Why 2024 will be the year of “speaking human”

I love this time of year, don’t you? It’s full of predictions and intention-setting, and everyone is so shiny and optimistic about what they’ll achieve, and the wonderful state of the world that they’re anticipating by December. 

In the content marketing world this year, everyone is unsurprisingly talking about AI-content generation being the “hottest trend”. 

And I think we can all acknowledge there’s good reason for that. 

Maria Gergova-Bengtsson, CEO of United Partners said, “AI-generated content has indeed become a hot topic in the PR and marketing world. It can generate content quickly and in large volumes, making it a valuable tool for PR professionals who need to produce a lot of material in a short time. AI also reduces the need for human labour in content creation, which can lower costs.”

That makes us all winners, right? But the problem with a universally available tool like AI is that it’s not just you that’s using it. All that lovely content you can now produce at the touch of a button is also available to your competitors. 

And, guess what? You’re all already starting to sound the same.

Writing for Smart Company, Ian Whitworth called this “penguinisation”. 

“I am an attractive penguin, you tell yourself,” he wrote.

“Noble beak, upright stance, sexy streaks of yellow on your flanks. The lovable face and wriggly walk you can build a Hollywood franchise on. Who doesn’t love a penguin?

“Zoom out and every penguin to the horizon is exactly the same. That’s how businesses look in the marketplace.”

You know it’s true. And this “penguinisation” is just going to get worse.

So what can you do to stand out in a world of penguins? You might not like the answer, but it’s a pretty simple one.

Be human. 

Be visibly human. 

Share more of yourself than you’ve ever shared before. 

Gross, right? I know, it’s uncomfortable. But whether you’re a business of one or a global organisation, there’s always a human side to share. 

This is my prediction: The ones brave enough to step out from behind their brand and show who they really are will be the ones who flourish in 2024.

How do you do that? I’m glad you asked. There are endless ways to show yourself to your customers (you can read more we shared last year, right here), but here are a few:

1. Use personal anecdotes and stories: Share personal experiences that showcase the human side of your company. This can help create a sense of relatability and authenticity that AI-generated content may lack.

2. Showcase company culture: Highlight the company culture, values, and mission to explain why you do what you do, and to create a sense of community and human connection. You can do this with blog posts, social media posts, and videos.

3. Use humour: Use humour in your content marketing to create a more human and approachable tone. You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian - just playful - like a witty headline, a less formal social media post, and video outtakes. In the corporate world, it doesn’t take much to be humorous.

4. Use emotion: Create content that makes people feel something - think empathy, excitement, or inspiration. Use storytelling techniques to create a connection with your audience and elicit an emotional response.

5. Highlight customer stories: Share customer stories and testimonials to showcase the impact of your company's products or services on real people. This type of content can help create a sense of community and social proof and - bonus! - it’s totally free. 

6. Showcase traditions: Highlight any workplace traditions you have, such as holiday celebrations, employee recognition, or community events. This can help create a real sense of community and human connection.

7. Be chatty: Use conversational language in your content marketing so you sound like real people, not a corporate robot. Read everything out loud and, if you wouldn’t say it, ditch it. 

And if you think human is just for small companies and sole traders, think again. Take a look at Amazon’s Vest Life instagram account. It’s full of the human faces of Amazon. Clever!

At Stellar Content, the ability to speak human is what sets us apart. If you want help with injecting more human into your content this year, we can help - from content strategies that cut through to revising your existing content to bring it to life. We’re onto it, and it’s what we love to do. Book an intro call today (or email us at admin@stellarcontent.com.au) and let’s cut through the AI penguinisation to create real connections.