You read that right: marketing has gotten harder because of AI. Not easier. Yes, AI can be helpful as a tool to do preliminary research and to do the first draft of writing for all kinds of content. But that pales in comparison to the damage it has done when it comes to email and social media marketing.
How do I know that? I read Kieren Snyder’s latest newsletter: I analyzed 4 years of my inbox, and look what AI has done to it. I recommend you read her extensive post but I’ll share the highlights. If you look at the graph below, you’ll see how the number of “cold outreach” emails has skyrocketed since the launch of ChatGPT.
What do these emails look like? They read as follows and, as Kieren notes, who can even tell what they’re trying to sell? Here’s an example:
Hi Janet,
I’ve been following your company’s groundbreaking work and your vision of marketing strategy resonates deeply with me… I’m reaching out because I believe there’s an opportunity for us to collaborate in a way that amplifies your mission….
Here’s where it gets exciting: my clients have seen double-digit increases in engagement and conversion rates, and I’m confident this methodology could add significant value to your company…
The next paragraph is a pitch to talk soon. Have you seen these yourself? I’ve gotten so tired of them in my email and my LinkedIn messages that I don’t even read them anymore.
But here’s the problem, as shown in the graph below. The volume of these emails and messages has grown so dramatically in the past two years, everyone has learned to just ignore them.
And that means that the emails and the messages that the rest of us send out, that aren’t AI written or generated, are being ignored, too.
As SEO genius Rand Fishkin has written, “The only solution: build an opt-in audience. Earn attention. Get your brand known. Then sell. Otherwise, you’ll be lost in an ever-increasing herd of overwhelming junk.”
What am I doing for my clients to help them in this new world? I recommend the following:
- Create REAL thought-leadership in your field. What do you know that others don’t?
- Play to the strength of video, especially YouTube. Here’s a link to shorts that I made with Rachel Hornstein from my channel.
- Grow your brand, as Rand says, even if it means a rebrand of your site.
Not sure how to break through? Let’s chat!
