherently give you that same respect that an older generation might.” Unfortunately, some organizations insist on this style of social media marketing, even when it doesn’t fit their target audience, said Bandoh. “The main issue I’m starting to see is this isn’t a trend anymore,” she said. “It’s now a baseline or norm for social media marketing, and that’s where I kind of red flag it. One trend or type of social media strategy is not a blanket. It cannot work for every single type of industry or brand.” Kaiya Williams, a gravitational brand strategist with KAW Management Group, said there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. She suggests companies feel it out a bit more to decide what it means to speak this language and how to get it to convert. They must ask themselves if they’re talking to the people who are buying their products. Most of all, they must make sure they’re staying true to their brand voice. “Companies like Ryan Air have done a phenomenal job with their content,” she said. “The way they’ve connected and inserted themselves into relevant cultural happenings is a great integration and all very much in line with their brand messaging and tone of voice.” The rules of unhinged clubWhat happens in unhinged club doesn’t stay in unhinged club. It’s broadcast to the far reaches of the internet, where it lives on forever. As anyone who has ever posted something they later regretted can attest, there’s no such thing as deleting content from the internet. Search engines index it. People take screenshots of it. Any blunder you make with your brand’s social media accounts lives in infamy. That’s part of what makes this method of posting such a risk. The other issue is there’s not much agreement on how far is too far. There’s little rhyme or reason to how social media managers exploit the unhinged social media method. Someone is always pushing the envelope. In the fall of 2022, Tampax’s official Twitter account went viral for an unhinged tweet that used a play on words about slipping into a woman’s DMs. The cheeky tweet resonated with some consumers while offending others. Tampax doubled down on their right to post the tweet before finally deleting it after a barrage of unfavorable comments from consumers. However, the post in question was screen-grabbed by more than a few people who have reposted it relentlessly. “I don’t know that the execution of this unhinged approach is solid across the board,” said Williams. “The approach of making your brand – especially multi-million-dollar organizations – more approachable and truly connecting with the target market is extremely valuable. As it evolves, they need to work out a few of the kinks.” Crossing the lineThere’s a fine line between relatable and offensive. It’s a distinction that’s becoming murkier the longer the unhinged trend continues. Tampax learned that lesson the hard way. The brand hasn’t posted to its Facebook or Twitter accounts since the DMs debacle. Instead, their social team focuses on making content for Instagram and TikTok, which doesn’t embrace the unhinged style. Posts there are fun yet informative. Does that mean Tampax learned its lesson? We’ll never know. They didn’t respond to a request for comment. Brands that take the leap and cross a line must accept responsibility for their actions, said Williams. “It can be as simple as saying you missed the mark, and it wasn’t meant to be offensive. Then, move from there into solutions on how you’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Bandoh agreed, noting that brands make mistakes and deserve to be forgiven. “They deserve an opportunity to learn and grow from the mistake,” she said. “But let’s be real. The likelihood of them being able to do it depends on the nature of the offense. It depends on what you did, how long you let it go before you realized it was a bad move, and how long it takes people to overlook it and give you another chance.” The internet has selective outrage when it comes to these kinds of missteps, Bandoh said. She recounted an instance with a well-known social media manager who used a brand’s account to jump into conversations on other social accounts using an unhinged style of posting. It wasn’t received well by others. The person apologized for their actions and seemed to recover quickly from the debacle. Brands that find themselves the victims of unhinged posts from other brands have options for handling it. Bandoh said the best approach is to ignore it. “If it’s so unhinged it needs to be hidden or removed, then do it.” Sanderson warned brands that go down the rabbit hole of unhinged posting and have it go badly can end up with a PR nightmare on their hands. “At that point, you’ll need someone to help with crisis management and rebuild what you’ve broken,” she said. “There’s no cheap way to do that.” As a rule, Sanderson tells her clients if they’re not willing to 1000% stand behind the things they’re saying in social media spaces, then they should avoid doing it at all. “Run away, and run away fast,” she warned. “Find another way to communicate your vision to your community.” Building a box and staying in itBandoh said she’s not afraid to speak up when clients want to try this trend and she knows it’s not a good fit for them. “I’m cool if those brands do it because it works for them or their audience,” she said. “But when it starts to become the blanket approach to doing social media marketing, that’s where I draw the line.” Sanderson said she has similar conversations with her clients. She has represented brands that thought they were ready for the unhinged style, only to discover they weren’t ready when it got down to the brass tax. “In those cases, I tell clients that we’re going to build a box and then stay in it.” An unhinged voice isn’t the only way to connect with your audience, said Williams. “Authenticity is the key to connecting with your target audience,” she said. “The cold, corporate approach doesn’t translate with most audiences today. Sometimes, brands just need to be a little less polished so they can resonate with people.” Entertaining, connecting, and informing can be fun without going over the edge. Working with a social media strategist can help brands find the right tone of voice to resonate