How to Outwrite AI: 7 Awesome Ways to Keep Your Human Voice and Stand Out

March 10, 2026

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Key takeaways:

• More content is not what helps you stand out. More perspective, more specificity, and more humanity does.

• AI is most useful when it supports your thinking, not when it replaces it.

• Small teams often lose their edge when they chase volume instead of strategy.

• The best content includes something AI cannot generate on its own, like lived experience, case studies, proof points, or a clear point of view.

• If you want to be remembered in a crowded market, your content has to sound like a real person with something real to say.

If your market is crowded, more content will not save you. More of you will.

In this episode of Strategy Talks, I sat down with writer and agency owner Stephen Mostrom to talk about what it really takes to outwrite AI as a small business.

On the show, we explore practical strategy for business owners, founders, and marketers who want their content to do more than just fill space. Stephen brought a sharp perspective on trust, writing, and what actually makes content stand out when everyone now has access to the same AI tools.

This conversation hit a nerve because so many businesses are asking the same question right now: how do you stay visible, credible, and distinct when the internet is filling up with machine-assisted content at a speed no human team can match?

As I said at the beginning of the episode,

“If your market is crowded, more content won't save you, but more of you will.”

That is the heart of this article.

1. Outwrite AI by Starting With Trust, Not Volume

One of the biggest traps in content marketing right now is thinking that if you just publish more, you will somehow win.

More blog posts. More LinkedIn posts. More emails. More content for the sake of content.

But that is not the game anymore.

Stephen said something in our conversation that gets right to the point:

“The differentiator isn't, can I write a sentence that my English professor would say this works. The differentiator is, can I say something that really matters to my audience?”

That is the shift every small business needs to make.

The internet does not need more decent writing. It needs more relevant writing. More trusted writing. More writing with fingerprints on it.

There is a big difference between content that is technically fine and content that actually lands. A clean sentence is not the same thing as a memorable idea. Good structure is not the same thing as trust.

If your content sounds polished but says what everyone else is already saying, it will disappear into the noise.

To stand out now, your writing needs:

• a clear point of view

• an understanding of who it is for

• examples, proof, or experience

• language that sounds like a real person

That is what builds trust. And trust is what makes people remember you.

2. Outwrite AI by Using AI at the Right Stage

One of the most useful ideas Stephen shared was that writing is not one task. It is a process with different stages, and AI is not equally useful in all of them.

That matters because too many people are asking AI to do the parts that should still belong to them.

Stephen explained it this way:

“What’s AI good at and what are humans good at? And let's make sure that we are applying each of those at the optimal stage to outright AI.”

I love that framing because it takes the emotion out of the debate and makes it practical.

Here is how I would break that down for small teams:

• Ideation: Use your own brain first. Start with audience insight, experience, and strategy. Then use AI to help uncover patterns, language, or related questions.

• Drafting: This is where your point of view matters most. AI should not be writing your convictions for you.

• Editing: AI can be incredibly helpful here. Grammar, flow, transitions, and phrasing support are all fair game.

• Repurposing: Once the original thinking is done, AI can help adapt it into other formats.

• Rewriting: If something feels off, the human needs to step back in. Tone, logic, rhythm, and emotional clarity are not things you should fully outsource.

In the episode, I shared that I do a lot of batch content creation. But batch creation is not the same as thoughtless creation. I can have titles, outlines, and structure ready, but the actual thinking still has to happen. That is where strategy lives.

The real advantage is not using AI for everything. It is knowing where it helps and where it hurts.

3. Outwrite AI Without Sounding Robotic

A lot of small teams are under pressure right now. They are trying to keep up with bigger competitors, stay visible, and create content with fewer people and fewer resources.

That pressure makes speed look attractive. And AI makes speed easy.

But speed without substance creates bland content.

Stephen described this problem so well: businesses see larger competitors publishing at scale and assume they need to catch up by producing more. So they churn out article after article, post after post, hoping volume will do the work strategy never did.

