By Vicky Sidler | Published 10 January 2026 at 12:00 GMT+2

There is a very specific kind of doubt that creeps in when smart people you respect all agree on something and your lived experience stubbornly refuses to cooperate. That was me, staring at yet another blog draft written by Claude and wondering whether I had quietly lost my ability to recognize decent writing.

Everyone I know in copywriting circles kept saying the same thing. Claude is better. Claude is more human. Claude writes beautifully. Meanwhile, I was reading drafts I had technically authored and thinking they were some of the worst blog posts I had ever produced, even by my own forgiving standards.

At first, I assumed the problem was me. Maybe I was bad at prompting. Maybe I had missed some secret instruction manual everyone else received. That theory fell apart quickly, because my prompt was not vague or lazy. It was detailed, structured, and filled with examples of exactly what I wanted the output to look like.

So if the instructions were clear and the output still felt bloated and off-brand, something else had to be going on.

TL;DR:

• You are not bad at prompting if an AI tool does not fit your workflow

• Claude writes like a writer, while ChatGPT behaves more like an assistant

• Productivity depends on how you think, not which tool is trending

• Writing style, speed, and authenticity matter more than polish

• No AI tool is perfect and that is the point

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Table of Contents:

The Moment It Finally Clicked:

The turning point came when I stopped asking whether Claude was good and started asking whether it was good for me.

I am proactive by nature. I want to get to the point quickly, understand the structure, and then do the thinking and rewriting myself. I also value authenticity far too much to let a tool do the full job for me, even if it technically could.

Claude does not want to hand over a rough sketch. It wants to finish the painting. It fills in transitions, smooths edges, and adds emotional texture before I have even decided what the piece is trying to say. That might feel helpful to someone who wants a near-final draft, but for me it felt like creative interference.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, gives me a skeleton. Sometimes it is clumsy. Sometimes it misses words or punctuation for no obvious reason. On bad days, it can be spectacularly uncooperative. None of that bothers me, because I rewrite everything anyway.

The Funny Thing About Style:

It never really occurred to me that I had a “style” until someone showed me a tool that mimics tone based on your LinkedIn posts. Out of curiosity, they used my profile as the input.

The result was probably the closest any AI has come to sounding like me. And still, I would not have published it as-is unless I had been sick, sleep-deprived, or possibly sedated.

That test made something painfully clear. I do have a style. It is very specific. And that makes it hard for any tool to nail my voice right out of the gate.

So maybe Claude was not failing. It was just doing its own thing. But when you already know what you want to say and how you want to say it, a tool that insists on “writing” for you becomes more of a nuisance than a help.

Why Writing Volume Changes Everything:

There is another factor most AI comparison articles politely ignore. Time.

I write daily blogs. That means I need a starting point I can trust to be fast, clean, and structurally sound. I do not have the luxury of spending an extra thirty minutes stripping excess language out of every draft before I even begin rewriting it in my own voice.

Claude required too much undoing before the real work could start. ChatGPT lets me move straight into the part of the process I enjoy and do best, which is shaping the message and tightening the clarity.

When you are publishing frequently, the cost of friction adds up quickly.

I’m Not Just Writing. I’m Having Fun.

There’s another part I almost forgot to mention. I’m having a ridiculous amount of fun with this process.

Writing daily posts. Recording short videos. Choosing which stories to tell and how to tell them. I’m not doing it because I have to. I’m doing it because it’s energizing. Because it sparks ideas. Because I’m genuinely proud of what I’m creating.

It reminds me of how my nieces and I sometimes sit and make clothes for their paper dolls. We don’t do it because it’s the fastest or most efficient way to get a result. We do it because it’s ours. Because it’s fun. Because every tiny decision feels like part of something bigger.

Yes, I could automate my daily news updates. I could build a system to scan news sites, pull relevant keywords, generate a blog post, and publish it before I even wake up. There’s no shortage of tools offering that exact pipeline.

But then what would I do with the part I actually like? The part where I think about what matters. The part where I craft the tone. The part where I get to say things how I want to say them.

Giving that to a machine would feel less like delegation and more like surrender.

And maybe that is exactly what sucks for you. Maybe everything I just described sounds exhausting. You want the post done. You want it polished. You want to move on with your day.

And that, right there, is the real problem with AI tool rankings.

The Problem With AI Tool Rankings:

Most articles about which AI tool is best are deeply flawed because they assume everyone has the same goal.

Some people want the AI to do eighty percent of the writing. Others want it to do twenty percent of the thinking. Those are not the same task, yet they are often evaluated using the same criteria.

Claude excels when you want a polished, flowing draft that feels emotionally complete. ChatGPT excels when you want logic, structure, and momentum. Declaring one universally better misses the nuance entirely.

