AI for content writing: What you need to know

Nowadays, even the least tech-savvy among us have heard of – and likely discussed – the merits and shortcomings of the tool, with many businesses looking to streamline their work and maximise the potential benefits that they can extract from introducing AI into their workflow.

As a service business founder and Chief Marketing Officer with over a decade of experience in the field, I’ve found that an especially hot topic is how AI can be used in content marketing… especially by time-strapped firms that want to keep up with their marketing and SEO.

Here’s what those firms need to know.

What People Are Using AI For

We are in the era of exploration, where marketers and non-marketers alike are testing the bounds of AI to see where processes can be shortened and where they can be cut altogether.

We are seeing people using AI for everything from generating content ideas to writing full articles and creating the corresponding graphics.

And now that the process has become normalised and has had some time to rest, we’re beginning to see another trend: brand reputation suffering due to largely AI content.

Testing is never a problem, and learning the bounds of a new tool is one of the most important parts of learning. However, the problem lies in the fact that many have adopted the new tool as their end-to-end marketing team, effectively producing obviously AI content to act as the foundation of their marketing… and we are beginning to see just why that doesn’t work.

Why They Shouldn’t

To understand the biggest issues with this, it’s key to remember that generative AI is either an LLM (Large Language Model) in the case of text generation, or an Image Generator in the case of graphic creation.

What this means, put simply, is that generative AI is not creating entirely new content; it is a type of tool that analyses large amounts of text or data, learns patterns and implements its learnings in such a way that emulates the original dataset.

Because of this, it is currently incredibly difficult to come up with entirely new ideas and content. In addition to this, it’s important to note that many AI tools are relying on the entire internet as their data set, meaning that information both fact and fiction are known to be drawn into the mix (and that’s not even touching on hallucinations, a proven phenomenon in which AI comes up with completely false information and vehemently defends its existence).

What this means is that completely AI-generated content is far more likely to contain mistakes, and can often quickly be spotted as AI-generated by both search engines and people alike. In turn, this content:

• Is more likely to contain mistakes
• Often rank early, but then ranking tank as search engines (and users) pick up that it’s AI
• Is less likely to be viewed as a thought leader both by search engines and people, negatively impacting brand trust and reputation

That’s not even to speak to the conversations regarding plagiarism of LLMs.

Altogether, this means that companies are increasingly relying on a content marketing strategy that, in time, tanks their rankings and impacts user views of the business; studies are coming out left and right that show how ‘consumers become more skeptical and less engaged when they know content is AI-generated’.

So, what can marketers use this tool for whilst still maintaining trust, strong rankings and overall quality content?

What AI Is Good for In Marketing

The key isn’t throwing out AI altogether; it’s about realising its limits, gauging audience perception and implementing it intelligently.

In my experience at Edward & James, and in conversation with other marketing experts in the industry, we’ve found that AI is great for top-level research, structure and ideation—so long as outputs are fact-checked.

It should never go further than that.

Don’t use it for full-generation. Search engines can tell. Even more importantly… users can tell.

Think about AI less like an all-in-one marketer and more like an advanced search engine that’s great for bouncing ideas off, garnering inspiration and building out your thoughts.

When used correctly, and when taking into account these constraints, it can be an incredibly powerful tool that helps create in-depth, well-structured content to bolster your SEO, your brand reputation and your client’s trust.

When the human element and expertise is removed is when the content becomes surface-level, poorly crafted and quickly spotted by client and algorithm alike.

The Main Takeaway

Never forget that humans are what keep marketing effective… on both sides of the register.

Gaming the system and ranking highly for a time is great and all, but even after your ranking tank, it’s your users that you have to answer to—and by and large, customers aren’t taking kindly to AI-generated content. At best, they don’t mind. At worst, they walk away completely—an issue not presented by human crafted content.

Don’t get me wrong, AI is a powerful tool that should be respected and utilised where appropriate, but it’s key that brands learn how to use it. Now is not the time to rest on your laurels and rely on churning out AI-generated content; it’s the time to get educated, optimise processes and, like always, keep true expertise at the core of your content strategy.

James Le Gallez (main picture) is the Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Edward & James, a qualified marketing consultancy helping professional service providers make confident decisions, execute effectively and grow with intent.

Working across finance, legal and beyond, Edward & James helps professional service businesses get to the strategic heart of their work, whether it be the first week of their company or the thousandth. Get in touch today: [email protected]

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