The problem is that generic AI content does not make a brand memorable.

As Stephen put it,

“If teams are feeling that rush, they grab the commodity and put it out there, and then they're surprised when they're undifferentiated in the market.”

That word, commodity, is important.

If your content could have been created by anyone with the same prompt, then it does not really belong to your brand. It belongs to the machine.

And if it sounds like everyone else, your audience has no reason to care.

This is why I keep coming back to strategy. Strategy helps you decide what is worth saying, who it is for, and why your version should exist.

Without that, content becomes checkbox marketing. You posted. You published. You checked the box. But did it move anything forward?

That is the real question.

4. Outwrite AI With Content AI Cannot Create

If you want a practical way to stand out, start by creating content AI cannot generate on its own.

This came up in our conversation in a big way, especially around blog content.

I shared that there are some assets and examples that immediately create more value because they are rooted in real experience.

Things like:

• case studies

• original charts

• calculators

• client outcomes

• internal data

• founder stories

• specific lessons from the field

These are powerful because they are yours.

AI can remix information. It can summarize patterns. It can suggest structure. But it cannot invent your lived experience or your client results with credibility.

That is why I believe the smartest brands right now are not just publishing informational content. They are publishing proof-based content.

Stephen shared a great example of writing a more educational blog post and then strengthening it with real company case studies at key points in the piece. That changed the article from general advice into something much more credible and useful.

He said,

“If we're going to write something that is more educational in nature, let's get into the weeds. Let's talk about specific examples from within the business.”

Exactly.

If you are already creating content, ask yourself:

• What can I add here that only we would know?

• What proof can I weave in?

• What story, result, or insight would make this worth reading?

That is how you make a blog post more than a blog post. That is how you make it yours.

5. Outwrite AI on LinkedIn and Build a Memorable Brand

We also spent time talking about LinkedIn because for many founders and small teams, it is still one of the best places to build credibility without a huge budget.

But just being present is not enough anymore.

Stephen talked about how he and his wife focus on content that is deeply tied to who they are, how they work, and what they believe. That distinctiveness is part of what helps them compete against larger agencies.

He also shared a strong example of a finance SaaS CEO they ghostwrote for. At first, her content stayed in the safe lane with tactical finance advice. It was fine, but it was not really taking off. Then she started sharing more of her leadership point of view and speaking honestly about what actually happens behind the scenes in finance. That is when her content started to connect.

The lesson here is simple: thought leadership only works when there are actual thoughts involved.

Stephen said,

“Get on there and talk about you and why you care about what you're doing, and share your story, share your founder story.”

I agree with that fully, and I also know that this is where people get uncomfortable.

Many business owners worry they are oversharing. But there is a difference between personal and private, and that distinction matters.

In the episode, I said,

“I think sharing personal things is fine. Sharing private things is not.”

That line matters because many people hold back from telling meaningful stories because they think the only alternative is saying too much. It is not.

You can share a challenge, a lesson, a belief, or a lived experience without putting your private life on display. And when you do it well, your content becomes more human and more relatable.

That is what helps people connect.

6. Outwrite AI in a Crowded Market

So what happens when your market is already saturated?

What if you are a startup? What if you are small? What if everyone around you seems louder, faster, and better funded?

Stephen had one of my favorite answers in the episode for this. He said crowded markets are not the dead end people think they are.

And then he brought up Liquid Death, which is such a smart example.

Water is not exactly a fresh category. But Liquid Death did not win by inventing a new need. It won by bringing a dramatically different voice and brand perspective into a category full of sameness.

That is the lesson.

You do not need a new market. You need a more distinct expression of who you are in the market.

That means asking:

• Why did we start this business?

• What do we believe that others are too generic to say?

• What do our best-fit clients care about that we care about too?

• What do we want to be known for?

Stephen also said,

“For you, my big question for you is like, why do you spend all day doing the thing that you're doing? Talk about that.”

That is such a useful prompt.

