How to Use Generative AI for Content Marketing: Tools + Pro Tips

AI writing tools can streamline the content creation process to boost productivity and efficiency. Learn the advantages of AI-generated content and how to effectively integrate it into your marketing strategy.

Here, you’ll find:

• An introduction to AI-generated content
• When AI works best for content
• Benefits of AI technology for content creation
• Challenges of using AI-generated content
• Top AI writing tools for content creators
• Why the human element is still important

High-quality, consistent content is the foundation of every successful marketing strategy. It’s a powerful component that helps build brand awareness, boost SEO rankings, and generate more qualified leads and conversions. 

But where we once relied solely on human content creators, companies today are learning how to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to streamline the content creation process.

Tools like ChatGPT, Copy.ai, and Jasper are now helping business owners deliver a wide variety of content in less time and for a fraction of the cost. 

However, as any artisan can tell you, a tool is only as effective as the individual using it. 

Here, we’ll explore the benefits of AI-generated content and help you understand the best ways to incorporate AI writing tools into your overall content marketing strategy. 

 What is AI-generated content?

Where AI content creation platforms really shine is in their ability to create ideas and topics as well as develop outlines, summaries, and rough drafts. (Image: Adobe Stock)

As the name implies, AI-generated content is content that is written (or designed, in the case of images and video) by a computer instead of a human being. 

Most of us are familiar with the term artificial intelligence from books and movies that have explored the concept of machines that can imitate human thought and behavior. 

In terms of AI-generated content, the definition is a little less cerebral. 

A better term is actually machine learning. 

AI content tools rely on algorithms (created by humans) to guide them in carrying out a specific task. An algorithm is essentially a set of instructions, with built-in parameters to help the AI tool complete the goal. 

This is incredibly helpful if, say, you need to quickly generate a group of ad headlines or a blog outline with an SEO-friendly title and headers. 

Of course, to write the actual blog, a living, breathing content creator is still your best bet.  

Let’s talk about why. 

 When does AI work best for content?

At a time when thoughtfully crafted and relevant content is more important than ever, using AI technology to help with content creation is a strategic move — provided you know how and when to use it to your best advantage. 

The most important thing to remember is that AI writing tools, when prompted to generate content, will draw upon content that already exists.

And where will they find that content? You guessed it: the internet. 

In mere seconds, the algorithm used to create the AI platform will crawl through millions of web pages to extract and paraphrase the information it finds into a “new” piece of content. 

So, why not just ask ChatGPT to write you a 2,500-word article on [insert topic here]? 

Because paraphrasing can lead to a possible plagiarism issue if Google thinks your copy sounds a little too similar to someone else’s — and that can tank your SEO ranking.

Instead, where AI content creation platforms really shine is in their ability to create ideas and topics as well as develop outlines, summaries, and rough drafts. In other words, they can help eliminate writer’s block and keep the content machine churning.

They’re also great at taking your existing content and repurposing it, especially to use as social media posts, email subject lines and body text, and for advertising copy on paid traffic sites such as Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Amazon. 

If you are thinking about adding AI technology to your content marketing strategy but don’t know where to start, we’ve outlined some of the top benefits below. 

Using AI tools early in the content creation process can help you brainstorm ideas about what to write and jumpstart the creative process. (Image: Adobe Stock)

 5 benefits of AI technology for content creation

1. Boost productivity 

Feeling stuck? Using AI tools early in the content creation process can help you brainstorm ideas about what to write and jumpstart the creative process. Just provide them with a topic cluster, and most tools can quickly generate several different title options, as well as outlines, article headings, and even metadata. 

AI technology can also save time on research by gathering information and resources faster than a human typically could. However, just be sure to fact-check the information provided and always confirm that sources are cited correctly. 

2. Improve accuracy

Quality copy should always be free of errors. After all, the copy you choose is often the first thing a potential customer sees when they view your ad, visit your social media accounts, or land on your website.

However, human eyes may miss things, even after reading something several times. AI tools can help detect and correct grammar and punctuation errors as well as offer suggestions for new words or phrases to eliminate redundancy. 

3. Optimize for SEO

SEO-optimized content offers a considerable advantage for businesses trying to build their online presence and reach more potential customers. Better online visibility means more traffic to your website, which ultimately results in more quality leads and sales. 

AI platforms can help by delivering high-performing keywords and generating meta descriptions and article headings to help your content rise to the top of the rankings. They can also be used to come up with relevant hashtags for social media posts, which in turn can benefit SEO. 

4. Increase efficiency

Less time spent brainstorming ideas, coming up with the framework for written content, proofreading that content for accuracy, and optimizing it for SEO means an overall efficiency boost to your content marketing efforts. 

