With the wonders of technology, most copywriters now use the power of digital writing apps to create their work. And thanks to the emergence of AI copywriting software, they can trust online robots to help perfect their writing as they go too.
And although these computer-generated tools have the potential to save time and energy, will they ever become smart enough to replace humans entirely? We’ve explored the drawbacks in this blog.
How AI Copywriting Software Works
AI copywriting software is a form of machine-learning technology that makes predictions from data. It collects knowledge by searching endless web pages for common patterns within the writing.
Many tools provide the option to insert parameters that complement the efforts of the machine learning software. These parameters include:
- Audience
- Formality
- Intention
- Tone of voice
However, not all AI copywriting tools are the same. For example, CopyAI generates professionally written copy according to a brief description. Whereas simple tools such as the Hemingway App only suggest minor changes to your writing.
The Cons of AI Copywriting Software
There are many AI copywriting tools on the market, and almost all of them boast the benefits of improving your writing and making it easier to read. But how accurate are these claims? Here are the unfortunate drawbacks of relying on AI copywriting software alone.
Not 100% Reliable
Although AI copywriting tools typically highlight common errors, such as spelling inconsistencies, they don’t get it right all the time. Especially where punctuation is concerned, multiple suggestions will often be available, such as whether to place an apostrophe before or after an ‘S’. For those with little knowledge of the English language, these suggestions are not helpful. AI tools should be smart enough to decide instead of relying on human intervention.
Grammarly is an excellent example of a tool that can aid the readability and correctness of your writing, but you must take its suggestions with a pinch of salt. And if you’re an avid Grammarly user, you’ll already know that it’s just plain wrong sometimes.
Really, very wrong.
Minimal Creativity
It’s true – the minds of copywriters are constantly bursting with creative energy, ready to spill out onto a digital document. However, AI copywriting software often cannot understand what we want to say, and will try to correct our most creatively brilliant copywriting moments. Here are some examples:
- Wordplay
“Metaphors are a great language tool, because they explain the unknown in terms of the known.” – Anne Lamott
Slang, metaphors, puns, alliteration, and onomatopoeia are powerful copywriting techniques that can capture your audience’s attention, make them think, and compel them to buy. But due to the unrelenting commitment to ‘correctness’, it’s highly unlikely that AI copywriting software will ever be able to create this kind of copywriting magic. The wordplay that stays with us forever.
It only takes a scan through marketingexample.com’s Inspiration page to see how AI copywriting software could never match the cleverness and appeal of human-written copy.
Here are just a few of our favourite examples.
- Empathy
Readers want to feel understood, whether they read a product description, social media content, or a Facebook ad. The problem is, AI copywriting software does not live the same experiences that human writers do. AI-created writing examples therefore lack a certain depth, even when you select ‘empathetic’ as the desired tone.
The following is a great example of how AI copywriting software just misses the mark. Here’s what we briefed the machine with:
And here’s what it delivered:
Yes, it lists the benefits, but not all of them, and definitely not in a compelling way. It sounds like a robot has written it.
Empathy is one of the most critical aspects of human communication, written or vocal. And if it’s not present in the copy, you are simply not going to connect with your readers.
- Voice
A seasoned copywriter will work with many clients, each with a different audience. AI copywriting tools squeeze your writing in the mould of what they believe contributes to the highest quality of writing. However, the issue is that this fails to differentiate your copy from everyone else’s – something that’s so important for standing out in an oversaturated world wide web.
- SEO
SEO and copywriting pretty much go hand in hand these days, and if your product descriptions, blogs, or website content aren’t optimised, you’ve already lost half the battle.
Modern content must not only be engaging, entertaining, and informative – it should also contain the right keywords, maintain the perfect keyword density, and ensure those keywords are in the correct places. Such an exercise is both a science and an art, and expecting AI copywriting software to deliver on all of the above is a HUGE ask.
Significant Cuts To Word Count
In a bid to make your writing sound as professional, sophisticated, and concise as possible, AI copywriting software will often try to cut words it considers ‘redundant’. However, in most cases, this feeble attempt to improve your writing makes it worse by losing the tone, rhythm, and flow that was intended.
Considerable Costs
Despite hundreds of free versions of popular AI copywriting tools, many require a yearly subscription to get the full benefits. To revisit an earlier example, Grammarly boasts many promising features, including:
- Correction of over 250 grammatical mistakes
- Plagiarism detection
- Clarity-focused sentence rewrites
- Tone adjustments
Yet, as we’ve seen from the examples above, these features often end up doing more harm than good to your writing. Moreover, these benefits are only available on their premium plan, which costs individual users £100.00 per year. Even their business plan, which requires three members minimum, costs £9.00 per month per member. This adds up to a considerable amount of money for something that makes mistakes itself.
Is it worth the price knowing that your writing still isn’t at the highest standard it could be? Or would it be wiser to trust in a freelance writer or copywriting agency that you know will deliver great results?
Can AI Copywriting Software Ever Replace Human Writers?
As a copywriting agency, we’re naturally biased on this topic. But here’s the thing: if we really thought it was that good, we would be using it ourselves, and saving the money we spend on writers for something else.
The general consensus from the copywriting community is that AI copywriting software WILL give you something to work with, but it’ll be average at best. Grammarly is good for spotting typos and mistakes caused by human error, but it’s really only useful for those with a great understanding of grammar.
Likewise, sites like Copy.Ai are great when used for gathering ideas, but they can not replace human copywriters (not good ones, at least).
You might have a fantastic product or service, but if your copy is average, people will assume that what you’re selling is average too.
For best results, look for a high-quality freelancer writer or copywriting agency to collaborate with. Hire people you can actually discuss your ideas with. Hire people who understand the difference between good copywriting and fantastic copywriting. Hire people who can take an everyday product or service and do something completely outside the box with it.
If you’re looking for a copywriting agency that can spice up your marketing materials and deliver copy that makes a difference, visit our website! We promise to create compelling copy that drives traffic, converts customers, and sets your business apart from everyone else’s. 100% AI-free.