When businesses stop trying to sound professional in the most generic way possible and start saying what they actually believe, they become more memorable. Not because they are louder, but because they are clearer.

And clarity stands out.

7. Outwrite AI by Protecting Your Human Skill

Toward the end of the conversation, I asked Stephen where he sees AI doing the most damage for small businesses right now.

His answer was immediate and important.

“I think the damage is feeling like you're doing something when you're actually not.”

That is such a sharp warning because AI can make motion feel like momentum.

You wrote a few posts. You drafted a few emails. You published a few blogs. But did any of it deepen trust? Did it improve your message? Did it sharpen your skill?

Sometimes AI makes us feel productive while quietly making us less capable.

Stephen also said,

“If you are outsourcing writing to something like Claude or ChatGPT and you're doing that every single day, instead of writing it yourself, your writing skills will deteriorate.”

That part really stayed with me.

As someone who writes in a second language, I know how helpful AI can be when I cannot find the exact word or I need help improving flow. That support can be wonderful. But I still try hard to start with my own outline, my own rough phrasing, my own ideas.

I said,

“I really, really, really try to practice that writing all the time.”

Because the goal is not to let the machine become the writer. The goal is to let the machine support the writer.

That is a very different relationship.

And if you care about keeping your voice, your edge, and your ability to think clearly, it is a relationship worth protecting.

What This Means for Small Businesses Right Now

If there is one thing I hope you take away from this conversation, it is this:

You do not outwrite AI by trying to sound more polished than a machine.

You outwrite AI by being more human than one.

That means:

• saying something specific

• writing from actual experience

• using examples and proof

• sharing your point of view

• using AI with intention, not dependence

The businesses that will win are not the ones publishing the most. They are the ones creating content people actually trust.

And as I said right at the start,

“Because the goal isn't to publish faster or more. The goal is to be remembered and trusted when the buyer is comparing options.”

That is the standard.

Not just more content. Better content. Truer content. More human content.

Guest Resources

Stephen Mostrom

• Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn

• Stephen shared that he and his wife are creating a white paper about How to Outwrite AI (coming soon)

• He invited listeners to reach out directly with questions about content, writing, and standing out in a crowded market

FAQs

What does it mean to outwrite AI?

To outwrite AI means creating content that is more human, more specific, more trusted, and more useful than generic machine-generated writing. It is not about rejecting AI completely. It is about using it without losing your own voice.

Can small businesses use AI and still sound human?

Yes. Small businesses can absolutely use AI well. The key is to use it as support for ideation, editing, and repurposing, while keeping human thinking, strategy, and storytelling at the center.

Why does so much AI content sound the same?

Because many people are using similar prompts to create surface-level content. Without original examples, lived experience, and a clear point of view, the writing often becomes repetitive and forgettable.

What kind of content helps brands stand out in the AI era?

Case studies, original insights, founder stories, customer results, proprietary data, and proof-driven content stand out because they offer something AI cannot easily replicate.

Is it better to publish more often or publish better content?

Better content wins. Publishing frequently can increase visibility, but if the content is generic, it will not build trust or create meaningful differentiation.

How can I keep my voice when using AI?

Start with your own outline, your own thoughts, and your own examples. Then use AI to help polish, organize, or strengthen what is already yours.

What is the biggest risk of relying too much on AI for writing?

The biggest risk is mistaking activity for progress. Over time, overreliance can also weaken your writing skill, your strategic thinking, and your ability to express what makes your business unique.

What is one thing I can do today to improve my content?

Add something only you can say. That could be a story, a case study, a strong opinion, a lesson learned, or a client example. Specificity is one of the fastest ways to make content more memorable.

Why does trust matter so much in AI-era content?

Because buyers have more choices than ever and more reasons to be skeptical. Trust is what helps your content feel credible, your brand feel distinct, and your message feel worth paying attention to.

Where should a small business start if they want to outwrite AI?

Start with one platform, one audience, and one real point of view. LinkedIn is often a great place to begin because it is lower lift, easier to test, and well suited for founder-led content.