Have you heard the news?
Apparently, artificial intelligence is being trained to write ads and copy… so copywriters will soon be out of a job and we should all be worried.
So, naturally I am shaking in my boots… with laughter.
Why? Isn’t that being a bit arrogant in the face of a real threat?
Well, because here’s a newsflash… artificial intelligence has been writing copy for years! (And doing a rather bad job of it.)
But the artificial intelligence I’m talking about is not a machine… it’s human.
You see, there are a lot of humans who think they can use writing software and templates to write persuasive copy to other humans. They think that copy is just a matter of inserting a word here, pasting a phrase there… and then the copy is done and dusted.
But they are kidding themselves.
Ask me how I know?
Yes, I used to be one of those humans… until I knew better.
It didn’t take me long to work out that the copy most of the copy generating programs spat out was dreadful. And most of the templates were not much better. I just wish I knew they were so awful before I spent so much money on them. (To be clear, they are not all awful, more about that in a moment.)
I was assured that it was the fastest way for me to get the copy I needed done. And I believed it.
But the copy they produced was generic, clumsy and clunky.
When you read good copy, it’s smooth and if the writer does their job well… you’ll be at the end of the page without even realizing it. In fact, if it’s great smooth copy, even if you are not the intended market… you’ll want to buy the product. (I don’t play golf, but after reading John Carlton’s copy he had me wanting to improve my golf swing and buy the product!)
But when the copy is generic, clumsy and clunky, it’s like driving along a corrugated road. Each and every bump jars your spine out of shape until you simply can’t take any more.
Each bump is also a potential exit and when the reader has had enough, they… exit stage left (or right depending on which side of the road you drive on).
But it’s OK though, not everyone stops reading. There are a few readers like me who keep reading out of curiosity to see what they were trying to say but couldn’t articulate. (As they say, learning from your mistakes is clever, but learning from other people’s mistakes is genius!)
Now, I want to be clear here, I don’t hate all of these programs and “done-for-you” templates. Some are really well thought out.
But it’s always good to know that…
Knowledge Nugget #151: Templates and Writing Programs are the Starting Point… Not the Finished Result!
The temptation is to get the copy done quickly, then get the copy to market. And that approach is ok… apart from the fact that you may be disappointed with the results you get.
I know I was.
Before I knew how to write copy, I relied on fill in the blank templates and even invested in a few “create your own copy” programs. (As I said, I had been convinced they were the best way to go.)
The biggest attraction of these was that I didn’t need to learn to be a copywriter or pay for one. I could effectively “push a button” and my copy would be done for me.
So, true to their word, my copy was done for me… but I guess they never really said what quality it would be done to.
The copy sucked and so did the results I got.
According to the “professionals” who created them, the headlines were killer, and the copy would convert like crazy. But they didn’t.
And because I didn’t even know the basics of copywriting, I couldn’t diagnose what the problem was.
Because the copy was supposed to be so killer… I started to blame the market. But let’s be honest with ourselves, we know that wasn’t the problem… I was. I lacked the skills I needed, and I wasn’t going to get them with “push a button” copy creators and terrible templates.
So, I decided to learn how to write copy… and learn to write it from scratch.
What I discovered is, copywriting is full of formulas and strategy… and only the occasional template.
Now, there is a small group of copywriters and marketers who don’t rate learning to write copy from the old books and teachers. They often ask if a “dead dude” is writing your copy, as a way to try to undermine people like me who have dared to go beyond their templates and “done for you” programs.
Their idea is that the old Masters are outdated, redundant, dead and have been replaced by newer “better” methods.
The problem is, everything they have condensed into their newer better methods came directly from the Greats!
It seems that everything old is new again. But the problem is that oftentimes the information is diluted and weakened.
The biggest mistake they make is, instead of simplifying the information… they try to dumb it down.
And as David Ogilvy said, “The consumer is not a moron… they’re your wife,” which is to say, people are not stupid so don’t treat them as though they are.
Many of the people who create these one size fits all “resources” don’t put much thought into them or the results you’ll get. They don’t even think you need to understand them or how copy works.
In fact, many of the people who create these “resources” can’t even write great copy in the first place. So, their mediocre skills are replicated and sent out into the world as a benchmark for what copy is supposed to be. (This reminds me of the movie “Idiocracy” where the dumb people suddenly become the smartest and are world leaders. It’s scary!)
And these sellers of mediocre copy don’t even seem to care that people all around the world are sending out the same emails or have the same sales letters etc. even though they have very different businesses. (This is the quickest and best way to ruin your credibility and look like a “me too” marketer… and even worse, a plagiarizer.)
The point is, the templates and writing programs are only as good as the people who create them. And if their writing skills are limited, their templates and programs will be limited too.
Now, I will say that not all templates are bad and it’s up to you to decide which ones work best for you.
The best thing you can do if you do use any kind of templates and programs is to tweak the copy it spews out and customize it for yourself. That way you have a better chance of getting the results you hoped for.
For me the best investment I ever made was to learn how to write copy for myself. In the past I have used templates and they were a good way to get started. But I always made sure it was a start point… not the final product.
Choose who writes your words wisely. The more I think about it, I’d rather have a “dead dude” write my copy any day, than a “brain dead dude” who doesn’t care about me or my results.
Until next week… take care and choose your words wisely : )
Pauline xxx
Pauline Longdon
a.k.a. “The Copy Alchemist”
P.S. What do you think about a copywriter who sells copywriting services and uses these templates or writing programs to write the copy? Is it fair that they charge the client top dollar for templated copy that has been generated rather than created for them?
Personally, it has never sat well with me, so I create copy from scratch. Occasionally, I’ll cut and paste a sentence or a paragraph from another piece of copy… but it’s always from copy that I have written myself.
P.P.S. There are a few good template products on the market and even a couple of sales copy/email generators. But these products are made by copywriters who are at the top of their game. Their copywriting skills were solid to start with. And that’s important to know.
P.P.P.S. There’s been a lot of conversations about Artificial Intelligence taking the place of copywriters (and many other professions). And naturally, it always sends people into a panic. My take on this is, if you’re a commodity (that is, you’re the same as everyone else and anyone can do what you do) then your job is in danger. But if you are unique in what you do, and you make a connection with humans at an authentic, emotional level… then it will take a lot longer to replace you.
This is why I am committed to continuing to learn and grow as a copywriter and marketer. Make yourself irreplaceable!
Thanks For Reading : )