Is it OK to use AI to help your writing?

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My last few emails have all been about using AI to help with your writing and marketing.

And by now you might find yourself thinking “this all sounds great…it sounds like I can save a ton of time and get my marketing done much faster and easier….but…is it OK?”

And I’ve read a ton guff recently - most of it from professional writers and marketers - about how it’s somehow wrong or inauthentic or icky to use AI to help with your writing.

And you know what, I’d love it if I could effortlessly write emails and articles and sales pages and blog posts day in day out without needing any help from AI.

I’d also love it if I could hammer nails into wood with my bare hands and run at 70mph.

But in the real world I use a hammer and a car. And I use AI to help me with writing.

Now there are some situations where I don’t think relying heavily on AI is appropriate.

If you’re a fiction writer, for example. Where your readers are expecting what they read to drip from your pen.

Or if you believe that the main reason people are reading your emails and articles is to hear your “authentic voice”.

But personally, I don’t believe that for a minute.

I believe that my writing style can make what I write more enjoyable and interesting for my readers. Which makes it more likely they’ll read it and come back for more.

But is my writing style the main reason they’re reading my stuff? Is your writing style the main reason they’re reading your stuff?

I doubt it.

I believe they’re tuning in for your unique ideas and insights. Your unique stories and examples and analogies. Not your unique way of writing.

The vast majority of people sign up for business newsletters because they hope they’ll learn something useful. Something that’ll enable them to get better results in their business or life.

For that newsletter to have value it needs to share unique ideas and insights that can’t be obtained anywhere else. Or to explain things better or more memorably than anywhere else.

Does it matter if AI was used to help write it?

Not to my mind.

If I signed up to a newsletter that promised me the winning lottery numbers I really wouldn’t care if it was written by AI, the Oracle of Delphi or Paul the Octopus. As long as those numbers came up.

So when is it OK to use AI with your writing?

If it helps.

If it helps you get your ideas across to your audience when otherwise you’d still be stuck staring at a blank screen then it’s done its job.

If it gets you a decent first draft so you can edit and get to something you’re happy with much faster then it’s done its job.

If it helps make sure your research is much more thorough than you could manage on your own then it’s done its job.

It it writes a much more comprehensive and useful article than you’d have written because you just wouldn’t have the time or energy - then it’s done its job.

Did I use AI for this email?

No - today I didn’t need the help. Probably because this is something I feel passionate about so the words just poured out of me.

But there are plenty of days where I do need the help.

- Ian

Next time the focus will be on how to make sure your email and other content stand out and are different when you’re using Ai to help