The Pitfalls of AI Content: Don't Replace the Humans Just Yet.

No robots were harmed in the creation of this content.

The evolution of AI is constant; it's a tool that is both scary and exhilarating at the same time, and when used correctly, it can save time and money, but when misused, it can dilute your brand and authenticity with your customers.

Younger consumers are savvy; they know the hustle because, let's face it, they created the hustle. So when brands try to pass off AI-created content as authentic, the end result is a disconnect, a superfluous La Croix of content that sounds like an amalgamation of cliches. Just like a La Croix (sorry, La Croix, it was just too easy), AI content is flavorless, with only an aftertaste of legitimacy. We used to call the kids who wore skateboard shoes and clothing but didn't skateboard posers, and that slang still holds up. If your content feels poserish your audience will see you through that lens, and this will eventually be a universal feeling among consumers, not just the young ones.

Right now, brand blogs are filling up with an avalanche of content that screams "uncanny valley." It's off; it doesn't feel right, and our brains are getting hip to this fast. So, my marketing professionals, we must pause and rethink this; we all fell for it. The dream of content created out of thin air for free, content that would drive traffic and, in turn, convert customers - it was all just one big NFT.

Not only are people getting hip to this type of content, but the search engines are also, and it won't be too long before you start getting dinged for it, if you aren't already. Google is riding the fence a bit, and while they consider using AI content to manipulate search results a spammy practice, the hammer hasn't fallen quite yet, but it will. SEO, in general, might be a bunch of lemmings at this point, destined to charge into oblivion, but that's still taking shape; it is something to be cognizant of as Ask Engine Optimization advances. So what the hell are we supposed to do? Our digital toolbox is changing; much like GA4, many of us are not ready for it.

So, how can AI be used to create content? How can brands create content that is fast, inexpensive, and effective? The answer is somewhere in the middle, so let's break it down.

AI can help speed up the process; it's not all bad. Think of AI as a sketch pad; when prompted correctly, it can build the framework of an article for a human writer to use with our secret sauce, human sauce. That's gross, but you know what I mean: humans are like other humans, and you get a particular snark vibe and feeling when engaging with a human. AI doesn't quite get sarcasm, nor does it have the nuance of a great dis or any real emotion. Let AI build the framework; this will save your content creators valuable time and let them focus on creating the voice, the feeling, and the tone that feels right for your content. So, it's not all bad; AI creates some efficiency in the right ways, ultimately saving time and money.

Community is everything; great content creates engaged communities. Another reason for the human touch is the engagement factor; if you create content that is helpful, authentic, entertaining, and valuable, you, by default, will increase your SEO and AEO value and improve your relationship with your customers. Authentic brands like Red Bull have managed to do this exceptionally well, targeting cultural niches and supporting them from the inside out. They are so good at it that they created a Media Company dedicated to creating fantastic content.

A great content strategy is not an overnight process, but it is an essential one that can be managed reasonably by a contractor on a retainer and scaled with AI best practices; find a writer that is on-brand, fast, creative, maybe a little weird, and you will probably have great results.

Is purely AI-created content usable anywhere? One of the best practices for using AI is for customer relations. Eventually, every major brand will have a chatbot that is the first line of defense for customer service and often solves issues in one touch, saving people time and keeping the actual customer service humans on deck for more complicated problems that need a personal touch. There is also the customer assistance, or offensive approach, that helps field consumer questions, collect data, and assist with decision-making and questions, much like a salesperson would do on a showroom floor. This approach will improve conversion over time, improve customer experience, and build a wealth of learning for your AI chatbot to expand the responses that it can provide. This data also helps in marketing research, brand communication strategy, etc.

A company doing this exceptionally well is Remark (withremark.com), with a hybrid human/bot concept that assists the customer and shifts to an actual human when the bot runs out of answers or cannot answer the question. More sales, happier customers, and more data to help the marketing and product teams pinpoint issues with accurate metrics or, better yet, discover problems that everyone was completely unaware of.

So, let's examine some macro pros and cons of AI content creation.

Pros of AI Content Creation:

Efficiency and Ideation: AI rapidly generates ideas, creates outlines, and produces drafts that serve as springboards for deeper creative processes done by on-brand writers, aka humans.

