It seems like artificial intelligence has completely transformed the content marketing world overnight. But like any powerful new tool, it has challenges, limitations, and potential pitfalls.
Across industries, some companies have rushed head-on into using AI — sometimes with disastrous results. Because it is so new, the best practices for using AI in the content development process are still being written as marketers tinker and experiment. In this post, we will explore the common mistakes marketers make when using AI. We will also cover some practical ways content marketers can leverage AI without flying too close to the sun.
The Significance of AI in Content Marketing
AI has become one of the most significant developments in content marketing history. 82% of marketers say AI has impacted how they plan to create content in 2023. And 69% say it’s important to their overall content strategy. Here are some other vital stats:
- 95% of professionals say AI helps them spend less time on manual tasks
- 68% of business leaders say that it’s helping their company scale in a way that would be impossible without it
- 65% of business leaders say that AI’s impact on productivity will rival the Industrial revolution
- The average employee saves 2.5 hours a day using AI
With those kinds of numbers, AI’s significance will only increase. Making it extremely important to avoid common mistakes that won’t squander the potential it creates for your business.
What Makes Marketers Prone to Making AI Mistakes?
Before we get to the most common mistakes, it is essential to understand why using AI tools for content marketing is such a minefield. When you recognize the root causes, it is much easier to course correct and avoid AI mishaps before they happen.
- Over-reliance on technology: The power and potential of AI is awe-inspiring. It’s easy to get excited and overuse it. That over-reliance is a trap. It leads to a neglect of one of the most important aspects of content marketing: human imagination and creativity. Your brand is a reflection of you. Don’t assume and over-rely on technology still in its infancy, no matter how powerful it is.
- Lack of understanding and training: With so many mind-blowing tools hitting the market, you might feel like you’re behind the curve, and don’t want to miss out. That combination of excitement and anxiety can cause people to start implementing AI into their content marketing without fully understanding it. AI will only be as effective as your understanding and training. Don’t integrate it until you train yourself to know what you’re doing.
- Unplanned integration of AI into marketing strategy: Because of the excitement around AI, it is all too easy to integrate AI too quickly into your marketing strategy. You must have a clear AI strategy before incorporating it into your overall plan. Don’t just shoehorn AI into your current campaign. Take your time and plan for the next one.
Common Mistakes Marketers Make When Using AI
Avoiding common mistakes when using AI ensures you’re unlocking its full potential for your business. Costly mistakes can dilute your content strategy’s effectiveness and negatively impact sales and conversions. Let’s talk about the most common mistakes marketers make so you can avoid them.
1. Misunderstanding AI capabilities
One of the biggest mistakes is having unrealistic expectations about AI. AI is powerful, but it’s not a magic solution to everything. You have to have a clear understanding of AI’s capabilities and how you should deploy it. It is always best used in a support role to enhance your work. It’s not designed to do all the work itself.
2. Ignoring output quality
Another big mistake people can make is just blindly accepting AI outputs. It’s essential to regularly fact-check AI. Always make sure its output is accurate and relevant to your marketing goals. One of the most critical output issues to watch out for is “AI Hallucinations.” This is where AI confidently generates a response that isn’t true, which can lead to false news reports, inaccurate data references, or fabricated stories and facts that it presents as accurate. You must stay diligent in a world where a single wrong post or tweet can go viral in seconds.
3. Implementing AI too fast
It’s easy to get excited about AI. And that excitement can lead to wanting to run with it before you can walk. It doesn’t matter how powerful the AI is if you don’t know the direction you’re going. You must have a clear strategy to know where to deploy AI most effectively. Define your objectives, specify your target audience, and identify the specific areas in your strategy where AI can add value. Start with small tests, evaluate, and scale from there.
4. Neglecting the need for human oversight
It can feel really easy to just defer to AI. But human oversight is essential and always will be. Always have an editor in place to review AI content. Having that human touch is essential to keeping your connection with your customers thriving. It ensures you’re emotionally resonating with your target audience.
5. Not catching copyright infringements
AI raises all kinds of ethical issues. One of the most important is copyright infringement. AI generates copy using vast amounts of information, and a lot of that includes the works of others. There’s a sizable risk that its output inadvertently imitates someone else’s work too closely. If that happens, it can lead to many unnecessary legal headaches and even damage your brand’s reputation.
How to Avoid AI Mistakes
Alright, enough about the mistakes. Let’s talk about ways you can avoid them. Implement the following to make sure you don’t fall into any of these potential pitfalls:
- Employ strategies to better understand AI: AI is still in its infancy and continues to evolve rapidly. Keep educating yourself and your team about that continual evolution. Stay current on all the AI technologies, their capabilities, and their limitations. Also, stay current on AI industry trends, attend conferences, and regularly speak with experts to ensure you have the deepest understanding possible. That understanding will help you implement AI into your content marketing in the most effective way possible.
- Ensure output quality: Always have editors in place to double-check the validity of the AI content. Check for factual errors, double-check for biases, and always watch out for AI hallucinations. And don’t forget to add that human touch to ensure a strong emotional connection with your audience.
- Implement a clear AI strategy with human oversight: It’s important to build a clear, comprehensive AI strategy that fits within your overall content marketing strategy. Make sure your that AI strategy aligns clearly with all your marketing goals. Tailor it to support and enhance the rest of your strategy. And always include human oversight at the end of any AI content ideation, briefing, and creation.
- Consider ethical implications: Prioritize ethical considerations. Ensure data privacy and avoid biased algorithms. And be transparent about AI use with your internal team and target audience. Trust is at the core of any brand’s reputation.
Next Steps in Your AI Journey
AI is already one of the most powerful tools in history. And a disorganized AI strategy can have a ripple effect throughout your entire content marketing strategy.
By understanding these AI mistakes to avoid, you’ll maximize the effectiveness of AI in your marketing campaigns. That utilization can skyrocket your brand’s potential and open up limitless possibilities.
If navigating the AI landscape feels overwhelming at all, ClearVoice can help. Our managed content creation team of AI strategists and experts can help you ensure you’re using AI for your business in the most effective way possible. Talk to us today to see how we can help you unlock the full potential of this game-changing technology.
