If you’ve tried AI for your marketing and been disappointed, you’re not alone. Many local businesses tell us the results sound robotic, generic, and nothing like their own voice. There’s a simple reason for this, and a better way forward.
Why AI Features Don’t Deliver
AI has been added to just about every tool you use today: Microsoft Word, Gmail, Canva, and even WordPress plugins like Yoast. But if you’ve found the results lackluster, you’re experiencing a common problem. They promise better content, but what you get often feels lifeless. That’s because these built-in features don’t know anything about your business, your clients, or your style. Without that context, the output is bound to be bland and sound like a robot.
Think of AI as a New Team Member
Instead of relying on quick add-ons, start with one of the main chat tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. But here’s the crucial part: treat the tool like a new marketing hire. You wouldn’t ask a new employee to write for your business without them learning what you do, who your customers are, and your tone and style.. In the same way, you need to give AI the background it needs to do the job well.
What Context to Provide
There are three foundational areas to teach your AI teammate. These aren’t just generic details; they’re the core of your business identity that will enable AI to speak authentically for you.
- Your business and what makes it unique. What do you do differently than competitors?
- Your ideal client. Who are they? What problems do they need solved, and what outcomes are they looking for?
- Your brand voice. Are you casual or formal? Do you use humor? How do you want to sound?
Once the AI has this context, it can start producing content that feels more authentic and aligned with your goals.
Why Experimentation Matters
AI technology is improving fast. A feature that doesn’t work well today might be much better in a few months. That’s why it pays to experiment. At the same time, don’t just use AI to speed up your current random marketing. Automating poor processes only makes bad marketing faster. Instead, rethink your approach so AI helps you become more strategic and consistent.
Marketing Is Relationship Building
It’s easy to think of AI as a content machine, but remember marketing is relationship building at scale. When you train AI to understand your values and your audience, it can help you build trust at scale. That’s far more effective than pumping out generic posts or emails. Small steps with the right setup lead to much bigger results than jumping on every AI tool that comes along.
Action Steps
Here are three simple steps you can take this week:
- Pick one main AI chat tool and start building its knowledge of your business, your ideal client, and your brand voice.
- Create one piece of content using that context and compare it to what you got from the generic AI add-ons.
- Try one new AI feature or experiment, but always give it the proper context to succeed.
Why it Matters
If your current marketing process is scattered and random, automating it with AI just gives you faster random results. Instead, use AI to help you be more strategic and consistent. It’s the same principle we’ve always used to get our clients more customers and better leads: don’t do more marketing, do the right marketing.
AI can be an incredible team member, but only if you train it. By giving it the foundation of your business, your clients, and your voice, you’ll get consistent, authentic content that builds stronger customer relationships. If you want to learn more about our Marketing Accelerator Program (MAP) where we work with businesses to help them create their own AI marketing team, contact us.
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