How to Make AI Your Writing Sidekick for Content Marketing

Synthetic Intelligence (AI) has blown up like a supernova. Conversations about AI are taking place all over the place. As you browse LinkedIn, learn your favourite web optimization weblog, or tune right into a advertising podcast, you will notice discussions about AI.

Some entrepreneurs see AI as a menace. However that doesn’t need to be the case. You may discover ways to work with AI. Constructing AI into your processes will future-proof your advertising abilities if AI takes over the world. As a contract copywriter and content material marketer, I’ve seen ‘I, Robotic,’ and I’m not taking any possibilities.

AI could be your advertising sidekick. You need to use AI to help your writing course of, be a recent pair of eyes for proofreading, or act as a second mind. This makes it a strong companion for content material advertising.

AI received’t substitute content material entrepreneurs (but)

AI opens up a universe of alternatives. As new AI instruments emerge day by day, so do new methods of utilizing AI in your enterprise and on a regular basis life. You need to use AI to do virtually something.

However that doesn’t imply AI will substitute content material entrepreneurs, SEOs, or writers — or, no less than, received’t substitute them but.

AI has numerous potential. However it additionally has limitations. Earlier than utilizing AI for content material advertising, it’s useful to familiarize yourself with the constraints of AI.

It isn’t sentient

AI doesn’t have a mind such as you or I do. It may’t suppose or really feel.

AI’s data relies solely on logic. In distinction, our data relies on a mixture of purpose and emotion. Our experiences and emotions form how we see issues. However AI doesn’t have that potential.

AI would possibly feign human emotion, nevertheless it’s merely an phantasm. AI’s emotion is curated. AI can solely understand issues primarily based on the data it’s fed.

You may’t depend on it to be correct

Positive, AI is highly effective. However it isn’t all the time correct. Similar to people, AI generally will get issues improper.

When utilizing ChatGPT, you will notice a disclaimer stating, “ChatGPT could produce inaccurate details about individuals, locations, or details.” Whereas AI instruments do their greatest to supply factually correct data, they nonetheless want a human contact.

In case you’re utilizing AI, fact-check the data it provides you. That is notably necessary when writing YMYL (Your Cash or Your Life) content material that has real-world results on the readers. In these circumstances, a human contact is essential for guaranteeing E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) runs by means of your content material. AI can’t replicate this, working the danger of your content material being inaccurate and low high quality.

The output is restricted by the enter

Getting the very best outcomes from AI is dependent upon feeding it the very best data.

It’s like asking somebody to design you a brand with out giving them the precise particulars about what you need the emblem to seem like. They could get it proper. However it’s extra doubtless that they are going to get it improper — and you’ll find yourself in a back-and-forth ping-pong match of reiterating the design.

It’s essential to inform AI precisely what you need. In any other case, it’s going to hazard a guess (and certain get it improper). Be particular in your request — like actually particular. Need AI to offer you ten content material concepts for a weblog submit on programmatic web optimization? Inform it! Wish to make certain these outcomes are all concerning the SaaS business? Inform it! The extra particular your generative AI immediate is, the higher the output will probably be.

The responses can really feel canned

You may get AI to put in writing your touchdown pages, weblog articles, and advert copy. However you may not need to.

Keep in mind how I stated AI isn’t sentient? And that the output is restricted by the enter? Effectively, each of these elements additionally contribute to the responses feeling considerably meh.

AI responses can really feel canned. They lack the originality and persona you get from a human author who is aware of your model inside and outside.

With that stated, you possibly can practice some AI instruments, akin to ChatGPT, to provide content material that mirrors your model’s voice, persona, and tone. You are able to do this by sharing examples of your writing type, offering background data in your firm, and feeding it your tone of voice tips. However I’ll share extra on that later within the article.

One other attribute that limits the creativity of AI outputs is that it doesn’t robotically think about the person journey stage, their present motivations or wishes, or the precise phrases that drive motion for them. AI doesn’t know your deeper model origins or future targets — until you practice it on them.

All that provides as much as creating generic content material anybody might write. Use AI sufficient instances, and you’ll discover acquainted patterns within the responses. It sounds like AI.

