If AI doesn’t understand who it’s talking to – it doesn’t matter how well it knows the business behind it. Because the message will fall flat. Every time.
In previous articles, we’ve looked at how to train AI tools on business foundations and brand voice. Both essential. But there’s one more piece that elevates content from accurate to impactful: Audience awareness.
This third pillar of AI training is what brings everything into focus. Because no matter how polished the prompts or how clever the copy, content that isn’t grounded in audience understanding tends to miss the mark.
It might read smoothly. It might sound on-brand. But without that human connection, it lands as generic at best – and alienating (or super annoying) at worst.
That’s where this article comes in – to help make sure your AI-generated content doesn’t just sound good, but actually resonates.
Why audience clarity changes the game
When you teach your AI who it’s really writing for, everything shifts. The tone gets sharper. The messaging gets tighter. And the people you actually want to attract finally feel seen.
Because real connection comes from empathy and relevance. And speaking directly to someone’s problems, priorities, and possibilities.
That’s why having audience clarity – and training your GenAI tool to understand it – is absolutely essential.
Think about the people you’re trying to reach – the real humans with deadlines, dilemmas, and decision fatigue. Whether it’s the agency owner chasing consistency or the executive craving clarity, your AI tool needs to write like it gets them.
For example, if a hospitality group asks AI to create a social media ad without audience input, it might generate something vague like: “Book your next stay with us – comfort and convenience guaranteed!”
But when trained on personas, the tool can tailor messages like:
For high net-worth luxury travellers – “Indulge in five-star luxury with private butler service and Michelin-star dining.”
For budget-conscious business travellers – “Maximise productivity on a budget with fast WiFi and flexible workspaces.”
Same business. Two completely different audiences. That’s the difference audience awareness makes.
Teach your robot who it’s talking to
Got customer personas already for your organisation? Amazing. Paste them straight into your AI tool and say something like:
“Here are our three customer personas. Please remember these and use them when creating content, proposals, and social posts moving forward.”
From there, you can start experimenting with something like –
“Can you rewrite this LinkedIn post with our ‘Jessica’ persona in mind? Make sure it speaks to her pain points and reflects how our business solves them.”
Then watch the content transform. It’s still in your voice. Still aligned to your brand. But suddenly, it’s for someone specific.
Don’t have personas yet? Don’t panic. AI can help you build them too. Just ensure you’ve trained it on your business first. Pop back to my previous article – ‘Asked AI to join your team? Don’t skip the onboarding’ – before you proceed.
You can then try a prompt like:
“Based on what you know about [your business name], can you create 3 different customer personas – including their goals, challenges, and what they’re looking for in a solution?”
Review, critique, and tweak. You end up with a clear set of personas you can use across sales, marketing, strategy, and more.
Don’t just sound human – connect like one
Most AI-generated content falls flat because the human in charge of prompting has (accidentally) forgotten the point of communication in the first place. It’s not actually AI’s fault.
To make an impact with your messages, you need to focus on building trust and being relevant. You need to show your audience that you understand them, you see them, and you’re here to help.
AI can absolutely help you get there. But only if you train it to care about the people you’re writing for as much as you do. Because without that lens, you’re just adding to the noise.
