10 reasons a professional copywriter is better than ChatGPT

• The first reason a professional copywriter is better than ChatGPT—creativity and human intuition
• A professional copywriter has an emotional intelligence that ChatGPT doesn’t
• Professional copywriters have a contextual understanding that ChatGPT doesn’t
• Looking for customization? Professional copywriters beat AI hands down
• ChatGPT lacks the strategic insight that professional copywriters have
• It’s much easier to collaborate with and get feedback from a professional copywriter
• ChatGPT can’t provide the quality control a professional copywriter can
• You won’t get the industry expertise from ChatGPT a professional copywriter can provide
• Professional copywriters can navigate ethical considerations that AI can’t
• Can you build a long-term partnership with AI?
• Can I share a little secret with you? ChatGPT wrote this post—sort of
• Is ChatGPT a time-saving miracle or a shortcut that will cost you in the long run?

With recent improvements to ChatGPT, you may be tempted to save money. There’s a free version of ChatGPT that’s got to be good enough, right? You may wonder why a professional copywriter is better than ChatGPT. I’ll give you ten reasons—but they may not all be my own. 😉

ChatGPT is undeniably a powerful tool. But that’s just it—it’s a tool. In the hands of an expert, you can expect spectacular results. In the hands of an amateur? Not so much. Give a professional photographer with 20 years’ experience the latest top-of-the-line camera. They’ll produce some stunning images. Give the same camera to an untrained amateur—the results will be less than stellar.

Now, give a pro a disposable point-and-shoot camera. Compare those photographs to the ones from the amateur using the same camera. You’ll have no difficulty determining who took which pictures.

Instead of pictures, we’re talking about copywriting and words in this post. Here are ten reasons a professional copywriter is better than ChatGPT.

The first reason a professional copywriter is better than ChatGPT—creativity and human intuition

AI can’t replicate the creativity of professional copywriters. The whole idea of AI is that it can “create” and “think for itself,” right? That’s what Hollywood tells us. But in reality, ChatGPT can only do this by analyzing previous examples. It can create something new in the sense that it may not be copying and pasting previous work. But it can’t synthesize new ideas—at least not that I’ve seen. 

As humans, we definitely draw on our experience. But you don’t need experience to be creative. Everyone has the potential to be creative. Some people are just better at it than others. 

Of course, being computer based, AI will always lack human intuition. AI typically won’t choose the exact right word to convey the precise nuance you’re looking for. It may be satisfactory, but it can’t take things to the next level that will help your brand stand out. A professional copywriter may spend hours finding the perfect word for the job. AI won’t.

A professional copywriter has an emotional intelligence that ChatGPT doesn’t

AI is nowhere close to understanding or replicating the vast array of human emotions. As humans, we’ve all experienced love, joy, frustration, and grief. AI has “learned” about those emotions, but it hasn’t “experienced” them like we have. If you’ve never experienced heartbreak, can you understand it on the same level as someone who has?

Professional copywriters draw on those emotions. That’s how they draft copy that resonates with your target audience. They can find the right angle or phrase that tugs at your heartstrings or riles you up. AI can try, and it may occasionally hit the nail on the head. But more often than not, it’ll come up short.

Professional copywriters have a contextual understanding that ChatGPT doesn’t

One of ChatGPT’s limitations is that it isn’t current. It can search sites (like Google) for current events. But the database it relies on is already almost three years old. The world is changing faster than ever. What was trendy and on brand three years ago is now a distant memory. Do you want your next marketing campaign to be based on outdated concepts and ideas?

Giving a professional copywriter a brief they’ll follow is much easier. A competent copywriter will ask questions. They’ll seek clarification on your brand voice, audience, and goals. Do you want to learn the new skill of crafting complex, effective ChatGPT prompts? Do you have time to disappear down that rabbit hole? 

That’s why you considered hiring a copywriter, right? You don’t have time to learn about SEO or copywriting models. You pay the copywriter for their expertise. Why replace learning copywriting with learning how to write effective ChatGPT prompts? Both will end up taking time away from your other duties. And you likely won’t become as knowledgeable or effective as a professional.

Looking for customization? Professional copywriters beat AI hands down

If your company is new, there won’t be much information online for ChatGPT to access. You won’t get content customized to your brand’s voice, goals, and audience. A professional copywriter will understand your brief better. They’ll pick up on things by analyzing your current content—things ChatGPT will miss.

When I write, I use simple language and short sentences to make my content easy to digest. I gave ChatGPT the following prompt.

Give me one paragraph on why ChatGPT can’t replace professional copywriters. 

I then copied and pasted the response into the Hemingway app (affiliate link), a tool I’ve written about before. Here are the results.

All four sentences are “very hard to read.” The readability level is “post-graduate” (i.e., someone with a master’s degree). I always aim for no “very hard to read” sentences, simple vocabulary, and readability under grade 9.

Here’s my rewrite, along with the Hemingway scores:

The same ideas and concepts, but with one less word—despite there being 13 sentences instead of four. There are no “very hard to read sentences”—not even a single “hard to read” sentence. The readability is also Grade 8. You tell me which version is easier to digest.

ChatGPT lacks the strategic insight that professional copywriters have

A professional copywriter is better equipped to understand your audience. They’ll know your audience’s pain points and preferences. A professional copywriter understands what tone and approach resonate best with them. They’ll know if emojis in subject lines boost open rates for your audience. They’ll know that what worked 18 months ago may not work now—and they’ll know why.

A competent copywriter will be able to work with you to deeply assess your target audience and your business’s long-term goals. They’ll be aware of the changing market landscape and be able to adapt to it.

