#content #authentic #digitalmarketing
In the world of digital marketing, the debate over AI versus human effort to create content is heating up. Major industry players like Semrush are even sending out emails about how “AI and humans join forces for content optimization.” This shift confirms a critical truth we’ve long held: while technology is an essential tool, original, authentic, human-centric content remains king.
The rise of AI has led to what we call “AI fatigue.” With everyone using the same algorithms, the vast quantity of machine-generated content is starting to sound, look, and feel the same. It’s often generic, unoriginal, and lacks the personal touch that builds trust.
This is where you, the small business owner, win.
Your Voice is Your Value
In a market saturated with uniform AI output, your unique voice, personality, and expertise are your most powerful assets. People don’t just buy a product or service; they buy from who you are and the values you represent. Your unique perspective and hard-won experience are what make your business different.
To compete effectively, you must learn to leverage AI without letting it define you.
How to Establish Your Authentic Voice When Creating Content:
- Define Your Brand Personality: Your brand is more than just a logo and colors—it’s your entire character. Think about your favorite customer—the one who truly appreciates your value and gives you great feedback. What is their communication style? What do you like about them? Mirror this in your business’s voice—whether it’s friendly and casual or professional and authoritative.
- Guide Your AI Tools: When using AI to draft content, you can’t just rely on a generic prompt. You must include your specific brand values, preferred tone, and company language. This ensures the AI output is a starting point that you can then edit and refine, infusing it with your true voice and personality.
The Untapped Power of Video to Create Content
If authenticity is the goal, video, particularly live video, is the most powerful medium right now.
- Proof of Authenticity: It’s difficult to fake a live conversation. Showing up live puts a real human face to your brand, immediately cutting through the noise of machine-generated content.
- Everlasting Value: Unlike fleeting social media posts, a single piece of original video content can continue to rank, build authority, and attract customers for years. We’ve seen videos created over a decade ago still driving significant traffic and new customer leads today.
- Versatility: A longer video session is a goldmine of content. Tools like Riverside.fm can automatically chop longer videos into 60-second shorts, giving you multiple assets to post across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, maximizing your presence without excessive effort.
Streamline Your Digital Marketing Content Workflow
The cost of content creation doesn’t have to break the bank. You can choose to spend heavily on paid ads (like Google Ads) or invest in the long-term equity of your content. A smart content strategy helps you reduce your reliance on costly advertising.
- Do-It-Yourself with Efficiency: The modern marketer doesn’t need to be a video editing guru. Using platforms that automate tasks like short-form video clipping frees up your time to focus on creating the next piece of original and value-driven content.
The writing is on the wall: you must be present, and you must be authentic. By combining your unique human voice with smart AI tools, you can not only survive but thrive in the current digital landscape. Get out there, find your voice, and start creating!