Consistency and Scale: AI-driven tools can standardize brand messaging across multiple platforms, which is particularly helpful for large-scale operations where consistency is crucial. Automated templates for emails, social media captions, and product descriptions streamline workflows.

Enhanced Customer Relations: AI chatbots effectively handle customer service tasks, providing instant responses, addressing common queries, and directing customers to human agents for complex issues. This improves customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Cons of AI Content Creation:

Authenticity and Brand Voice: AI-generated content often lacks the nuanced authenticity that defines compelling brand storytelling. Don't rely on it to tell the story; use it to create the outline.

SEO Risks: Search engines like Google have become adept at detecting AI-generated content. Over-reliance on AI-generated text can trigger penalties or result in lower rankings, as search algorithms prioritize originality, value, and authentic user experiences. A brand's long-term SEO health relies significantly on authentically crafted content.

Is Traditional SEO walking the plank?

Eventually, it's still essential, and your traditional keyword rank and best practices are still important. Traditional SEO is evolving rapidly toward a model that prioritizes authentic engagement and genuine user intent. The future is "Ask Engine Optimization," or AEO. Yay, another acronym for digital marketers. AEO is where conversational search—powered by AI voice assistants and generative search technologies—becomes predominant. Brands must optimize their content for natural language queries and conversational intent, preparing for the tipping point expected within the next 3-5 years.

Summary - Best Practices for Creating Engaging Brand Content:

Blend AI and Human Creativity: Use AI to outline topics, draft initial content, and handle routine interactions, but entrust humans and our secret sauce with crafting final narratives that resonate and feel real.

Prioritize Storytelling and Unique Perspectives: Cultivate distinctive voices through storytelling, original insights, and thought leadership pieces. Certain brands need specific content, so do the research and figure out what your customers need and want. It might not be obvious, so surveys are always a good tool to start with.

Optimize for Conversational Queries: Think of this as an FAQ strategy. Develop content that answers questions clearly and conversationally, optimizing for voice search and future Ask Engine platforms. This positions your brand ahead of competitors who are still using outdated SEO practices.

Building a Strong Community through Engaging Content:

I don't want to make this sound easy; it's not, but creating a robust community-building strategy is incredibly important. Authentic, engaging content is essential for nurturing these communities. Some effective tactics are:

• User-Generated Content: No, you can't use AI for this. This term gets thrown around as UGC, so let me break it down. In general, the term UGC can applied in two ways: there is the organic UGC that happens online, where customers create content like tutorials, unboxing videos, etc., and then there is paid UGC, where creators are hired that have expertise to create organic looking content, usually videos, that can be used on socials and in advertising. UGC is not slick; it's sometimes painful for marketers who lean towards more polished brand assets, but it feels real and works—encouraging and amplifying genuine customer experiences and interactions.

• Exclusive Community Perks: Providing early access, secret sales, tutorials, and other exclusive content tailored specifically for community members.

• Interactive Engagement: This is a tactic that is right for some brands and not for others and works for companies that have products like music software, where there is a learning curve, constant updates, new iterations, etc. Regular Q&A sessions, live events, and webinars to foster real-time interactions.

AI is essential; take your time to learn before rushing in, and you will be rewarded.

A former colleague of mine was enamored with AI image and video creation for brand and content assets. The allure of slick videos, no creative outsourcing, and instant content hit him like a virus. My advice is to move slowly at first, look at all the tools, learn about them, and then begin to deploy. So many LinkedIn posts push the false idols of cheap, fast, and easy. AI video still looks off to a lot of people, and one example I saw recently touted a fake commercial for a popular fast food chain, and that consumers would never know the difference. The comment thread said everything: this looks like AI and feels slippery and wrong. AI should be integrated thoughtfully into your marketing mix—not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a complementary tool. Ideal areas for AI implementation include customer support, data analytics for personalization, predictive modeling for consumer behavior, and preliminary content drafting.

Ultimately, the winning strategy integrates AI's efficiency with the irreplaceable authenticity of human storytelling, ensuring brands remain visible online and connected to their audiences. Humans, after all, are social creatures, aren't we?