Whereas artificial intelligence is reinventing Web writing, the written word has never been more valuable.
Selim Niederhoffer, a copywriting trainer and bestselling author, has recently been exploring how marketing professionals can still succeed amidst “
enshitification“, online influence, and automation. Meet an expert who remains confident in the power of words.
Copywriting in the age of AI: why words retain all their magic
Niederhoffer is adamant: despite GenAI, the written word retains its magic — image produced with Midjourney
Human vs. AI
Selim, a seasoned copywriter and author is keen on using what he calls “magic words.” Ask him why and his answer might surprise you in this age of sheer automation. “I’ve already been thinking about magic words for years. I want to dig deeper, show real examples and, most importantly, explain why they actually work.”
Pen and paper
His approach remains resolutely traditional.
“I genuinely work with a pen and paper.”
This approach reveals something fundamental about Web writing: it works when you truly understand the psychology behind it, not when you just mechanically apply copywriting techniques. Selim bases his work on well-established principles of persuasion.
Selim Niederhoffer still believes in the virtues of word magic in Web writing — image produced with Midjourney
“When there’s a principle of persuasion, there’s usually a word that goes with it. Take urgency or scarcity, for example. If something’s rare, that means limited places, running out of stock… that sort of thing. That’s how I build my word cluster.
The research then extends to field observation. “I look at what my clients are using, what’s going on at Burger King, McDonald’s, Nike. I check out the major brands too – what they’re doing on YouTube, on LinkedIn.”
Eventually, Selim identified 55 magic words but trimmed them down to 50. It’s an approach that perfectly shows what still sets humans apart from machines: the ability to critically analyse and curate with discrimination.
However, it’s worth adding nuance. Selim can’t conceal that he genuinely “loves” ChatGPT. As we’ll see later, this raises some legitimate questions.
Thank you! the ultimate magic word
Among the 50 words he’s analysed, the first is also the simplest: thank you! For Selim, this should be essential for every business. “How many times have you walked out of a shop where the sales assistant just didn’t seem to have noticed you? Whether you bought anything, or didn’t doesn’t make any difference, once the transaction’s done, you’re out the door.”
Yet some brands know how to thank their customers. “Nespresso or Apple, for example: the Nespresso employee comes out from behind her counter, she hands you your product. Thank you for your visit. Have a nice day! That’s how it should be.”
For Selim, saying “thank you!” is more than just being polite, it’s a way of life. “You can go further: thank you for your visit, thank you for subscribing to the newsletter, thank you for your comment.