with their customers, said Williams. When it comes right down to it, brands must decide if they want to use this tone of voice because it’s trendy, or because it has the potential of boosting engagement with their target audience. “Don’t do it because it’s trendy,” said Sanderson. “Do it because it’s something that will resonate with your target customer base.” AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. Accessible content shouldn’t be an afterthought. Yet, 90% of all websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities who rely on assistive technology to navigate the internet. Worse yet, 94% of the 33 top-grossing e-commerce sites fail to follow accessibility guidelines. That’s a whole lot of websites excluding a whole lot of potential customers. Forget the fact that businesses that don’t take accessibility more seriously lose sales (although that’s a valid concern). Failing to make your digital content more inclusive can unintentionally give the impression that you don’t care about a large segment of the community. That’s never a good look for a brand. If you want to do better, you’ve come to the right place. Lia Stoll, the creative genius behind Disability Writer, provides some tips and tools that anyone can follow to make their content more inclusive. With her guidance, this blog tackles the tough questions your brand has about accessibility, including:
What is digital content accessibility?Digital content accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing your digital assets using techniques that allow those with disabilities to navigate, interact with, and understand your content more effectively. All users – regardless of their abilities or impairments – should get the same user experience when visiting your website or social media platforms. Accessibility is crucial because it promotes inclusion and equal access to information. Some disabilities affect how people interact with your digital content, including:
By following digital content accessibility best practices, you make your websites, applications, and other digital resources usable for a broader audience. Types of digital contentDigital content refers to any creative material, information, or media that exists in a digital or electronic format that’s accessed, distributed, or shared through digital platforms and devices. Unlike analog content that’s physical and tangible, digital content is stored in binary code, allowing for easier transmission. Some popular formats for digital content include:
Why does accessibility matter?One in every six people in the world lives with a disability. Digital accessibility matters if you want to ensure they can interact with your digital content and services. Promoting inclusivity breaks down barriers that might overwise prevent people with disabilities from fully engaging with your brand. Another pressing reason to prioritize accessibility is you may be required by law. Legal requirements in some regions mandate digital accessibility for public and private organizations. Failure to comply with these laws can result in financial penalties and other legal consequences. From the standpoint of SEO, search engines penalize inaccessible websites. So, if ranking well in search is important for your content marketing strategy, it’s one more reason to create inclusive content and designs. Lia suggests organizations spend some time thinking about their “why” for accessible content. “Once they find their why – instead of it just being something they have to do – they’ll be more open to it.” What are some common barriers to accessibility?One of the biggest barriers to accessibility is the simple lack that it exists, said Lia. It’s not that most organizations don’t want to be inclusive. They simply don’t know how, she said. “It’s a learning journey for everyone.” She encountered this recently with a friend who was creating a website for her new business. She’d hired someone to help her with it. “I asked her about accessibility and making sure the person she hired was making the site accessible,” said Lia. “She asked me what it meant to be accessible.” Some other barriers to inclusive digital content include:
These are just a few of the barriers some users encounter when trying to access a website or other digital content. Addressing these obstacles improves inclusivity and usability for everyone. What are screen readers and how do they work?A screen reader is an assistive technology that people with blindness or other visual impairments use to interact with digital media on electronic devices. These devices convert on-screen text and other visual elements into synthesized speech or braille output, allowing users to navigate and understand the information. Here’s how they work:
The sole purpose of screen readers is to improve digital accessibility. However, they need your help to function as intended. Following some of the best practices for creating digital content that works well with screen readers ensures you’re doing your part to make your content more inclusive. How do you make text content accessible?One of the biggest issues with inaccessible text is failing to use proper layout formatting, said Lia. All websites provide tools for formatting titles, headers, and body text on websites. Simply bolding text or using a larger font doesn’t make it a header. Make sure the text layout is in order. Screen readers follow the cues for headers and body text. If you mislabel text on the page, it can cause the screen reader to jump around from one section to another in the wrong order. “If you don’t know about it, it’s easy to overlook it,” said Lia. Other things you can do to make text more accessible:
Conduct testing with various assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and keyboard-only navigation tools to ensure compatibility and usability. How do you ensure multimedia accessibility?Most websites and social media platforms today include multimedia components. Graphics, images, and videos help content marketers explain complex topics and make content more interesting. Making sure multimedia doesn’t confuse assistive devices is paramount to making your content more inclusive. Consider using these techniques to help improve multimedia accessibility.
