With AI entering the content chat, how do writers maintain their creativity, voice, and humanity?
SmartBug copywriter Rebecca Corgan joins Julia Bye for SmartBug on Tap to discuss how content creators can embrace AI tools. From combating writer’s block—or blank-page syndrome—to creating efficiencies, Rebecca shares how to integrate AI into the writing process without sacrificing your creative muscles.
The episode is packed with can’t-miss insights. Learn where AI shines, where it falls short, and how to make it work for your needs. Get the breakdown here.
Table of Contents
How Writers Use AI for Ideation and Content
Writers are using AI to find that sweet spot between efficiency and authenticity. Any piece of long-form content takes hours to produce, but using AI to generate that icky first draft helps you get to the fun parts of writing—like tweaking and editing copy—faster.
Why Writers Are Turning to AI
AI is most effective for content that requires clarity, structure, or optimization. Think landing pages or blog articles.
Rebecca notes that the fit for AI really has to do with what you want your content to accomplish. So ask yourself, “Am I trying to educate, summarize, or optimize for search?” If so, AI could be a tremendous support tool. But if you’re muttering, “I want to surprise my audience or share something only I can say,” let your mind lead the way instead.
AI has upended content ideation, especially as writers are expected to move quickly and consistently—even if their creative juices aren’t flowing. Few things are worse for someone who does this for a living than writer’s block. And, as Rebecca puts it, if nothing she puts on the page sounds right, AI can offer a starting point to iterate on.
The secret ingredient for making it all come together? Starting with intent—a direction, vibe, or point of view.
Why Iteration Is Key to Making AI Outputs Usable
AI-generated content is helpful, but it can’t exactly be outstanding on its own, no matter how mesmerizing its capabilities are. Tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini pull from massive datasets, so you—the human—have to be clear about what you want. Rebecca shares that there’s no substitute for specificity when collabbing with AI. You can’t just say, “Hey, write me a good blog post about X topic,” because AI doesn’t know what defines “good”—you do.
Prompting generates better output.
Give AI detailed instructions by carefully crafting prompts, using custom GPTs or Gems, and loading up on background info. We’re talking writing styles, platform-specific rules, specific examples, and engaging H2 headers. The more context and direction you provide, the better and less generic the AI’s output will be.
Iteration isn’t one and done.
Revisions have always been a part of the writing process, whether you use AI or not. A client gives feedback, and you tweak based on their preferences and needs.
By iterating with AI, writers get to be both the creatives and the client, giving notes and cutting what doesn’t work to teach the technology. After a few rounds, everything starts to “click,” and the output begins to improve.
Bring the value AI cannot.
AI might be able to drop copy in a few seconds flat, but it can’t humanize your words. As you refine each draft, add personal anecdotes or alternate the rhythm, and give your copy a gut-check to ensure it’s achieving your goal.
Unretouched AI content can feel hollow. Rebecca suggests taking the time to do a human pass on everything to “make sure that nothing stands out as weird or as overly AI-generated.”
Where AI Tends to Fall Short—and How to Edit Out the "AI-Isms"
AI can summarize large volumes of information, find patterns, answer questions, and brainstorm like a pro. But it also gives you what’s most algorithmically likely based on your prompt, pulling from what already exists.
To create something that actually sounds like your business, take Rebecca’s advice and treat AI output as “raw clay” to mold to your voice. Consider a few of her tips to humanize your content:
Don’t settle for the first draft.
First drafts created with AI assistance aren’t bad, but they aren’t great unless you have a knockout prompt. You can get to great with iteration and human ingenuity.
Leave the AI-isms at home.
“In the era of …”
“The ever-evolving landscape …”
AI has plenty of catchphrases and conventions that expose itself. Cut out or refine the robotic phrases to create cleaner, clearer copy. Argue with the AI a little to align with your needs, even if it’s just typing something along the lines of, “Can we make this suit my personas?” Spending a few extra minutes can make your content more engaging and useful.
Take a beat.
Give yourself at least a few minutes between generating AI content and reviewing it. Reapproaching it with fresh eyes makes it much easier to spot inaccuracies or blatant AI-isms—and just gives your brain a chance to recharge!
Keep humans at the core.
The prospect of greater efficiency and scale is a dream come true, but there’s a fine line. People need to feel like they’re not being automated out of the process. So if your job is to create, do it with the same ethics we’ve always had:
- Don’t plagiarize or pass off something generic as something personal.
- Take ownership of your words, even if a robot helped shape them.
How SmartBug Is Building Responsible AI Practices into Workflows
Smartbug is pairing AI with human insight to strengthen client work and agency innovation. As Rebecca notes, ours is a delicate dance between fulfilling business and personal goals.
Refocus on what’s most fulfilling.
What could AI take off your plate? And what parts of your job do you never want to give to AI? SmartBug gathers feedback to find automated solutions for redundant or tedious tasks and free up team members for what they enjoy most and uniquely do well. From creative direction to content strategy, keep the reins on what gives your role meaning.
Template prompts for consistent output.
SmartBug is integrating custom Gems, or mini bots you can program with instructions for specific projects or clients and share in Google Workspace. Gems can be tailored with everything from content guidelines to writing preferences—such as using emojis in particular contexts or formatting social posts a certain way—to help our writers deliver excellence.
Use a human gut-check.
Not only do search engines reward real human authorship and experience, but all content also has a certain voice and tone to maintain. SmartBug ensures that final content reflects these needs by combining the natural refinements each writer makes with internal collaboration and client feedback.
Soak Up More AI Expertise with SmartBug
AI may be changing content, but that doesn’t mean you have to sound like a robot. We give you the tools to craft unique and creative content with AI as your assistant.
Listen to the full podcast now for more insights on AI in content, and follow SmartBug on LinkedIn for a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re building human-first workflows.
