AI in Content Marketing: How We’re Wielding AI for Good (Results)

AI in content marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) has undoubtedly transformed many industries, including content marketing

But with all the buzz, there’s one looming question—is AI a savior for content marketing, or is it the next big disaster waiting to happen?

The truth is I was scared of ChatGPT when it first hit the market. But now it, along with some other AI tools, is an indispensable saber in my content marketing arsenal.

Before AI, I used to get the urge to break pencils in half when I was stuck on a draft—now I have a tool to help ideas flow and point out weak spots. This lets me channel my creativity into editing that draft to make it truly unique. 

Does this mean I use AI to do all my work for me? Hardly.

Below, I’ll take you into the world of AI-powered content and explore its potential. Let me show you how to apply it in your content strategy for best results.

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The Benefits of Using AI for Content Marketing

AI has revolutionized how we approach content marketing, offering several key benefits. 

It helps businesses scale faster, generate insights that would take humans hours to uncover, and avoid costly errors that manual processes are prone to. 

But before you go thinking AI can write the next Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, let’s be clear—AI is a content writing tool, not a replacement.

AI interactive robot
That’s what the horse said about the tractor, squishy human.

With that said, here are a few ways AI can work wonders for your content marketing efforts:

  • Faster Turnaround Times: AI can sift through mountains of research, generate content outlines, and even create draft versions of creative content in a fraction of the time it would take a human. This doesn’t mean you’ll be producing dozens of blog posts in a day, but it does mean you can get a head start on the heavy lifting.
  • Consistency and Quality Control: With tools like Grammarly or Jasper, AI ensures your content stays grammatically correct, stylistically consistent, and free of common errors. It’s like having an editor who works 24/7 and doesn’t need coffee breaks.
  • Getting Unstuck: Every writer faces moments where the words just won’t come. AI can help you break through those blocks by suggesting angles, analogies, or even expanding on a point you’re stuck on.

However, AI is no magic bullet. It’s constantly evolving, and the way we use it today may look entirely different in a few months. But for now, it’s a powerful ally in speeding up production and ensuring quality across your content development strategy.

How Is AI Used in Content Marketing?

AI’s impact on content marketing stretches across multiple areas: content creation, research, and data analysis. While some might think AI is only there to crank out blog posts, its role is far more nuanced.

Let’s take a look at each of its functions.

  • Content Creation: AI can assist in drafting content, helping marketers brainstorm, or even suggesting SEO-friendly keywords. However, there’s a fine line between using AI to assist with writing and having it take over entirely. Spoiler: The latter leads to some seriously soulless content.
  • Content Research: AI helps marketing teams straddle the line between SEO and content marketing. It’s invaluable for scraping data, finding trends, and conducting competitor analysis. It automates the grunt work, leaving you more time to focus on the creative side of marketing.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: AI tools can make sense of vast amounts of data from Google Analytics integrations to advanced data visualizations. This helps marketers understand audience behavior, track KPIs, and adjust strategies in real time.

Let’s break down each area further.

AI for Content Creation

When people talk about AI-generated content, they often imagine a future where robots replace writers. 

Let’s pump the brakes on that dystopian scenario. AI is far from being able to write profoundly moving prose or emotional storytelling. But what it can do is provide some serious help in drafting content quickly and efficiently.

The Good:

  • Speed and Scalability: AI tools can write rough drafts, suggest topic ideas, provide a list of killer headlines, and create outlines in minutes. This makes it easier to scale your content production and blog consistently, especially if you’re juggling multiple projects. 
  • SEO Assistance: AI can help ensure your content hits SEO targets by suggesting relevant keywords, headings, and meta descriptions. Tools like Surfer SEO guide you in creating well-optimized content that search engines (and people) love.

The Bad:

  • Lack of Originality: AI is a master of imitation, but it struggles to create something truly original. If your content lacks a human touch, it risks feeling stale and formulaic. On top of that, Google hates content that is fully AI-generated, so this could hurt your rankings.
  • Plagiarism Risks: Some AI tools unintentionally lift phrases or concepts from existing content. That’s why using AI as a starting point, not the final product is crucial. Always fact-check and revise!

Is AI-Written Content Good for SEO?

In short, not yet. AI can help create SEO-friendly drafts, but the content it generates often lacks the depth and nuance needed to rank well. 

SEO is more than just keyword stuffing—it’s about delivering real value, answering questions, and creating engaging, well-structured content. 

And, while AI tools like Jasper or ChatGPT are fantastic at helping writers optimize their content for search engines, they’re not yet capable of writing with the insight and emotional intelligence needed to keep readers engaged.

How to Use AI for Content Creation

To get the most out of AI, think of it as your writing sidekick. Here’s how to harness its power for better content:

  • Start with a Prompt: Let AI help you break the blank page syndrome by giving it a simple prompt. It can generate ideas or suggest outlines to get the ball rolling.
  • Use it as an Editor: Tools like Grammarly can proofread and optimize your content for clarity, grammar, and tone. As a content writer, I use it daily to help edit my articles and fine-tune them for the audience I’m writing for.
  • Avoid Over-Reliance: AI-generated content still requires a human touch. Make sure you’re adding your own voice, personality, and insight to create content people actually want to read.

