Generative AI has opened up doors in the marketing industry, but how has it created detriments? Among AI-created content, how can you make yours stand out?
A brand that is breaking out from the noise
The ChatGPT-created poster that’s taking over
How you can make your content stand out
Over the past few years, generative AI has opened up a lot of doors for marketers. In terms of research and strategy, it provided opportunities to build efficiencies and expand our minds to places that didn’t exist before. On the other hand, AI-created content is making our already-cluttered world feel even more clogged. If it was difficult for your content to stand out before, now there’s even more noise to fight through to be seen. Users are regularly coming across AI-generated content that feels regurgitated and disingenuous, making them not want to interact with brands at all.
When it comes to your marketing strategy, how are you making sure that your content doesn’t sound the same as your competitors? How are you creating valuable content that potential customers truly want?
A brand that is breaking out from the noise
While some consumers are embracing AI and others aren’t, it’s most important to know where exactly your audience stands. For many, taking a direct stance against AI is positioning them as more appealing to consumers, building trust through authenticity.
The baby products brand “Coterie” recently shared that they would not be using AI in any photos on social media or otherwise. One post in particular is a graphic-designed carousel, reading, “AI can’t change a diaper. Parenting is as real as it gets. We believe our content should be, too.”
This post achieves multiple things:
- It shows Coterie’s values in an AI-centered world.
- It embraces their audience and shows viewers they know them, they see them, and they get them.
- It directly addresses a problem and almost takes a “meta” approach, acknowledging that they’re creating marketing content that matters.
The response to this announcement was positive, another testament to the fact that Coterie knows this is something their specific audience cares about.
The ChatGPT-created poster that’s taking over
If you’ve scrolled through social media recently or seen a bulletin board in your nearby coffee shop, it’s likely you’ve seen several of the same types of posters. Many event planners and small businesses are putting event information into ChatGPT to churn out informational posters to try to capture the attention of their audience. The only problem is, all of these posters look generally the same.
Here’s a prompt we put into ChatGPT to test this theory:
“My business, RunningMore, is putting on a 5K event this June 6 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Runners must sign up ahead of time on our website, runningmore.com. People are welcome to come to the event to spectate. There will be free donuts and coffee at the end of the race for runners. Create an informational poster to promote this event.”
Look familiar? That’s because you’ve likely seen an almost identical version before.
While options like this can be effective and efficient for small businesses, one important thing stands true: AI-generated content falls flat in the sea of uniformity, failing to set your business apart from its competitors.
How you can make your content stand out
When users sign up for a social media platform, they likely aren’t looking to engage with brands. Social media was created as a way for individuals to connect with one another. That’s why your content needs to be relatable, engaging, and interesting. Otherwise, your hard work might just become a quick scroll.
Here are a few recommendations we have to make your content stand out among the rest:
- Create graphic and written content that makes people want to engage, speaking to your audience and sparking interest. The more you can relate to your audience, the better change you have to become more than just a customer, but a brand evangelist.
- Find ways to show your values (not just about AI)! What sets your company apart? What is your company’s purpose? How are you filling a gap you noticed in your industry? What opportunities do you take to engage with your community, like local nonprofits?
- Be strategic without feeling fake. Think of ways to appeal to your audience in a way that’s beneficial to them, not just promotional for you.
- Use AI as a tool, not the end-all, be-all. It’s always important to have a human perspective in your marketing efforts.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that you know your audience best. Audit your current marketing efforts to see how consumers respond to different strategies and campaigns. When you find out what works, try to create more content of that nature. From there, you can expand even further, testing how your audience reacts to a different voice and tone, content type, or platform.
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