Add emotional intelligence to your writing by using sensory language.

As humans, we experience the world through our senses.

We see the sun rise, listen to music, taste chocolate cake, smell the spring air, and feel the comfort of a loved one’s touch.

AI tools can’t do that. They can sift through data and find examples of humans describing these senses, but they have no first-hand sensory experience.

That’s a huge constraint. A critical part of what it means to be human is tied to our senses. Our senses trigger our emotions.

So… if you want to add value to your work as a writer – beyond what AI tools like ChatGPT can achieve – use more sensory language in your writing.

Use sensory language to describe product and service experiences.

If you’re selling hiking boots, talk less about the boots and more about the experience of being out in the wild… the smell of moss in the air, the cry of an owl, the view across the valley, the rough feel of a tree’s bark under your fingers.

If you’re selling a vacation package, talk less about the amenities of the resort, and more about the feel of sand between your toes, the smell of candles burning in the late evening, the taste of exotic drinks, the sight of the sun setting, the sound of waves breaking… and so on.

Even when selling something as ordinary as a laptop computer, you can talk about listening to your favorite music through its amazing speakers, viewing holiday videos on its incredible display, appreciating the feather-light touch of the keyboard… and so on.

When you tie things back to our senses, you evoke the memories and the emotions of the reader.

And… depending on which study you read… between 75% and 95% of people’s purchase decisions are based on unconscious emotional connections.

One more thing… AI can’t run, jump, cycle or surf.

Beyond our five senses, there is another human experience that is denied tools like GPT-4.

We can move.

We run, and we jump. We dance, and we swim. We surf, and we snowboard.  We hug, and we kiss.

Pity poor GPT-4… confined, unmoving, trapped in servers on the cloud.

Take advantage of this. Introduce movement into your copy when you can. And, of course, movement is often tied to our senses. The feel of the water when you’re swimming or surfing. The salty taste of the seawater on your skin.

Finally, add a layer of emotion to the experience… laughing out loud with a grin on your face as you finally capture that perfect wave.

As always, find the right balance between AI and Emotional Intelligence.

I’m not suggesting you don’t use tools like GPT-4. You absolutely should. AI will make you smarter, faster and more productive.

But using AI alone is not enough. Rely on it too much and your writing will sound the same as the work of tens of thousands of other writers using the same tools.

In other words, you’ll fall into the “sameness trap”.

Don’t do that.

First, use AI to brainstorm, research and outline your work… then use emotional intelligence to give it the human touch.

When you add that emotional layer, you’ll not only be writing better copy, but you’ll also be differentiating yourself from what AI alone can achieve.

This is how you futureproof your writing career, however good AI becomes.

If you want in-depth instruction on how to do this, step by step, find out more about my Futureproof Copywriting course.