Are We Experiencing AI Shock?
There’s been a surge in AI-generated content lately—and with it, a wave of sameness that’s hard to ignore. If you’re looking for ChatGPT prompts for event pros that don’t sound like everyone else’s, you’re in the right place.
More than a decade ago, marketer Mark Schaefer warned us about “content shock”—a moment where more content would be published than people could ever reasonably consume
That was before TikTok.
Before Threads.
Before every newsletter platform under the sun offered an AI writer.
Back then, blogging and lead magnets still felt like marketing with a pulse. Some folks took the time to think, research, and write with intention. Others, armed with impatience and entrepreneurial spirit, offshored SEO-spun articles to climb the rankings.
If that description already sounds like word salad… just imagine the drivel that was “shocking” the internet back then.
Here’s the real eye opener: Schaefer suggested more than ten years ago that content marketing “is not a sustainable strategy.”
Fast forward to now, and content marketing is back and the Internet promises that it is a sustainable strategy—with AI of course.
Oh, and you no longer need writing chops—or even a particularly entrepreneurial spirit—to produce content at scale. You just need ChatGPT and the ability to rub two semi-coherent sentences together.
But wait, there’s more. All this can be done in under 30 minutes if you act now!
AI isn’t the problem We are.
What We’re Getting Wrong About AI Content
Let me be clear: I use AI every day. Maybe every hour of every day.
But I’m going to push back—hard—on the usual advice:
💡 Write faster!
📣 Post more!
🚀 Scale your business!
That’s not a strategy. That’s hustle culture in shiny new heels. Incredibly tight and painful shiny new heels.
The result?
Even good AI content still sounds like AI content.
It’s a bit too confident.
The metaphors are a bit too clever.
The voice is close—but maybe just a little too polished, too sure, too samey. You know, too robotic.
And even as the robot sounds more human, our ears are becoming more attuned to the sound of robots. Seriously, how many AI Detector searches have you done in the past week on strangely polished emails?
And if you use it long enough, you start to see mirages in your own output—phrases that sound insightful but are literally just statistical echoes of what the internet already liked last year.
Here’s How to Approach AI Instead
If you’re a service provider—especially in the event space—who actually wants to use AI well… this is for you.
(Yes, I have prompt templates.)
But more importantly, I want to show you how to think about prompting like a strategist. Because when you do that, you don’t just get content—you get your voice back. And maybe your time, too.
Let’s start where most people don’t: AI discernment.
What is ChatGPT—and Why Should Event Pros Even Care?
At its core, ChatGPT is a text prediction machine.
🤔 It doesn’t think.
🧐 It doesn’t understand.
🤓 It’s not “smart” in the way we usually assign that word to tools or people.
It’s just very, very good at guessing what word probably comes next.
And that’s where discernment matters most.
Because once something sounds smart, most people stop questioning whether it actually is.
They assume fluency equals strategy. Polished equals right. Coherent equals clear.
And that’s how we end up with content that reads well—but says nothing.
AI can produce the illusion of insight.
But it’s up to you to decide what actually belongs in your business, your voice, and your marketing.
That might sound underwhelming, but here’s the thing: with the right inputs, those predictions can get eerily good. Good enough to draft a decent email. Polish a messy paragraph. Or help you figure out what to say when you’re staring at a blinking cursor and a pile of open tabs.
In my world, I use ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity to:
- Kickstart first drafts
- Rewrite clunky copy in my voice (or a client’s)
- Summarize meeting notes and turn transcripts into show notes for my audio newsletter
- Quickly find patterns and brainstorm possible meanings in large data sets
- Help me fix sloppy Regex and code
- Or just get unstuck when my brain refuses to brain
But let’s be clear—ChatGPT (or whatever your LLM of choice is) isn’t magic, and (even if it seems to be) it actually isn’t strategic, either.
It doesn’t know your clients, your offers, your market, or your sales cycle.
It doesn’t know the why behind your work.
It just knows what a likely next sentence sounds like.
So if you don’t bring the strategy?
If you don’t give it clarity, voice, direction, and intent?
You’ll get vague filler that sounds kind of pretty but says absolutely nothing.
Used well, ChatGPT can be a game-changing support tool. Used lazily, it’ll just regurgitate whatever warmed-over business fluff the internet trained it on.
So why bother?
Because if you’re here, I’m going to assume you’re the kind of service provider who’s done chasing gimmicks—and wants efficiency and traction, not busy work and noise.
Me too. And I’m here to show you how AI can help you stay consistent without selling your soul. You still have to lead, but now you don’t have to do it all alone or start from a blank page.
What Makes a Prompt Effective (and Why It Matters)
You don’t need a secret formula or someone else’s prompt library. (Though they can be helpful).
You don’t need a prompt the size of a Tolstoy novel.
You just need a clear ask, a defined audience, and meaningful details.
Good prompts are not clever. They’re complete.
Here’s what that means:
1. Your prompt should give direction, not just be a request.
Bad: “Write a sales email.”
Better: “Write a friendly follow-up email to a couple who toured our venue last week. Keep it warm and helpful, and remind them that spring dates are filling quickly, without being too pushy.”
AI can’t pick up on nuance. It doesn’t even count very well—much to my chagrin when I first started using it and asked for 30-character headlines until it timed out, leaving me enraged and yelling at the screen.
Turns out it can reflect back what you feed it (and what the collective internet has taught it to prioritize.)