When in doubt, follow web accessibility guidelines to ensure all your multimedia content meets recognized accessibility standards. How do you improve navigational accessibility?Clear and concise headings and text formatting are two ways to improve navigational accessibility. However, there are some other often overlooked strategies you can use to further improve inclusivity. Proper placement of hashtags is one of the most important things you can do to make your content – especially on social media platforms – more accessible. “If you must use hashtags, put them at the end of a sentence,” said Lia. “If you put them in the beginning or middle of a sentence it confuses screen readers. They’ll read it out, but it often breaks the flow, making it harder for the person using the screen reader to understand what they’re hearing.” Another tip for hashtags is to use camel-casing, she said. Capitalize the first letter of each new word in a hashtag so screen readers can distinguish it. Otherwise, they’ll read it as one jumbled word, which may not make sense to the person using the assistive device. The worst thing you can do is string a bunch of hashtags together in the same sentence. “Until screen readers get better, it prevents equal access,” said Lia. Emojis are another source of frustration for visually impaired people. “They’re difficult for screen readers,” said Lia. “They don’t see a smiley face and say, ‘smiley face’ to the person using the device. A screen reader will read out the alt text assigned to the emoji instead. If you use a bunch of them together, a screen reader jumbles all the alt text together.” Lia said she likes using emojis herself but sticks to placing only one of them at the end of a sentence to be mindful of accessibility. How do you educate your content team on accessibility?Educating your content team on the importance of accessibility is crucial for fostering a culture of inclusivity. Every person working on content – social media posts, website content – must understand how to integrate accessibility into the content creation process. You can start the process by raising awareness about the significance of accessibility. Hold team meetings and workshops to explain its importance and who it benefits. Share real examples of how inclusion impacts the people your organization serves so your team can see the tangible results of their efforts. Most importantly, provide accessibility training. Knowing the importance of inclusion isn’t enough. You must give your team the tools and knowledge needed to achieve the task. Don’t be afraid to call on the experts to help, said Lia. She did that very thing when redesigning her Disability Writer website. Lia turned to the expertise of Clive Loseby at Access By Design. His company audits and creates accessible websites for organizations. More than his expertise, Lia said she values the fact that Loseby walks the talk. “The cool thing about them is they have disabled people who audit the websites and help you fix them,” she said. “It’s a way for him to truly change the world, one website at a time.” Partnering with accessibility expertsStrategies for embracing inclusivity at your organization extend beyond improving accessibility to your digital content. Consider creating content that demonstrates your brand’s commitment to equal access for all. That’s where someone like Lia comes in. She creates articles, blogs, e-books, and other guides that empower and promote disability and inclusion. “There are many businesses that have a blog, but they never touch on disability and inclusion or their commitment to accessibility,” Lia said. The Write Reflection is pleased to announce our partnership with Lia to foster and encourage more brands to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has agreed to lend her expertise to our clients who are interested in improving access to their digital assets. Lia also can craft inclusive-focused content for your website and other digital platforms. Ready to commit to making your digital assets more inclusive? Reach out to us today to schedule your free consultation with Lia to get started. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. Yomi Gerard knows what it means to struggle to build a successful business in Africa. A conversion copywriter for SaaS and Tech companies, he attributes his achievements to learning how to fend for himself from a very young age. Scraping to get by while working in restaurants, water factories, and phone repair shops, he finally turned his aspirations toward copywriting as a sustainable career that could help him thrive. “I didn’t start writing until my last job – a pure water factory – where I was paid N13,000 (15USD per month) for working 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day of the week,” said Yomi. “I knew I could not fulfill my dreams at that rate, so I went into copywriting.” That was in 2018. He took a brief break from his new career in 2019 before diving back into it in 2020. He niched down to serve SaaS and Tech companies within the last year, which is a specialization he’s enjoying. Today, he writes for some of the most successful businesses in Africa and beyond. “It was pretty amazing to me that I could make money from writing,” he said. “The fact that someone would pay me to do what I love to do, it was cool.” Yomi hasn’t let success go to his head. He’s never forgotten how hard he worked to reach his goals. Fast forward to today, and Yomi is paying it forward by helping