Are Your AI Comments Hurting Your Brand More Than Helping It?

In the world of Marketing, there are more and more AI "solutions", and today I need to rant (YES, RANT) about how people are using the new AI Comments option here on LinkedIn.

I'll try and keep it meaningful, but honestly, I'm SUPER annoyed and frustrated right now, so reader beware.

Let's Start At The Very Beginning...

A Very Good Place To Start...

When You Read You Begin With ABC...

But On LinkedIn You Begin With "No Not Me"?

Yeah, sorry. Sometimes you gotta just use The Sound of Music lyrics to process thoughts 🤣

But anyway, let's start at the beginning. The beginning meaning the "Problem".

I can see AI comments theoretically impacting two problems:

1) People need to comment MORE, and

2) People want to comment but don't know what to say.

But are either of these REAL problems? As in, SOURCE problems.

Nope-ity, Nope, Nope.

And why?

Because...

Who said you had to comment more? And who said you should comment when you don't know what to say?

Oh yeah. The internet "gurus".

So, instead of me looking INSIDE to understand why I don't comment, or why I don't know what to say, I just outsource it to AI 🤨

Because that's always taught you lots right?

"Oh, but Tracy, I don't need to LEARN anything, I just need AI to do it for me."

Is that how YOU ever built a trustworthy relationship with someone?

Creating "Not Me" Experiences

What you're doing here folks, is showing your cards, just in a douchey way.

You're showing up on someone else's post, commenting to reach your commenting goal. Or to try and get their eyes on you to buy your stuff.

And now you're just using me and my post to your own ends.

You think that's going to make me trust you?

And even if it's scenario 2 above, if you don't know what YOU would say to MY authentic words, why would you want me to associate you with NOT your words?

This is the "Not Me" Experience I'm talking about.

And I don't know about the internet "gurus", but as far as I'm concerned, that's unacceptable.

Want to talk about why sales cycles are getting longer?

Because people are ACTIVELY making them longer with activities like this.

Why It Doesn't Work

Ok, so besides the icky feeling it gives to people, there's another underlying - and more important - reason this doesn't create traction in the long run.

I already mentioned in above somewhere...wanna hazard a guess?

It's because it doesn't TEACH you anything.

If I want to get really good at basketball, I have to PRACTICE shooting. And passing. And rebounding. And running. And building strength.

There's a discipline that goes into it.

And because of doing the work, I build the skills.

Outsourcing your commenting to AI builds what skills exactly?

Oh, but it's not just that it doesn't BUILD skills.

It's that it actively DECREASES the presence of that skill amongst humans.

If the activity you're consistently taking is in doing tasks vs. THINKING or EXPERIENCING the task you're doing, you turn your brain off. And you build a HABIT around that.

Which also turns off the opportunity for connection making.

Now, you have a habit of doing things that DON'T build relationships.

I mean, whether you're here to find a job, make friends, sell your goods/services or any other reason, you've now filled your time up with NOT making connections.

And then wonder WHY you're not finding a job. Or friends. Or clients.

Stop Pretending

Maybe it's because I'm a Millennial, and my Boomer parents instilled in me the belief that You Get What You Give, but using AI commenting? That's you PRETENDING to give, which is even worse than not giving anything in the first place.

And you're broadcasting that to people when you comment and NEVER come back; or don't try to start any on-going conversation.

And we know why.

Because you don't actually CARE to start a conversation.

You care about getting a job. Or a client. That's all other people are here for right?

If not, STOP treating them like that. Because that's what you're doing.

And I would like to think that most people aren't doing that intentionally; they just aren't thinking about deeply enough to notice.

Well, here's your notice.

And it's an opportunity to do something different.

What Would YOU Do?

Now, engaging with people in comments ISN'T a bad activity. In fact, in can be a very GOOD activity for brand building.

But only if it comes from a place of authenticity.

- What would YOU comment on?

- Where can YOU add value with a comment?

- What conversations would YOU like to get into? And be excited to come back to?

The answers will be unique for you.

Now, go find THOSE conversations.

And comment something YOU would say.

It doesn't have to be pithy. Or world-changing. Or profound.

You don't even necessarily have to agree whole-heartedly with the content (but being kind is always available). You can share a contrary experience. Or ask a question.

And in each of THOSE scenarios, you learn something.

Is this person someone I want to continue to be in a conversation with? Or not?

If so, you have the opportunity to BUILD something.

And if not, you just learned something about how best to use your commenting time.

Either way, YOU WIN.

With AI comments, all you're doing is LOSING.

So, why not stop wasting time? (Yes, while it's being sold as a time SAVER, it's actually wasting you time AND creating a bad brand experience💡)

And if you want to get into an ACTUAL conversation with me about how to start conversations from a more authentic place, that's always welcome. If I can FEEL you're REAL from a short DM back-and-forth 😉