Freelancing

3 Steps to AI-Proof Your Copywriting Business

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I’m guessing you’ve had at least a couple conversations about AI over the past couple weeks.

I’ve had a couple dozen. And each time, an image pops in my mind of the steel-driving man John Henry staring down that ol’ steam drill.

According to the folk story John Henry worked himself to death trying to beat the machine in a high-stakes competition.

But the true story behind the legend ends differently. Henry dies from a lung condition caused by inhaling rock dust. In other words, it wasn’t a machine that killed him. It was the work itself.

I see a John Henry situation with artificial intelligence today.

Creatives are worried about the future. One of the most influential copywriters in the game predicted that AI will put 80% of copywriters out of work within 12 months.

Like that ol’ steam drill. Only John Henry could compete. Everyone else was obsolete.

Claiming 80% of copywriters will be out of a job by next New Year’s Eve is a bit drastic, if you ask me. But it’s impossible to deny that AI presents a challenge.

So, how do you AI-proof your business? 

Respect the Tech and Protect Your Neck

This advice is for copywriters, but I encourage any entrepreneur to pay attention, too.

1) Flip the fear. There’s a TON of things AI can’t do yet. And even more that it can’t do well. For example:

  • It’s not great at persuasion or authentic personality
  • It can’t really dig into breaking news and trending topics
  • The longer the output you’re looking for, the more problems will creep in.

Don’t let fear paralyze or discourage you. This is an opportunity. Respect the tech by using it to enhance your own productivity and creativity. Bring your special expertise to bear on the AI output and make real magic.

This is how you prevent the work from killing you like it did the real John Henry.

2) Get your weight up. There’s a lot AI can’t do, but it is more than capable of doing a TON of basic, low-level copy tasks.

In order to AI-proof your business, you can’t be mediocre. You can’t rely on basic, low-level copy tasks. Protect your neck by developing an expertise. I think it’ll be a while before AI can churn out effective (and accurate) copy for certain specialized niches like financial and alternative health. Especially long-form copy.

Continually get better at direct response techniques. Add something special a robot can’t do: humor… unique, bold perspective… original research.

3) Promote yourself more and better. This may be the most important advice, although it’s far from new.

Until AI starts making the hiring decisions, you’re still dealing with human prospects. They need to see you. They need to get a glimpse into your particular genius. They want to feel a connection with you.

It’s up to you to make that happen through confident self-promotion.

AI is getting all the good press these days. And your potential clients are thinking seriously about using it to make their lives easier. (So that can’t be your only argument now!) Their friends are telling them how cool it is. What do they need a copywriter for?

Well, for the reasons I mentioned above. If you have persuasion skills, the ability to communicate with authentic personality, and proven profit-pulling penmanship, you can do what AI can’t.

But you have to make sure people know that about you!

Whether you consider yourself an extrovert or not, you’re likely going to have to put yourself out there more.

I believe video will be especially important in the coming weeks. Because AI can’t recreate your personality, your charm, your empathy.

The only downside is that the more videos you make, the better Donnie deepfakes AI will be able to make!  

Respect the tech. Use it to your advantage.

Protect your neck. Show yourself superior in all the ways that matter.

Will A.I. Put Copywriters Out of Business?

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You hear a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) programs putting copywriters out of business.

Should you fear for your professional life?

Today I’m sharing insights into the topic which I don’t think I’ve heard other copywriters talk about.

Specifically, I’ll reveal the which copywriters are at risk… and the one thing I do to virtually guarantee your “job security” as AI becomes more prevalent.

We’re already seeing entrepreneurs use artificial intelligence programs to write some of their basic descriptive copy and informational content.

The programs have options to write FB ads and emails, too. So they’re designed to be used for selling purposes. They’re just not creative, or original, and they aren’t great at eliciting emotion.

The programs don’t create, per se. They use machine learning to curate, mix and match.

As far as I can tell, we’re far from any of these programs being able to independently come up with a unique “big idea” for copy or content and write in a way that generates a unique thought.

That doesn’t mean it won’t be used to attempt to write effective selling copy.

Now, I still think it will be some time before AI has widespread adoption, even for simple copy. Not every business even has a website in 2021!

Still, I believe machine learning/artificial intelligence will start edging out more and more copywriters in the months and years ahead.