other young African entrepreneurs achieve their dreams through E-preneur Africa. E-preneur Africa is BornImagine. Innovate. Inspire. Those three words adequately capture the vision of his passion project. “Access to the internet provides us all with equal opportunities,” said Yomi. “But not everyone knows how to navigate these paths.” That’s where E-preneur Africa comes into play. Conceived in April 2022, E-preneur is a storytelling platform featuring the tales of Africa’s most inspiring e-preneurs. It serves as a place where Millennials and Gen-Zs can find community, funding, and visibility to grow their brands. It’s modeled after Forbes, but specifically for young Africans who are leveraging the Internet to build businesses and grow their brands. “I believe stories are the world’s greatest motivation,” said Yomi. “Nothing stirs you up more than knowing someone has walked a path you’re currently on and succeeded.” His motivation to launch E-preneur stems from his early struggles to make ends meet. Yomi said he hopes to spare his fellow African entrepreneurs the same rough road by giving them a platform that showcases their value and expertise. Leveraging the Internet’s PowerThere’s more to E-preneur Africa than showcasing up-and-coming young talent. Yomi plans to use his years of experience leveraging the power of the Internet to help others do the same. “(The Internet) helped me get away from doing menial jobs,” he said. “It allowed me to do something more that I actually enjoyed.” Knowing the Internet exists and understanding how to use it to start or grow a business idea are two different things, Yomi said. He hopes to spare other young Africans the struggles he endured by teaching them a better way. “Having to go through the hustle and the struggle to make ends meet, not knowing that there were opportunities online, was hard,” he said. “I didn’t have anyone to guide me. It makes a big difference having someone to point you in the right direction so you’re not constantly making mistakes.” Yomi said the average African is very ambitious, with a lot of aspirations. “I see a lot of opportunities presented online, but if you don’t have access to them, you can’t take advantage of them,” he said. Growing with FamilyOnce E-preneur Africa gets past its initial launch stage, Yomi said he plans to add coaching and mentoring services to the platform. He wants to provide access to experienced African entrepreneurs and instructors across multiple industries to provide insight to those just starting out. His growth hub joins budding creatives and entrepreneurs on the same journey to making a global impact. To help facilitate exposure, E-preneur Africa has a digital magazine, email newsletter, and social media accounts that feature young African talent. Yomi also recently started a podcast that hosts young African success stories to inspire others. The Man Behind the MissionGoing all-in as an entrepreneur is challenging. No one knows this better than Yomi. When he first launched his copywriting business, Yomi was juggling it with finishing school. He found himself writing 3,000 words every day to make a reasonable income as he gained experience. “I had to churn out a lot of words every single day,” he said. “Because I was new and I was trying to make ends meet, I really didn’t have the opportunity to say no to some kind of jobs and predatory payment behaviors.” He felt constrained and unable to say no to unreasonable tasks and low pay because he felt pressured to pay the bills. Some other challenges included the inconsistent power supply and connection issues that plague Africa. “Customers would tell me that we couldn’t work together if we couldn’t communicate,” he said. Limited resources also kept him from working effectively when he first was getting started. “For a year, I did everything on my phone because I lacked the resources to buy all the equipment I needed.” Toward the end of 2020, he had a client in the United Arab Emirates that helped him turn things around. It was his first retainer job, replacing the low-wage content mills he previously worked with while trying to gain experience and support himself. “It gave me much more confidence,” he said. “I knew if I poured my heart into it, I could make it work.” A Guiding Light for African EntrepreneursHis future vision for E-preneur Africa is to make it the gold standard for Internet entrepreneurship. He hopes to reach people who are less privileged throughout Nigeria and all of Africa. “We want to impact people and see their lives changed, the same way my life was impacted by leveraging the Internet,” he said. “I want to see the same kind of transformations happening in the lives of young people.” E-preneur Africa seeks more influencers and collaborators to help create fresh content that aligns with its mission and vision. Already established entrepreneurs and content creators interested in helping grow the platform are encouraged to reach out to Yomi to learn more. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. Content is King. How many times have you heard that trope? It bears repeating because it’s a long-standing truth. If you’re not creating high-quality content that adds value to your readers, you’re failing in your marketing strategy. It’s just that simple. However, there’s an internet full of content out there begging for someone to check it out. It’s challenging to break through all the noise, especially if SEO is your goal. It’s tempting to cut corners and produce copy for search engines, not people. Don’t do it! Content written for search engines is B-O-R-I-N-G. Instead, focus on using these 3 techniques to draw the reader in and achieve your content marketing goals. 