Empathy Mapping is An Essential Tool for Futureproof Copywriting

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[NOTE: This post was written in part by GPT 4o, working from the slides and transcripts of a presentation I gave on Empathy Mapping.]

While AI tools like ChatGPT have revolutionized content creation, the human touch remains irreplaceable.

At the heart of this human element lies Empathy Mapping—a structured approach that helps writers better understand their audience. Rooted in emotional intelligence (EI), empathy mapping is a pathway to creating authentic, impactful copy.

As I often say… If you don’t know who you’re talking to, how can you know what to say?

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Don’t be fooled by the “slowdown” in AI news and progress.

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For much of this year, AI has been front page news. On top of that, new and more capable models and model versions were being announced on an almost weekly basis.

But now, things seem a little quieter.

When we read about AI in mainstream media, it’s often speculation about an AI bubble. And there’s plenty of chatter about Large Language Models – LLMs – hitting a ceiling, or at least a major slowdown, when it comes to new advances.

OK, you may think, time to relax. This AI thing isn’t going to take over the world – or my job – after all.

Not so fast.

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The advantages of being a slightly older copywriter.

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OK, so maybe I’m a little beyond being a “slightly” older copywriter. That’s what happens when you’ve been writing copy for over 45 years.

You also bump into something else at my age… ageism.

Yup… there is a fear among some prospective clients that I’m too old. I’m not sure what I’m too old for – or why – and so far I’ve been too polite to ask.

But yes, it stings when people look at you and make assumptions about your ability to do good work.

I take a contrary view (shocker!).

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5 Valuable AI Use Cases for Freelance Copywriters.

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AI use cases for copywriters

I still hear people saying things like, “AI can never write as well as a human copywriter.”

Or, “I asked ChatGPT to write an article, and it was terrible.”

Respectfully, these people are missing the point.

Just because AI can’t entirely replace the full set of skills of a human writer doesn’t mean it can’t be valuable.

Look at this through a different lens…

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Don’t use AI as an Easy Button. Use it to get better at what you find hard.

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AI writing easy button

People get excited by how AI models like ChatGPT make it easy to create copy and content at scale.

As a writer you can create way more content when using AI. And yes, it’s a lot easier. No more writer’s block. AI can help you come up with new ideas for content, suggest headlines, and even write a finished draft for you.

And instead of a new post or article taking you two or three hours, or more, you can get it done in 5 to 10 minutes. How awesome is that?

Well, it IS awesome.

But…

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When writing AI prompts, act less like an engineer and more like a musician.

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Writing prompts shouldn’t feel like you’re acting as a “prompt engineer”.

Honestly, I don’t much like that term.

First, I think it’s disrespectful to true engineers. Writing prompts is not engineering.

But more to the point, I think the title steers us in the wrong direction. Engineering implies a fixed process and a certain formality. A process with a guaranteed and constant outcome. “Use these top 20 prompts for optimum results.”

That approach sounds attractive, but I don’t think it’s the way to get the best outputs from an AI model like ChatGPT.

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