5 controversial opinions on AI-generated content that 99% of marketers agree with
But I Do Not
I’ve been knee-deep in AI + marketing for a while now.
And over the past few years, I’ve heard plenty of strong opinions about how AI should (or shouldn’t) be used to create content.
At first, I agreed with them. But the more I tested AI tools, experimented with different prompts, and analyzed real-world engagement, the more I disagreed.
So, after thousands of hours testing AI for content creation, here are my controversial opinions on using AI for social media posts—along with super-detailed prompts that will actually help you create engaging content.
1️⃣ AI-generated content is NOT inherently generic—bad prompts are.
I’m not saying AI is perfect right out of the box.
I’m just saying if your AI-generated posts sound boring, it’s because you didn’t give AI the right instructions.
Here’s the reality: AI is only as good as the prompts you give it.
Most people type something lazy like:
❌ “Write a social media post about why branding is important.”
And then they complain that the result is dull.
If you ask generic, you get generic.
How to Fix It: Give AI a Role, Context, and Direction
Before generating any content, give AI the right setup:
📌 Clarify these before prompting AI:
✅ Who is your audience? (Small business owners, fitness coaches, SaaS founders, etc.)
✅ What is the goal? (Educate, entertain, inspire, sell, increase engagement, etc.)
✅ What is the tone? (Casual, professional, witty, emotional, thought-provoking, etc.)
💡 Try this highly detailed prompt:
Prompt:
*"You are a high-performing social media strategist for [type of business]. Your job is to write a compelling social media post that educates [audience] about [topic]. The post should be engaging, high-value, and optimized for [Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook]. The tone should be [tone: friendly, professional, witty, bold].
Follow this structure:
1️⃣ Hook – Start with a scroll-stopping first sentence that sparks curiosity or emotion.
2️⃣ Value – Share a unique insight, a surprising fact, or a personal experience that relates to the audience’s problem or desire.
3️⃣ CTA (Call to Action) – End with an engaging CTA that encourages [comments, shares, clicks, DMs, sign-ups].
Bonus: Include 2-3 hashtag recommendations for maximum reach."*
2️⃣ Contrary to popular belief, “AI can’t replace human creativity” is a myth.
Everyone says AI lacks creativity.
That’s not exactly true.
Creativity is about combining ideas in unique ways—and AI is extremely good at pattern recognition.
🔻 Mistakes people make when using AI:
❌ They assume AI can’t generate fresh angles.
❌ They copy-paste the first AI response and hit publish.
❌ They never refine AI-generated ideas before posting.
Here’s the truth: AI can spark creativity if you use it correctly.
Instead of relying on AI for final content, use it to:
✅ Generate creative post angles (contrarian takes, storytelling, humor-driven content).
✅ Brainstorm unique perspectives that people haven’t heard before.
✅ Expand your thinking beyond your default ideas.
💡 Try this prompt to generate unique post angles:
Prompt:
*"I need 5 unique angles for a social media post on [topic]. Each angle should feel fresh, engaging, and different from standard posts.
Use these styles:
1️⃣ Contrarian Take – Challenge a common belief about this topic.
2️⃣ Storytelling Hook – Start with a real or hypothetical story that makes the topic personal.
3️⃣ Data-Driven Insight – Use a surprising statistic or study to grab attention.
4️⃣ Humor-Based Approach – Make the post fun, witty, or sarcastic while still being informative.
5️⃣ Emotional Appeal – Use a compelling narrative to evoke emotion and connection."*
3️⃣ Most marketers use AI to increase quantity—when they should use it to increase quality.
“Most people” do what “most people” do.
Which leads to:
❌ Flooding social media with low-quality AI-generated posts.
❌ Getting zero engagement because AI-created content lacks originality.
❌ Wondering why their posts aren’t driving traffic or sales.
More content does not equal better marketing.
The best AI-powered marketers aren’t just pumping out 10 posts a day—they’re using AI to create fewer, more engaging posts that actually drive results.
How to Fix It: Use AI to Optimize, Not Just Generate
AI should help you:
✅ Refine your messaging (make posts clearer, sharper, and more engaging).
✅ A/B test different post styles to see what performs best.
✅ Optimize content for different platforms (Twitter ≠ LinkedIn ≠ Instagram).
💡 Try this advanced prompt:
Prompt:
*"Here’s a rough draft of my social media post: [paste text]. Improve it by:
1️⃣ Strengthening the hook to make it more attention-grabbing.
2️⃣ Adding more storytelling elements to increase emotional connection.
3️⃣ Making the language sharper and more engaging for my target audience.
4️⃣ Ensuring the CTA feels natural and compelling.
Rewrite it in three different styles: casual, authoritative, and playful."*
4️⃣ Repurposing AI content without adapting it is a giant mistake.
One of the biggest AI marketing myths is that you can copy-paste content across platforms.
Instead, great marketers use AI to repurpose content with intent:
✅ Step 1: Write a long-form LinkedIn post.
✅ Step 2: Ask AI to reformat it into an engaging Twitter/X thread.
✅ Step 3: Turn the same content into a carousel post for Instagram.
✅ Step 4: Convert it into a short-form video script.
💡 Try this powerful repurposing prompt:
Prompt:
*"Take this LinkedIn post: [paste post]. Repurpose it into:
1️⃣ A Twitter/X thread – Break it into 5-7 concise, engaging tweets.
2️⃣ An Instagram carousel script – Create a 6-slide carousel format with punchy headlines.
3️⃣ A short-form video outline – Summarize key points in a way that fits a 60-second video."*
5️⃣ Posting daily is a waste of time if you’re not tracking what works.
AI makes content creation easy—which means many marketers fall into the trap of posting too much without analyzing performance.
🚀 Instead of mindless daily posting, try this:
✅ Analyze your top-performing posts.
✅ Use AI to identify patterns in what works.
✅ Double down on content that actually drives engagement.
💡 Try this data-driven prompt:
Prompt:
"Analyze my past 10 social media posts: [paste links or text]. Identify patterns in engagement, and recommend which content style performs best. What should I create more of?"
AI is a Superpower—If You Use It Right
🔹 Use AI for smarter, faster content creation.
🔹 Stop posting blindly—track and optimize your strategy.
🔹 Leverage AI to increase quality, not just quantity.
📌 Next Step: Copy one of these prompts and run it through ChatGPT today. 🚀