How to Make AI Sound Like You (So Your Marketing Doesn’t Sound Like Everyone Else)
If you’ve tried AI and thought, “eh… sounds like a brochure,” this is for you. AI is like a new apprentice: it works hard, but it needs your voice, rules, and examples. Give it those, and it’ll draft content that actually sounds like your crew—not a committee.
Below is a simple, step-by-step system you can set up in one afternoon.
Step 1: Define Your Voice (Fast, not fancy)
Open a doc called “My Voice Guide.” Paste the answers to these quick prompts:
A) Who am I on the internet (1–2 sentences)?
“Blunt but friendly GC. I explain things like a foreman: short, practical, with jobsite humor.”
B) Tone sliders (circle your settings):
Serious ↔ Casual
Corporate ↔ Blue-collar real
Polite ↔ Sarcastic (good-natured)
Minimal ↔ Storytelling
Technical ↔ Plain English
C) Signature phrases & habits (5–10):
“Measure twice.” “Dust control daily.” “We don’t paint lipstick on pigs.” “Not our first rodeo.” “Pics or it didn’t happen.”
D) Things I never say (3–5):
No buzzwords like “synergy,” no fake scarcity, no bashing competitors.
E) Formatting rules:
Use short paragraphs, bullets, bold headings. Emojis allowed: 🔧🏗️😅. Max 220 words on social.
This becomes your mini style guide. You’ll feed it to AI every time.
Step 2: Collect Real Samples of Your Voice
Grab 5–10 things you’ve actually written:
A couple client texts or emails (remove names)
A caption or two that performed well
A proposal intro line you love
A paragraph you wrote on your website
A funny story you tell about a job (keep it clean)
Paste them under a header: “Voice Samples.”
Tip: If you hate writing, dictate into your phone for 3 minutes about a recent job, then paste the transcript. Spoken language is gold for teaching tone.
Step 3: Give AI Your Voice (Copy/Paste Prompt)
Use this prompt as your standard opener any time you draft content:
Prompt: Voice Load & Guardrails
“Learn my voice. Here’s my style guide and 10 samples. Extract tone, phrasing, pacing, and humor. Create a short ‘Voice DNA’ summary and confirm back. Then write in this voice on command.
My Voice Guide: [paste Step 1]
Voice Samples (unaltered): [paste Step 2]
When you write, follow these rules: plain English, short paragraphs, specific trade details, no buzzwords, never fabricate. Keep sarcasm friendly. If information is missing, ask for it in one line.”
Save that in Notes so you can reuse it.
Step 4: Calibrate With a Tiny Test
Ask AI to write two versions of a short caption (100–150 words) about a real project:
Version A: Friendly
Version B: A little sarcastic
Pick the one that sounds most like you, then say:
“Great—Version B is closer. Make it 15% less snarky and add one safety detail.”
Repeat this tweak-and-retry cycle for 5 minutes. You’re training the model like you train a new hire.
Step 5: Give AI “Jobsite Inputs,” Not Vibes
AI struggles with thin prompts. Feed it materials, sizes, timelines, locations—the stuff you’d put in a work order.
Copy/Paste Prompt: Post Builder (Fill the brackets)
“Write an Instagram caption in my voice about [service] in [city/neighborhood].
Include: scope [e.g., curbless shower, white oak, quartz], timeline [e.g., 7 weeks], standout detail [e.g., dust control, negative air], and a light joke [optional].
CTA: ‘Start your estimate’ with link in bio. Max 140 words. 3 relevant hashtags at the end.”
Step 6: Build Reusable Templates (So You’re Fast)
A) Before/After Reel Caption
Hook: “Demo → finish in [weeks]. No drama.”
Scope: [materials & sizes]
Detail: [dust control / phasing / pets]
Outcome: [what the homeowner gets now]
CTA: “Booking [month] in [areas]. Start your estimate.”
B) Project Spotlight (Facebook/LinkedIn)
Problem → Fix
Specs (sq ft, materials, timeline)
One lesson learned
Partner shoutouts (designer, vendor)
CTA + link to project page on your site
C) Quick Tips (TikTok/Shorts script, 15–30s)
Hook (2s): “Tile tip so your grout doesn’t hate you”
Tip (10s): [the thing]
Proof (5s): “Here’s ours”
CTA (3s): “More Boise remodel tips? Follow.”
Make templates once; reuse forever.
Step 7: Turn Up (or Down) the Humor Without Going Off-Brand
Tell AI where your line is:
“I use dry humor. Friendly sarcasm is okay; insults are not. Keep jokes about situations, not people. If a joke could age badly or annoy an inspector, skip it.”
Then test variations:
“Make it 20% funnier using jobsite metaphors.”
“Cut the jokes; keep it confident and calm.”
“Give me 2 lines that could be a caption hook. Punchy, no clichés.”
