Why Sloppy AI Content Is Making Your Brand Look Boring (And What To Do Instead)

"Looks AI to Me… "

You know the vibe.

✨ Over-sparkled.
🚀 Buzzword bingo.
— Multiple long hyphens throughout the caption or email, when there should be more commas, and regular-length hyphens - !!! 

It’s the kind of copy that looks like it was thrown together in under a minute, with no editing, no thought, no YOU in it. And sadly it’s everywhere. You can picture the business owner feeling so CHUFFED TO BITS that they were able to knock out 20 captions, a newsletter and a blog post in under 30 minutes, when usually this could take them over a day to create! 

I’m seeing this daily from consultants, coaches, speakers, course creators, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, brand owners, ecomm stores, and service-based biz owners who I admire, and who’ve absolutely got something valuable to say. But their emails, posts, product and sales pages have been AI’d to death, and in a super icky way! 

82% of people believe businesses should be legally required to disclose AI usage in their content


Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not anti-AI (hello, I teach it in our SHINE ONLINE membership, masterclasses, workshops and my coaching programmes!) I'm super into it! BUT I AM anti-lazy. And lazy, unedited AI content is becoming a serious problem.

(I actually have a 3-part Personal Branding Workshop series on 7th, 9th & 14th July 2025, 4-7pm AEST which you may want to be part of, and covers everything you need to know and do to show up online exactly where you need to! Click HERE to find out more )

If it walks like AI and talks like AI ...

looks like it was AI written to me, so here's how to fix it

We all know the signs 👇

  • The overly dramatic hooks: “Ready to step into your power and transform your biz?”
  • The overcooked metaphors: “Unlock the next-level version of yourself.”
  • The word salad that sounds right… but says nothing.
  • The "Here’s the kicker" and "fluff" (which is actually such a cool word, but so overused by ChatGPT right now that I'm seeing it literally EVERYWHERE!) 

This kind of content doesn’t build trust, it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t sell, and the people using it often don’t even realise how obvious it is. 😝

AI is a tool, not your entire marketing team

Yes, AI can absolutely help you:

  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Build outlines
  • Clean up grammar
  • Even draft that tricky paragraph you’re stuck on

But you still need to show up. If you’re not editing the AI output to sound like YOU, you’re missing the point entirely.

Why does it matter?

  • Because generic content is forgettable.
  • Because sounding like everyone else is not a strategy.
  • Because people buy from people, and that means showing a bit of heart, even when you’re using tech to lighten the load.
  • Because Social Media is meant to be Social, and right now our feeds are FULL of AI written content and it's bleh. 
62% of consumers prefer content created by real humans

5 Red Flags Your Content Might Be Screaming “Bot”:

  1. Too many buzzwords strung together like a vision board on fire
  2. Emojis that feel like filler instead of emphasis
  3. Words you’d never say out loud (hello, “supercharge” and “paradigm shift”)
  4. Zero personality or story, just bland blanket advice
  5. Formatting and punctuation that looks… off (hello em dashes and stacked sparkles)

So what can you do instead?

  • Use AI smartly. Don’t ask it to be you. Ask it to help you.
  • Edit ruthlessly. Remove what’s not your vibe. Rewrite what is.
  • Stay in the loop. Digital tools change fast, that’s why my business exists, and can keep growing, because each week I help business owners to stay sharp, not mass-produce slop.
  • Read it out loud. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t post it.

You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to write like a Harvard Business Review (HBR) writer, it's important you give your audience you. Not just the AI version of you!

If you want to create scroll-stopping, human-sounding content that reflects your magic, join us in our SHINE ONLINE hub.

We meet weekly to learn, share and simplify all things digital and AI, together. It’s like your accountability buddy and marketing coach rolled into one.

👉 Connect with me or check out the SHINE membership so I can help you uncomplify this AI thing and keep your voice shining bright.

Overused AI Words & Phrases

53% of consumers are uncomfortable with AI data use

These are the ones that show up everywhere in AI copy, especially in coaching, ecomm biz, and wellness land:

✨ Motivation & Transformation clichés:

  • Empower / empowering (shame, because this is one of my fave words!) 
  • Unlock your [potential/dreams/success]
  • Step into your [power/purpose]
  • Discover the secret to...
  • Live your best life
  • Unleash your inner [anything]
  • Shine bright / show up fully
  • Make an impact
  • Aligned / authentic / abundant (when stacked = AI soup)

🛠️ Over-formal or too structured:

  • Without further ado
  • In today’s fast-paced world...
  • Whether you’re a [coach/consultant/entrepreneur]...
  • It’s no secret that...
  • At the end of the day
  • Let that sink in

🧠Techy or try-hard AI-isms:

  • Leverage [this/that]
  • Supercharge
  • Revolutionise
  • Disrupt / game-changer / paradigm shift
  • Turbocharge your workflow
  • Here's the kicker

🚫 Filler or flouncy:

  • Fluff (shame, because it's really a great word!)
  • Curate (used generically)
  • Nourish (outside of food/wellness it often feels misused)
  • Dive deep (especially paired with “into your soul/purpose”)
Stat graphic showing that 80% of marketing leaders are currently using AI tools in their strategy.

💫 AI-typical Emoji Use

These aren’t bad (sheesh, I'm a massive lover of emoji!) they're just overdone and often dropped without nuance with AI-written content:

Emoji Why it’s suss
“Magical thinking” default
🚀 Growth or “launch” overload
🔥 Hype with no substance
💥 Feels aggressive in AI hands
🤩 Used to fake excitement
💯 Used to “emphasise” obvious points
🙌 / 👏 Insta-inspo tropes
💡 Lightbulb moments everywhere
💪 Motivational overkill

AI also stacks emojis, like this:

“You’ve got this! ✨💥🚀💪🔥”
🫠 It’s just a lot!

⛔ Symbols AI Overuses or Misuses

Symbol Why it stands out
— (em dash) AI loves this mid-sentence. Overused.
… (ellipses) Feels fake-dramatic or clickbaity
>> or >>> "Click here >>>" = red flag
arrow
ALL CAPS words Often to fake emphasis, eg. “NOW is your time!”
**Asterisks for emphasis** Often dropped mid-sentence in GPT-style content

 

Get Your Free Checklist: How to Avoid AI-Sounding Content (2025)

How to Avoid AI-Sounding Content 2025

Want to make sure your content sounds human, engaging, and on-brand? We’ve created a free downloadable checklist to help you spot and fix the most common AI content red flags.

✅ Easy to follow
✅ Perfect for marketers, copywriters, and business owners

👉 Click here to get your free How to Avoid AI-Sounding Content Checklist and start creating content that connects!

 

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