1 - Tell a StoryOne of the most effective ways to keep your audience engaged is by telling a story. Whether it's a personal anecdote or a fictional tale, storytelling is a powerful tool that captures your reader's attention and keeps them invested in your content. When you weave a narrative into your writing, it adds an emotional element that can connect with your reader and make your content more memorable. Emotions = connections. It’s just that simple. Not sure how to craft a compelling story? Let’s discuss strategy. Show, Don't TellYou've probably heard this one a million times but it bears repeating. Combining vivid descriptions and dynamic characters in situations that evoke strong emotions is the key to strong storytelling. Copywriters often fail at this task when they tick off the reasons why a product or service solves a problem instead of providing actions that serve the same purpose. For instance, instead of, "These headphones block 99% of external sounds," say something like, "Wrap yourself in a protective cocoon that shields you from the chaos outside." The cocoon imagery helps me picture the benefits more clearly. If your target audience can imagine themselves in that scenario, they are more likely to emotionally connect with your product or service. Remember, emotional connection leads to conversion. Create Conflict and TensionConflict and tension create urgency. No one is going to call the fire company unless the house is burning down around them. The same is true for copy that converts. Say you're writing a social media snippet for a housecleaning company that wants to attract new clients. A common pain point for consumers who need these services is a lack of time to do the job themselves. A lot of copy addresses this common problem by suggesting something like, "Are the dust bunnies taking over the house again? Give us a call to send them packing." While cute, it hardly creates the kind of conflict that might prompt the person reading it to immediately pick up the phone and call to schedule cleaning services. Instead, you could try something like this, which creates more urgency: "Does the sound of your doorbell strike terror into your very soul? Fewer things cause the old heart to thump harder than unexpected guests when your place is drowning in a sea of clutter and dust bunnies. Stop turning out the lights and pretending you're not home. Give us a call instead. Just remember to answer the door when we stop by to tidy up." This copy is relatable. I mean, who hasn't flipped off the lights and nose-dived out of sight to avoid inviting guests into your untidy home? If you're tired of ducking for cover every time the doorbell rings, then you're going to call this company sooner rather than later. Use VisualsA picture is worth a thousand words. Yep, another trope that's used to illustrate a point (pun intended). Images, infographics, and videos break up text-heavy pieces and keep your readers engaged. Sometimes they’re helpful for driving home complex ideas or adding an extra layer of appeal to your content. Don’t just toss any graphic into the mix. To get the best results:
2 - Keep it ConversationalMost people dislike content that sounds like a textbook (unless, of course, you're reading a textbook, then it's OK). Writing overly-analytical content can bore your audience to tears. The last thing you want is for someone to use your content to help them cure a bout with insomnia. Keep your writing conversational to improve engagement. Your readers want to feel like you’re talking to them, not at them. After all, if they wanted to read content that sounded robotic, they'd plug a prompt into ChatGPT and wait for it to spit out an answer. Some effective tips for creating conversation include:
3 - Experiment with FormatsDon't be afraid to experiment with different formats. After all, variety is the spice of life. Your readers are less likely to get bored if they experience your content in a variety of ways. Some types of content to consider include:
By mixing up your formats, you can keep your content fresh and exciting for your readers. Experimenting with formats can also help you determine what resonates best with your audience and adjust your content strategy accordingly. Bore-Proof Your Content with The Write ReflectionCreating engaging content isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s certainly not for people in a hurry. A strong content marketing strategy requires effort and creativity (and a lot of patience). Storytelling, creating conflict and urgency, and experimenting with content types bore-proofs your content and keeps readers coming back for more. If you’re struggling to provide content of value to your target audience, reach out to The Write Reflection today to schedule a no-obligation consultation. