What using AI imagery for your small business is actually saying... (and it's not good)

What using AI imagery for your small business is actually saying... 

We are currently in an AI poster/logo/caption epidemic. It. Is. Everywhere. And I hate it. Not only do I think it's horrible to look at, it makes me cringe whenever I see a business use it because it says so much more about your business than what you think it does.

If you run a business (like me) whether it's big or small, the one thing we can all agree on is that there is never enough time in the day. Your to-do list is never finished, Instagram wants us to make content for the algorithm we never signed up for and let's be honest, even when we are on holiday it is incredibly difficult to switch off. It is all consuming.

With the cost of living rising, restrictions across countries popping up left right and centre, Esty and websites taking % that make your eyes bulge it is only natural to reach for the one thing that is quick, easy and above everything else free - AI (sadly now known for Artificial intelligence rather than Adobe Illustrator). 

Except, that poster, that logo, that caption you've copied and pasted which you think looks professional, is exactly the opposite. One of the biggest myths about AI generated imagery is that people don't notice. But believe me when I say they do. 

A recent study by digital asset management company Bynder found that half of consumers can correctly identify AI-generated content.

Okay, so your customers know you're using AI for your content - why does that matter? You're a small business who is doing the best they can. I get it. But when people start to suspect you of using AI they disengage. It immediately makes your brand feel impersonal, I've seen countless comments where people say "If they are cutting corners in their marketing, where else are they cutting corners?" - it begins to create a distrust for a business that you have taken weeks, months, years to build. 

So in reality, a logo, poster or social media post that you think is helping your brand out and saving you money is doing the exact opposite. It's telling your customers that you don't care enough to put time and effort into it, it's saying you'd rather save money then support creatives, it's morphing into every single other brand out there that is doing the same.

The originality, the trust, the passion gone all from a poster or logo. 

"But Lucy...I still can't afford a graphic designer..." honestly I hear you. I can't either, and I'm at an advantage that my business is a creative one so I can work around it, but that being said there are still SO many free and easy ways to promote your business without the use of AI. 

• Canva: Avoid the Magic Studio or generative AI buttons, and build from a blank page.
• Photoshop: Use traditional editing tools for photo manipulation, manual layering, and brushwork.
• WordArt: Okay so super old-school but I genuinely think people would resonate/trust a word art document more than an AI poster.
• By Hand: Woah even more old-school but getting out your felt tips and pens and creating a hand drawn poster (even if you think you don't have a creative bone in your body) then scanning it in or photographing it is better than AI (no really). 

I have always promoted documenting your business journey, It is one of the most powerful tools to connect with your customers. It builds human connection, trust and more than anything else a distinction in an already saturated market.

Admitting mistakes, showing how you solve problems, and showing real-life obstacles (e.g not being able to afford a graphic designer or having to hand draw a poster) proves you're authentic. People value honesty, they want to know you're real not perfect. 

Other businesses can copy your products, your ideas, your pricing but the one thing they can't is be you. That is the distinction. 

At the end of the day, I'm not saying you must stay away from AI altogether - I think we are far beyond that now. It has it's uses of course. But in your visual marketing? I want you to stop and question why you are using it (just to save 10-15 mins making a poster on Canva? To make more money?) whatever the reason, is it worth your customers trust and ultimate purchases? Probably not. 

Now, I normally get my Mum or my sister to proof read my blog posts as a girl with dylexia I am prone to gramatical, or spelling errors. But today, for the sake of proving my human I'll leave them in. 

(real human) Lucy x