How do you use AI to write marketing that does not sound generic?

Why AI copy often sounds the same

Ask an AI tool to "write a post about our bakery" and you tend to get something that could belong to any bakery: warm words, exclamation points, a vague "come see us." With nothing specific to work with, the tool fills the gap with common phrasing. The fix is better input: the more real detail you give, the less the tool has to make up.

Give it four things

Before asking for any draft, give the tool:

1. The facts. What is actually happening, with real details. "We are adding sourdough on Saturdays starting October 18. We bake 30 loaves. $9 each. Fermented for 24 hours."
2. Your voice. Paste your three voice words and short word list from lesson 10, plus one or two past posts you liked. "Friendly, plain, a little dry. We never use 'artisanal' or more than one exclamation point."
3. The reader. Paste or summarize your customer profile from lesson 11. "Regulars who come in on weekend mornings, and people nearby who have never visited."
4. The goal. One job for the piece, from lesson 1, and the one action from lesson 5. "Get people to preorder a loaf by replying to this post."

Then add the format: platform, length, and anything it must or must not include.

Ask for options, not answers

Ask for three or five opening lines, or two versions with different angles. Choosing between options is often faster than fixing one weak draft.

You can also use AI for parts of the job:

• Turning your rough notes into a clean first draft.
• Suggesting shorter versions of a long caption.
• Listing questions a customer might have about an offer.
• Rewriting a paragraph to be easier to read.

Always edit

Treat every AI draft as a draft. Read it out loud and ask:

• Does it sound like us, or like anyone?
• Did it add words we would never use?
• Is every sentence true and specific?
• Does it make any promise we cannot keep?

Cut filler, replace vague words with real details and remove slogans. A good rule: if you could swap in a different business name and the post would still work, it is not finished.

Always fact-check

AI tools can state things confidently that are not true: wrong dates, made-up statistics, incorrect rules, invented features. Check every fact, number, price, name and date against something you know is correct. If the tool mentions a law, platform rule or statistic, find the original source yourself, or delete it.

Pay special attention to promises. Watch for lines such as "you will love it" or anything that promises results. Describe what you do and what customers get; do not promise outcomes.

Lines AI must never cross

No fake reviews or testimonials. The Federal Trade Commission's rule on reviews and testimonials, announced in 2024, prohibits fake reviews and testimonials, and the FTC specifically includes AI-generated fake reviews [1]. Never use AI to write a review, a customer quote or a "customer story" that did not happen.

No invented results or experience. If a tool writes "hundreds of happy customers" and you do not have that number, delete it.

Be open about AI where readers would expect it. Google's guidance on helpful content suggests making the use of automation, including AI, clear to visitors through disclosures where it would be reasonably expected [2]. For AI-generated images and video, see lesson 20.

Common mistakes

One-line prompts. "Write a post about our sale" gets a post about any sale.

Publishing the first draft. It is usually the most generic version.

Trusting facts the tool added. If you did not give it the fact, check it.

Letting AI pick your voice. Give it yours.

Worked example

A bakery owner types: "Write an Instagram post about our new sourdough." The result: "Introducing our delicious artisanal sourdough! Crafted with love and the finest ingredients, it's the perfect addition to any meal! Come taste the difference today!" It could be any bakery, uses a word she never uses and asks for nothing specific.

She tries again, giving the four things: the facts (Saturdays from October 18, 30 loaves, $9, 24-hour ferment), her voice words and banned words, her regulars as the reader, and the goal (preorder by reply). She asks for three versions.

She picks the second, cuts one line and fixes the date, which the tool had changed to October 19. Her final post makes the remark first and ends with the question: "Sourdough is joining the Saturday shelf on October 18. We bake 30 loaves, fermented for 24 hours, $9 each, and you can reply here to hold one. Which Saturday should we save a loaf for you?"

The tool sped up the draft. The facts, voice and final check were hers.

Checklist

• I gave the tool real facts, my voice, the reader and one goal.
• I asked for several options.
• I edited the draft until it sounds like us.
• I checked every fact, number, name and date myself.
• I removed any promise of results.
• Nothing in the post is an invented review, quote or statistic.

Try it

Write a short brief you can paste into any AI tool: your three voice words, word list, one sentence about your main customer and two past posts you like. Next time you draft, paste the brief, add the facts and goal, and ask for three versions. Compare the result with a one-line prompt.

Tips

• Save your voice brief and reuse it for every request.
• Give real numbers and names; the tool cannot know them otherwise.
• Ask the tool to list any facts it added that you did not provide, then check them.
• Read the final version aloud before posting.

Sources

1. "Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials," Federal Trade Commission, August 14, 2024, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-rule-banning-fake-reviews-testimonials
2. "Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content," Google Search Central, https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content