Write Way Solutions

AI writing checklist (save this)

2024-12-20T12:30:37-05:00

{{ subscriber.name }},

Save this quick checklist to help to spot (and fix) AI-generated content.

Because, yes, writing with tools such as ChatGPT is efficient.

But it's often as transparent as Scotch tape.

If you want your content to feel authentic, here's how to spot the telltale signs of AI-generated material:

1. The "It's Not Just X, It's Y" Formula

Example: "This isn't just a productivity tool—it's a game-changer." (Notice the placement of the em dash, which we'll get to in a moment.)

AI loves this structure because it's catchy and feels profound.

But when you see this same rhythm repeated often, you know something is off.

2. The Rule of Three Overload

Example: "To succeed, you need focus, determination, and resilience."

Lists of three? Powerful.

Lists of three in every other sentence? Robotic.

3. Starting with the Corporate Cliché

Example: "In today's competitive business landscape…"

AI loves to start posts like the opening line of a generic TED Talk.

It’s designed to sound polished but ends up feeling impersonal.

4. The Dash Without Breathing Room

Example: "Results speak—if you're willing to listen."

Human writers usually add spaces around em dashes.

AI often skips the spaces (and overuses em dashes).

5. Abuse of Buzzwords

Phrases such as "synergize," "disrupt," or "transform" crop up like weeds.

AI-trained models are big on buzzwords but light on substance.

6. Repetitive Sentence Lengths

AI-written content often has uniform sentence structures.

Natural writing mixes long, conversational thoughts with quick bursts.

7. Over-Explaining Simple Ideas

Example: "Networking is about building relationships. These relationships can lead to opportunities. Opportunities lead to success."

Thought-provoking stuff, right?

AI assumes we need even the obvious steps spelled out.

8. Too Many Big Statements with Few Details

Example: "This transformed my business."

Okay, how?

AI can't deliver the personal details that make content feel real.

9. Complicated Words When Simple Ones Will Do

Example: "Utilize" instead of "use" or "facilitate" instead of "help."

AI leans on complex vocabulary to sound credible.

But it feels unnatural, especially when humans speak in simple terms.

Now, here's the deal:

Spotting AI material is important because you never want your audience questioning your authenticity.

Yes, AI is a valuable tool.

Use it to avoid writer's block or organize your ideas.

Don't let it rob you of your voice.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

If you'd like to work directly with me to develop some marketing initiatives for your business, you have a few options. Just reply back and tell me a little about your business and where you’re struggling most. I'll follow up with additional details.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

During this case study program, we go after specific marketing goals in your business over a 90-day period. We work together to implement strategies and test concepts to reach these goals. Along the way, we also look to uncover overlooked sales opportunities within your existing outreach.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

How to hire for marketing

2024-12-13T14:39:38-05:00

Here's how most companies hire for marketing:

1. "We need marketing help!"
2. Post a job for a marketing manager, director or assistant.
3. Hire the person with the strongest resume or interview skills (often at the lowest price).

And then they wonder why the numbers don't move.

Here's the problem:

They hire for the role, not the result.

You see, when a CEO or founder says they need marketing, what they're really saying is…

"We need to get more leads or close more sales."

These are metrics (i.e., numbers that must improve).

But instead of starting with metrics, they begin with titles.

They think a marketing manager, director or assistant will magically figure it out.

Yet they almost never do.

To make matters worse, many CEOs I've worked with hire overseas marketing talent to save money.

Which is wonderful because there are tons of skilled, cost-effective people outside the U.S.

But saving money by hiring overseas doesn't solve the problem.

So what should you do instead?

1. Identify the metric you need to improve.
2. Find someone with a track record of moving that exact metric.
3. Let them focus on that one thing.

Forget titles or one-size-fits-all marketers.

Figure out the number you need to move…

Then find the person who can move it.

Recently, my buddy Zach Burkes and I interviewed James Zolman, founder of Specialist.PH, to dig deeper into how to properly hire overseas talent.

James has spent years helping companies find and place professionals outside the U.S. for marketing roles.

Check out his tips here on my recent LinkedIn post.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Why many are marketing for the wrong reasons

2024-12-06T14:35:39-05:00

This morning, I wrote a rant on LinkedIn.

The post is worth reading (and seeing the fun photo) as you evaluate your marketing activities for 2025.

Because let's be honest…

Too many marketing strategies are on autopilot now — often chasing metrics that don’t make a difference.

The post is a call to rethink how you approach marketing.

2025 doesn’t need more noise.

It needs quality.

