Are you using AI in content creation (and is it really such a bad thing?)

Let’s talk about the elephant in the virtual room: AI tools and your digital marketing business content.

If you’re a small business in 2026 and no one on your team has asked Kate from HR “Hey, can AI write this blog for me?”… then you’re probably behind the curve.

Before we get into it, let’s make one thing clear – this article is not making the case that using AI isn’t inherently scandalous.

What we are doing, is looking at where generative AI tools are causing you harm, how to spot when it’s been used, and how to keep your brand and tone (and humanity!) alive in a world which is falling hopelessly in love with automation.

AI, Smart Helper or Tone-Deaf Typist?

We like to be positive at Aura PR, so let’s look first at the positives.

AI tools can speed up research, suggest headlines, outline ideas, and pull you out of writer’s block quicker than an espresso shot.

Lovely.

But it can easily become very unhelpful, and even harmful to your business. The moment you start posting AI’s first draft to your audience without pulling it apart and adding in your brand’s soul, you risk offending your audience with Generative AI slop.

They know how to spot it just like you do, and serving something that feels like it was written by a polite, suspiciously flawless encyclopaedia will cost you trust.

There’s also a bigger commercial risk that often gets overlooked.

Many business owners understandably see Artificial Intelligence as a cost-saving alternative to hiring a PR agency or copywriter.

And to be honest, that does make sense on paper. After all, if the content is technically correct, what does it matter if it sounds a little… AI

The major issue is that a content strategy that doesn’t engage doesn’t convert.

When blogs, press releases or social media posts fail to connect with real people, audiences don’t tell you directly.

Instead they’ll just quietly disengage, website traffic falls and sales follow. In that scenario, AI isn’t saving money, it’s actively costing you trust, and stunting business growth.

And like we always say, trust is the cornerstone of PR.

So how can you tell when AI has been the main author, not just the assistant?

How to Spot AI Usage in Your Content Marketing

As a leader, manager, or business owners, here are some tell-tale signs to take a look at:

• Surface‑level AI in content creation: Generic, repetitive, or broad paragraphs that lack personal anecdotes.
• Classic “Generative AI‑speak”: Phrases like “in the ever‑evolving world of…” or “delve into” crop up way too often, it’s basically the AI manifesto.
• Downright hallucinations: AI tools can and does invent facts, stats, studies, or quotes that sound plausible but aren’t rooted in reality.
• Too perfect, yet sterile: Sure, grammar is flawless but where’s the heart?

All-in-all, if your content creation feels like a well‑behaved intern who never drinks coffee and has never met a human, then I’m afraid that might be AI.

Is It a Problem? Not Unless You Let It Be

AI isn’t a villain. Used right, it helps teams write faster, smarter, and more consistently. It’s great for brainstorming, research, and overcoming blank‑page paralysis.

Bad use happens when:

• Teams copy‑paste AI output without real editing.
• AI content creation begins to lose brand personality.
• Readers bounce because the writing reads like a corporate brochure, not a conversation.

So What Should Small Business Managers Do?

If you are using AI tools, or if you team is, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But there’s a big but, you need to check the following.

Your brand voice is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s the voice of your brand. The personality, tone, and general style that make it recognisable. It makes your audience feel like they’re hearing from you rather than another dreary company with products to push.

It’s worth training your writers to include real insight and follow your tone of voice on everything. If you don’t, your brand voice gets swallowed by the machine.

Managers don’t need a special degree to spot robotic writing.

AI can make stuff up that sounds believable, so a quick check can save your credibility and keep your content creation valuable (And real). Even a short scan for odd phrasing (use your instinct, there is no official list), or suspicious facts can catch most of the problems.

American English, em dashes, and horrendously dull sentences are all signs there’s no human here, and frankly, your readers will soar your bounce rate as soon as they see any of the above.

Of course, we’re not saying that all AI content creation platforms are bad, you just need to apply them carefully.

Examples include:

• Generative AI for quick actions such as helping you to generate content ideas that help you develop your content strategy.
• Spot industry trends and then work through how to include these ideas into your business.
• Initial keyword research when developing pages for your website.
• Generate ideas for social media posts – when your creative spark has gone for a walk.
• AI to create content templates which you then fill with your own ideas and direction for your business.
• Use AI for content recommendations such as a new blog post or visual content.
• For small teams, use AI as content generators for social media posts – just remember to develop the narrative to fit your business and voice.

Don’t write every blog to hit a dated word count. That’s AI’s job now. Some posts need more depth, of course, such as tutorials, thought leadership, or SEO pillar pieces. Short news can be brief. A blog that hits the mark in 400 words can be 400 words.

Your longer posts are there to answer questions thoroughly, increasing your chances of organic keyword use. The goal is no longer to hit a number, it’s to give readers what they actually need.

Overall, AI tools shouldn’t replace your human creativity, but we are in an age where it can amplify it. And remember: a tool that speeds up writing doesn’t automatically add heart.

That’s still your job.

We’re here to help!

At Aura PR, we support small businesses with PR that cuts through, and train in-house teams to write human, engaging copy that gets heard by journalists.

Want to find out more? Drop us a line today and we can fill you in: becky@aurapr.co.uk