Remember: humor at your own expense reads humble; humor at the client’s expense reads rude.
Step 8: Create a “Voice DNA” Card (AI Will Write It For You)
Ask AI to summarize your tone into a 10-point list:
Sentences: short/medium, conversational
Vocabulary: plain English, trade terms okay
Humor: dry, friendly sarcasm allowed
Pacing: fast, to the point
Structure: hook → details → CTA
Emojis: light sprinkle ok (🔧🏗️), never spam
“We say” phrases: [your phrases]
“We avoid” phrases: [buzzwords list]
CTA defaults: “Start your estimate,” “DM a photo,” “Now booking [month]”
Approval test: Would I say this out loud to a client?
Paste that on page 1 of your Voice Guide.
Step 9: Give AI Your Visual & Formatting Rules
Max length: IG 140–220 words; FB 150–250; LinkedIn 120–200; website 300–600
Structure: 1-2 sentence hook → bullets → CTA
Hashtags: 2–5 max, local + service (#[city]remodel #kitchenremodel[city])
Line breaks: for scannability
Photo notes: mention materials, city, and timeline in first 2 lines
Feed this to AI with every request: “Follow my formatting rules.”
Step 10: Make It Sound Like You… But Safer
You can be funny, sarcastic, and bold and keep it professional:
Don’t punch down (clients, subs, inspectors).
Don’t joke about safety (ever).
Don’t make price promises you can’t keep.
Keep addresses and private details out of posts.
If you’re not sure it’s true, cut it. (AI will happily make things up if you let it.)
Copy-Paste Prompts You’ll Actually Use
1) Caption from Notes → Polished Post
“In my voice, turn these bullet notes into an IG caption. Use my style guide. Max 150 words. Add a friendly joke about sawdust. Notes: [paste bullets]”
2) Rephrase to Sound Like Me
“Rewrite this paragraph in my voice: short, direct, slightly sarcastic, no buzzwords. Keep facts. Text: [paste]”
3) Turn a Jobsite Video Into a Script
“From this transcript, write a 20-second voiceover script in my voice. Hook in 2 seconds, then scope, then CTA. Transcript: [paste]”
4) A/B Hooks
“Give me 8 hook options in my voice for a before/after Reel about [project] in [city]. No clichés, 8 words max each.”
5) Brand Consistency Check
“Audit this caption against my Voice DNA. List 5 changes that would make it sound more like me.”
Real Examples (Neutralized; adapt to your tone)
Straight-shooting, a little sarcastic (Residential):
“Eight weeks. One North End kitchen. Zero drama. Oak floors stayed; we rebuilt the layout around natural light and a big island. Dust control every day—your dog will forgive us. Booking July–August in Boise/Meridian. Start your estimate in bio.”
Commercial calm (LinkedIn):
“Phase 2 demo completed two days early. Night crew kept the tenant operational; negative air and daily clean checks held. Next up: steel, then MEP rough. If you need occupied renovation without chaos, we should talk.”
Playful but professional (Service):
“Water heater quit? Ours don’t. Same-day swaps in [city], shoe covers on, and we clean up like we weren’t there. Text a photo; we’ll quote fast.”
Troubleshooting: When AI Still Sounds Off
Too generic? Add 3 specifics (materials, sq ft, timeline) and one “we say” line.
Too stiff? “Add contractions and one friendly joke. Keep it under 150 words.”
Too silly? “Reduce humor by 50%. Keep confidence, lose the quips.”
Repeating itself? “Rewrite with different phrasing. No sentence structures from the last version.”
Batch Workflow (Weekly, 45 Minutes)
Voice load: Paste your Voice Guide + Samples (once per session).
Plan 3 posts: Choose projects/topics; paste notes.
Drafts: Ask for three captions; A/B test hooks; pick winners.
Polish: Add exact city, materials, and timeline.
Schedule: Drop into your social scheduler. Save what worked into your Samples folder for future training.
The Point (and the Permission)
Your ideal customer is trying to figure out if they’ll like working with you. Let them hear you. If you’re dry, be dry. If you’re sarcastic, be sarcastic—but warm. If you love nerding out on waterproofing or subfloor repair, say that out loud.
AI won’t replace your voice. It amplifies it—if you teach it.
One Last Copy-Paste: “Write Like Me” Master Prompt
“Act as my marketing copywriter. Use my Voice DNA (below) and formatting rules to write captions, emails, and page copy that sound like me. If any info is missing, ask one clarifying question.
Voice DNA: [paste the 10-point list]
Formatting rules: [paste Step 9]
Starter task: Write a 130-word Instagram caption about [project] in [city] with [materials] and [timeline]. Add one friendly joke, then CTA: ‘Start your estimate.’”
Save that and you’re set. Now go make the internet sound like the crew that actually shows up.
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