Whenever I open a restaurant's menu and discover they make their own pasta, I have to order it.
Sure, the portion will be smaller. Yes, the price will be higher. But the craft and care will make it so much more satisfying and delicious than if the noodles came from a box.
Handmade pasta takes time and finesse, but it's desirable, memorable, and its quality commands a higher price.
No one is going to tell their friends about the boiled-from-the-box pasta they ate at a chain restaurant. But that scratch-made fettuccine Bolognese? That's a conversation starter. In fact, if it's good, it may even be the reason for a return trip to that same dining spot.
This is a perfect metaphor for the difference between thoughtful human-crafted blog posts and AI-generated content.
How AI-Blogging Trades Efficiency for Impact
For many business owners who want to blog, the pressure to produce enough content to cut through the clutter can feel overwhelming.
There are around 7.5 million blog posts published per day worldwide, and the average person is bombarded with marketing messages everywhere they look (or listen!).
It makes sense that when faced with budget and time limitations, many brands turn to AI tools for help with their blog.
But are lots of forgettable blog posts really better than fewer, high-quality posts?
Not if your goal is to build audience engagement and foster trust.
AI tools struggle to mine for answers to these questions and create posts that offer anything new. Not to mention, it takes a lot of prompt savvy and editing to preserve your brand voice and personality.
Other potentially damaging pitfalls to AI blog writing include:
• Possibly inaccurate output
• Negative environmental impact
• Implicit bias within the tools
• Bland content that readers identify as bot-created
The Value of Human-Crafted Blog Posts
As a small business copywriter and brand messaging consultant, I’ve spent the last fifteen years writing blog posts and digital articles for small businesses, schools, and nonprofits.
While the rules of the internet have changed, these three questions have helped me continually produce valuable content that has an impact:
1. What does your brand want to be known for?
Instead of generic posts, I ensure every piece of content is grounded in your foundational messaging and communicates your unique position in the market.
2. What do your readers need?
I help you identify what your audience cares about and ensure every post has a clear and strong value proposition that makes it worth reading.
3. What’s the story?
Knowing that strategic storytelling makes your content more memorable and relatable, I mine brand-aligned stories that reinforce your post’s message.
When I work with clients on their blogs, we start by developing content pillars that align with their brand messaging and goals.
Clients like Alex Chu, Executive Director of Reach Out and Read Northeast, soon find that I serve as more than a writing partner, but also a thought partner as we develop posts that demonstrate their expertise and offer genuine value to their readers.
Alex shares, “What I’ve appreciated most about working with Amanda is the intentional and collaborative process. She took the time to really understand Reach Out and Read Northeast’s mission and audience, and she translated sometimes (often!) complex or technical ideas into writing that feels approachable and aligned with our organization’s voice. The process has felt easy and seamless, which has allowed us to focus on substance rather than worrying about every detail.
Ultimately, the impact has been deeper than we could have imagined. Not only have we been able to raise the profile of our work, but we’ve also been able to point stakeholders, funders, and partners to the work as a centralized source of information for our opinions on all kinds of related issues in literacy and pediatric health care. It has given us fresh talking points for presentations and conversations, and we’ve heard positive feedback from readers who say they feel more connected to our work because of it.”
Reach Out and Read Northeast's blog has become an outlet for sharing bold viewpoints and illuminating the value of their programs. Each post blends story, facts, and complex perspectives to reinforce its core messages while sharing something useful and shareable with readers.
Make Your Brand the Handmade Pasta of Content Creation
My take on AI-generated blogs boils down to this:
If you don’t have anything new to say, it’s not worth saying!
While your competitors churn out more of the same, this is the moment to commit to a human approach. Whether you write your posts in-house or hire a professional copywriter like me, fewer, high-quality posts are the key to a blog that builds trust and connection.
When you take a human approach, you’ll create content that’s:
• worth reading (as in clickable posts that promise real value to the reader)
• memorable (meaning you’re the brand they’ll remember when they need your service)
• shareable (hey there, word-of-mouth and increased site traffic!)
• brand-building (helping you share your bold ideas and expertise to set your brand apart)
Curious about working together on your blog?