ChatGPT Is Not Perfect Either:

Let me be clear. I did not switch back to ChatGPT because it is flawless. It is not.

It sometimes drops words. It occasionally mangles punctuation. On certain days it seems determined to misunderstand perfectly reasonable instructions. I fix all of that during my rewrite process, so it does not slow me down.

What matters is that it stays out of my way creatively. It gives me enough to work with and then lets me take over.

What Small Business Owners Should Learn From This:

If you run a service business, your marketing tools should support how you think and work, not force you into someone else’s process.

Before choosing an AI tool, ask yourself what you actually want help with. Do you want structure or polish? Speed or elegance? Assistance or authorship?

The best tool is the one that helps you show up consistently without draining your energy.

Clarity in marketing works the same way clarity in writing does. When your starting point fits your personality and workflow, everything downstream becomes easier.

If you want to get your message clear before worrying about tone and polish, start with one strong sentence that explains what you do and why it matters.

That is exactly what the 5-Minute Marketing Fix helps you do.

👉 Download it free here.

Related Articles:

1. Why Replacing Copywriters With AI Will Destroy Your Brand

If you related to my preference for keeping the fun parts of writing, this article shows why outsourcing too much creativity to machines can damage your brand’s voice—permanently.

2. AI Content Does Not Hurt Google Rankings New Study Finds

Worried that using ChatGPT might hurt your SEO? This article breaks down real data and shows why quality matters more than authorship. A good follow-up if you're still wondering where Google draws the line.

3. How the Em Dash Became AI's Tell-Tale Punctuation

If Claude’s overdone prose drove you up the wall, this article will make you laugh. It explores how even punctuation gives AI away—and why a little imperfection makes writing feel more human.

4. OpenAI's $27B Loss Could Tank the Whole AI Industry

Finding the right AI tool is only part of the equation. This piece zooms out and asks whether the tools we rely on will still be around next year—and what to do about it.

5. Marketing Hourglass Explained: A Smarter Way to Grow Your Small Business

If you’re enjoying the creative process like I am, this one gives the bigger picture. It connects consistent content creation to customer trust and long-term business growth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Claude vs ChatGPT for Copywriting

1. Is Claude or ChatGPT better for writing blog posts?

It depends on your style. Claude writes more polished, flowing drafts with emotional tone built in. ChatGPT focuses more on structure and clarity, which makes it easier to rewrite. If you want something closer to a finished draft, Claude might suit you. If you prefer to rework copy yourself, ChatGPT is often faster and less bloated.

2. Why does Claude feel more wordy than ChatGPT?

Claude is trained to be “helpful,” which usually means longer, more detailed answers. Even when you ask it to be concise, it tends to explain more. ChatGPT has been tuned to be more efficient and direct, especially in newer versions.

3. What’s the best AI for daily content creation?

For volume and speed, many users prefer ChatGPT because it gives clean structure with fewer edits needed. If you’re publishing daily and want to save time, ChatGPT may be more practical. Claude may require more rewriting to remove extra fluff.

4. Can AI really write in my voice?

Sort of. Tools like Claude and ChatGPT can mimic tone to an extent, especially if you give them strong examples. But if your voice is distinct or specific, like most experienced writers, you’ll still need to rewrite or fine-tune the output to make it sound like you.

5. Why do some people love Claude but I don’t?

It’s probably a workflow mismatch. Some people want AI to do most of the writing. Others just want help with outlining or brainstorming. Claude is ideal for people who want softer, more complete drafts. If you like being hands-on, ChatGPT may suit you better.

6. Is ChatGPT perfect for copywriting?

No. It sometimes leaves out punctuation or misinterprets instructions. But if you’re planning to rewrite or polish the draft anyway, those issues are usually quick to fix. The benefit is that it doesn’t overstep or over-polish.

7. Can I automate AI to write blogs without touching them?

Technically yes, but that’s not always a good idea. You lose control of tone, strategy, and trust. Readers can tell when something feels “machine-made.” A better option is to let AI help, then review and personalise the content before publishing.

8. What’s the best AI for copywriters who want full control?

ChatGPT usually gives more flexible first drafts. It behaves more like a junior assistant than a full writer. If you want to keep creative control and add your own voice, ChatGPT is a strong fit.

9. Will Google penalise me for using AI content?

No, not if the content is helpful and well-edited. Google cares more about the value and clarity of the content than how it was created. If you’re using AI to support your writing, not replace it, you’re on safe ground.

10. Should I use both Claude and ChatGPT for writing?

You can. Some writers use Claude for warm-up drafts and ChatGPT for outlines. Others stick to one tool that fits their process. Try both and see which one helps you work faster without sacrificing your voice.