AI for Content Research

Need to know what your audience is searching for? AI can help you quickly identify trending topics and keywords and analyze your competitors’ content. This is a game-changer for marketers who don’t have hours to spend on manual research.

By using AI tools, you can pinpoint content gaps, discover what’s resonating with your target audience, and gather insights into what your competitors are doing—helping you stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s say you want to create a content plan but aren’t sure what your audience is searching for. An AI tool like AnswerThePublic can come to the rescue.

These tools analyze vast amounts of search data and social media trends to uncover popular topics and relevant keywords in your industry. 

AnswerThePublic

For instance, if you run a fitness blog, the AI might identify that “HIIT workouts for beginners” and “meal prep tips for weight loss” are currently trending. It can also show which topics generate the most shares and engagement on social media, giving you a clear picture of what’s resonating.

Beyond that, AI can analyze your competitors’ content to find gaps where you can shine. If a competitor has published content on “yoga for flexibility” but hasn’t covered “yoga for back pain,” you’ve just found a content opportunity to fill.

AI for Data Analysis & Reporting

Let’s face it—no one enjoys manually sifting through endless data spreadsheets. AI tools can automate the process, pulling valuable insights and providing digestible reports. This allows you to focus on refining strategy instead of getting lost in the numbers.

Imagine you’ve just wrapped up an extensive campaign and need to report on its performance. 

Instead of slogging through spreadsheets and crunching numbers, an AI tool like Google’s Looker Studio can do the heavy lifting. It can pull data from multiple sources—social media, website analytics, and CRM systems—into one interactive dashboard.

The AI can then automatically highlight key metrics like conversion rates, bounce rates, and customer acquisition costs. It can even detect patterns, such as which channels drove the most traffic or where users dropped off in the sales funnel.

With AI surfacing these insights, you can skip the manual data wrangling and focus on tweaking your strategy to double down on what worked—or fix what didn’t.

AI Content Marketing Tools

Now that you know how AI can help you with your content marketing, let’s take a look at some of the best AI tools to streamline your content marketing efforts:

Grammarly

Grammarly - ai content writing

Grammarly helps keep your writing sharp and error-free. It checks grammar, tone, and style, ensuring your content is polished before hitting “publish.”

Grammarly isn’t just about catching typos—it’s like having a writing coach who never sleeps. It goes beyond grammar checks, offering style suggestions to ensure your content sounds human (and not like a robot). 

Plus, with browser extensions and integrations, you can polish your writing across all your favorite platforms.

Jasper AI

Jasper AI - ai powered marketing

Jasper is a powerhouse for AI-generated content. While it can’t replace a human writer, it helps generate ideas, outlines, and even first drafts, saving you time.

It’s not here to steal your job—it’s here to lighten the load, just as if you had outsourced your content to a third party. It can whip up content ideas, draft outlines, and even write first drafts faster than you can say “writer’s block.” 

Whether drafting a blog post or crafting a catchy social media ad, Jasper’s templates help keep your content on-brand.

Lex

Lex

Lex is a powerful AI-driven word processor that aids in writing by suggesting real-time improvements and helping craft clearer, more concise copy.

It’s like having an editor built into your writing process. It helps you cut the fluff, tighten up your copy, and find the perfect words in real-time. With features like automatic version control, Lex is the secret weapon for anyone, including beginner content writers, who want to write faster without sacrificing quality.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT artificial intelligence

ChatGPT is a versatile AI tool for brainstorming, drafting, and editing. It helps with idea generation and can tighten existing content for clarity and flow.

Think of ChatGPT as your go-to brainstorming buddy and editing partner. It’s great for kicking around ideas, refining rough drafts, and providing feedback on tone and brand voice. Perfect for when you need a second opinion (or third, or fourth), without waiting on an actual person.

Surfer SEO

Surfer SEO ai content marketing

Surfer SEO is perfect for optimizing and even refreshing your content. It compares your content against top-ranking pages and offers real-time keyword usage, structure, and length suggestions.

It doesn’t just throw keywords at you—it tells you exactly how to beat the competition. By analyzing top-ranking pages, Surfer SEO suggests keyword density, structure, and content length, giving your content the best chance to rank high and stay there. 

It’s like having an SEO expert in your pocket but with way fewer meetings.

The Future of Content Marketing: Are We Doomed?

Is AI going to take over your job as a content marketer? Unlikely. 

While AI will continue to evolve and automate certain tasks, content marketing relies on creativity, human connection, and insight—things AI still can’t replicate. 

So, while AI can be your secret weapon for boosting efficiency, the heart of good content will always need a human touch.

Siri, Put Me In Touch with an SEO and Content Marketing Team That Gets It.

AI is reshaping the content marketing landscape, but it’s not the end-all-be-all solution. To truly make your content stand out, you need a solid strategy and expert execution.

That’s where we come in.

If you’re looking for killer content that drives traffic, generates leads, and converts, look no further.

We’ll help you craft a content strategy that works for your business—AI or no AI.

Check out our Content Marketing Services page to learn more.

Martin Stokes Avatar

Get more leads with less effort.

If you want a steady flow of targeted leads, we’ve got a proven process for driving organic traffic and converting it into qualified leads.