Hope Waytas
5 Journalism Principles that Should Guide Your Content Strategy
I'm surprised by how often people question me when I compare content marketing to journalism. Perhaps it's my newsroom background, but it seems...
In my initial days as a content creator, I held the belief that only human ingenuity could produce truly engaging content. However, my perspective underwent a significant shift after attending HubSpot’s Inbound 2023, where I discovered the untapped potential of AI as a valuable writing tool.
As a skeptical participant, I packed my schedule with various AI-related sessions, uncovering the profound utility of AI in content creation. The key, I realized, lies in understanding how to harness its capabilities effectively. When wielded correctly, AI empowers content creators by freeing up time for strategic thinking, eliminating the frustration of writer's block, and minimizing fixation on words and idiosyncrasies.
If you share my initial skepticism about AI's efficacy, I invite you to reconsider. The following explains how to get the most from AI tools, resulting in compelling, authentic, and non-artificial content tailored to your audience.
Begin with an Outline then Inform, Refine, and Repeat
While it's tempting to delegate the entire blogging process to an AI tool, relying solely on its output may lead to disappointment. Specificity is the key to success—provide clear directives to inform the tool about your expectations. Imagine explaining to a new team member what you want in the outline; vague instructions yield subpar results.
Remember the principle of "garbage in, garbage out." Most AI platforms lack the ability to "learn" specific client or topic information. You must guide the tool explicitly, detailing the content type, topic, tone, and goal—akin to instructing a new team member.
Consider this example:
AI Input: Create an outline for a blog on content marketing, emphasizing lead generation and creating a solid strategy. Make the content engaging, professional, and readable at an eighth-grade level. The goal is to drive more blog subscribers.
Review this output, then add more instructions.
AI Input: Add information on how a robust content marketing strategy fosters brand alignment with examples. In the third section, expand on the mechanics of lead generation, eliminating unnecessary filler words throughout.
Now, you have two choices: continue refining the outline through additional requests or copy it into a document and commence manual writing.
AI Does Not Eliminate Editing
Understand that almost every AI output requires editing–due diligence can not be skipped.
Be mindful of patterns in responses. Due to its reliance on pre-existing content, AI often produces paragraphs with redundant information. Additionally, if you ask for an "engaging" piece, AI might insert uncommon words that could confuse your audience. Despite its efficiency, AI-generated content demands a human eye for quality assurance. As you proofread and edit, ensure clarity and effectiveness.
Bridging the Gap between AI and Human Creativity
Embracing AI as a content creation tool is not about relinquishing control but understanding how to guide it effectively. By providing clear directives, refining outputs, and infusing your unique perspective, you can harness the power of AI to streamline your content creation process, ultimately delivering compelling and professional pieces tailored to your audience. The synergy between human creativity and AI capabilities is the key to unlocking new possibilities in the realm of content creation.
Why Sales is a Crucial Part of Your Content Marketing Team
If you have a blog (and I hope by now you do), there’s a good chance that the majority of your content is being written by your marketing team. Have...
When Does It Make Sense to Outsource Content Marketing?
How long does it typically take you to write a 500-word blog post for your company? If your answer is less than an hour, congratulations! You're in...