Do we really need copywriters anymore? Can’t anyone produce a sales-driven text now that generative AI is widely available? And what actually defines truly great copy? We sat down with Aimfor’s own copywriter, Emil Björnius, who shared his thoughts—and a few poorly kept secrets.
If you were to look up the phrase "eclectic background" in a dictionary, chances are Emil’s name would appear. He started his career in sales, earned a business degree in 2011, and a few years later realized he wanted to work creatively.– I applied for a content manager position at an agency, despite not having direct experience as a copywriter. I had previously worked closely with copywriters, so I had a solid understanding of the craft. Plus, I love good storytelling and writing, so my work sample landed me an interview—and ultimately the job. I’ve been in the industry ever since.
Sales and psychology help a copywriter succeed
He is passionate about ideas and finding creative ways to address customers’ different pain points. Emil believes that his years in sales have helped him deeply understand customer’s different challenges. He elaborates:
– If you know sales and a bit of psychology, it's easier to grasp the customer's real pain points. Think about it this way: customers don’t actually care about your product; they care about how it solves their problem or improves their life. It’s about understanding their situation, emotions, and motivations on a deeper level.
– It might sound cliché, but if you're marketing an innovative SaaS platform, you’re not really selling the cool features—you’re selling the time the platform saves the user. These kinds of arguments are common when you work in sales, and if you can apply that thinking to content creation, you gain a significant advantage.
“I think we’re entering an AI fatigue phase”
Generative AI is now a tool most marketers use to some extent. Emil admits he uses ChatGPT frequently but doesn’t believe copywriting as a profession will disappear in favor of AI.
– Most creatives I know work smarter and more efficiently thanks to AI. Personally, I think generative AI is fantastic for stress-testing my ideas and texts. If I lay the groundwork and need an objective perspective on how an article could be improved, I know ChatGPT (my 'drug of choice') will give me an honest, structured critique.
He continues:
– There are quite a few things I wouldn’t use ChatGPT for. When it comes to pure idea generation, you often need that human touch—the ability to think outside the box. The same goes for tone of voice. Truly capturing the soul of a language is incredibly difficult. If you’re a world-class prompter, maybe it’s easier, but I just don’t think we’re there yet.
– Right now, the internet is flooded with AI-generated texts, and it shows. I think it’s only natural that we’ll soon enter a phase of AI fatigue—a growing appreciation for the imperfect, raw, and human copy that contains typos and real personality.
What makes a text stand out?
Emil shares what excites him most about copywriting:
– I like copywriting that forces its reader to use his or her brain. A great example is a password campaign from the Swedish Theft Prevention Association (SSF) a few years ago. They ran an ad that read: ‘Are you protecting yourself with d*ck?’—playing on the fact that it’s one of the most commonly used passwords digitally in Sweden.
– I also love brands that either use humor effectively or break the mold by doing things differently. Lidl’s social media presence, for example, strikes the perfect balance between being cocky and entertaining.
Final copywriting tips—No AI required
To wrap up, Emil shares his best advice for making copy truly fly—and it doesn’t involve generative AI or humor.
– "t’s easy to fall into autopilot mode. As a copywriter, I constantly ask myself: would I personally be engaged by this? Would I be excited by this headline? If the answer is no, you might need to take a break, find inspiration, and start fresh.
He concludes:
– I’m my own toughest critic and find myself in that situation often. If you’re struggling, show your text to, say, an older relative and ask if they would click on the ad. If they wouldn’t, it’s back to the drawing board."*
Emil concludes by mentioning that he’d love to run this article through ChatGPT before publishing—and of course, he’s allowed to do so.
Need help with content creation, SEO, or sharp ad copy? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Emil.
