AI is a brilliant content assistant , but it’s not your voice, your brain, or your brand. Here’s how to actually make it work for you (without sounding like a robot).

Tools like ChatGPT saves you time and helps get you started, but if you just copy and paste what it gives you, your content will sound like a soggy sandwich.

Learn how to prompt better, re-write smarter, and make AI your content sidekick (not your ghostwriter).

the common mistake

❌ “I’ll just get ChatGPT to write it for me…”

AI can save you time. But left unsupervised, it writes like it’s trying to win a school essay competition in 2007.

it sounds:

• Robotic
• Generic
• A bit… beige

And let’s not forget those endless – dashes – for – dramatic – effect.

let’s get clear on what AI is and what it’s not.

AI is…

✅ A fast first draft
✅ A way to organise messy thoughts
✅ A structure and idea machine
✅ A brilliant assistant (if you brief it well)

AI isn’t…

❌ A mind reader
❌ A one-click content solution
❌ A copy-paste content strategy
❌ A replacement for your voice or insight

It’s powerful – but you need to guide it!

Give it direction, edit what it gives you, make sure it sounds like you!

ChatGPT’s like a junior copywriter with zero life experience…but don’t leave them unsupervised or they’ll write your about us page like it’s a TED Talk!

why prompting matters!

🧠 AI isn’t a mind reader.

The quality of your prompt directly affects the output. Here’s what a solid prompt includes:

🎯 Audience: Who’s it for?
📌 Purpose: What should it do? Educate? Sell? Inspire?
🪜 Structure: List? Story? Something else?
🗣️ Tone: Chatty? Blunt? Warm? Straight-talking?
⛔ Avoid this: Buzzwords, clichés, waffle, or… dashes 🙃

Think of it like briefing a freelancer – if your brief’s rubbish, the output will be too.

the better the prompt, the better the post

If your output feels boring, vague, or robotic, the chances are the input was too.

❌ weak prompt:

“Write a LinkedIn post about websites.”

Why it fails:
– No audience
– No purpose
– No tone
– No structure
– No boundaries

You’ve basically asked AI to freestyle. And guess what, if you don’t guide it, you’ll end up with phrases like:

“in today’s digital age…” OR “unlock the power of your online presence”” OR “harness the potential of synergy” OR any of the cringey end-of-sentence fluff that screams “written by a bot who’s been fed too much LinkedIn”

✅ upgraded prompt, but still not perfect:

“Write a conversational LinkedIn post for small business owners about 3 website mistakes that hurt lead generation. Keep it under 120 words, in UK English. Avoid fluff and clichés.”

Better, but still a little dry.

It’s still missing some key elements to really drive home what you’re looking to output.

🔧 prompt like a pro – final version:

“Act as a B2B marketer who writes no-nonsense, plain, straight forward LinkedIn posts. Write a short, punchy post for small business owners about 3 website mistakes that cost leads. These must be something that is easy to identify by the website owner and easy to rectify without a rebuild or extensive coding knowledge.
– Tone: direct, informal, and confident. No fluff, no buzzwords, no hyperbole, no jargon – just plain english
– Use UK English.
– Keep it under 100 words.
– End with a soft CTA inviting them to message for a free review.”

Why this works…

✅ Role defined
✅ Audience set
✅ Purpose clear
✅ Style nailed
✅ Word count limit
✅ CTA added
✅ No vague terms left hanging

“If you can’t picture who’s speaking and who they’re speaking to, ChatGPT won’t either.”

re-prompting like a human editor

✍️ the first draft is rarely the final draft.

Even when it’s decent, it still needs guiding.

You don’t have to accept everything, or even start again. Pick the bits that work. Rewrite the bits that don’t.

Try saying things like:

• “Keep the second paragraph but rewrite the first with more energy.”
• “I like the tone, can you shorten it to under 100 words?”
• “Use the same structure, but rewrite it in a more human voice.”
• “Keep this line: ‘Most websites leak leads’, that one’s gold.”
• “Take the second draft and merge it with the CTA from the first.”

Use a doc (Google Docs, Word, Notion, whatever)

💡 Copy the draft in, highlight what you like, and leave comments on what needs changing.