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. Is it possible to write a book in one weekend? Sure, it is. Just ask children’s author Ammaar Reshi (although he probably wishes you wouldn’t). Reshi, a design manager at Brex, used popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools ChatGPT and Midjourney to create and publish a story called “Alice and Sparkle,” over a weekend. Reshi claims the book is the first of its kind because it was co-created with AI. He gives his writing and illustration partner full credit in the book synopsis. But wait…it gets weirder. The book is about a young girl named Alice who creates her own AI named Sparkle. In the book, they go on fun adventures, combining their knowledge to change the world for the better (or so the synopsis promises). Customer reviews give it a 3.1 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Some reviewers took pot-shots at the fact Reshi relied too heavily on AI to write the book. However, a few others said they were less bothered by the AI involvement and more concerned with the complete lack of storytelling throughout the book. “I’ve seen some amazing stuff that was made using A.I. tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT,” said a reviewer with the handle Hamsteroid. “This is not that.” Hamsteroid goes on to say the book lacks an arc in the storytelling and just abruptly ends. Fellow reviewer Langue Master said, “This is what happens when AI is used to write a story with no human writer behind to guide things. This story is quite empty in terms of its story arc and content and the illustrations are poorly made/generated.” Ouch. Besides the possibility of garnering blistering reviews for AI-generated content, there are other reasons why you probably shouldn’t rely on it to write that dystopian novel you’ve had brewing in your brain for the last decade. Before you make nice with ChatGPT or another AI tool, take some time to discover: What the heck is an AI content generator?Technophobes (and those living under rocks) may have zero clue what AI content generators are all about. For the uninitiated, AI content generators are technology programmed to use Natural Language Generation (NLG) to turn thoughts into words on a page. Since AI can’t think like humans, engineers train them to learn how to engage in human-like conversations. They rely on vast amounts of information gleaned from the internet – articles, blogs, news stories, Reddit threads – to respond to prompts. One of the most talked about technologies in this space is ChatGPT. It’s dominated the news cycle since the beginning of the year. However, AI content generators existed long before ChatGPT hit the scene. Some of the most popular technologies for creating written content include Jasper AI and AI Writer. DALL-E and Midjourney currently covet the top spots for AI image creation. How is AI disrupting the publishing industry?While most organizations are figuring out how to use AI to replace their marketing teams full of humans, there is another group of people coveting its so-called power to generate words quickly. Wannabe authors have turned to generative AI to make their dreams come true. As we discussed earlier in this blog post, using AI to write a novel can backfire. Some publishers have publicly admonished writers who used AI to generate bland content. Science fiction publisher Clarkeworld Magazine took to its Twitter account in mid-February to proclaim it was closing submissions because of the sheer volume of AI-generate content it had received. Of the 1,200 submissions it received in February, Clarkesworld founder Neil Clarke claimed more than 500 were AI-produced. Another publication, Science, has outright banned content generated by AI in any of its journals. Its policy states, “text generated from AI, machine learning, or similar algorithm tools” is considered scientific misconduct. On the image side of things, Getty Images has banned the upload and sale of AI-generated illustrations because of fears over future copyright claims. We’ll talk more later about whether you can copyright AI-produced content. What are some of the common problems with AI content?AI language models like ChatGPT can assist with content generation. However, they’re not a substitute for human creativity, critical thinking, or subject matter expertise. Beyond lacking the emotions of a human writer, relying on AI to write an entire novel (or any other content, for that matter) comes with risks.
Who holds the copyright for AI-generated content and illustration?The short answer to who holds the copyright for AI-generated content and illustration is not you. Herein lies a huge problem with organizations relying on AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney for creating all their written and visual content. Images and text 100 percent generated by AI don’t qualify for copyright protections, according to the U.S. Copyright Office. In late February, the copyright office ruled in the case of the comic book “Zarya of the Dawn,” whose author used illustrations produced solely by Midjourney. Since non-humans created the images, author Kristina Kashtanova gained copyright protections for the story, but the images were excluded. The same holds true for text written by AI that humans have not altered in some way. When AI makes all the decisions about how something is written or designed, it bypasses the human creative process required for copyrighting. Choosing humans over machinesIt’s tempting to turn to machines over humans to produce content, especially when you’re looking to cut expenses. Aspiring authors can fall into this trap along with organizations. Choosing humans over machines is a better option. Not only does it get you higher-quality content, but it also ensures you own the rights to that content once it’s completed. We hope you make the right decision. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. |
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