However AI could be a highly effective content material advertising sidekick

It pays to pay attention to the shortfalls of AI earlier than you add it to your content material advertising course of. As we’ve established, AI isn’t good. However it could actually nonetheless be helpful.

You need to use AI to optimize the analysis, writing, and enhancing phases of content material advertising.

You may not have the ability to depend on AI alone. However you possibly can pair it with a human contact to show it into a strong content material advertising sidekick.

Listed here are some methods you need to use AI to optimize and streamline varied points of your content material advertising course of.

Find out how to use AI within the analysis section of content material advertising

The analysis section of a content material advertising technique could be time-consuming. Whereas each firm’s technique is totally different, the core components will observe an identical sample.

Sooner or later throughout on-site content material planning, you will want to search out content material concepts, conduct key phrase analysis, and create outlines for weblog posts. There are just a few methods you need to use AI to simplify these content material advertising analysis and planning steps.

Use AI to search out content material concepts

In its most simple type, the content material you create in your model ought to give attention to two issues:

• What you do

• Who you do it for

We are able to get extra nuanced than that by layering in elements like targets, campaigns, and person intent. However most content material will cowl subjects which might be associated to your enterprise (what you do) and of curiosity to your viewers (who you do it for).

You need to use AI to develop content material concepts for all kinds of selling channels — be it social media, newsletters, blogs, or movies. For the examples shared all through this text, I’ve used ChatGPT.

A easy AI immediate you need to use to search out content material concepts is:

Write a listing of 10 [content type] concepts aimed toward [audience] who’re [problem they are trying to solve/goal they want to achieve]

On this immediate, the content material sort ought to relate to the channel you’re creating content material for, akin to a weblog. The viewers will align together with your audience. The issue or aim ought to relate to what your model does.

For a canine coaching college, the immediate would possibly seem like this:

Write a listing of 10 weblog submit concepts aimed toward new canine house owners who’re attempting to coach their pet.

In case you put this immediate into Chat-GPT, you may be introduced with a listing of potential weblog submit concepts akin to “pet separation anxiousness: suggestions and methods” or “10 important instructions each pet ought to know.”

Work by means of this listing to determine if any of these concepts are viable weblog posts. Some may be good as they’re, whereas others would possibly want fine-tuning to ensure they align together with your content material advertising technique.

Create a hub-and-spoke technique from these content material concepts

Drill down additional into every concept to create the bones of a hub-and-spoke technique. For every concept introduced, observe what the subject is.

For the weblog submit concept “10 important instructions each pet ought to know,” you possibly can confidently assume the focal matter is “pet coaching instructions.”

There’s doubtless an array of weblog posts you possibly can write about pet coaching instructions, making this a probably highly effective hub matter in your hub-and-spoke technique. Moderately than doing a lot of guide analysis to search out appropriate spoke weblog submit concepts, you need to use AI to hurry up the method.

Use the next AI generative immediate to ask Chat-GPT for spoke content material concepts primarily based on the hub matter:

I’m writing a collection of [content type] for a [business type] aimed toward [target audience].

For the hub matter “[hub topic],” create a desk of spoke content material concepts.

Making use of this to the pet coaching instructions key phrase, the immediate would seem like this:

I’m writing a collection of weblog posts for a pet coaching college aimed toward new canine house owners.

For the hub matter “pet coaching instructions,” create a desk of spoke content material concepts.

In response to this immediate, Chat-GPT generates a desk of extra particular weblog submit concepts associated to the hub matter “pet coaching instructions.” It will show you how to spin out a collection of invaluable content material that strengthens your content material visibility for this matter.

Use AI for key phrase analysis

Like it or hate it — key phrase analysis is crucial to creating on-site content material methods. It tells you what subjects individuals care about, how fashionable these phrases are, and the way troublesome it may be to rank in SERPs.

Generic AI instruments can’t do in-depth key phrase analysis, so you need to nonetheless use a key phrase analysis software like Moz’s Key phrase Explorer. Nevertheless AI may also help with the early phases of key phrase analysis.

In case you’re beginning key phrase analysis from scratch, use AI to generate a listing of key phrases. Take this a step additional by asking the AI software to group these key phrases by search intent. This immediate will look one thing like this:

Create a listing of key phrases for [business type/topic]. Current the key phrases in a desk grouped by search intent.

