Write Copy That Sounds Like You (Even When You’re Using AI)
If you’ve ever asked ChatGPT or Claude to write a blog post, email or landing page for you, chances are at least one of your eyebrows frown and at least one of your eyes rolled over while reading back the text.
I mean, yes, it did help you write things faster. But as everyone is starting to use it more and more, pieces of copy become generic and they all sound the same.
You’re basically using a tool which shouldn’t replace your voice, but which should help express it more effectively.
Whether you use AI to write copy or not, that copy should sound like it came out of your mouth no matter what.
I’m not saying “don’t use AI” if that’s what you feel like doing. But there are other ways to make it work for you without losing your essence.
It also shouldn’t be hard and take all of your time. Staring at a blank document with a mouse blinking wondering what now and where to start is no fun.
But it can be easier than that, trust me.
So let’s see how you can write copy that sounds like you even when you’re using AI.
1. Know your positioning
Before you start writing anything, determine your positioning by asking yourself these 3 questions:
Who do you help? (be specific)
How do you help them?
What do you want to be known for?
This will help you wrap your mind around what you’re about to build and position you in a great space to stay writing. It will give you the right context to create and get to the next step.
2. Get ideas of messaging from your customers
If you’re wondering what to write about or you don’t know what words you should use (and how), looking at your clients is golden.
Their voices are essential and can provide tremendous insights into your writing. Look for phrases they seem to repeat, observe how they talk about their problems, outcomes, words they use to describe things. If you have a brand strategy guide this part of the process will be sped up.
You can find these things in your discovery calls, email exchanges, DMs, comments and in every place you interact with them.
3. Write a messy outline before you touch AI
An email, a website page, a podcast – anything you’re about to create–has a structure.
And with your positioning in mind and the words of your customers you can easily create that.
Ask yourself what the goal of that piece of text is, then outline what you need to cover in order to get to a conclusion that introduces your goal (booking a call, checking your new blog post, giving you a reply - you name it).
The best thing that works for me at this point is scribble that down on a notepad or on my Kindle Scribe. But you can use your laptop, your phone, anything that works.
4. Write the first (messy) draft
Only now, it’s time to write. Focus on turning that outline into a draft.
The goal isn’t perfection here, but getting your ideas and voice onto the page, while blending in the words of your customers to create a story worth reading. And you have 2 options here:
A. Either give your positioning, your client research (or the brand guide) with the outline to AI (not earlier!) or
B. Write a messy first draft yourself (recommended!) and you can then feed that into AI for the next step if you really must.
5. Edit it merciless
At this point, you’d simply want to edit your first messy but beautiful draft or an AI generated text to sound more like you without losing content.
It’s important to not skip this part because it’s when you see new things, can add more examples and stories, you see repetitions, can remove unnecessary adjectives or words, add things you might have missed and prepare your copy to drive action.
Wrapping Up…
So if you want to sound more like you when writing, put yourself first in the process. Wrap your head around your positioning, look at your clients for inspirations, write a messy outline, then a first draft and then, if necessary use AI as a tool, and edit, edit, edit.
Using this gives your flow a structure when you don’t know where or how to start, while also remaining flexible. It also ensures that you are the first one in your texts, instead of trying to edit your way in AI to sound more like you.
However you choose to do it, editing is an important part of any writing process.
And if you need help with that, I created a free guide with examples to help you improve and edit your copy like a pro. When you subscribe to the newsletter, that’s the first thing that pops in your inbox.
Oh, and did I mention it comes with a delicious cookie recipe to make writing copy that sounds like you even more enjoyable?
“It's a fab resource, and great for anyone who's struggling to understand this part of business / marketing! It's well laid out, clear and easy to read / understand. I hope other people can see the value in it. I haven't tried the cookie recipe yet but it looks delish!” - Saoirse Nash, Endometriosis Coach
Hey, I’m Patri!
Welcome to the Sales Copy Corner.
I’m the #endogirl you call when you need warm & intentional sales copywriting to support your business and yourself.
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