Take a few minutes to read the post and let me know…

Do you think shortcuts will keep running the show?

(I also included today’s post at the bottom of this email, in case you’re not on LinkedIn.)

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist
www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

If you'd like to work directly with me to develop some marketing initiatives for your business, you have a few options. Just reply back and tell me a little about your business and where you’re struggling most. I'll follow up with additional details.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

—---- LinkedIn Post —----

Do marketers really care about quality?

Maybe I’m turning into one of those "back in my day" people...

But it feels like we're trading thoughtful marketing for mindless automation.

And, unfortunately, this is happening at an alarming rate.

It's like the craft of marketing has been swapped for an assembly line.

We’re no longer building relationships or solving problems — just checking boxes...

Post this (written by AI).

Automate that.

Drive to a funnel.

And for what? To please the algorithm gods?

Somewhere along the way, we started confusing activity with impact.

Quantity became the goal.

Quality was left behind like an AOL email address.

Now, let me be clear…

Automation and scaling marketing activities are beautiful things.

Yet they’re also rewards for first finding what works.

They’re not starting points for strategies.

Automation is a tool, just like a hammer.

If all you do is swing that tool around without any direction, you’ll never build anything.

You’ll just make noise.

Marketing isn’t about pleasing algorithms.

Or chasing shortcuts to reach metrics that don’t actually matter.

Marketing is about solving problems and earning trust.

Showing people that you actually understand them.

But that involves work.

A focus on quality.

And quality doesn’t scale as easily as the latest “done-for-you” software.

So, yeah, maybe I’m just an old curmudgeon yelling at you to get off my lawn.

But I’ll take meaningful, small-scale marketing over mass automation any day.

Am I wrong?

Are we putting effort toward what matters … or just chasing convenience?

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

AI pollution

2024-11-25T21:07:53-05:00

Is AI making marketers forget how to think?

Last week, I received a cold LinkedIn message.

The usual spiel…

"I have a project and would love your help. Let's schedule a call."

No intro. No context.

Just a shot in the dark.

I didn't know this person.

And because of this, I did what most people would do…

Ignored the message.

But imagine if this same person approached me differently.

Say, after a speaking gig, referencing something I talked about and then making the exact same request.

Creates a totally different vibe, right?

Suddenly, there's relevance. There's context.

A reason for me to care.

This is the problem with marketing today.

Too many people rely on templates.

They take the shortcut — copy-paste, send and hope for the best.

And with AI churning out endless variations of the same message, the problem keeps getting worse.

The tools are smarter, but the approach?

Not so much.

You see, AI can't replace the human ability to understand timing, relevance and — most importantly — context.

So before hitting send on that perfectly crafted message your AI software wrote, ask yourself:

Does this show I took time to understand the person I'm reaching out to?

Because if not, you're just adding more AI pollution to a playing field flooded with thoughtless automation.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

One thing worth considering...

2024-11-15T12:13:12-05:00

It's Sunday morning, and I'm staring down a wall of sticky sheets.

Each piece is covered with clusters of notes in different colors.

I'm in the middle of a 3-day planning session with the Predictable Profits team.

We're mapping out 2025.

The big takeaway?

One option.

Strip everything back, and funnel people into one clear path.

At first, this feels strange.

We're focusing on eliminating options.

Yet isn't that what we, as business owners, love — giving potential clients all the choices?

The idea seemed counterintuitive.

But then, I remembered my recent experience buying bike shoes.

Should have been pretty simple, right?

Just get some shoes.

Yet every pair I compared made me wonder if I was making a mistake.

Did I need velcro or laces?

Or maybe the fancy dial adjusters?

What about colors?

And which clips match my pedals?

Too many options sucked the life out of my purchase.

I realized that this is something we often do with clients.

We build a "menu" of options, thinking it gives them confidence.

Yet instead, you give them the burden of choice.

And when you must choose between several solid options, every decision feels like a potential regret.

So as you go into 2025, consider one streamlined offer.

One primary path.

Then, when clients come to you, they know exactly where to go.

And trust that you laid out the right path for them.

You see, more isn't always better.

More can create noise.

People don't need numerous paths to success.

They just need one good one.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Turning cold contacts into clients

2024-10-22T13:41:32-04:00

"Tom, I have all these contacts, but I don't know what to say to them."

A client recently told me this after asking for help with the company's outbound efforts.

He had bought a list and now needed help with emails.

He also purchased a bunch of credits with an AI-powered outbound software.

The problem was that the client didn't know anything about the contacts…

Except their profession and where they work.

