Beyond “Mad Men”
The Future of Copywriting in the Age of AI
A cold wind of doubt began chilling my friend Shuang’s soul in January 2023 as she stared at the frozen cursor on her screen.
ChatGPT, who had appeared in November of 2022, was now churning out copy faster, clearer, and according to some clients, better structured and more eloquent than her.
She watched in silent terror how every carefully crafted sentence, every witty turn of phrase, every emotional hook, every proven framework had been effortlessly replicated with machine-like precision.
In seconds, ChatGPT could articulate marketing messages she had spent years mastering.
Her once thriving copywriting career felt like an endangered calling.
Her favorite clients now began fawning over the efficiency and affordability of AI, leaving her questioning the value of her creative thinking.
Was she an obsolete word wizard, a relic in a new age of algorithmic authorship?
Doubt and despair gnawed at her. Yet, a flicker of defiance remained.
Intelligent machines could mimic, but could they capture the nuance, the soul of human experience?
That, she believed, was her edge, the one thing AI couldn’t steal.
She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, not surrendering, but reorienting to a new reality.
Deploying the artistry of her wonderful human heart, which had evolved over eons to become an instrument of deep sensitivity, she decided to win this battle of wits… not with speed, but with stealth; not with cleverness, but with cunning; not with withdrawal, but with warmth; and not with brash confidence, but with emotional intelligence.
The Wu Wei of Unlearning
It’s true, the world of copywriting has almost changed beyond recognition.
We’ve moved far away from the romantic era of creative genius depicted in “Mad Men,” a hit television series set in the 1960s centered on one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies.
We’re now in a digital age dominated by AI.
While the basic principles of writing persuasive copy remain the same, the tools and strategies we use have changed.
Today success depends on understanding the unique needs of each online platform and adjusting our copy accordingly.
Data and analytics now preempt educated guesses.
We use precise analytical tools to measure what works and continually improve our copy to achieve better results.
This shift also means personalizing our marketing messages to an artfully imagined customer avatar for maximum impact.
Still, the main thing to keep in mind here is technology cannot replace human ingenuity.
Our job as creatives is to continue to create compelling stories, stories that resonate with people, anecdotes that create emotional connections through heartfelt writing.
We’re In the Thick of A Quiet Social Evolution
Instead of thinking in terms of competition, think in terms of collaboration.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly growing and providing new tools to help us. For instance, Hemingway Editor can help us perfect our writing while Grammarly can clean up our grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
At the same time, a wide selection of SEO tools will make it easier to make sure our content is seen.
So, whether you and I are ready for it or not, copywriting has become more sophisticated.
We’ve all become storytellers, deftly weaving emotional intelligence into our messaging.
We’re also tempering our imagination and creativity with a variety of technical skills … because we must now must now balance our insights on what to say with how to say it to align with the rule set of SEO and data analysis.
Continuous learning is now essential. In this rapidly changing world — it’s the only way to stay relevant.
This, of course, brings its own unique challenges, such as information overload and a strain on our limited time and attention.
Additionally — amidst a media storm spewing fake news and insidious scams perpetuated by predatory interests to ruin our reputation or part us from our money, it’s more essential than ever to be honest and transparent to win over our wary target audience.
Still, It’s A Future With Enormous Potential
With ethical considerations in mind, collaborating with artificial intelligence can help us all achieve positive change and social impact.
By increasing our efficacy and productivity with the constant influx of new AI tools while staying true to our core principles, we, as copywriters, can continue to shape the way brands interact with their audiences in the digital age.
Our evolutionary impulse now calls for an upgrade. It’s time to be more flexible with AI, more creative with our imagination, and more passionate about our gift of the gab to enrich our shared narrative.
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