7 best practices for using AI tools to create content

You might have read about the benefits of AI for creators in our article on why you should adopt AI tools for content creation, and now you’re set on trying out artificial intelligence for yourself.

As ready as you are to test out your new digital assistant, like with any machine, you need to first read over the instruction manual—because you wouldn’t fire up a bandsaw prior to reading the instructions, right? Right.

Similarly, you shouldn’t create content with artificial intelligence until establishing best practices. Those who don’t review basic ground rules for using AI run the risk of creating poor content, wasting time, and even committing plagiarism. Consequences that aren’t quite as severe as those of foregoing bandsaw instructions, but consequences nonetheless.

To get you prepped and ready to use artificial intelligence, treat this blog as your AI handbook, helping you maximize the effectiveness and benefits of AI in your content creation!

7 tips to get the most out of AI tools

1. Define the purpose of the content. 

Without a clear purpose, content generated by AI may not be effective or relevant. 

Defining the purpose includes identifying your target audience, the content’s tone, and the overall objective of the content. This will help the AI-produced content align with your brand goals. 

Plus, the content’s purpose determines what AI tool you should use in the first place!

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2. Provide a (really) great prompt. 

Almost all content generators require a prompt like a topic and keywords to generate content. Thus, understanding how to structure prompts is essential to generating the best possible content. To write a really great prompt, follow these tips:

• Define the purpose of the content. Clarify not only what you’re creating but also why you’re creating it. What’s the goal you’re trying to achieve?
• Give clear, specific instructions. Describe the task you want the AI tool to complete in detail (the longer the prompt, the better).
• Ask open-ended questions. Asking open-ended questions, or questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, gives the freedom for the tool to answer in as much detail as it would like.
• Check your grammar and spelling in your prompt. Grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in your prompt can confuse an AI tool, so always proofread your prompt.
• Include contextual information. For example, who is your AI content writer acting as? Who is the target audience for the content? Include the answers to these questions in your prompt.

Use this prompt formula created by our very own AI product team:

“Act like” + “write a” + “define an objective” + “define your ideal format”

Prompt Example: Act like { a type of expert } who is writing copy for { a specific use } to achieve { a specific outcome}. 

Because prompts are so crucial for creating great content with AI, we’ve put together a complete how-to guide on AI prompts. Check it out!

3. Review and edit the content. 

AI tools aren’t perfect. We’re still in a time when AI models can only mimic the text and images they are fed in their training data. Meaning, they’re unable to separate fact from fiction. Because of this, you’ll need to review AI-generated content to ensure it’s accurate, relevant, and engaging.

On top of fact-checking, always review the content for grammar or spelling mistakes.

Reviewing and editing the content will also confirm that the content aligns with its initial purpose. If it doesn’t meet your content needs, provide the AI tool with feedback or update the prompt to improve the quality of the content.

4. Avoid plagiarism. 

Plagiarism is an issue in the world of content creation, and AI tools aren’t an exception. Prompts that are similar could in fact generate similar or even identical content.

While many content generators have built-in plagiarism checkers, it’s still important to double-check the content for originality. You can easily do this with Grammarly and other plagiarism checkers, but one of the foolproof ways to avoid plagiarism is to paraphrase the AI-generated content rather than use it word for word.

For more on why content creators should avoid plagiarism, check out our blog.

5. Be cautious of copyright.

Creators should hesitate to establish ownership of any AI-generated content, written or visual. Why? The question still stands as to whether the data used to train OpenAI’s ChatGPT included copyrighted material. If so, complications could arise about the legality of AI-produced content.

Already legal issues are unfolding with AI-generated images, and issues like these could only increase as AI usage becomes common practice. 

6. Use the content as a starting point. 

There’s no doubt that generating content via AI gives creators like yourself a major leg up, but it should not be the only source of content you use. 

To ensure the content sounds and feels like you, weave your brand voice into the content. This will help you maintain a cohesive brand strategy. But don’t stop there! Include additional research and information to make the content authoritative, original, and all you.

The point is to not sound like a bot—because after all, you aren’t one!

7. Monitor performance. 

Last but not least, monitor the performance of AI-generated content. Depending on the distribution channel, this includes tracking metrics such as engagement, shares, and conversions.

Doing so will help determine the effectiveness of the content and if you need to make improvements to how you use AI. This way you’ll be sure you’re getting the most out of artificial intelligence.

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Bottomline on AI best practices

You’re now ready to start incorporating AI tools into your content-creation process! But remember, the tools are only as great as the person using them—so brush up on best practices for every content generator you consider adding to your tool belt.

To get the hang of artificial intelligence, try out our free AI tools over at the AI Creator Hub! With our six content generators, you can structure an online course, create lessons, and even build marketing campaigns. What are you waiting for? Let’s see what AI can create for you!