By Phil Gee · AI Academy, Southport
The number one complaint I hear about AI for social media is: "It sounds fake. My followers will know it is not me."
They are right — if you do it wrong. But done properly, AI should sound exactly like you. Not like a robot. Not like a marketing agency. Like you, on your best day, when you have had a good night's sleep and a strong coffee.
Here is how to get there.
The Mistake Everyone Makes
Most people open ChatGPT or Claude, type "write me a social media post about my plumbing business," and paste whatever comes out. That output is generic, lifeless, and recognisable as AI from a mile off.
The fix is simple. You have to tell the AI who you are first.
Setting Your Voice
Before you ask AI to write anything, give it context. Tell it:
- Who you are and what you do
- Who your customers are
- What your personality is like (warm? straight-talking? funny?)
- What you never say (no jargon, no corporate speak, no exclamation marks)
- Give it two or three examples of posts you have written that you liked
This is called "setting your voice." Once the AI knows how you sound, everything it writes for you will match.
The Content Calendar Trick
Here is where AI saves you serious time. Instead of writing one post at a time, ask AI to plan a whole month.
Try this prompt: "I run a [your business] in [your area]. Plan 20 social media posts for the next month — a mix of tips, behind-the-scenes, customer stories, and promotions. Write each one in my voice. Keep them under 100 words. Include a suggestion for what image to use with each one."
You will get a month of content in about 30 seconds. You will not use all of it. But you will use most of it, and you will tweak the rest.
The Golden Rule
AI writes the first draft. You make it yours.
Read every post before it goes out. Change words that do not sound like you. Add a personal detail. Remove anything that feels stiff. This takes two minutes per post — and it is the difference between content that builds trust and content that destroys it.
What to Post
If you are stuck for ideas, ask AI: "Give me 30 content ideas for a [your business] that would be genuinely useful to potential customers — not salesy, just helpful."
You will get ideas you would never have thought of. Pick the best ones. Let AI draft them. Make them yours. Post consistently.
That is it. No more staring at a blank screen. No more posting once a month and hoping. AI gives you the raw material. You bring the personality.