Sticking with our canine coaching college instance, the immediate can be:

Create a listing of key phrases for a canine coaching college. Current the key phrases in a desk grouped by search intent.

You’ll then be introduced with a neat desk of key phrases you would possibly have the ability to use. The key phrases doubtless received’t be good, nevertheless it’s a terrific place to begin.

Undergo the listing and analysis every key phrase in Moz’s key phrase analysis software to get extra information, together with metrics akin to Problem and Month-to-month Quantity. You may then use your key phrase analysis to see which key phrases you do (or don’t) need to use and discover different viable key phrases.

Utilizing AI for key phrase analysis is nice for getting the cogs turning, taking you from a clean web page to a listing of key phrases. Grouping by search intent allows you to take that tough key phrase analysis one step additional, ensuring you’re overlaying varied person journey phases.

Use AI to put in writing weblog submit outlines

Okay, by this level, you need to have a bunch of goal key phrases and weblog submit concepts. You’re virtually prepared to begin placing pen to paper. However earlier than you write your weblog submit, it is advisable plan a primary draft.

You need to use AI that will help you write the primary draft of weblog submit outlines. AI-generated first drafts received’t be groundbreaking. You will have to forged your eyes over it and optimize it together with your wonderful model, buyer, and market insights and data.

Whereas they aren’t good, they offer you weblog submit template you possibly can then tweak and enhance.

Enter this AI immediate to generate weblog submit outlines:

Write a weblog submit define for a weblog submit titled “[blog post title].”

The primary key phrase for this weblog submit is “[main keyword]”

You guessed it, we’re sticking with the pet coaching instance! Based mostly on the pet coaching analysis we’ve accomplished to this point, the AI immediate would possibly seem like this:

Write a weblog submit define for a weblog submit titled “10 important instructions each pet ought to know.”

The primary key phrase for this weblog submit is “pet instructions”

Chat-GPT will then offer you a weblog submit define break up into sections, together with the introduction, major content material sections, and a conclusion.

As this submit focuses on the “10 important instructions,” Chat-GPT has given a listicle-style weblog submit define. It has additionally shared a listing of extra assets on the finish you would possibly need to reference within the submit.

You may then assessment the define that Chat-GPT has offered and apply your matter data, adapt primarily based in your experiences, and perform extra analysis to enhance the define earlier than you begin writing the article.

Find out how to use AI within the writing section of content material advertising

The sidekick powers of AI do not cease if you begin writing. While you’re writing content material, the method will probably be predominantly human-led. Your tone of voice issues. As do your private experiences, opinions, and insights. These are the issues that make your content material distinctive and that AI can’t do very nicely. So don’t substitute your uniqueness with generic AI content material.

You may, nonetheless, use AI as a sub-writer to help with the writing section of content material advertising initiatives.

Use AI to adapt your tone of voice

In case you’re writing content material and need to make certain it has a specific voice, you need to use AI to tweak the tone of your writing. This may also help make certain your content material aligns together with your model voice and the web page intent.

In case you’re writing content material for a gross sales touchdown web page, you will have that content material to sound extra persuasive than an academic weblog submit. AI may also help you adapt your content material to make it higher swimsuit its supposed objective.

Use AI to adapt your content material’s tone of voice through the use of generative AI prompts akin to:

For a gross sales touchdown web page, these prompts would possibly seem like this:

Keep in mind, the output from AI is dependent upon the enter. You may enhance these prompts by offering extra particulars. You can, for instance, ask AI to make use of metaphors or similes in its model or to make use of easy vocabulary and brief, snappy sentences.

You can even inform it your model values to ensure these are considered for tone of voice content material.

AI doesn’t all the time get the tone of voice proper. Typically, it is going to exaggerate the voice. No matter AI supplies, you will want to edit manually. However it may be nice for locating inspiration and unraveling the thread for phrases you can use or modifications you can make.

I by no means copy and paste the output given by AI. As a substitute, I’ll search for phrases, sentences, or content material kinds that stand out to me. I’ll then refine my content material manually primarily based on any learnings gleaned from the AI model.

Beginning the paragraph with the phrase “Enroll,” for instance, encourages motion and lets the reader know the intention of the content material. That is way more persuasive than the softer, descriptive opening line “In these lessons…” used within the unique content material.

