In this blog:
At our Virtual Summit, MKTG WMN picked Alaura Weaver’s brain about AI & Content Marketing.
Alaura is the senior marketing manager at Writer, the generative AI platform for enterprise companies.
Among other topics discussed during her breakout session, here are the top mistakes she says marketers and content marketers are making when it comes to using AI.
AI.
Some marketers love it. Some despise it.
Some have no clue how to use it and are blindly cranking out massive amounts of generic, incoherent, out-out-touch content, while others are illuminating the ways it can be used to actually help: streamline workflows, brainstorm ideas, operationalize it - the list goes on.
Love it or hate it, AI’s been around long before it dropped on everyone’s radar in 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it’s here to stay.
As the line between AI and human-generated content blurs, it's crucial for marketers to use AI responsibly and avoid these three common mistakes.
Back to Life. Back to Reality.
ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in 2023 and turned a lot of [marketers'] worlds upside down. There has been so much hype around AI, and that hype has created a tremendous amount of expectation for what AI can deliver.
The reality? ChatGPT and generative AI are certainly impressive. But this is not a human marketer with human insights, stories, and experiences. Generative AI is still lacking the human touch, and audiences want that now more than ever.
Do this instead: Shift your perspective
The reality is that generative AI in content marketing can be a great resource to get marketers to the first draft or an outline of a broader content idea or topic. It's up to you to take that content and differentiate yourself from a wholly AI-generated piece of content that no one wants to read or interact with. Here’s how:
Our LinkedIn feeds are inundated with so-called ChatGPT gurus telling you you’re doing ChatGPT wrong. Instant eye-roll. Their take on doing it right? Flooding us with ‘500 AI Prompts that Will Make Your Job Easier!’
This has seemingly led marketers to believe they should be in a frenzy to use a prompt for every single marketing task or ask they’ve ever faced. They dive in and attempt to try what the “gurus” have suggested, and the results are falling flat.
Stop the madness.
Do this instead: Educate the AI model you’re using
For example, if you have: specific content formats or finely-tuned audience messaging and terminology requirements, you must educate the AI model on all of those rules before you can achieve the level of high-quality outputs those gurus promise those 500 prompts will produce.
Also worth noting, not every interface with AI needs to be through chat. Chances are, if you’re stuck in prompt mode, the tool you’re using isn’t right for the job. There is an opportunity as marketers to expand our go-to AI tech stack to really tailor to our goals and what we’re trying to achieve.
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised.
Knowing when not to use AI is just as crucial as knowing how prompt. If you’re trying to come up with quotes, the robot at your fingertips isn’t the place to turn.
Same goes for stats. AI has a bad reputation for hallucinating. That’s right: hallucinating. Sometimes, AI just makes stuff up. It is trained to give you the information you’re asking for on demand, even if the information isn’t in its data.
Do this instead: Tap into your human network
When it comes to quotes, you should be interviewing and talking with actual human beings for this insight.
When it comes to stats and other data, you should use research you can source and always have a human fact-check any AI-generated statistic or data point you decide to use in your content, rather than blindly accepting it as gospel.
Alaura’s full session includes tips for integrating AI into your content strategy, saving time with AI, and a guide to crafting the perfect prompt on your own - in five steps or less! All MKTG WMN members can access Alaura’s full session and all of the other breakout sessions from our Virtual Summit in the community.
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