As previously mentioned, the ChatGPT database is already three years old. It simply can’t keep up with current trends or adapt to recent changes in your business goals. Do you want AI to plan your marketing strategy without data from the last three years?

It’s much easier to collaborate with and get feedback from a professional copywriter

If you have a full-time copywriter (or one signed to an ongoing contract), you’ve developed a relationship. While working together, they’ve learned to anticipate what kind of copy will satisfy you. As they understand your brand/business better, you may involve them in long-term marketing and content strategies.

You’ll work together to conduct A/B testing to determine what resonates most with your audience. Perhaps you’ll review past campaign performance to determine if your current approach is effective. You’ll work together to refine campaigns to ensure they’re as effective as possible.

ChatGPT can’t provide the quality control a professional copywriter can

Professional copywriters are meticulous editors and proofreaders. They ensure the final content is polished, error-free, and maintains a high standard. ChatGPT is likely to give you something that is mostly grammatically correct. But there’s no guarantee it’s error-free. Have you ever read the fine print under the ChatGPT text box?

As I’ve previously posted, AI tools like Grammarly (affiliate link) are handy—but they’re not infallible. I use Grammarly but always review each suggestion—I never simply accept them all. Grammarly makes mistakes, too—lots of ‘em.

This next point is one of my biggest pet peeves about ChatGPT. It only answers using American spelling and grammar. It happens even when I specify a different audience in my prompt. I work for an Australian company. Thus, I follow Australian spelling and grammar rules. I always specify “for an Australian audience” in my prompts. But ChatGPT always responds in American English. 

I have to carefully analyze (or analyse, depending on my audience 😉 ) anything I get from ChatGPT. Australian English also typically doesn’t use the Oxford comma—but ChatGPT does.

Though grammatically correct, ChatGPT doesn’t account for spelling other than US English. It makes my job of proofreading tougher. I automatically use Australian spelling and omit the Oxford comma in my writing. I have to be very careful when adapting ChatGPT content for my job.

You won’t get the industry expertise from ChatGPT a professional copywriter can provide

Many professional copywriters specialize in a niche. Some are more specialized than others. My forte is definitely language and education. I’ve edited and proofread copy for clients on financial matters. But I would’ve struggled to write those pieces. 

The more specialized a copywriter is, the more effective they are in their niche. That may mean finding a copywriter well versed in your sector is more challenging. But when you find one, it’ll be worth it. They’ll be able to craft compelling copy that resonates with your audience much better than AI can.

Hiring a jack-of-all-trades copywriter may be better than trying to do it yourself. But they won’t be able to provide the insights and expertise someone familiar with that niche can. ChatGPT might be able to compete with them from a knowledge and insight perspective. But you’ll still face all the issues raised in this article.

Professional copywriters can navigate ethical considerations that AI can’t

At my current job, we’ve recently reviewed and adapted our vocabulary. We’re making an effort to use more respectful and inclusive language. This change has only occurred in the past 12-18 months. When reviewing old content, I have to update “outdated terms” that were acceptable just a few months ago.

Again, as mentioned several times, the ChatGPT database is three years old. It won’t be able to account for these changes, especially if they are sector or business specific. ChatGPT won’t be privy to the decisions or language choices you’ve made as a company. You’ll have to review that content carefully and make all those edits manually.

Can you build a long-term partnership with AI?

I’ve been with my company for over three years. When I first started out, I was learning about the sector, the company, and the brand. I did my best to create accurate and engaging content. Initially, I had a head copywriter and a manager who’d make changes to my copy where I came up short or missed the mark.

Three years on, I now understand the company, brand, and our products infinitely more. I’ve seen how they’ve all changed over the years. Some changes have been simple adaptations. Others have been significant improvements. But I have been part of that journey. I better understand the company voice, audience, and product benefits than ChatGPT ever could.

Can I share a little secret with you? ChatGPT wrote this post—sort of

I’m not 100% anti-ChatGPT. I use ChatGPT with my regular job and my freelance business. But I use it as a tool. I am against using ChatGPT as a quick “copy and paste” money-saving replacement for a professional copywriter.

When I began this post, I brainstormed my own ideas. I did some research on the value of professional copywriters. I already had an outline for this post. But then I had the idea to check with ChatGPT.

The reasons ChatGPT gave me more or less matched what I’d come up with. Some items in my outline were worded differently, but the basic pros and cons were similar. I decided to use the ten reasons ChatGPT came up with as the outline. 

But ChatGPT didn’t give me section titles or examples. Granted, I didn’t instruct it to write a blog post on the topic, but it gave me one or two lines per idea. Like the sample paragraph above, they were all written with a high readability index. Aside from the ten concepts, everything else in this post is mine. FYI, here’s the conclusion ChatGPT provided.

Here are the Hemingway app stats:

• One 38-word sentence (yes, 38 words) 
• “Very hard to read” 
• Readability: “Post-graduate” 

I agree with the sentiment. I use ChatGPT almost daily. But I typically use it to help me generate ideas. As in the example above, I have to rewrite what it gives me. I need to

• Simplify it.
• Ensure I use Australian spelling and grammar.
• Change sensitive words that my company has recently decided to change.
• Personalize it for our brand and products.

It’s a great tool that helps me be more productive, but it’s certainly not a copy-and-paste job.

Is ChatGPT a time-saving miracle or a shortcut that will cost you in the long run?

So, if you have to rework everything ChatGPT spits out, is it really a time-saving tool for you? Is it effective if it doesn’t resonate with your audience or drive engagement? Are you actually saving money? Or are you costing yourself money in missed leads and opportunities?

Ineffective copy that doesn’t resonate, engage, or convert doesn’t help you. Wouldn’t you be better off paying a professional copywriter to do the work for you in the first place?

I know what I think. But I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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