This characteristic is way from good, however it may be helpful if you happen to’re experiencing a traditional case of author’s block.

Use AI to generate headlines

The headline is likely one of the most vital components of a weblog submit. A compelling, well-written headline will get clicks. It drives visitors to your weblog submit and will get extra eyes in your content material.

But, headlines could be the toughest factor to put in writing. Do a fast Google search, and you will see tons of of formulation for writing compelling headlines or instruments to enhance your present headlines.

When writing headlines, you need to account in your goal key phrases and the intent of the content material. In case you’re writing an academic weblog submit that teaches readers tips on how to do one thing, you’ll doubtless use phrases like “tips on how to.”

The one difficulty is that having an infinite listing of “tips on how to” articles in your weblog begins to look boring and repetitive. You may combine this up by asking AI to generate potential headlines in your weblog articles.

Use the next immediate to get AI to generate headlines in your weblog posts:

Write a listing of 10 potential headlines for a weblog submit about [blog post topic]. This weblog submit [brief description of blog post].

Utilizing our pet coaching college instance, this immediate would possibly look one thing like this:

Write a listing of 10 potential headlines for a weblog submit about pet instructions. This weblog submit shares 10 important instructions any new pet proprietor ought to know when coaching their pet.

As this instance is a listicle, it is smart that Chat-GPT consists of the quantity within the headline. Nevertheless, you possibly can see a wide range of headlines you can probably use that sound extra compelling than simply “10 important instructions each pet ought to know.”

The headlines additionally use energy phrases like “must-know” and “final” to entice readers to click on by means of to the article. In the meantime, phrases and phrases like “be taught,” “instructing,” and “coaching 101” let the reader know the article has an academic intent.

These outputs supply a terrific first draft of some potential headlines. You may then fine-tune these headlines utilizing well-known headline greatest practices.

This immediate doesn’t have to only be used for weblog articles. You may adapt it for YouTube video headlines or electronic mail topic traces.

You may also use AI to generate headline formulation that you need to use when writing headlines sooner or later. Do that through the use of a immediate akin to:

Write 10 headline formulation that can be utilized to put in writing weblog submit headlines. Show these as a desk and ensure they cowl a wide range of content material sorts akin to [types of blog posts you typically share]

As all the time, you possibly can drill down additional into this by asking AI to organize a number of headlines for every article sort. You may then tweak the formulation and hold these readily available subsequent time you’re writing an article.

Use AI to summarize your writing

Each weblog submit ought to finish with a conclusion that offers the TL;DR (too lengthy; didn’t learn) low down of the article.

Sometimes, your conclusion ought to summarize the article by sharing the important thing takeaways. It ought to succinctly wrap up the article, leaving a long-lasting impression on the reader.

You may also need to use the conclusion to encourage readers to take motion. This would possibly embody prompting them to learn associated articles, encouraging them to get in contact, or directing them to extra assets.

In case you’re utilizing ChatGPT-4, you possibly can enter longer content material. This makes it nice for asking ChatGPT to summarize long-form weblog articles. You may also use AI instruments which have particularly designed conclusion technology options, akin to WriteMe or LongShot.

Use the next AI immediate to get AI to summarize your content material:

Summarize the next content material and supply the important thing takeaways. This will probably be used to put in writing the conclusion for the weblog submit about [brief description of the blog post]

For our pet coaching college instance, this immediate will seem like this:

Summarize the next content material and supply the important thing takeaways. This will probably be used to put in writing the conclusion for the weblog submit concerning the 10 important instructions any new pet proprietor ought to know when coaching their pet.

On this instance, I solely shared a snippet of a weblog submit to offer you an concept of how this would possibly look.

You may even take this immediate a step additional by asking Chat-GPT to supply the important thing takeaways as a bullet-pointed listing.

This rapidly transforms a long-form article right into a scannable listing of key takeaways. You may then use this output to get a fast overview of the weblog article so you possibly can simply write your conclusion.

Use AI to put in writing meta-descriptions

Whereas they may solely be brief, writing high-quality meta descriptions requires ability. The proper meta description could be the deciding think about whether or not somebody clicks by means of to your web site or not.

