How to Tell If Your Marketing Sounds Like AI
Part of our Guide to AI Marketing
Last updated: October 2026
The Short Answer
If you could swap your business name for a competitor's and nothing else would need to change, your marketing sounds like AI. Generic content shows up as vague claims, buzzwords, no specifics, and no real people.
The fix is usually simple: add the things only you know. Your customers, your town, your work, and your opinions.
The 10-Point AI Slop Checklist
Pull up your homepage, your last five social posts, and your most recent email. Check each one against this list.
The competitor swap test. Could a competitor post this word for word?
Buzzword bingo. "Elevate," "unlock," "seamless," "game-changer," "navigate the landscape," "in today's fast-paced world."
No specifics. No names, towns, numbers, prices, dates, or real examples.
No opinion. It explains the topic but never takes a position.
Threes everywhere. Every sentence lists three adjectives. Fast, reliable, and affordable.
Faceless visuals. Stock or AI images instead of your actual team, customers, products, or space.
Perfect but empty. Grammatically flawless, and nothing sticks.
Same shape every time. Every post follows the same formula: hook, three bullets, question.
No stories. Nothing happened to anyone.
Nobody would miss it. If you deleted it, would a single customer notice?
Three or more checks? Your marketing is drifting toward AI slop.
How to Fix It
Add What Only You Know
The questions customers ask every week, the mistakes you see people make, how you actually do the job. AI can't make this up. You have to give it.
Get Specific
Swap "serving the area" for the actual towns you serve. Swap "quality work" for a real before-and-after with real numbers.
Show Real People
Real photos and video of your actual business are the fastest trust signal you have.
Edit Like a Human
Read it out loud. Cut anything you wouldn't say to a customer at the counter. Add one sentence of honest opinion.
Use AI for Labor, Not Ideas
Brainstorm and decide yourself, then let AI draft, resize, and repurpose. Here's how: how to use AI in marketing without losing your voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can customers really tell when content is AI-written?
Not always sentence by sentence, but they notice the overall feel: vague, overly polished, and impersonal. That feeling is what costs you trust.
Should I stop using AI tools?
No. Use them for the labor. Keep the ideas, opinions, and stories human. Read Human Ideas × AI Labor = Best Outcomes.
Are AI detectors reliable?
Not very. Write for your customers, not for a detector. If it's specific and useful, you're in good shape.
Want a Second Set of Eyes?
We'll look at your website and social content and tell you what reads as generic. Start with your free Digital Marketing Score, learn how to stand out when everyone uses AI, or contact Conscious Content.