If it feels like social media has become an AI-generated space, that’s because it has. At least 67% of small and medium-sized businesses are using AI in marketing, especially for content creation.
Because let’s be honest: We all have limited time.
AI tools can churn out just about any type of content you can imagine. It can even build your brand for you.
The problem?
Firms and other businesses rarely see the results they want when they rely on AI alone.
Why?
Because everyone who uses it sounds exactly the same, and when everyone sounds the same, no one stands out.
The good news is that with the right strategy, you can avoid becoming another statistic. I’m going to show you how to build a strong personal brand online (one that AI can’t replace).
But first, let’s talk about why you should even bother with brand-building right now.
No time to read? See my video here: https://youtu.be/IZc3Okuotuw
Now is the Best Time to Build a Brand Online. Here’s Why.
AI can create all types of content: blogs, social posts and even podcasts and videos.
But that content? It’s super generic. The concepts of the content may not be trash, but the raw, unedited outputs are.
Why is that?
AI can only spit out content and knowledge it’s trained on. It doesn’t know your personal experiences, stories or opinions.
It’s lacking the “youness.”
As accountants and CPAs, you deliver a very high-trust service. They want to know they are picking the right person to handle sensitive information, help them achieve their goals, and keep them out of trouble. This is exactly why most people aren’t going to ask ChatGPT to do their taxes or help plan for their financial future.
To give you some perspective, I recently ran an experiment with Claude. I fed it all of my bank and credit card statements. I gave it a bunch of information and asked it to create a financial forecast for my personal finances.
It was wildly inaccurate.
Sure, I probably could have tinkered around with it and gotten some accurate estimates there. But the bottom line is that, even if I got that, I would still keep my meeting with my financial advisor.
Why?
Because I want to work with someone who says, “Okay, I have seen your situation before. I have experienced someone who wants to get out of life what you wanna get. I understand your unique nuances, and now I wanna help you create a plan that gets you there. And oh, by the way, have you considered this or that?”
I want a person to help me with that. That’s the same thing your clients are coming to you for.
They want your unique perspective and experience and not generic advice AI will give them.
That’s also great news when you’re trying to build a brand in the age of AI.
If everyone else is outsourcing their content to chatbots, it’s all going to sound the same. And that’s a huge turnoff for clients who want reassurance they’re working with someone who has real expertise.
It’s the perfect opportunity to build a solid brand that positions you as an authority and a “real” person online.
Not sure where to start? Let’s dive into the strategy.
How to Build a Brand Online that AI Can’t Replace
1. Share Outcomes, Not Just Tips
I like to say that the future is demonstration, not information. Anyone can get access to information today. Sharing tips and basic advice isn’t going to cut it.
You need to be sharing outcomes, transformations that you’ve helped people accomplish. Share your journey to reach that destination. These stories give your audience an inside look at what it’s like to work with you and the problems you solve.
2. Show Up in Real Time
Think about ways you can physically show up in real time to show your audience that this is not just some performative script that you’re reading.
This could come in the form of:
- Going live
- Doing a live podcast that you record and cut up
- Recording a conversation with someone you interviewed (or vice versa)
- Creating a long-form video (because you’re likely not just sitting there reading from a script)
I want you to think about how you can show up and show that it’s you.
Trust is a rare commodity today.
Everyone else is copying and pasting AI-generated posts, and they’re losing the trust of their audience and their credibility.
Show that you’re behind the content and you’ll earn that trust rather than lose it.
3. Be Interesting
Now, showing up and letting people see that you’re the person behind the content is just one piece of the puzzle.
Because anyone can write generic social posts or create basic videos.
If you want to build an irreplaceable brand, you have to be interesting.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be Elon Musk or someone like that.
It means that you need to add depth to your content by sharing your unique:
- Opinions
- Experiences
- Point of view
The idea of being interesting can be a whole lot of different things. But it’s where you find your sweet spot.
Because if you sound like everyone else, which is what the AI platforms have done to a lot of people and brands, what’s going to happen?
You’re going to get tuned out.
And today’s algorithms have become interest-based. That means it’s not about having a million followers. It’s about creating content with purpose based on a specific topic. The algorithm then says, “Hey, these users will find your content interesting,” and recommends it.
Not sure where to start or what to do to become more interesting? AI can be a helpful tool here. Upload your calls to AI (scrub them for confidential information first) and ask, “Hey, can you help me pick the moments in these conversations that are interesting that I can use in content to tell stories?”
Use that output as inspiration to create unique and interesting content.
4. Build a Real Community
What’s the one thing that ties all of these points together? The human element. Ultimately, building a brand is also about building real relationships.
Content is great. It would be amazing if everyone could go viral, keep putting out content and build parasocial relationships with their audience.
But that’s not how it works for most people. Most people also have to do something else: build a real community.
That means:
- Engaging with other people
- Making others feel seen and heard
- Networking in person at industry events
And here’s another area where you can stand out because AI is being abused in this area. People are using AI to automate their relationship building.
We’ve all seen posts with AI comments and what does that achieve? It damages trust. It’s even worse than not leaving a comment at all.
To build a solid brand that AI can’t replace, you need to build genuine relationships. That starts by leaving real, thoughtful comments on people’s posts and starting conversations.
When you’re engaging on content and having conversations, people will be like, “Wow, I feel like now I’m getting to know this person. I like this person, and I trust this person.”
In a trust-based industry, this is absolutely critical.
That trust is how you create a brand that AI can’t possibly replace.
The Takeaway
In a world filled with AI content, people think it’s harder than ever to build a brand and stand out.
But in reality? It’s easier than ever.
Just implement the strategy above and I’m confident that in six months, you’ll be in a completely different space.
