Why Cannabis Copywriting Is Replacing AI Content
Over the years, we’ve seen a huge influx of AI-generated content and copywriting for cannabis brands. And look, we get it. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, or pinched for time and resources, AI can be an appealing quick-fix for your business. But if you look a bit closer, it may do more harm than good for your biz in the long run.
When large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT first launched a few years back, brands (cannabis or not) realized they could publish dozens of blogs within a few minutes.
(**cue the SEO slop battle**)
Suddenly, volume and production became the go-to marketing strategy, but as a result, nearly 50% of online content is now considered AI-generated or AI-assisted. One study from Ahrefs, an SEO platform, analyzed 900,000 website pages and found that a whopping 74% contained AI content.
Why is this a problem? Well, for starters, because AI tends to write what has already been written. And when it comes to branding, that’s not so great!
But before we go any further, and in case you’re new here, our team at CannaSite is far from being AI haters. We understand the inherent effects on our planet, as well as the benefits it can add to your business when used correctly and ethically.
Nonetheless, we’re not so fond of AI writing, and it seems most of the world is starting to feel the same.
Luckily, the solution is simple. Hire a human to handle your cannabis copywriting needs.
What is Cannabis Copywriting?
Not to be confused with legal copyright, copywriting is the art of strategically writing text to prompt a consumer to take action, such as downloading a lead magnet, making a purchase, booking a call or signing up for your newsletter.
The most common types of copywriting for cannabis companies are:
- Website copywriting
- Email copywriting
- Ad copywriting (billboards, digital, mail, etc.)
- Social media copywriting
- Script copywriting (radio, television, videos)
As you can imagine, businesses use A LOT of copywriting in their day-to-day life and marketing strategies.
Cannabis Copywriting vs Cannabis Content Writing
Now, while many people use the terms interchangeably, copywriting and content writing are not the same thing. Unlike copywriting, which aims to influence someone in making a decision, content writing typically aims to educate and inform your audience.
Think of it like this: the blogs you write for your cannabis website are considered content creation, but the call to action at the end that asks someone to book a call with you is considered copywriting.
The Role of Cannabis Content Writing in Search Engine Optimization & Answer Engine Optimization
To become discoverable on the internet, you need to make sure your brand is easy to find by both humans and robots, which means optimizing your content for Search Engines and Artificial Intelligence.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is mostly done through writing website copy and long-form content that strategically uses keywords your target audience may be searching. When done right, it helps your website links show up on the first page of Google searches.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) functions in a similar manner, except the main goal of AEO is to get your content to show up in AI overviews or LLM search results. The best way to do this is to ask and answer questions clearly throughout your website and social media content.
Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz around SEO being “dead,” and brands debating whether to use SEO vs. AEO, but the reality is you need both. A solid cannabis copywriter should be able to get your website ranking for keywords in search engines and showing up in ChatGPT and Google AI search results.
But remember, these things take time! Patience and consistency are key.
Why you shouldn’t rely on AI for cannabis content writing or copywriting
Circling back to our original point in this article, AI really isn’t great when it comes to writing content for your cannabis brand. Does this mean you can’t use it at all? No. But we’d advise you to be selective and strategic in how you use AI in your writing process.
- AI is trained on information that already exists, meaning the odds of you publishing AI-assisted or AI-generated content that is original are slim to none.
- When it comes to differentiation (what makes you stand out), AI is mediocre at best because it can’t have personal experiences, core values or unique points of view.
- AI doesn’t understand “risk” the way humans do. Is that really who you want to be running your marketing strategy?
- There is no guarantee that what you publish will not get flagged for copyright infringement. Plus, the intellectual property rights of AI content are still a grey area.
Don’t believe us? Ask an LLM yourself! It will tell you the same thing.
Instead, you should use AI for what it’s good for: analyzing data, setting up automations and performing deep research.
DIY vs Hiring Cannabis Copywriting Services
As web designers, we typically run into two types of customers: “I can just write it myself” or “I don’t have time/budget for that.”
And hey, if you’ve got a good grasp of copywriting and understand how to target your audience with words, by all means, do it!
But for the rest of you who are sick of staring at a blinking cursor and wasting your time typing the same sentence over and over again, there are plenty of awesome copywriters out there to help you get the job done.
Our team at CannaSite proudly has an in-house copywriter who specializes in the cannabis and plant medicine industry, so you can scale your business without worrying about violating any cannabis laws. Book a call with us today to learn more!