How to Use AI to Level Up Your Content Strategy

Artificial intelligence is transforming content creation and marketing. While AI-generated content has downsides, it also provides valuable tools to help content creators optimize their strategy when used thoughtfully. In this post, I'll break down how you can leverage AI to improve ideation, scripting, and other elements of your content approach.

Introducing the AI Content Revolution

Powerful AI tools like ChatGPT have exploded in popularity recently. They allow you to input prompts and receive surprisingly sophisticated text responses on any topic imaginable.

For content marketers and creators, AI represents a potential game-changer. Suddenly, you have an on-demand brainstorming partner and writing assistant to help with:

• Content ideation
• Script writing
• Copywriting (emails, ads, landing pages)
• Product development
• Audience research

But many overestimate what today's AI is capable of. You can't simply ask it for a perfect blog post and expect fabulous results with no effort on your end. The key is using AI thoughtfully to enhance your process.

Let's look at real examples of how to strategically leverage AI at different stages of content creation and marketing.

AI-Assisted Content Ideation

I often struggle with writer's block brainstorming content topics. So I tried prompting the AI:

"Please provide 5 engaging blog post ideas for my finance blog."

It returned these suggestions:

• The Psychology of Money: How Emotions Drive Our Financial Decisions
• Cryptocurrencies and the Future of Banking: A Deep Dive
• Building Wealth: The Power of Compound Interest Explained
• Financial Lessons from History: Notable Booms and Busts
• Sustainable Investing: Aligning Your Money with Your Values

While topic generation is something I could've also done myself, this instantly jogged new angles to consider. The AI delivered clickworthy headlines on my niche. I now have these seeded for future use.

The key is taking AI-generated ideas as a starting point. You must refine and validate ideas against your audience's interests. But it can stimulate your own ideation process.

Optimising AI-Generated Content

Let's say I wanted an Instagram carousel script on managing anxiety. I prompted:

"Please write a 6 post Instagram carousel about coping with stress and anxiety."

The AI returned long-form advice for each tip. While good content, it wasn't fully optimized for the intended format.

So I refined my prompt:

"Please cut it into bite-sized short chunks of info that can each be put into an informational style carousel post and start off with an attention-grabbing hook."

It returned much better carousel content:

1. 🚨 Feeling Overwhelmed? Discover 6 effective ways to ease stress and anxiety. Swipe on! 🚀
2. 🍃 Deep Breathing: Inhale... Hold... Exhale... Reset your nervous system in seconds.
3. ✨ Meditation: Center your thoughts. Find peace in the chaos.
4. 🥗 Eat Right: Nourish the body, calm the mind. Balance is key!
5. 📝 Journaling: Unload thoughts. Find clarity in ink.
6. 💬 Chat About It: Share, vent, heal. Your voice matters.

Collaborating with the AI through multiple prompts resulted in shareable content tailored to my goals.

Crowdsourcing Content Ideas from AI

Beyond directly generating content, I've found AI invaluable for crowdsourcing niche content ideas.

I simply asked:

"Please give me 5 viral Reels ideas in the travel niche. Viral means 1 million+ views."

It suggested:

• Tourist vs. local food challenges in top destinations
• Crazy Airbnb rentals like treehouses, castles, or private islands
• Packing hacks for minimizing luggage
• Visiting film locations from popular movies
• Budget travel tips for solo female travelers

Crowdsourcing niche content ideas from AI provides unlimited fodder to inspire your own ideation.

The Downsides of AI Content Creation

While AI content tools provide value, over-reliance also poses risks:

• Lazy mass-produced content - The bar for creating "good enough" content drops, flooding the internet with mediocre automated content.
• Plagiarism - Heavy use of AI-generated scripts risks replicating existing content, resulting in legal issues.
• Dehumanizing - AI lacks human creativity and personality. This reduces connection with audiences.

The key is using AI surgically to enhance your process while retaining creative control and your unique perspective.

My Prediction for the Future of AI Content

Looking ahead, I foresee two macro content trends emerging from AI's proliferation:

1. More "Real" Content

To stand out from AI-spammed content, successful creators will shift to more raw, organic content emphasizing real personality and connections.

2. Bifurcation Between "AI Content" and "Creator Content"

Top creators will differentiate their content from AI-generated content flooding social feeds through high production value and a distinct perspective.

In summary, use AI strategically but retain your creative soul. Let AI elevate but not replace you.

Final Takeaways

AI represents an exciting opportunity to optimize and accelerate your content process:

• Use for ideation and crowdsourcing initial ideas
• Refine AI drafts into optimized final products
• Avoid over-reliance. Retain creative control.
• Differentiate your content through high value and personality

Approached thoughtfully, AI can help you stand out, not blend in.

What future AI content tools are you most excited about as a creator? Let me know in the comments!