Weekly writing tips and real-life drama uncovered... all to help you make more money without compromising your values or straying away from who you are. DISCLAIMER: If you're a fuddy-duddy, don't sign up for this newsletter. You'll hate it.
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Is your AI-written content giving you away?
Published 20 days ago • 5 min read
The Real Deal Digest Issue No. 23
I'll be honest, Reader: I feel like I forgot how to write a newsletter.
I took 2 (3?)weeks off, and DAMN, it's hard to get back on the horse.
But here I am, riding back into your inbox stadium like Beyoncé at the NFL Christmas Day half-time show.
...pray for an Open Rate of more than 50% today?
And sending this on a Friday afternoon? Not my most brilliant move. But whatevs.*
*Don't send newsletters on a Friday afternoon. You'll get some pretty dismal open rates.
In this week's edition of The Real Deal Digest:
🤖 The sneaky way AI is making some business owners sound exactly like everyone else
🪦 Why "clarity" needs to be buried next to elevate and empower
💌 The brand voice + messaging reset I built for business owners who feel like their copy lost its soul (and are losing sales because of it)
I notice three types of communication happening right now in the online space:
Personal brands are doubling down on them being, well... personal. They're letting their guard down. Getting real about what's working and what's not. Admitting their (current) failures without sugarcoating t hem. It's vulnerable, relatable, and people appreciate it.
Total silence. A lot of business owners are tired. They're tired of wondering how to stand out in a digital space that is inundated with content MORE THAN EVER now that AI makes it ridiculously easy to churn out content. I've noticed some of my favorite small(ish) IG accounts have just... vanished from my feed. (*makes note to check on them*)
The online fatigue is real, and exhausting.
AI-generated content without soul. Some business owners (and yes, personal brands too) are using AI to write emails and posts... but they haven't fine-tuned their voice or their messaging yet. So what's happening? These ChatGPT emails that are obvious to everyone else... therefore, are not bringing in sales. (People still want to see some effort, ok?)
That last observation? It's what happens when you don't have you messaging clarity or a confident grasp on your brand voice.
But what does messaging clarity even mean?
"Clarity" is one of those words that is so overused, it's basically lost all meaning... amiright or amiright?
For instance... what even IS a "Clarity Coach"?
And how exactly does someone "help you get clear on your messaging"?
"Clarity" is one of those words entering the generic zone. It's about to live next to words like fluff, next level, business landscape, elevate, and empower.
You see, when we don't dig deeper and get specific with our messaging, we don't make our readers feel anything.
When we don't call out a specific (yet universal) moment or problem we see over and over again... we miss a huge opportunity to connect with the people we want to help.
AI can't fix that for you. (Not yet, anyway.)
It can only spit out what it knows based on the context you feed it. So if you're not super clear on what kind of clarity (or results, or transformation) you're offering your audience...
If you don't weave in those tiny, specific details that hit home and speak directly to your audience's real-life struggles and desires...
If your message is basically a muddy puddle with no depth...
Your readers aren't going to jump in. They won't take action because they don't actually know what they're getting.
Most importantly, your readers need to FEEL something when they read your emails, socials, or website copy.
That's the kind of messaging clarity you need. Make sense?
Here's what I've started to shout into this weird version of the Internet that we're in right now:
If you're not already a strategist...
If you don't know what's actually working in 2025 (and what isn't)...
If you don't have a firm grip on your brand voice...
Your ChatGPT outputs are going to lack strategy and soul.
'Cause don't forget! 👉 We are talking to a robot here. It ACTUALLY does.not.have.a.soul. No real discernment. No actual feelings.
And guess what? Your readers feel the difference.
And if you don't get your readers to feel something, you aren't going to get them to buy.
I will die on this hill—at least until this guy chases me off of it. ⬇️
(Realistically, it will be sooner than later. But I'll enjoy my view while I can.)
Robot chicken squaks,
Rachael
P.S. A few updates on what I've been up to this summer are down below. Read 'em and weep. ⬇️
(Please don't actually weep... it's just a saying, okay??)
What's Been Cookin':
I built a new offer based on the needs I'm seeing right now with small business owners trying to use AI to write their content...
If your business is sucking you dry right now... welcome to the club! Ha! Just kidding. Kind of.
Real talk: I recently went through some positioning and messaging strategy sessions with other copywriters... for my own business. And it was so. freaking. helpful! Talking things out with these two professionals who I admire and respect helped boost my confidence and most importantly, gave me permission to say what I want to say (with conviction!) Who knew??!
So I made a similar(ish) package for you. Except it includes a week of Voxer support. And your brand voice identity. And your messaging pillars. AND how you need to position yourself.
Okay, now that I think about it... it's not at ALL like those other sessions. 'Cause it's like a mega strategy session! With post-session support!
Or you can think of it as like therapy for your business. But instead of talking about the past, we're figuring out you're going to talk to your DREAM clients in the future.
A couple new podcast episodes of Do What You Want!
Curious about how hypnosis can help you break out of survival mode and rewire your subconscious patterns? Then uhhhh you'll want to check out my interview with Karina Pontiles, a transformational guide, psychologist, and hypnotist who helps women break free with her R.I.S.E. method. This was a cool one.
Got some profesh photos taken by Jolana Hollister from The Photography Experience. She will literally travel anywhere in the world to take your elopement photos, BTW. And in this economy, why would you NOT want to elope? Just sayin.' 🤷♀️
The links right above this paragraph contain affiliate links, which means that this small business owner *points to self* gets a little itty bitty commission if you decide to buy the thing you see after you click on the link. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps me out a smidge. Thanks for your support!
Connect with me on socials | Check out my podcast ⬇️
I realize you—most likely—get SEVERAL emails on a daily basis. I promise to only send emails that are enjoyable and/or can help move your business forward. But I realize that I'm not everyone's cup of tea ☕ so if you're not feeling it, no worries, no harm, and no foul! You can always unsubscribe below or update your preferences as to how often you want to hear from me!
Rachael Johnson | Copywriter & Messaging Strategist
Weekly writing tips and real-life drama uncovered... all to help you make more money without compromising your values or straying away from who you are. DISCLAIMER: If you're a fuddy-duddy, don't sign up for this newsletter. You'll hate it.
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