I challenge you to type “AI content writing offers” on your search engine. Go ahead. Please do it. You will instantly be bombarded with ads that are hard to ignore.
“300 000 words for $2000. Hurry now, create content in 1/10th of the time and cost that you normally do! Save your business money and time with AI content creation services!”
I am sure that something along these lines must have popped up on your screen (these numbers are very real, I assure you!)
Ok, let’s do a little bit of math here. Three hundred thousand words equal 200 blogs, at approximately 1500 words each. So $2000 divided by 200 equals $10 per blog.
Let that sink in for a minute. Pretty impressive, huh?
The numbers become even more impressive when you consider the rates a human content creator would charge for a 1500-word blog. Taking the bare minimum of 5 cents per word, a content writer would charge $75 for that same 1500-word blog. Think about it—$ 75 versus $10.
That’s a lit bit crazy but super exciting, right?
The excitement seems to be justified as AI-generated content is easy to produce and does not require extensive human input. This means that companies can capture various platforms in one go, and efficient SEO content based on algorithms can be created at a fast pace. As content writing prices drop, a business can allocate resources in a more efficient manner, increasing profits and minimizing costs. I
The numbers are quite convincing, and since money talks, I can already see the little wheels in your brain churning. To AI or not to AI? But before you rush to jump on the AI wagon and get carried away by the AI-generated content hype, let me ask you this. How cheap is cheap?
What are you really sacrificing when you use AI content?
You Sacrifice Human Connection
The first thing you sacrifice when opting for AI content is human connection.
Humans are social creatures. They crave connection. They want to be heard, and they want to be understood. But since it takes one to know one, AI cannot understand how humans feel because, well, AI is not human.
So at the altar of cheap and fast content, you are sacrificing your connection with your audience. AI will create content that feels forced, fake and pretentious. A human writer will create content that hits straight home, resonates with your audience, and helps them connect.
Sure, you can create cheap and bulky content if you are willing to forego this deep connection with your audience. But before you make a final decision on the matter, let us see how important this connection is:
● 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them.
● 70% of consumers are seeking brands that appeal to their pain points.
● 79% of consumers admit that a brand that connects with them appears more authentic.
● It takes 0.05 seconds for your consumer to form an opinion about your brand, and if they find that your content fails to connect, they will immediately lose interest.
What these numbers tell us is basically this: if you want to attract your prospects and push them further down your sales funnel, you need to approach them on a personal level, and you must connect with them.
Connection requires you to understand their deepest concerns and worries, appeal to their pain points, and show genuine interest in adding value to their lives.
Can AI understand the struggles of another human?
You can add all the data and algorithms you want into the equation, but how do you add emotion and sentiment?
A human content writer empathizes, understands, and feels. Consequently, a human content writer pours these feelings onto his content as he reaches out, touches pain points, and connects with his audience. AI, on the other hand, cannot feel. And this lack of sincere emotion reflects in AI-generated content. AI does not do emotion.
So do you want to choose cheap, bulky, emotionless content that fails to connect? Are you sure it is worth it?
What seems cheap may not be so cheap in the end, as this lack of connection will severely decrease your ROIs. A human content writer might cost more, but he will succeed in connecting you and your brand with your audience.
Authenticity
AI is a more efficient, practical, faster, and cheaper way to create content.
But can AI come up with new ideas? No. It can regurgitate ideas and write what it is programmed to do, but can it be authentic and original? I am afraid not.
Unfortunately, AI writers significantly lack in the authenticity domain and can therefore fail to pass the connection test. As AI churns out great chunks of recycled content, your audience is losing interest fast. With an attention span of a goldfish (less than 8 seconds!), how do you expect trite and repetitive content to hook and bait your audience long enough to stay put?
With a bounce rate of more than 47%, you need to step up your game and make sure that your audience allocates more than your 5 seconds share on your content. Use AI-generated content, and you can see your bounce rate skyrocket. Your audience will scan through your content in the few seconds they land on your page. If they find your content boring, unoriginal, and repetitive, you can bet they will immediately bounce.
As you can see, sacrificing authenticity for bulk content is something that will cause irreparable damage to your brand, increase your bounce rate and drop your KPIs.
Is that what you want out of your content? I am willing to bet that you do not.
However, if you still find the scales tipping in favor of AI content writers (I get you, money and time!), let this statistic help you decide:
88% of consumers say that authenticity in a brand’s content is crucial when making purchasing decisions.
It’s your call. Save money now and lose the big bucks later? Or invest in a stellar human content writer and create compelling content that will convert and push your prospects further down the sales funnel?
You Sacrifice Trust
Humans are intelligent creatures. They can tell when they are being lied to, when they are being patronized, and when someone is only trying to get into their pockets.
AI content fails to connect and fails to be authentic. As AI cannot understand the struggles of your audience’s buying journey, AI content reads as calloused, one-sided, and opportunistic. Moreover, AI content feels forced (because it is), thus making your audience feel that you are only after their money (which is, to a certain extent, true, of course, but AI content blatantly shoves this information into your readers’ faces).
So, what are you sacrificing when you use cheap AI-generated content? Trust. You lose trust. Humans instinctively turn away from AI-generated content because they cannot trust it. How can you trust a machine to feel you and understand you? You cannot. Mistrust is on the rise, and 69% of people fear that brands are now more than ever spreading fake news and misinformation to coax prospects into buying. As AI content floods the web, trust amongst consumers plummets.
