The more we use AI, the more obvious it becomes. I find myself playing the AI paranoia game on LinkedIn, spotting copy-and-paste content flooding our feeds. AI proves helpful at times, and it definitely has its purpose, but we believe there’s a perfect balance between efficiency (AI) and originality (you). Especially during busy seasons like Black Friday.
Why your Black Friday messages need you
Your customers’ inboxes will be drowning in identical promotional emails. ‘FLASH SALE! 50% OFF!’ blurs into the noise. The brands that break through won’t be the loudest, they’ll be the ones that feel real.
This goes against everything my English teacher taught me, but nowadays I find myself wanting to see a little spelling mistake here and there to prove there’s a human behind it. It’s not something I recommend, but it represents a strong desire to see something human. The resurrection of typo marketing and accidentally-on-purpose campaigns shows that brands are responding to people’s craving for authenticity in what feels like an inauthentic time.
How to balance your human-ness with AI content
Be persistent with prompts & have the final say
Instead of asking for ‘a Black Friday retail text,’ try ‘a conversational Black Friday text for loyal customers who’ve bought winter boots before, focusing on styling tips rather than discounts.’ Be specific, rinse and repeat. You can even get tools that give small businesses advice on LLM (Large Language Model) prompts to give you some inspiration. This is more AI, but it does offer a little more guidance to make results more specific to you and your brand.
Every AI-generated piece needs your human perspective. Does this sound like your brand? Would you send this to your best customer? Would you say this message on a phone call?
Be unique in every message
Reference something only your customers would appreciate. Instead of ‘Don’t miss out on these amazing deals!’ try ‘Remember those boots you favourited last month? Well, today’s your lucky day.’
Join the ‘accidentally on purpose’ trend
Some brands have even started to embrace more ‘mistake’ style emails, where they ‘accidentally’ talk about a deal ‘too early’. It’s nice to see we were ahead of the game when we published this example in 2024 when we asked ‘which side are you on?‘
And then this one back in 2023 in the Black Friday Blueprint…
Turn ‘boring’ updates into sales opportunities
Order confirmations and shipping updates land when customers are most engaged, yet most businesses treat them as purely functional. Transform ‘Your order has been dispatched’ into ‘Your new favourites are on their way – here are three ways to style them when they arrive.’
Quick reality check. Is the novelty of AI ever-lasting?
As a little research for this blog, I asked my friend – who works at a marketing agency – if AI is having an impact on their client base. She said clients often get excited about AI, disappear to try it themselves, then come back months later realising it doesn’t quite capture their writing style or the nuanced input that humans offer. It’s kind of having a ‘boomerang’ effect.
What does generic AI content look like?
There are some key signs, including:
Overly enthusiastic language that doesn’t match the brand
Generic superlatives (“amazing,” “incredible,” “don’t miss out”)
Too many emojis 🤨
Perfect grammar but lifeless messaging
Content that could work for any brand in any industry
Let AI assist you, not boss you around!
AI is your assistant, not your replacement. Use it for efficiency, then add your human perspective for authenticity. Let it prep the groundwork while you add the special bit that makes your messaging yours.
How we help you strike the human-AI balance
We’re the humans in the AI noise. Our team can help you identify opportunities for human touches, and create messaging that preserves personality.
Ready to find that perfect balance for the busy season? Book a call with us – or send us an email to hello@firetext.co.uk for a chat 🙂