Worldbuilding for Copywriters

"Aren't you scared AI is going to take your job?"

I hear this question at every Austin meetup I attend. 

Whether I'm mingling with tech bros, marketers, creative types, or the occasional woo woo energy healer (it is Austin), the reaction is always the same when I mention I'm a copywriter.

No, I'm not scared. At least, not right now. As of March 2025, AI can't do what I do.

But 2, 3, 5 years from now—who knows? 

Which is why I'm so interested in brand building. Not the superficial "pretty website color scheme and snazzy headshot" type of personal branding.

I'm talking about something deeper.

Here's the deal: 95% of content is commodity-level. It just rehashes the same lessons you've heard a thousand times:

• Use these 7 power words to boost conversions!
• The AIDA formula will change your business forever!
• Here's why your headlines need numbers and emotional triggers!

It's basically like yelling, "I exist, I'm an expert, take me seriously!"

Which is worth less than a pile of digital confetti in the AI age. ChatGPT can regurgitate these fundamentals better than most copywriters, in 1/25th the time.

There are a few different ways to avoid this content dead-end. Among others, you can be a unique stylist or share original ideas (both of which are super tough to pull off).

Or, you can build your own "content world" like a fiction author. 

Think of folks like Ben Settle, Laura Belgray, and Andre Chaperon. Each of them has built an entire "world" through their emails, with their own values, language, and backstory.

• Ben's World: A rebellious underground where marketing gurus are corrupt overlords, and rebels thrive by breaking the rules. In this world, horror movies have more marketing wisdom than MBA programs, conventional tactics are for "bums," and only bold Email Players survive to rake in cash while working fewer hours than everyone else.
• Laura's World: A hilarious, neurotic slice of New York City where awkward moments become badges of honor, small daily observations turn profound, and the perfect cup of Nespresso is worth waxing poetic about. It's a world where success means being unapologetically yourself while making good money writing in your pajamas.
• Andre's World: A thoughtful universe where marketing is an art form, not a battlefield. Here stories unfold like carefully crafted novels, relationships are built before transactions, and patience trumps hustle. In the Andre-verse, good guys can win without sacrificing their souls to the marketing gods.

You can't copy that. Well, you can try, but it'll be obvious what you're doing.

But Can't AI Create Worlds Too?

Sure, AI can generate fictional worlds. But it can't live your life. It can't have your unique experiences, perspectives, and evolution of thought.

When you build a content world based on your life—however embellished or stylized—you create something that AI can't.

Sounds cool. But how do you get started?

It takes time to build a content world. It's a function of volume of content as much as unique perspective and life details.

But you start by thinking of yourself as the protagonist in your own universe. Turn your perspectives into named concepts and themes, then weave them through your copy like a thread only you could have created.

This helps AI-proofs your biz, and makes your work more distinctive and memorable—for clients and yourself.