Most people think that GenAI is making writing easier. But the truth is that it’s making writing more difficult than ever. You see, it’s easier than ever to write stuff. But it’s also harder than ever to write stuff that stands out.
Why?
Because, whether we like to admit it or not, GenAI does a pretty good job at cranking out decent content that feels like it’s taking care of business. So now, we’re drowning in a sea of bland, AI-generated garbage—the kind that has that unmistakable Chat GPT aftertaste.
I know, I know: forgettable filler content is nothing new. MarketSmiths’ been fighting a war against bland for nearly fifteen years!
But there’s no denying it: acceptable-quality writing has been effectively automated, and people are now much lazier and happier to let the chatbots take the wheel.
It’s a pedal-to-the-metal race to the bottom. And maybe that’s a good thing?
Scratch that—it’s a great thing!
Because it means that it’s never been easier to rise above mediocrity, at least for those brands willing to put in the work. The bar for amazing has never been so abysmally low—a bit of intentionality, a sprinkle of humanity, and a dash of elbow grease will easily set you a cut above the rest.
So, if you’re one of the few willing to make the effort, here are three questions to help your brand develop content that rises above the flat:
Is it human?
Humans are infinitely interested in what other humans say, do, think, and experience. And there’s nothing we love more than to watch, listen, and learn from each other.
As David Perell, host of the How I Write podcast, explains: “…computers are already better at playing chess than people, but nobody watches live streams of computers playing chess and Magnus Carlsen is still a huge name. Writing will be the same.”
Or as Reddit user, damontoo waxes: “One of the joys I get from arguing with random people on the Internet is that I know I’m wasting their time as well as my own. If I’m arguing with bots it’s only wasting mine. ????”
See? We find joy even in hating each other. And all we needed was the impending threat of all the internet—even its darkest, dankest corners—getting swallowed up by AI slop in order to admit it.
Is it concrete?
Don’t forget: behind all these chatbots are companies looking to make a profit. And the way you do that is by satisfying as many users as possible. That means you get:
- Vague, abstract language that checks as many boxes as possible to please as many people as possible
- Zero original insights or storytelling because bots are not out in the world getting cut, bruised, and scraped by life
- Generic voices that sounds like a mild and measured corporate email
How to rise above all that? The first step is to remember that dull, wordy, and overly-complex writing is nothing new. And the old adage: “Can you drop it on your foot?” remains as useful as ever when concretizing concepts.
But after years of working with GenAI and seeing where it wins and where it fails, I have a new bit to add: “Can you act on it?”—can your reader transform what you’re communicating into action? Or are you just stuffing their eyes with empty words?
So, write physically. Write actionably. And, for heaven’s sake, get one or more humans in the loop before you hit that “Publish” button.
Is it easy?
If you go for the low-hanging fruit, there’s a good chance that—not only has it been done ad infinitum by other humans—but that AI can do it much better than you or anyone else. We’ve said before: “When anyone can get quick and simple answers from a chatbot, your content needs to focus on areas where AI doesn’t stand a chance: nuanced and unique human perspectives that drive connection and conversation.”
In other words: if AI can write it better than you, you’re doing it wrong. Moving forward, you’re going to have to work hard with other humans to move beyond the same old, tired conversations to unearth unique ideas, novel angles, and new stories.
If you’re in an organization, that means talking not only to SMEs but also to your customers and people outside of the marketing and leadership teams. If you’re building a personal brand, that means doubling down hard on that personal part.
So, don’t get lazy. Get out there and talk to real people and stop handing out the keys to the chatbots when it should be you at the wheel.
To quote Perell again: “The common thread here is humanity.”
And humanity thrives on the one-off and the unexpected.
So go look for exactly that.
GenAI won’t replace human writers anytime soon—but it’s definitely coming for the lazy ones.
While others settle for basic prompts and slapdash AI slop, the Marketsmiths team is ready to roll up its sleeves and dive for insights that machines can’t match.
Talk to us and ask how we can help you rise above the bland.
