You SUCK as a Creator Thanks To CHATGPT
You SUCK as a Creator Thanks To CHATGPT
There’s a Lana del Rey lyric that goes, “He doesn’t mind I have a LA crass way about me” and it always hits because I think you’re also here because you don’t mind my LA… Miami.. New York.. Cuban crass way about meeeeee.
So here goes: I can tell when you’re using ChatGPT when you’re writing your captions… and perhaps even more appalling when you’re writing emails to brands.
Oh and by “I”, I really mean the brand managers, PR reps, agents, and managers who open your email, roll their eyes, and move your email straight into le trash.
I’ll also state right from the start that AI is NOT inherently bad. It’s that you’re relationship with ChatGPT may be of the same likes as Charlie Sheen and hookers circa 2005.
ie: Dependent
You’re probably using it wrong… and too often… and because of it, it’s costing you attention, partnerships, and growth.
Let’s hop in a time machine back to 2024 (oooOoooh) when emails with ChatGPT help still had that shiny-new-toy energy. Creators plugged in “Write me a pitch to a brand” and marveled at the neat paragraphs ChatGPT spit out.
Brands got a flood of those copy-paste pitches and, for a brief moment, it worked. I mean, it gave creators a bravado they may have not had before. But now it literally looks dumb. Yeah I said it.. DUMB.
It looks and sounds like you don’t have your own unique voice, opinoin and point of view. So in a sea of creators that all POST the same on the ‘gram, there’s a sea of creators who all WRITE the same.
Barf.
When a PR manager opens an email that starts with:
“In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, creators like myself are constantly seeking opportunities to collaborate…”
…they close it, sip their coffee, and think, “Not this again.”
No sh*t you didn’t write this. Or if you did, you did it with a lazy prompt and zero personality.
So how do you reach out to brands without sounding like every other creator who’s outsourcing their voice to a bot?
1. Use ChatGPT to help you think, NOT to talk.
Brainstorm collab ideas, outline your email, even role-play what the brand manager might care about. But write the f*king pitch yourself. Start there and THENNNNNN ask for help.
2. Embrace le mess.
A typo? A weird phrasing? GOOD. It shows there’s a human behind the keyboard, not a LinkedIn robot. If you’re subscribed here it’s probably because you know it’s really me writing
3. Develop a recognizable voice.
Read your email out loud. Does it sound like you or does it sound like Ray Dalio going through his latest hedge fund analysis? If it’s the latter, delete and rewrite. (BTW “Principles” by Ray Dalio is one of my fav books).
4. Be authentic.
Skip the BS.
“I used to struggle with confidence as a creator, but now I realize…”
No you didn’t, bruh. That’s ChatGPT MadLibs.
Brands don’t need you to sound like an MBA admissions essay. They need you to show you actually know their brand, their vibe, and why you specifically are a fit.
The whole point of reaching out is to start a genuine relationship. Which means that if you want real collabs (not just ignored pitches), ya gotta show up with your own voice, your own flaws, and your own perspective.
ChatGPT can be a brilliant assistant. But if you let it do your thinking, your pitching, and your connecting for you, brands (ahem, THE WORLD) will notice. And you will be deleted.
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XX Idalia