Content creators can spend less time focusing on the technical components of a piece and more time creating engaging content that speaks to your target audience and aligns with your overall marketing goals. 

5. Save money

Because AI writing tools streamline the content creation process so effectively, cutting down on the time it takes to brainstorm, research, outline, write, and proofread content can help reduce overall marketing costs. 

As a result, you may find yourself with a little more wiggle room in your marketing budget to explore other outlets. 

 The challenges of AI content generators

Even the most effective and efficient tool has its drawbacks, and the same can be said for AI writing tools. Below are some of the challenges of working with these platforms.

Struggles with context and tone

This is especially important in digital marketing, as both context and tone play an important role in cultivating brand identity. 

Human content writers create copy with emotion and often draw upon their past experiences to craft engaging copy that resonates with the unique needs of an audience. The machine learning algorithms behind AI tools lack the emotional intelligence needed to pull this off convincingly. 

Natural language processing (NLP) — which aims to remedy this problem and allow computers to think and speak in a manner more similar to humans — is built into many AI content generators, but the technology still has a long way to go. 

Not always 100% accurate

As advanced as AI writing tools have become, they are not infallible. The content they produce may still require human assistance, especially when it comes to grammar and composition. 

Just as you would any other piece of written content for your website, landing pages, and other marketing channels, AI-generated content should still be reviewed by human eyes for misspellings, punctuation errors, and poor sentence structure. 

Expensive, especially for larger teams

Yes, AI-generated content can help to streamline the content creation process and keep marketing costs low. However, like many SaaS platforms, the majority of AI platforms used to create that content typically charge a monthly or annual fee. 

In terms of pricing, while most AI writing tools offer a free starter plan that allows for so many characters or words per month, businesses then need to pay for a subscription plan.

 Such plans may cost anywhere from $20 to $50 monthly, with additional fees tacked on if you exceed the number of “seats” (i.e., individual users allowed). For example, Jasper costs $49 per month for the “Creator” plan and $125 per month for the “Teams” plan. 

 Top AI tools for content creators

By now, everyone has heard of — and most content creators have used — ChatGPT. But the popular tool created by OpenAI is just the tip of the iceberg. 

In just the past year, dozens of AI writing tools have emerged to help marketers and business owners brainstorm content ideas and develop engaging copy for all digital marketing formats, from social media posts and ad copywriting to product descriptions and long-form content. 

The following is a list of the top AI tools currently available, all of which are relatively easy to use and offer a broad range of automated copywriting tools and templates.

Several also allow you to choose a specific tone of voice for your copy. One mimics the tone of your brand, while others are particularly helpful for creating SEO-optimized content. 

If you are considering adding an AI writing tool to your content marketing platform, this list should provide a helpful starting point.  

Jasper 

Jasper is one of the most popular and most robust AI writing tools on the market. Though on the high end in terms of price, it offers a wide range of automated copywriting tools and templates. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with other AI tools, including Grammarly. 

Rytr

Fans of Rytr say the platform is easy to use and works well for short-form content and outlines, as well as idea generation. One of Rytr’s standout features is a Chrome extension that helps to finesse and improve copy in real time. 

Copy.ai

Copy.ai also works well for short-form content. It offers numerous templates to help marketers create everything from YouTube ad scripts to emails and press releases. Their unlimited plan is also relatively affordable, making it a popular choice for small businesses. 

Writerly

Reviews of Writerly praise its speed and versatility. The platform stands out in terms of idea generation and concise content (such as for social media posts and product descriptions), and SEO. However, some users say the content is repetitive and lacks human emotion. 

Writesonic

Overall, users praise Writesonic for its comprehensive template library, which facilitates the creation of both short-form and long-form content. It excels at optimizing content for SEO and allows users to set their preferred tone of voice. It also features an editing component that suggests text improvements in real time. 

Other well-known AI content creation tools that utilize automation technology to create different types of content include Anyword, Sudowrite, Wordtune, AI-Writer, and WordAI.

In addition, users praise Frase and GrowthBar for their ability to assist with SEO-optimized content that enables businesses to rank higher on search engine results pages. 

 The takeaway

According to the AI Marketing Benchmark Report 2023 created by Influencer Marketing Hub, 44% of marketers have used AI for marketing content creation. 

Does that mean AI will replace content creators in the future?

The short answer is no, at least not anytime soon. 

There’s no denying that AI writing tools are smart (and getting smarter). But they’re still not a replacement for human writers, editors, and proofreaders. 

Leveraging AI technology to streamline your workflow and marketing processes has its benefits. For one, you can curate high-quality content in support of your marketing campaigns. 

As a full-service digital marketing agency, HawkSEM uses a multitude of AI marketing tools and platforms. These allow us to to help you tell the story of your brand and create a unique customer experience. Discover how.