However, there is so much more you lose when you lose your audience’s trust.
You lose buyers.
Statistics show that 46% of consumers are willing to pay more money for a brand they trust, even when competitive products and services can be found at significantly lower prices.
So, what you think you are buying cheap, you end up paying for it in a more expensive currency: customers, both new and recurring.
You Sacrifice Creativity
AI is fast, efficient, and cheap.
But AI is not creative.
Achieving unique, engaging, and creative content when AI is behind the wheel is a very difficult - if not impossible - task. A human writer is creative, and each writer has his own individual style that sets him apart from the crowd. Moreover, a human content writer will match the tone of your audience’s voice, echoing their concerns, mirroring their angst, and sharing their way of thinking.
A human content writer will give your brand its own unique voice that will help it stand out from your competitors. 77% percent of consumers buy from brands that share their values. You can only showcase your brand as reflecting your customer’s values if your content is unique, creative, and specifically tailor-made to meet your audience where they are at.
On the flip side, AI-generated content is never unique, and one piece of content is a very close replica of the other. It doesn’t matter if you want your brand to be differentiated from other similar brands. It doesn’t matter if your vision sets you apart from others. If your content cannot reflect this unique vision, then you are only as good as anyone else.
If you really think about it, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of your marketing and branding efforts? If you are going to spend money on content that will do little to attract new leads, why would you even bother?
Unfortunately, as AI becomes the new hype, the link between creativity and effectiveness is broken, with more than 65% of consumers admitting that they are looking for diversity and creativity in their brand’s marketing efforts before deciding to convert.
Creativity is undoubtedly crucial and will set you apart from the crowd. Creativity will foster brand loyalty, and it will ultimately sell. But AI cannot do creativity.
However, can you afford to go without it?
You Sacrifice Humor and Common Sense
“Humor is hope’s companion in arms. It is not brash; it is not cheap; it is not heartless. Among other things, I think humor is a shield, a weapon, a survival kit.” Ogden Nash
I find this quote to be so profoundly deep that it captures the essence of humanity. We are treading through hard times, economic uncertainties, and war. Humans are trying to come to terms with the aftermath of the pandemic’s crippling effects and the current war’s global consequences.
In these difficult times, humor becomes our weapon.
As humanity becomes increasingly depressed, humor becomes a great weapon in the arsenal of content writers for 2023. Put a grin on your readers’ faces when they are reading your content, and you will have them hooked. Make them chuckle, and you will have loyal followers eating out of your palm.
However, can AI use Humor?
No. It definitely cannot. Would you choose AI-generated content that fails to strike a humorous chord with your audience?
Ponder on this while I go about explaining another crucial aspect of content writing: common sense. Can AI use common sense?
Unfortunately, - just like with humor - AI also lacks in the common sense department. It will follow your set of instructions and algorithms and will do a perfect job at executing precisely what you have programmed it to do. But AI cannot put common sense into its content since sense is an attribute that only humans have. Interestingly, research shows that nine out of ten consumers expect their brand to provide them with meaningful content (aka having common sense and adding value to their lives).
AI can perfectly follow algorithms and can only do black or white. It cannot do any shades of gray in between since AI lacks common sense. However, research shows that common sense is a must when it comes to content creation. More than 90% of consumers are looking for meaningful content. Not black content. Not white content. Meaningful content that does lots of gray as it applies common sense.
Consequently, content that lacks common sense will fail to build credibility and establish trust. Still not convinced?
Let’s see some more numbers that seem to back up the argument in favor of human content writers versus AI-generated content.
According to a 2021 study by the Content Marketing Institute, 88% of businesses admit that using human content writers has succeeded in increasing brand awareness. Human writers have greatly surpassed AI-generated content in reaching a company’s goals, as evidenced by their improved ROI, augmented organic traffic, and increased conversions.
To AI or Not to AI?
Admittedly, AI-generated content is gaining ground and has become the new hype among businesses. Cheap, quick, SEO-focused content seems to be the new buzzword. AI is here to save the day, reduce your costs and increase your profits.
But is this really true?
As more and more companies are using AI to cover their content writing needs, we see a drop in the quality of content produced. Compelling content is swept aside and sacrificed in the altar of bulky, fast content that frequently follows the “one size fits all” formula.
You can opt for cheaper content, but how cheap is cheap? What are you really sacrificing when you rush to jump on the AI wagon?
You are sacrificing your connection with your buyers. You are jeopardizing your content’s creativity and sweeping aside your content’s authenticity. You are robbing your brand of its own unique voice, and you are losing your customers’ trust. In putting your branding efforts in the hands of AI, you are sacrificing humor, common sense, and emotions.
Is The Ultimate Cost of Jumping On The AI Wagon Worth it?
Unfortunately, this is the true ugly side of AI: it is cheap and fast but AI will cause irrevocable damage to your brand.
So, is the ultimate cost of jumping on the AI wagon worth it?
No. It is not.
If you want your marketing efforts to increase your brand’s visibility, you need to trust your content in the expert hands of stellar content writers.
What if we told you that Iris Marketing Solutions not only has exquisite writers on board but will also create your content with a fast turnaround rate of 24 hours?
Our team of expert content writers has a superb record of delivering engaging, compelling content that resonates with your audience and builds trust and converts. Human content writers are your best bet if you want your audience to move through the sales funnel. And amongst human content writers, the ones at Iris Marketing Solutions are the finest.
Premier content writing services at affordable prices with unparalleled turnaround rates.
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