A couple of weeks ago, a client texted me, “Hey, I used ChatGPT to create a new social media plan and am sending it for your eyes only. Please don’t share it with your team yet.”
So that’s a fun text to get. I sighed and opened my email.
The “plan” included basic things, such as “Tag people in photos and use hashtags” to use new platforms such as Clubhouse.
Clubhouse, you all. Clubhouse.
Before I gave myself a concussion from pounding my head on my desk, I decided to figure out why he asked ChatGPT for ideas versus his very adept social media team to do this—and how I would have the conversation about what we are and are not doing and why.
I called him and said I had read his email and had questions. Before I got any further, he said, “Don’t get mad at me! I was just testing ChatGPT and thought it had some good ideas.”
I laughed and said I wasn’t mad, but was curious what he thought of the response he got. He said, “I know we’re already doing many of these things, but we’re not doing things like Clubhouse.”
Ding! Ding! Ding! I KNEW IT!
So I gently explained that while AI is super fun and makes us lots more efficient, it also can’t be relied on. And then I told him Clubhouse hasn’t been a thing since we were all locked in our homes with no end in sight.
I inadvertently sucked the wind out of his sails, and you know I’m a huge advocate of AI. But I also needed him to know we’re not leaving off an entire podcasting venture just because we want to. As it turns out, we humans still know a thing or two that AI does not.
The Fear of AI Replacing Us
On a LinkedIn post a few weeks ago, a friend commented, “I get that you’re all in on AI, and I love it, too, but as a freelancer, I’m scared my clients are going to try to replace me with it.”
This is a real fear. Just like our clients are using it to get new marketing and communications ideas, there are plenty out there who think they can save a buck by prompting their AI tool of choice to write a blog post, create some social media assets, write a news release, plan for a crisis, and develop Google Ads.
Can it be done? For sure. Is it good? No. It’s not good.
I’m sure you’ve seen videos created by AI all over your social media feeds. You first notice that the captions are in neon green and yellow. Then you realize there was no human involvement other than recording the initial video.
Are those people posting to social media every day? Yep. Is it good? I guess “good” is in the eye of the beholder, but as soon as I see those neon colors, I scroll right past.
Same with content. “In today’s rapidly changing landscape…” is a sure sign that the article was AI-generated. So is bolded copy and lots of bullet points.
And if one more person uses AI to write their LinkedIn comments, I will punch them in the face. It’s so bad…and we all know what you’re doing.
And yet…
Relying Soley on AI Is Ignorant
It’s not unlike anything else in this world. We have fad diets and get rich fast schemes because human beings want the easy way out.
In the early days of SEO, many companies stuffed their websites full of keywords to rank high in search results. Google eventually got smart about that and began to prevent the practice.
The same thing happened with content: instead of hiring writers, many companies would scrape content from their competitors’ websites and post it on their own. Of course, they looked and sounded just like their competition (not to mention it was theft), but by golly! It saved them money.
And don’t get me started on the sheer number of emails I receive every day that start with, “I see you’re the founder of Spin Sucks…”
No kidding?
Your inbox is probably full of that crap, too.
Combine its laziness and lack of authenticity with its inability to detect sarcasm, bias, or cultural contexts. When left in the wrong hands, it can be ignorant at best and dangerous at worst.
Acknowledge Their Excitement
But there is a way to handle conversations so your salary or budget aren’t at risk.
First, acknowledge their excitement. It is exciting! I love it—that’s not a secret. And I’m sure there are lots of people out there who are excited to be able to ask it something and get a fairly good answer. Not to mention the time it can save them on things they hate, such as writing drafts of emails, summarizing reports, and analyzing data.
You could say something like, “I completely understand why you’re excited about AI. It’s transforming our industry, and there are some incredible use cases we should explore.”
Or you could be like me and say, “It’s freaking cool, isn’t it? Tell me how you’re using it!”
This leads to a productive conversation instead of a defensive one (which helps me when my immediate reaction is to roll my eyes so hard they get stuck in the back of my head).
Highlight the Strengths of AI
Next, highlight the strengths of AI. Be specific about where it excels, where it has downfalls (like recommending Clubhouse in 2024), and where it still needs human involvement.
For instance, it’s great at data analysis, content ideation, and streamlining repetitive tasks. Talk about where you’re already using it, how, and where you think it might benefit the person you’re talking to.
I always like to use my cycling example when talking to a client about it. Of course, I keep meticulous stats for improvement so my coach can program my workouts. Before AI, he and I would sit down monthly and discuss the stats. We still do that, but before that meeting, I throw the information into ChatGPT and ask it to analyze it. I ask what I did well, where I can improve, and what recommendations it has for the following month.
Then I ask it to compare to the month before and then to February (which is when I started doing it this way). It’s really fun to see my progress, beyond I’m XX% on my way to my goal and my VO2 max is XX% higher.
When I explain it this way to a client, you can see the lightbulbs going off and it becomes a fun conversation.
Find something simliar, even if it’s how you use it in your personal life, to highlight its strengths.
Address Its Limitations
Once you do that, you can address the limitations. You may have already done that as you’ve discussed its strengths, but if not, do that here.
It’s great for content ideation, for sure, but it’s not great for writing an article you can just publish. It still takes significant human input and oversight, not just to ensure it’s accurate and sourced correctly, but to add your experience and expertise in content that Google wants to see.
As we saw earlier, it doesn’t provide the most up-to-date information, showing that humans are still important in grasping context, emotions, and brand voice.
Provide Concrete Examples
While discussing this, provide concrete examples, especially where human expertise is irreplaceable.
It might look like something like:
- “Remember last year’s product recall? AI couldn’t have navigated the delicate stakeholder communications or made real-time decisions based on evolving situations.”
- “That campaign we won an award for last year? It was built on cultural insights and emotional storytelling that AI simply can’t replicate.”
- “Our relationships with key journalists, built over the years, secure us those coveted feature stories. AI can’t network over coffee or understand the nuances of a reporter’s beat.”
Emphasize it is a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than a replacement. It makes us more efficient so we can focus on higher-level strategic opportunities.
Speak to Efficiency Gains
Which can lead you to speak about efficiency gains. Don’t be afraid to talk about how much time it has freed up for you and/or your team, but couple it with what you’ve replaced that time with.
For instance, you may use AI for initial research, content outlines, and data analysis, which has freed up about 30 percent of your time. Because of that, you’ve been able to focus on some things on the back burner.
This shifts the conversation from “I shouldn’t have to pay you as much anymore” to “Oh, wow! We’re getting so much more for our money.”
Present a Strategic Integration Plan
Lastly, present a strategic integration plan. This is where the PESO Model© comes into play. The 2024 refreshed model includes significant AI use and is a great place to start as you consider how you’ll be able to replace some of your lower-quality, repetitive work with more strategic outcomes.
You can discuss how you and your team stay at the forefront of its developments and use them throughout your integrated PESO Model program. This allows you to test, tweak, iterate—and then provide monthly updates on new capabilities within each media type and how you leverage it to drive results.
AI Can Be Powerful
Remember, the goal isn’t to dismiss AI but to position it as a powerful tool in your communications toolbox.
By demonstrating how you’re thoughtfully integrating it while maintaining the irreplaceable human elements of strategy, creativity, and relationship-building, you’ll show that you’re not just keeping up with technology—you’re leading the way in using it effectively.
