In an era where digital content is king, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the queen, shaping the future of digital marketing with unparalleled speed and efficiency. Today, we’re diving deep into the realm of AI and content creation – excluding the visual and video aspects to focus on crafting written content that resonates. If you’ve ever found yourself pondering over the perfect AI prompt to revolutionize your content creation process, this article is your guiding star.
Do Your Research Before Going to AI
Give your AI tool all of the information it needs BEFORE giving it the prompt. Assume that your AI tool of choice has never heard of your company before. Provide background information, mission statements, target audience demographics, current website content, and any other relevant information that will help the AI understand your brand’s offering and voice. This will ensure a more accurate and tailored output for your specific needs.
Breakdown of the Perfect Prompt
Crafting the perfect AI prompt requires understanding its components. Let’s break it down:
- WHO the AI is and their role: Is the AI a professional copywriter? Are they an SEO expert? What professional knowledge should the AI have in order to complete the task?
- WHY you are creating the content: Define the purpose. Are you trying to sell a product? Are you trying to inform?
- WHAT format the output should be in: Specify if you’re aiming for a blog post, social media update, email, etc.
- WHO your target audience is: Provide a general overview of who your audience is, and more importantly, what pain points or problems you are trying to solve for your audience through the content you are creating.
- HOW long the content should be: This is crucial, especially for platforms with length restrictions or when you’re focusing on short-form content.
I didn’t come up with this framework, but it has helped me to use AI in a way that is not only faster, but BETTER content.
Real-World Examples of AI Prompts
Now that we’ve outlined what goes into creating a successful prompt, let’s put that knowledge into action. Here are a few examples of prompts that are both thoughtful and efficient:
- For an AI Acting as a Professional Copywriter
“You are a professional copywriter who is experienced in the AIDA method of copywriting. Write a product description for a new eco-friendly water bottle that will appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, highlighting how comfortable it is to hold, how it doesn’t leak, and the many colors/designs it comes in.”
- For Content Aimed to Educate
“You are a marketing expert. Craft a blog post explaining the top 10 SEO practices for beginners, ensuring that the information is accessible and actionable for small business owners with limited digital marketing experience.”
- For a Social Media Update
“You are the social media manager for my company that has a mission to improve workplace culture. Create a series of engaging tweets for World Health Day, focusing on promoting mental well-being in the workplace, tailored to resonate with corporate employees.”
- For an Email Campaign
“Compose an email series for a fitness coach who specializes in remote coaching, emphasizing the convenience and personalization of their service to busy professionals looking to improve their health.”
Each of these examples is designed to make the most of AI’s capabilities by providing clear, concise, and detailed instructions that align with the intended outcome. Remember, the aim is to empower the AI to work for you, making your workflow as seamless as possible.
Don’t Like the Output? Revise and Refine
What I’ve heard before is to treat AI like an inexperienced intern who has all the time in the world to make revision after revision. If you aren’t happy with the first version of the output, figure out what you don’t like about it and give it feedback. Even better, you don’t have to worry about offending your intern, so you can keep your feedback short and to the point. You don’t have to explain why you don’t like something. For example, I always use phrases like:
- “The style is too casual, make it more professional.”
- “The content is restricted to 160 characters, shorten it.”
- “Add more headers.”
- “Don’t start every paragraph with ‘welcome to’.”
- “Give me 5 variations of this content to choose from.”
- “Make the call-to-action more compelling.”
Do You Have To Write a Long Prompt Every Time?
Absolutely not! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that sometimes a succinctly crafted prompt does the job just as well, if not better. It’s all about finding the right balance between providing enough information and being too specific. Remember, you want to give your AI tool room for creativity and exploration while also guiding it in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of prompts and see what works best for your brand. And as always, don’t forget to provide feedback and make necessary revisions to
Best Uses for AI in Content Creation
Let’s explore how AI can shine in various aspects of content creation:
Outlines
Starting with a skeleton from AI can save hours. Lay out your desired headings and subheadings and let AI do the groundwork. From there, you can fill in the details with your expertise and writing style. Sometimes, AI generates an outline I DON’T like, which means I now have something to work with based on what it didn’t include.
Research
AI tools can sift through mountains of data to gather relevant information on your desired topic. It’s a time-saver that allows you to focus on crafting your unique content rather than scouring the internet for sources. For example, you often can upload a document and have it summarize key points or pull out relevant data.
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Many writers struggle when staring at a blank page. That’s where AI can come in handy, because it can create the “ugly first draft”. It will be up to you to refine and polish it into a masterpiece, but having something to work with can get the creative juices flowing. Plus, AI-generated content can serve as a springboard for new ideas and perspectives that you may not have considered before.
Editing & Optimizing
While AI isn’t a perfect grammar tool, it can be a helpful partner in editing for clarity and even writing style. For example, when copywriting, you should always be focused on the reader instead of the company. So, I will tell it to shift the writing style from “We” to “You”. Or another use-case would be to shift from passive voice to active voice. Tools like Hemingway Editor can point out writing errors, but AI can help you fix them.
Troubleshooting
Can’t figure out why something is broken? Ask AI. It can offer solutions or explanations, especially when trying to troubleshoot errors in code, or figuring out how to create a spreadsheet that performs certain functions. Not only can it provide solutions, it may also be able to explain why it broke in the first place.
Optimizing Content for SEO
If you provide a list of keywords for the AI to use, it can naturally integrate those keywords throughout your written content. This can be done before or after you’ve created your first draft!
What’s the Downside of Using AI for Content?
Despite its many advantages, there are a few caveats to consider:
Worries About Google Penalties
The fear of AI-generated content being penalized by search engines like Google is common. However, as long as the content is original, informative, and serves the user’s intent, this concern is minimal.
Incorrect Information
AI often get facts wrong, even if you provided all the facts it should use in the content it creates. Always double-check for accuracy.
Massive Increase in Low-Quality Content
There’s a risk of the internet becoming flooded with superficial AI-generated content. Strive for depth, originality, and value in everything you create.
Becoming an AI Expert Won’t Make You Lose Your Job
While AI dramatically transforms the content landscape, making creation and editing more accessible, the need for human touch remains paramount. Writers and editors bring nuance, creativity, and empathy to the table—qualities that AI is yet to master fully.
Embracing AI in content creation opens a world of efficiency and innovation but remember, it serves best as a complement to human skill and creativity, not a replacement.
It's Becky Rebecca 