So if you’re vague, you’ll get vagueness in return.
If you’re clear, specific, and provide solid context? That’s when AI starts sounding less like filler and more like something you actually send.
Tips for giving direction that works:
- Use action verbs. Tell it exactly what you want it to do: “write,” “summarize,” “rewrite,” “draft,” “outline,” etc. Don’t leave it guessing.
- Include the audience. Who is this for? A hesitant couple? A busy planner? Someone who ghosted you after a consult? The tone shifts depending on who’s reading.
- Name the moment. Where is this happening in the client journey? After a tour? Before a consult? During a lull? The more specific, the better.
- State your intention. Are you trying to educate, reconnect, reassure, sell, or close? AI needs that context to strike the right tone.
- Call out the tone explicitly. Try phrases like:
- “Use a warm, conversational tone”
- “Avoid sounding too polished or corporate”
- “Keep it friendly, not salesy”
Think of your prompt like a mini-brief. The clearer your ask, the better your output.
Try it out! Ghosting Follow-Up Email
Example Prompt:
“Write a low-pressure follow-up email to a couple who hasn’t responded since their site tour three weeks ago. Keep it warm and respectful, and include a soft nudge like, ‘We’d love to know where you’re at in the process.’ Avoid sounding salesy.”
Why it works here:
It clearly defines tone, timing, context, and intention. It’s not “write a follow-up.” It’s: here’s the situation, here’s how we want to show up, and here’s what to avoid.
2. You give the AI what it can’t guess.
AI doesn’t know your tone.
It doesn’t know your ideal client.
It doesn’t know what happened before this message or what makes your process different from someone else’s with the same job title.
It doesn’t know what you stand for, what you refuse to say, or why your version of the work feels different.
That’s your job to provide.
The more context you give it, the better it performs.
And the smart business owner knows that context isn’t something you invent every time—it’s something you gather ahead of time.
🧠 Pro Tip – What to Feed Your AI to “Train It”
Whether you’re using the free version of ChatGPT or a custom GPT workspace, keep these inputs handy:
- Your brand voice guide: A few bullet points on tone, personality, and words you always—or never—use
- Ideal client snapshot: Who you serve, what they want, what they’re struggling with
- Real phrases from your sales calls or emails: AI learns better when it hears how you talk
- Sample content you actually like: Past captions, newsletters, landing pages—anything that sounds like you on a good day
- Your services + differentiators: What you offer, who it’s for, and why it’s different from the other dozen vendors they’re looking at
💡 Pro Tip – How to “Train” your AI—Free vs. Paid
On the free version of ChatGPT: Keep these handy in a swipe file or Google Doc. When you prompt, paste in what’s relevant—especially if tone and voice are critical to the task.
On the paid version (ChatGPT Plus or Team): You don’t need to feed it every time. Instead, upload brand assets, voice notes, and sample copy into your project workspace. Then train it once, and build from there.
This way, your AI starts with context—and gets smarter with use.
Try it out! Web Copy Glow Up
Example Prompt:
“Rewrite my above-the-fold headline to be transformational and match the voice of a high-energy, boutique wedding DJ in Austin. Our tone is playful and bold, but never cheesy. The ideal client is a creative Gen-Z couple who wants a packed dance floor with zero beach balls or line dances. Keep it short and high-impact.”
Why it works here:
It gives brand personality, values, red flags, audience, tone, and city—things AI can’t pull from thin air. It ensures the output reflects real positioning, not a stock DJ blurb.
3. You tell it what to avoid.
When you don’t set boundaries, AI fills in the blanks with what it’s seen the most of. And what it’s seen—especially in marketing—isn’t exactly subtle:
- Corporate jargon
- Bro-flavored persuasion tactics
- Overused phrases like “your special day,” “tailored to your needs,” or “book now to save”
Not harmful. Just hollow.
And that’s the risk. Not that it sounds wrong—just that it sounds like everyone else.
So don’t assume the model knows your red flags. Be specific.
Try adding lines like:
- “Avoid sounding overly salesy or polished.”
- “Use plain, human language—not brochure copy.”
- “Skip any clichés like ‘your special day.’”
- “Sound like a real person. Keep it grounded.”
This isn’t about nitpicking word choice. It’s about protecting tone, trust, and the part of your brand that people actually connect with.
Set the boundaries. Don’t assume Chat GPT knows them.
Try it Yourself! Instagram Caption for a Floral Designer
Example Prompt:
“Write a playful Instagram caption for a behind-the-scenes timelapse of us creating a custom ceremony arch. Emphasize how even though we spend hours setting up, we want every detail to feel natural and effortless. Keep the tone romantic and exciting, and avoid any language like ‘dreamy,’ ‘whimsical,’ or ‘your special day.’ No hashtags.”
Why it works here:
This prompt sets clear tone and boundaries. You’re not just saying what you want—you’re calling out what doesn’t fit your brand voice (even if the algorithm loves it).
Why This Approach Matters in 2025 (and Beyond)
We’re not just drowning in content. We’re drowning in sameness.
We have been for a long time, to be sure. But AI is accelerating the same.
And sameness doesn’t build trust.
Sameness doesn’t help you stand out among your competition (even friendly competition).
Voice, tone, specificity—that’s what cuts through noise now. Not “scaling your marketing” with AI-generated content you barely looked at.
So if you’re trying to get more efficiency with content creation without losing the personality and positioning that made your business work in the first place…
AI can help. But only if you lead.
