Maintaining Your Voice, When Algorithms Do the Writing: 6 Actionable Strategies You Can Use Today

Let's be honest - most AI-generated content sounds the same. We all know what I'm talking about - those robotic paragraphs that sound like everyone else's content. That website content that gives off a boring vibe. Or those blog posts you can't stand to read. They. All. Sound. The. Same. Even though AI is getting closer to sounding exactly like us, it's just not there yet.

But there's good news - using your company's voice and tone while using these AI writing tools is actually pretty straightforward if you know what you're doing. And in today's article, I'll show you exactly how to keep your content sounding like YOU, not like everyone else's AI slop.

1. Create a Voice and Tone Document That AI Can understand

Your first step is creating a document that actually sounds like YOU, and defines your company's brand and voice. Again, YOUR voice. Not something that sounds like this: "we're friendly yet professional”. I am talking about specific language patterns that make your content unique, and on brand. 

Here's how:

• Write down your favorite phrases, sentences, and vocab

• Create "do" and "don't" examples showing how the messages should sound in your voice. 

• Play with the Outputs! Identify which parts of an output are things you like, and identify the words you don't think belong in the 

• use clear guidelines on humor, formality level, and cultural references you typically use

• Add examples of competitors' content you'd never want to sound like

Update this document quarterly. Your voice evolves, and the data you use to feed it needs to change as well. Some tools allow you to connect google docs, and integrate with other tools - allowing you to stay up to date easier.

2. FEED THE BEAST 

AI Knowledge Management Is more than it sounds. Yes, you are organizing content, but its also about teaching the generated AI chatbot your own personal style. And making sure this content is staying updated week by week. If you want to have a healthy flow of content, you need to have a healthy relationship with the data you feed the AI. The more good content you feed it, the better it will be.

Here's how you might do this:

• Everytime you make a new AI project, use the best results from your last project. Identify which words or phrases work best, and feed the project with the best results.

• instruct the AI to analyze your sentence structure, your phrases, and your word choice. This will help it give even more direction, and narrow down a tone that is closer to what you want it to be. 

• Use specific prompts like ”do not use the words….” or “The best phrases for this specific topic are…”

This allows the AI to focus on what matters most, which is what your content sounds like – not what it thinks your industry should sound like.

3. Ruthlessly Edit the First Draft (Like It Owes You Money)

Im going to be honest - our first AI-generated draft should be treated as raw material, not a finished product. You should spend a lot of time editing on this step. Trust me - it will save you lots of time in the future. Spending a little extra time as a human editing this process will be very beneficial. The more of a human touch you put on your content, the more it knows to use words and phrases you edit in/out.

Here are some good tips on how to carry that out. 

• Delete any generic phrases or corporate speech that you don't feel fit in your document.  

• Replace bland transitions with phrases that you feel sound most like your company.

• Read it aloud – if you wouldn't say it that way in conversation, or if it sounds a little too robotic, change it.

Remember as you go through this process, it isn't just about finding what works with grammar. This is about identifying things the original drafts say, and what you want to keep or throw away. Think about it like you are editing the tone and voice, rather than the sentence structure. 

4. Develop AI Knowledge Management Templates That Lock In Your Style

For your AI content, you should include custom templates. Knowing what kind of blog you normally post, whether its a list, or a how-to - is very important for consistent, good results.

Here's how to build them:

• Start with your content structure (intro, main points, conclusion)

• Include notes on where to add your tone and voice (stories, jokes, questions)

• Identify what kind of Blog works best for your company (enter you specific style) 

These templates will help keep your structure the same no matter what AI tool you are using. Having a good idea of what the structure of your blog is, helps create better results.

5. Add A Human touch

You're almost there! You have your project created, your tone and voice documents, tips on how to bring all of those together… just one last thing. No AI (at least for now) is going to replicate human creativity.

Every model is created on data that already exists. Add a human touch to your work. Write personal stories, show examples of your everyday life. Add an aspect of empathy. Add a component that makes the reader feel something. 

Make this work by:

• Writing your personal stories and examples completely yourself

• Using AI to organize research points and data that support your stories

• Having the AI generate transitions between your human-written sections

• Always bookending AI content with your authentic openings and closings

This hybrid approach plays to both strengths: your unique experiences and AI's ability to organize information.

6. Create a Feedback Loop

Most people use AI writing tools the same way every time, then wonder why the results don't improve. Make sure you are feeding the best outputs back into the model. Save it as a google doc, then a pdf, and drop it into your AI project. 

Set up a system:

• Keep a folder of AI outputs that are the best at capturing your tone and voice. 

• Write down what prompts were the best for your best results

• Create a "never again" list of phrases and structures that don't match your voice

• Feed successful outputs back into new projects.

Your Turn :)

Look, these AI aren't going anywhere. But they are constantly changing. Staying up to date on everything can be hard. 

Which of these strategies are you going to implement first?

How are you staying up to date on new and improving AI? Drop a comment and let me know how you're maintaining your voice while other companies are putting out AI slop.