Innovate
How Copywriters Are Actually Using AI
I’ll start by saying that if you think that, in the rise of AI, writers are simply relinquishing their projects to the whims of the bots, think again.
We must first remember who we’re talking about here—the very people who likely had childhood dreams of becoming writers and were then told to get real, so they went to college for something more sensible, like I don’t know, psychology, before changing their major another two times only to land, after all, on writing.
These are the very people who have not only chosen to write for a living, but likely also write for fun in their free time because they love it that much.
So rest assured, copywriters are not becoming copy-and-pasters. And let’s be honest—if we were, you’d know it. Because it’s becoming increasingly easy to spot writing that’s been entirely AI-generated.
But when it comes to copy crafted by humans, here’s how AI tools are actually being used.
To know our audiences better
From patients and potential employees to proud military vets, the demographics we write to in a single day can vary widely.
When it comes to audiences we know less intimately, we don’t want to blindly assume we can speak their language. Yes, we humans are all intuitive and prideful creatures, and while we like to believe we can craft copy that will resonate with anyone, we know it’s best to sidestep this impulse.
And when budget and time don’t allow for more in-depth research, we turn to AI.
For example, I might prompt AI to share terms and phrases that a given target audience would connect with. I could also ask for insight into the unique concerns this audience has.
Well used, AI can be leveraged to gather information and build the real human empathy that leads to more meaningful creative.
To stay on strategy
Copywriters love a good story, so it can admittedly be hard to zoom out and see how the story fits into the bigger picture or strategy.
After I’ve done my part (i.e., told the story in the best way I can), that’s when I’ll turn to AI.
For example, I might plug in finalized social post copy and ask, “This client’s pillars are X, Y, and Z, and they’re aiming to communicate THIS to their audience. Does this social post fit into that strategy?”
From there, I hope to get validation that the piece fits into the larger strategy, but sometimes, what I’ll get is a nudge in a different direction. Both responses are informative.
To gather materials
Make no mistake—the pun is the pride and joy of the copywriter. Therefore, passing the work of crafting clever copy off to AI would be a sin against oneself.
But we never want to leave the perfect line to chance. For the sake of not limiting possibilities, we gather as much material as we can before setting out to make a masterpiece—or just a damn good ad.
For example, if I were writing a headline about pet insurance, I might ask AI to build a list of pet-related words. If I needed a word that rhymes with “paw,” I’d have AI make me a list of options. If I need a synonym for “insurance,”—you guessed it, AI is making me a list.
You get the picture: it’s not about having AI build the thing. It’s about having AI fetch the materials we need to get in there and do the dirty work we love so dearly.
Having a genuine love for the work itself—that’s a human thing. That’s the difference you can feel.
There you have it. In the saga of the copywriter and the bot, AI is the tool belt, not the builder.
AI is there to gather data, validate strategy, and spark inspiration. When it comes to the buzz of a well-written line, only we copywriters can feel that. And when it comes to bringing human experience and instinct, and a love for the process (even when it’s hard)—that’s all ours, too.
And trust me—we wouldn’t have it any other way.
