AI mania has swept the globe and money is being poured into AI products and technologies that promise everything from curing ALS to providing a better way to clean your teeth.
One area of particular interest to marketers is AI enabled content generation. We've all heard the claim that AI will be the death knell of marketing departments. Will those of us who have committed to a career in marketing be outsourced to AI?
I’ve spent the last few weeks putting some of the most popular AI content generators through their paces to test the promises of greater speed, efficiency, scalability and cost savings compared to traditional methods. What I found is that although the current generation of AI content generators offer many benefits, they also come with their fair share of challenges and weaknesses.
Faster Content Creation and Iteration
I used AI to generate multiple alternative versions of baseline copy for things like benefit statements, value propositions, tag lines, positioning statements, mission statements, etc. and I was pleasantly surprised. I found that using AI reduced the time I would typically spend agonizing over sentence structure or the perfect adjective. It allowed more time to focus on content strategy versus structure, although I learned that I needed to pay attention to structure since the current generation of tools are still prone to context, syntax and grammar problems, particularly when dealing with highly technical topics. That said, using these tools greatly accelerated my iteration process, speeding up final content delivery.
If you are a content marketer and haven’t used an AI content generation tool, I encourage you to do so. Here are the benefits I found:
⏱️Efficiency and Time Savings: AI content generators can churn out content swiftly, significantly reducing the time marketers spend on brainstorming and drafting. Whether it's blog posts, social media updates, or email campaigns, these tools can generate content within minutes, freeing up valuable resources for other strategic tasks.
📣Consistency and Brand Voice: Maintaining a consistent brand voice across various channels is crucial for brand identity. AI content generators can help ensure consistency by adhering to predefined style guides, tone preferences, and brand personality traits, reinforcing brand messaging and identity.
📈Scalability: As businesses scale, so does their need for content. AI content generators can help you scale to meet growing demands and can adapt to different formats and platforms, from SEO-optimized blog posts to engaging social media captions.
BUT Garbage In, Garbage Out and You Can Forget About Storytelling
The adage "garbage in, garbage out" holds true. Without proper input, the output can be generic, inaccurate and at times, completely nonsensical. The current generation of AI tools still require human input, control and oversight. And I found that when it comes to telling a story versus just spitting out cold, quasi-factual statements, a real human is needed.
If you are using AI content generators to scale content creation, be aware of the issues and challenges. Here are the biggest issues that I found:
🏆Quality and Originality Concerns: While AI can generate content quickly, ensuring the quality and originality of the output remains a challenge. Content marketers must carefully review and edit AI-generated content to maintain relevance, coherence, and uniqueness that aligns with their brand standards.
📖Contextual Understanding and Creativity Limitations: AI tools lack human creativity and contextual understanding, which are crucial for crafting nuanced and emotionally resonant content. Complex narratives, creative storytelling, and content requiring deep industry expertise require a personal touch.
🔎Risk of Misinterpretation and Errors: AI content generators are still very error prone, misinterpreting instructions or generating inaccurate information, leading to factual errors or inappropriate content. Content marketers must closely monitor outputs to avoid misinformation or content that could damage brand reputation.
🔏Dependency on Technology and Privacy Concerns: Relying heavily on AI content generators can create dependency on technology, potentially limiting content marketers' ability to innovate or adapt to unexpected challenges. Additionally, privacy concerns arise when AI tools collect and analyze user data to personalize content, necessitating compliance with data protection regulations.
Striking a Balance: Human Expertise and AI Tools
While AI content generators offer undeniable advantages in efficiency, consistency and scalability, these tools are effective only when used by experienced content marketers who can harness AI to automate repetitive tasks, generate initial drafts, and gather data insights, while human editors and strategists provide creative input, ensure quality control, and maintain ethical standards.
AI content generators represent a powerful tool in modern marketing but their effective utilization requires a thoughtful approach. Ultimately, the successful integration of AI content generators into marketing strategies hinges on understanding their capabilities, limitations, and the importance of human oversight. By leveraging AI's strengths while mitigating its challenges, marketing departments can optimize their content creation processes, enhance brand engagement, and stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape. Embracing this synergy can empower businesses to deliver compelling, authentic, and impactful content that creates authentic connections with audiences.
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