5 common pitfalls marketers make when AI runs the show, and how to avoid them.
Most people are using AI the same way they use a Keurig: fast, easy, and completely forgettable.
They drop in a prompt, get a perfectly average answer, and hit publish.
But according to Bynder’s State of Branding report, over 50% of readers can tell when content is AI-generated, and more than half say they’d engage less with that brand as a result (Bynder).
Before we get into the five most common mistakes, let’s talk about the biggest misstep marketers make before they even start.
The First Thing Everyone Gets Wrong:
They think they can rely on AI to have original thoughts.
Somewhere along the way, we flipped the roles. We started treating the tool like the strategist, and ourselves like the assistant. We ask AI what we should say, how we should say it, and who we should say it to, and then we label it as efficiency.
But here’s the problem: AI can only remix what it’s already seen. If you’re handing it the wheel without knowing where you’re going, your message is already off course.
This is a critical mistake because your originality, perspective, and clarity are the only things AI can’t generate. If you start with nothing but a prompt, what you get back might sound polished, but it won’t carry weight.
1. Publishing Too Fast
You drop in a prompt, get decent output, and hit publish.
But if you’re posting without editing, without adding your point of view, and without context, what exactly are you sharing? It’s not thought leadership. We just call this content.
2. Editing Away Your Voice
You start with an idea that’s specific and personal. Then you let AI “clean it up.”
And suddenly:
- The raw part is gone.
- The punchline is smoothed over.
- The detail that actually mattered? Removed.
We may think we’re editing. But we’re actually just dulling the edge.
3. Ignoring Real-Life Experience
AI can’t see your office. It doesn’t hear the nuance in your client calls or catch what made them pause.
If you’re using AI to figure out what to say instead of building from what you already know? You’re outsourcing the most valuable part of what you bring to the table.
4. Outsourcing Your Judgment
AI should be your assistant, not your decision-maker.
If you can’t tell where the tool stops and where you begin, you’ve lost the plot.
AI doesn’t know your clients. It doesn’t know what just happened in your last meeting. And according to HubSpot, nearly half of marketers say AI-generated content is often inaccurate or off-base, especially when not reviewed by someone who knows the context (HubSpot).
Here’s the rule: AI can help you say something faster. But you need to decide what’s worth saying.
5. Losing Your Brand Identity
You think you’re saving time. But what you’re really doing is:
- Sounding like everyone else
- Blending into the inbox
- Building a brand no one remembers
And here’s the part no one talks about:
When you dodge the harder parts, your positioning, your message, what really matters, you’re not streamlining. You’re skipping the work that makes people care.
What You Should Be Doing Instead
- Use AI as a brainstorm buddy
- Use AI to build structure & outlines
- Use AI for deep dive research
- Draft with it, but take it with a grain of salt.
- Use AI to repurpose content, but give it direction.
- Use AI to shape your message, not to generate it from scratch. But first lead with your lived experiences.
Start by deciding your own message before you prompt AI.
Instead of: “Write me a blog post about retirement planning tips.”
Try: “Here’s the story I want to tell: I had a client who panicked about retirement, and we had a breakthrough conversation. Help me turn that into a 3-part outline.”
Final Word
AI is a power tool, not a blueprint. If you’re using it to replace your voice instead of sharpening it, your content will fall flat. Strategy still matters. Context still matters. And yes, your actual point of view still matters.
Use the tool. Keep the voice human.
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