With only this information, it's nearly impossible to create meaningful messaging.

(Yes, even with AI.)

So you're left guessing.

Or pitching your company's product or services.

And this is what most people do with their outbound efforts.

Yet all this does is show you're more interested in selling than solving issues or challenges.

You must know your audience if you have any chance of making outbound work.

This requires research.

Look for triggers that indicate a need for your solution.

A demonstrated need, if you will.

Then personalize your approach.

Of course, there's much more you can do to increase your odds of success.

We recently discussed the entire process on The Beyond 7 Figures Podcast with Charles E. Gaudet II and Jerson Andrew Mellizo.

Click the link to listen.

The bottom line is, outbound has changed.

Relevance is far more important than your reach.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

The fatal flaw in AI-generated copy

2024-09-13T11:57:02-04:00

When ChatGPT hit the market nearly 2 years ago, copywriting was one of many skills expected to take a hit.

Yet the impact has been insignificant.

The biggest reason why?

AI tools such as ChatGPT lack situational awareness.

While it excels at producing copy quickly, AI can't tailor messaging to specific contexts.

This is where the human touch is key.

Sure, AI can put words on a page.

But without an understanding of scenarios (or background details), AI-generated copy will continue to fall short.

Copywriting requires understanding your audience's mindset.

AI lacks the ability to interpret this context.

This causes a formulaic and predictable output.

Leading to copy that can't connect with readers.

Keep this in mind as you plan your next campaign.

You see, effective marketing goes beyond just words.

It requires proper persuasion and timing.

And that's why, despite all the AI hype, human-driven copywriting still stands strong.

On this week’s episode of The Beyond 7 Figures Podcast, I dig deep into this topic with Charles Gaudet.

We discuss how you can blend AI tools with the human touch to craft compelling copy that connects with audiences.

Listen here.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

The belief that kills brands

2024-08-29T19:28:52-04:00

Unfortunately, many of today's sales and marketing leaders are playing a losing game.

(Yet they will never admit it.)

They think more is better.

More lists. More emails. More automation.

But here's the truth:

More is killing your brand.

In many B2B situations, one key client or partnership can have a significant impact on your company's growth.

Yet why is it that sales and marketing tools prioritize volume?

Pushing you to reach as many potential clients as possible.

Hoping that sheer quantity will make something stick.

This is laziness disguised as efficiency.

Volume doesn't equal success.

It creates noise that clogs your pipeline with empty "leads."

It dilutes meaningful connections.

There's no need to play the numbers game.

The companies winning today aren't pestering the most prospects.

Real strategy requires precision.

If you think endless automated campaigns will deliver real growth, you're already losing.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Why over-automation is sabotaging your marketing

2024-08-22T15:36:33-04:00

Automation in marketing is a real problem.

As more tools get introduced, the use of automation grows.

And it shows no signs of slowing.

The fact is, with every new tool, we drift further from real connection.

Seeking shortcuts to rapid lead generation.

Or sales on autopilot.

Sure, automated messages might scale.

But, when you automate before discovering what works, you strip away the human element.

You turn once-personalized interactions into standardized exchanges.

And it’s painfully obvious to your audience.

Recently, I dug deep into this topic on The Lead Machine Growth Show with Paul Guyon.

As you'll hear, the era of blasting out generic templates in hopes of landing leads is gone.

People crave real connection.

They want conversations, not campaigns.

Listen to (or watch) the episode here.

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Use AI's biggest flaw to your advantage

2024-08-16T15:58:27-04:00

Companies can no longer get away with producing average.

Average marketing.

Average outreach.

Average client support.

Why?

Because AI can produce average.

So if you rely on AI to handle the above tasks, then you're blending in with all the other noise.

And right now, you can't afford to be standard.

You need to offer something beyond average.

AI excels at efficiency and scaling basic tasks.

Yet it lacks the human touch that creates true connection.

It can't build relationships or understand a client's emotions.

So if you rely on AI to handle these tasks, then you're leaving out what matters most…

Your unique perspective and the genuine engagement that clients crave.

This includes personalization that feels real.

Client experiences that go beyond the expected.

Strategic thinking that challenges current practices.

Yes, use AI — but don't depend on it.

Let your competition fall into this trap.

Because once they do, the human element becomes your competitive edge.

Talk soon,

Tom Trush
Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

www.tomtrush.com

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are a couple ways I can help you:

1. Work one-on-one with you.

2. Join my Marketing Multiplier case study group.

WWS, LLC P.O. Box 7141, Phoenix, AZ 85011

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options