Then just paste those changes into ChatGPT and prompt:

“Keep the bits I’ve highlighted, rewrite the rest with shorter sentences and a more direct tone.”

Treat AI like your editor – not your ghostwriter. You’re in charge. It just does the heavy lifting.

what to say when it’s…

💤 too boring:

“Punch this up – more personality, fewer filler words.”
“Make it more engaging without sounding too salesy.”

🧼 too generic:

“Add specifics and examples. Remove vague phrases.”
“Avoid anything that sounds like fluff or hype.”

🤖 too robotic:

“Rewrite using a human tone – natural language only.”
“Use contractions. Make it sound like someone talking.”

📢 too shouty / salesy:

“Tone it down – more helpful, less like a pitch.”
“No ALL CAPS. No fake energy. Just be useful.”

💣 still a mess?

“Rewrite it as if I’m messaging a friend who owns a business.”

10 Signs It’s Obvious AI

🤖 How do you know a post was written by AI (and never edited)?

Here are the dead giveaways:

1. Endless — dramatic — dashes
2. “In today’s fast-paced world…”
3. Buzzwords like: thrilled, empowered, synergy, transformative
4. Every sentence is the same length. The same rhythm. The same cadence.
5. No contractions: “It is time to take action…”
6. Overcooked metaphors: “your website is your digital handshake”
7. Buzzword soup: “Leveraging scalable synergies to drive innovation at scale”
8. 200 words of content that say nothing
9. “We’re excited to announce…” (Spoiler: no one else is)
10. Generic bullet lists (like this one?)

Want to use AI without ending up on this list?
Re-read, rewrite, and don’t post until it sounds like you.

AI doesn’t write badly…it writes like someone trying to sound clever…but with no idea who they’re talking to.

how to avoid sounding like AI…

🛑 Want it to stop writing like a robot?

Cool. Don’t just cross your fingers — tell it what not to do.

✅ Try saying these in your prompts:

• “Avoid clichés and buzzwords.”
• “Use contractions.”
• “Keep it punchy.”
• “No dashes.”
• “Make it sound like a real person.”
• “Imagine this is for LinkedIn, not a press release.”

AI listens, but only if you tell it clearly. Let your voice be heard and known, train it!

You don’t need to be polite. You need to be specific.

how i use ChatGPT to write content

• 💭 Start with a messy idea
  I brain-dump a rough thought or post angle into ChatGPT. It helps me shape it into something usable and sound out my thoughts.
  
• ✏️ Get a structured draft
  I ask it for the type of content I want to produce – a short post, outline, newsletter, blog, LinkedIn carousel, and ask for a few headline options to see what direction looks promising.
  
• 🚫 Bin what doesn’t work
  If it sounds robotic or full of fluff, I highlight what I don’t like and re-prompt it to fix that bit.
  
• 🧠 Re-prompt like mad
  I often go back 3–5 times, guiding tone, structure, and flow until it starts sounding like me.
  
• ✂️ Edit the final version myself
  AI gets me 90% there but the final 10% is human. I tweak phrases, cut repetition, and make it land.
  
• 🔊 Read it aloud before posting
  If it makes me cringe or sounds stiff, it gets one more rewrite.

It’s not “write it for me” – it’s “help me write faster, better, and with less staring at a blank page”

use the tool – don’t become the tool.

AI can help you write faster, it can shape your ideas and it can definitely save you time.

• But you bring the story.

• You bring the insight.

• You bring the spark that actually connects.

The future isn’t human or AI – it’s human with AI.

want help using AI without losing your voice?

Drop me a message – I’ll happily take a look at your content, your prompts, or both.

Ask for my quick-fix GPT guide, built for small business owners or anyone who’s ever sighed at a soulless AI post.

Inside you’ll find:

✅ Real-world prompt upgrades
✅ Re-prompting lines that actually work
✅ AI content clichés to avoid
✅ How to make ChatGPT sound like you

No fluff. Just fixes.

Let’s make AI your assistant – not your brand manager. Remember, AI’s brilliant – but only when you use it with intention.

If you treat it like a ghostwriter, you’ll end up with a soggy sandwich.

If you guide it like a sidekick, it’ll help you sound like you – faster.