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USING AI
Determine Your Company Voice and Write Killer Social Media Posts
By Kelly Dowell
I
n the green industry, everyone wears multiple hats. One day you’re handling scheduling, the next you’re fielding customer calls, and somewhere in between, you’re supposed to post on social media. Maybe an admin, a crew leader, or even an outsourced freelancer is helping, but no matter who holds the keyboard, the content should always sound like you. The challenge is consistency. Without a clear company voice, posts can feel scattered or, worse, fake. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Claude rise in popularity, the risk of generic, cookie-cutter content only grows. Making AI work for you instead of against you starts with defining your company’s voice.
Why Voice Matters More Than Ever Your brand voice is your company’s personality. It’s how you present yourself to your audience: professional or casual, goofy or polished, consultative or salesy. A formal brand voice document is the playbook that ensures anyone writing on your behalf sounds consistent. That document should capture things like: • A synopsis of your overall personality (e.g., professional but warm, technical but approachable). • Preferences for style choices: emojis can be welcome or off-limits, hashtags used sparingly or often. • Even music style: rock and roll, country, classical (your sound on Reels is part of your brand.) When that document exists, anyone on your team, your outsourced marketer, or yes, even an AI tool, can create content that feels authentically yours.
The AI Trap: Bad Content Is Worse Than No Content The internet is already flooded with AIgenerated content. And people can tell
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when it hasn’t been edited. Dead giveaways include: • Overuse of the em dash (AI’s favorite punctuation). • Emoji overload, especially green checkmarks. • Irrelevant or spammy hashtags. • Posts that read like a textbook instead of a conversation. When your audience spots these, trust erodes. Instead of building your reputation, the post reminds people you’re phoning it in. In fact, bad AI is worse than silence.
The Right Process: Humans First, AI Second The secret is flipping the script. Don’t start with AI. Start with your voice. In my consulting work, we spend hours onboarding new clients, interviewing leaders, and building a brand voice document. That doc becomes the foundation for all content. Once it’s in place, AI can act as a powerful assistant, but never the driver. Think of it like this: • Voice document = guardrails g defines your company’s personality. • AI = engine g generates ideas and drafts quickly. • Human edit = quality control g ensures the final product feels real.
Best Practices for AI-Assisted Social Media If you’re going to use AI in your marketing, keep these guidelines in mind: • Always edit before posting. Never copy-paste AI output directly. • Prioritize quality over quantity. One strong, well-crafted post will outperform five weak ones every time. • Stay authentic. Highlight your people, your projects, your values. AI can help with words, but the stories must be yours.
The Future: Voice Is Your Differentiator AI isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it will only become more powerful and accessible. But technology can never replace authenticity. Your brand’s voice (the way you communicate values, culture, and personality) is what makes you different. AI can amplify that voice, but only if you’ve taken the time to define it. In a world of generic, mass-produced content, the companies that win will be the ones that sound unmistakably like themselves. Whether it’s the owner, the admin, the crew leader, or a smart AI tool hitting “post,” the voice will remain the same. And that consistency is what builds trust, loyalty, and long-term growth. n
ChatGPT vs. Claude: Know Your Tools Not all AI platforms are created equal. I often use both, but for different reasons. ChatGPT is fantastic for brainstorming. Need 10 fresh ideas for spring landscaping posts? It’ll give you a list in seconds. Claude is stronger at writing and humanizing. If you want a draft that sounds warmer and less robotic, Claude often has the edge. Using them together provides the best of both worlds.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Dowell Founder onlawn Kelly@onlawn.io www.onlawn.io
www.synkd.io