Fortunately, you need to use AI to distill your on-page content material into a few brief sentences you need to use as a meta description.

You may get ChatGPT to put in writing meta descriptions through the use of the next AI immediate:

Summarize the next content material right into a 2 sentence meta-description

The optimum size for a meta description is between 50 to 160 characters. Run the AI-generated output by means of a phrase rely checker to make sure it’s an appropriate size. If not, you possibly can both ask AI to generate a shorter model, or you possibly can edit it manually.

Within the above instance, ChatGPT generated a meta description that was 195 characters lengthy. As that is barely longer than desired, I inputted the immediate, “are you able to make it barely shorter?”

In response, ChatGPT minimize the unique output right down to 145 characters whereas sustaining the important thing takeaways of the article.

Find out how to use AI within the enhancing section of content material advertising

Earlier than any content material sees the sunshine of day, it must undergo a few rounds of revision. These revisions will both be carried out by the unique author or by editors, proofreaders, or content material managers.

However reviewing your personal content material is tough. You’re too near it. You realize it inside out. I like to offer myself at some point between writing my first draft and proofreading it. This makes positive I’m my content material with recent eyes.

However you don’t need to edit or proofread your content material alone. Your AI content material writing sidekick can are available helpful in the course of the enhancing section of content material advertising.

Use AI to make clear your writing

In case you’re writing about advanced subjects, your content material can simply develop into overwhelming for the reader. It may be laden with jargon or use area of interest analogies that solely a small subset of individuals perceive. The difficulty with that is that advanced content material runs the danger of alienating your reader.

On the flip facet, being too inventive together with your writing may also have a destructive influence. Maybe you’ve tried to put in writing content material that’s witty or overflowing with metaphors to create a vivid emotional response. Besides it doesn’t fairly land the way you anticipated. The that means and objective of the content material are misplaced in creativity.

Each situations are examples of how being “intelligent” can negatively have an effect on the influence of your content material. As writers, we stay by the rule of being “clear over intelligent.” Sure, being intelligent is nice. It turns heads, captures consideration, and exhibits individuals you already know what you’re speaking about. However it ought to by no means come on the expense of your writing being clear and simple to know.

In case you’ve written one thing that you just suppose may be intelligent fairly than clear, you need to use AI to make clear your writing.

AI prompts akin to “Does this textual content make sense?” or “Make this textual content simpler to know” allow you to examine and enhance the readability of your writing.

You need to use the AI output to see whether or not it has understood your content material or if the unique that means has been misplaced. In its response, Chat-GPT will inform you what it interpreted the textual content as, and it may additionally present options for bettering your copy. You may then use this data to rewrite your content material so it’s simpler to know.

Use AI to simplify your writing

I’ve the behavior of being a little bit of a waffler after I’m studying. My default writing type is to make use of all the phrases. So, when proofreading my content material, I sweep my content material for lengthy sentences and huge blocks of textual content. I’ll then spotlight these and simplify them.

To hurry up this course of, you need to use AI to simplify content material so it’s shorter and extra readable.

Some AI prompts you need to use to simplify your content material are:

• Make the next textual content shorter and snappier

• Clarify [topic] to me like I’m 7 years outdated

• Make the next textual content simpler to learn

If we enter a big block of textual content, you possibly can see how the immediate “make the next textual content shorter and snappier” produces a simplified model of the unique content material. You may then comb by means of your content material, making it brief and extra readable.

Remaining ideas — AI could be a highly effective content material advertising sidekick

AI isn’t good, however it may be a useful asset for content material entrepreneurs, appearing as a strong sidekick at each stage of the content material creation course of.

Guided by well-crafted generative AI prompts, you possibly can optimize your content material. From kickstarting content material analysis with key phrase analysis to creating hub-and-spoke content material methods, producing headlines, and clarifying your writing, AI can streamline your content material advertising efforts throughout content material analysis, writing, and enhancing.

Keep in mind, you possibly can’t depend on AI alone simply but. Your content material nonetheless wants a human contact if you’d like it to outperform your rivals — particularly when writing for YMYL subjects and niches the place E-E-A-T is essential.

For the most effective outcomes, pair AI’s capabilities with human creativity, expertise, and experience so you possibly can keep forward within the ever-changing world of content material advertising.