ChatGPT can write your LinkedIn post in ten seconds.
That is the problem.
Not because AI is bad. But because something is created in ten seconds that looks like a thousand other posts. Short sentences. Three points. An inspiring conclusion. A question for the community. Buzzwords that no longer surprise anyone - ChatGPT LinkedIn Post.
I can't see these posts anymore and I'm not alone: On LinkedIn has a post, in which I described exactly that, received a lot of approval.
The problem: AI as an amplifier of nothingness
AI is an amplifier. This is its strongest characteristic - and its biggest pitfall.
An amplifier amplifies what is already there. If you give it a weak signal, you get a louder, weaker signal. If you give it a strong, clear signal, you get something powerful.
If you tell ChatGPT: „Write me a LinkedIn post about our new feature“ - the prompt is missing almost everything that makes a good post:
- Who are you? What is your voice?
- Who do you want to address? What pain do they know?
- What is your position on this topic? What do you really think?
- What is the story behind it?
Without these ingredients, ChatGPT falls back on the average. The pattern that has worked a thousand times - or at least occurs often enough to be classified as „LinkedIn content“.
The result: Content that is grammatically flawless and correct in terms of content. But doesn't sound like you. Recognition value: zero.
What brand voice really means - and why it's your most important AI asset
„Brand Voice“ sounds like agency jargon. But it's not. It is the foundation that determines whether AI helps or harms you.
Brand Voice describes, like you communicate. Not what you say, but how you say it. Your tone of voice. Your typical formulations. What you consciously avoid. Whether you use formal or informal language. Whether you are provocative or inviting. Whether you love data or stories.
For people on LinkedIn, brand voice is synonymous with: Why would someone stop a post if it came from you?
A good test scenario: Read five of your best LinkedIn posts without your name above them. Would you describe it as recognisable? If yes - you have a brand voice. If no - you have a problem that AI can't solve. On the contrary: AI exacerbates it.
Brand Voice means for AI content:
- A written style guide (even a simple one will do)
- Example posts that have worked well
- Clear statements: We use these words. We avoid these.
- Your positioning in one sentence: Who are you in favour of? What do you help with?
The ChatGPT LinkedIn Post: The three most common mistakes
I observe three recurring mistakes when people use AI for their LinkedIn content:
Error 1: The empty prompt
„Write a LinkedIn post about sustainable marketing“ - and then wonder why the result sounds generic. The prompt is half the work. The more context, the better the result.
Mistake 2: Take the first result
ChatGPT rarely delivers the best results on the first attempt. But many people use the first version because it is fast. Yet iteration - further development through feedback in dialogue - is exactly what makes AI strong.
Mistake 3: Let AI think instead of write
The best use of AI for LinkedIn content is: You think, the AI writes. But your ideas, your attitude, your experience - that remains your job. ChatGPT does the formulating, structuring and shortening. Not the thinking!
If you let AI think, you produce mass. If you think for yourself and let AI write, you produce class.
How to build an AI foundation for LinkedIn
If you want to use AI effectively for your LinkedIn content, you need three things:
1. your positioning in one sentence
What do you stand for? Who do you help? With what? It has to be clear enough that you can say it in one sentence. Not in three bullet points. One sentence.
Bad example: „I help companies achieve their goals through digital transformation and strategic marketing.“
A good example: „I help B2B start-ups to sharpen their brand message so that sales stops being a struggle.“
The first sentence describes everything. The second sentence speaks to someone.
2. your style profile (enough on one A4 page)
Make a note of the following:
- 5 words that describe your communication (e.g.: direct, experience-based, slightly provocative, data-driven, human)
- 3 topics you write about regularly
- 3 things you would never write on LinkedIn
- 2-3 posts of yours that worked well, as a style reference
3. a system prompt
A text that you give ChatGPT at the start of each session (or set permanently as a custom instruction). This contains your positioning, your style, your target group - in short: everything from points 1 and 2.
A simple template:
„You help me create LinkedIn posts. I am [name], [occupation]. My target audience is [description]. My style is [adjectives]. I avoid these words: [list]. Here are examples of my best posts: [insert posts].“
With this prompt, the result changes dramatically. Not because ChatGPT has become better - but because you finally tell it who to amplify.
Practice: This is what good AI-supported LinkedIn content looks like
This is how good AI-supported LinkedIn content is created:
-
- You experience something or have an idea - this is your raw idea
- You write three sentences with your real opinion on this (not formulated, just the core idea)
- You enter the ChatGPT with system prompt: „Make it a LinkedIn post in my style. Variant A: emotional. Variant B: factual.“
- You read both versions - and take parts from each that really sound like you
- You make the final edit - These are often only two or three sentences, but they make all the difference
The result: a post that was written quickly but sounds like you.
Conclusion: AI is a turbo, not a replacement
If you use AI without having built the foundations, you will produce average results quickly. That's not an accusation - it's a description of the mechanics.
If you have the foundation - positioning, style, target group - and then use AI, you will produce better and faster than ever before. That is the turbo effect.
The decisive step is not to find a better AI tool. It is to create the foundation that makes AI a real tool in the first place.
How do you use AI for your LinkedIn content? Does it work or does it sound standardised?
FAQ: ChatGPT and LinkedIn content
How do I write a good LinkedIn post with ChatGPT?
The most important step is a good system prompt that describes your positioning, target group and tonality. Also, always give ChatGPT your own raw idea - not just a topic. The more input you provide, the more customised the result. Iterate: Never take the first result, but develop it further through dialogue.
Why does ChatGPT content always sound the same?
Because language models are trained on statistical patterns. LinkedIn content has recognisable patterns (short sentences, triads, community questions) that ChatGPT reliably replicates. Without clear instructions on brand voice and individual style, AI produces the optimised average - not what sets you apart.
What is brand voice and why is it important for AI content?
Brand voice describes how you communicate - your tone, your style, your typical phrasing. It is the foundation for AI content: only if you tell ChatGPT exactly who you are and how you speak can it create content that sounds like you. Without a brand voice, AI reinforces the average instead of your uniqueness.
What AI basics do I need before I create content?
You need three things: (1) your positioning in a clear sentence, (2) a style profile with tonality, favourite words and taboo phrases, (3) a system prompt that you give ChatGPT before each session. This preparation takes two to three hours once - but saves a huge amount of rework time and frustration in the long term.
Can AI fully learn my personal writing style?
No - and that's a good thing. AI can imitate a style if it is well instructed. But the best LinkedIn posts are created when you contribute the idea and attitude and AI does the formulating. Thinking remains your job. If you let AI think, you lose your voice. If you think for yourself and let AI write, you gain speed without losing authenticity.
Marco Barooah-Siebertz is the founder of Superblau in Cologne. He helps start-ups, SMEs and scientific organisations to develop clear brand messages and communicate them authentically in the era of AI. (Contact him here)