The capabilities of these AI programs may not live up to the hype… but the hype is what’s making (and going to make) entrepreneurs buy them.

Meaning that you’ll see AI being used to write sales copy, even if it’s not all that compelling. Many users won’t really know how to tell the difference, or they’ll simply “trust the science.”

Again, watch the video to see how I recommend staying safe from the Skynet of copywriting.

10 Tips for Copywriters in Training

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Copywriters Write

A few days ago, I received an email from one of my newsletter subscribers. We’ll call him Paul. He’s taking a copywriting course and wondering how long he should wait to start seeking clients.

Here’s my slightly modified response to him. I think it’ll be helpful for any copywriter near the beginning of his career.

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Good morning, Paul. Thank you for reaching out.

Let me ask you a question: when you look at a website, email, even a TV commercial do you know — almost instinctively — what the advertiser was trying to do, where he went wrong and how you could make it stronger?

Now, I don’t know you, but I’d be willing to bet that the answer is an emphatic “yes.”

With your studies of Hopkins, Kennedy, etc., you’re probably already good enough to be very helpful to 75% of the business owners in America.

So my answer to your question is, YES, you should begin looking for work now.

Let me share a few thoughts:

1) Copywriting, like any other discipline, requires continual study and learning. You’ll never know it all. So there’s no need to wait until you’re done “studying” to launch out into the deep. Or at least stick your toes in the water.

2) Freelancing can be tough. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not bringing in Bob Bly-level fees in the first year. Realize in advance, strengthen your resolve and go for it.

I spent my first 2 years or so as a moonlight copywriter. I worked as many as 80 hours a week in management at Kmart, then came home to prospect and work on projects. I tell that story in some depth in an interview I did with Michael Zipursky in 2012 –> http://www.consulting-business.com/direct-response-copywriter-and-consultant-interview-with-donnie-bryant.html. If I recall, it’s about 30 minutes long. If you have the time, it might be an encouragement for you. I get lots of good feedback.

3) You’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but you should spend a good chunk of your time promoting your services. 50% promoting, 50% doing client work and improving your craft, or something like that.

4) Most copywriters start out as generalists, but the sooner you find a niche (and maybe you already have experience or deep knowledge of some particular industry) the better. Position yourself as an expert in that niche and focus your efforts there.

5) Get some copywriter friends. I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have the camaraderie. You’ll come to cherish those relationships.

6) It’s also helpful to build relationships with people in other industries. Especially people with bigger audiences and established authority. These are people who can interview you and put you on their websites or in their newsletters, recommend your services to their people, do joint ventures, make valuable introductions, give opportunities for guest blogging, etc. Proactively seek out and nurture those kinds of relationships. If you’re looking to provide mutual benefit (and not just be a self-seeking mooch), you’d be surprised who will be open to connecting with you.

7) Be generous, but do your best not to undervalue yourself or your work.

8) Try to get paid upfront, even if it’s just a deposit. Save yourself from getting burned. And watch out for bad barter deals. Sometimes they’re worth it, but a lot of times you end up frustrated with what you get out of the deal.

9) Start building your email list ASAP. Even if you don’t know how you’ll keep in touch with them. Someday, maybe sooner than later, you’ll be glad you did.

10) Read a lot, but don’t let reading stop you from writing. I suggest reading non-marketing stuff and stuff outside of your area of expertise to continue giving your brain more raw material to build creative ideas with.

Curiosity is one of the characteristics of most, if not all, great copywriters have common.

People are often amazed by the stuff I know. From pop culture to ancient history and from biology to philosophy, I know a lot of random stuff. I have a “swipe file” (if I can call it that) of quotes I like about anything, everything. Never know when a powerful idea will spring forth from one. They make good writing prompts, too.

While you’re reading, please add the Bencivenga Bullets to your list: http://www.marketingbullets.com/archive.htm. Now that I think about it, I’m going to work my way through them again…

Here’s the big one:

10) Almost no one wants a copywriter. Almost no one even knows what copywriting is, as you’ve probably noticed.

That means 2 things: A) look for clients who know what copywriting is and how much it’s worth, and B) don’t position yourself as a copywriter, per se, for people who aren’t familiar with it. Focus on your own benefits versus the “feature” of being a copywriter.

I think that’s about enough to start out.

Thanks again for reaching out. I pray you have more success than you dream of.

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What’s your best advice for a starting a successful copywriting career?