The Ultimate Guide to Generative AI for B2B Content Marketing
With the surge of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools geared toward content creation, B2B marketers in tech are facing a crucial turning point. The question is no longer whether to adopt AI for content marketing, it’s how to integrate AI and make the most of it, while avoiding the pitfalls.
Today’s AI tools only scratch the surface of what the next few years will bring. The AI market is officially a powder keg ready to explode. Estimated at a worth of $15.84 billion in 2021, the AI market is expected to more than septuple in the next five years, reaching $107.54 billion by 2028.
What’s more, over 80% of marketing experts are already using some form of AI to enhance their online marketing mix. Whether it’s optimizing email send times, calculating conversion probability, or personalizing content, AI is no longer a nebulous promise of the future; it’s the reality of now.
However, when it comes to quality content marketing, humans aren’t going anywhere. (And most of us would like to keep our jobs, thank you very much.) That’s why choosing the right tools, adopting the right practices, and figuring out how existing writers fit into the mix is mission-critical for any content team who wants to adopt AI in a way that stays true to their brand, values, and ethics.
Paired with human ingenuity, generative AI tools have the power to take content marketing to a new level of output and creativity. But how? This comprehensive guide will give you the context and information you need to compare and contrast existing generative AI tools, develop an AI content strategy, and unlock the potential of AI tools for content creation.
Generative AI in Content: A Brief History & Why it Matters Now
Generative AI has been around since the 1960s, or as long as researchers have been developing machines with rule-based systems to simulate human thinking, decision making, and language processing.
However, it wasn’t until the introduction of machine learning via generative adversarial networks (GANs) in 2014 and large language models (LLMs) later on that generative AI could authentically create photorealistic images, videos, and engaging text on its own.
How Does Generative AI Work?
Generative AI takes an input (prompt) to execute an analysis of large amounts of data, identify patterns in the data, and produce a result (output) that is most likely to be correct based on algorithms, previous trial and error, and machine learning. In simpler terms, AI is a constant learning machine that relies on human input and human-developed technologies to deliver an accurate output.
Generative AI vs. Traditional AI
Generative AI produces net-new content and outputs. Traditional AI detects patterns, makes decisions, and organizes data and analytics from existing information. While traditional AI applies algorithms to process new data to return a simple result, generative AI applies user queries in an iterative process to guide and improve content outputs.
Benefits of Generative AI for Content Marketing
Generative AI has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for content marketers. AI can assist content marketers in many different ways, multiplying and maximizing their impact. Check out a few of the potential benefits:
Increased efficiency via automated content creation
Personalization by analyzing customer data and preferences
Scalability by increasing content outputs quickly
Innovation by identifying patterns in data
To learn more about generative AI in content marketing, check out our blog, From Words to Wonders: How Generative AI is Transforming Content Marketing.
Comparing 7 Top Generative AI Writing Tools
It’s easy to say you should adopt generative AI tools in your content marketing strategy. Knowing which tools and how to use them is less obvious and requires time and effort to navigate.
To help content leaders determine the effectiveness of various AI writing tools, the Comma Copywriters team created and then analyzed a series of AI-generated blogs using seven of the top generative AI tools on the market today:
ChatGPT
GPT4
Jasper
Writer
CopyAI
Graibox
Byword
Each blog post was 800-1,000 words, and our writers took detailed notes of inputs, outputs, delivery time, and editing time required to get the blogs to a publishable standard. The following analysis digs deep into each tool’s features, strengths, and limitations. We compare and contrast each tool based on criteria such as accuracy, creativity, and ease of use.
To explore even more copy AI tools, check out our blog, 20 AI Tools to Enhance Your Content Marketing.
Graibox
Input Time: 5 minutes
Output Time: 5-10 minutes
Editing Time: 2.25 hours
Pros
Allows for multiple iterations of the article based on initial feedback. The second draft was better than the first.
Changing a few keywords and other inputs allowed for the article to flow better and read more “human.”
Cons
Provides a foundation for content, but it isn’t perfect.
Still requires ample time, expertise, and direction to make the content usable.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“Overall, it was equal parts art and science. It still requires ample time, expertise, and discretion to make the magic happen. I can see it being a tool in the toolbox, but it’s not a replacement for writers’ talents.”
Byword
Input Time: 5 minutes
Output Time: 5-10 minutes
Editing Time: 1.75 hours
Pros
Offers intuitive and straightforward interface.
Aligned with the number of words requested.
Didn’t require much self-editing or re-arranging the copy.
The voice, tone, and word choices were more aligned with the Comma brand.
Cons
Headers were lackluster—they needed a lot more spice and creativity to be eye-catching.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“Overall, Byword seems like it’s more on the nose than ChatGPT or Graibox. I like how you get a few free drafts, which allows you to try before you buy.”
ChatGPT
Input Time: 2-3 minutes
Output Time: Seconds
Editing Time: 3 hours
Pros
A great way to generate ideas, summarize bulleted lists of information, generate CTAs and headlines, etc.
Cons
It took almost as much work to edit and improve the piece as for a content creator to write it on their own.
It removed emotion from a lot of the content. It was more conducive to an internal corporate document, not something that’s supposed to inspire, excite, etc.
The language felt very stuffy and overly professional.
Better prompts lead to better outputs, but prompt-writing isn’t intuitive. Writing good prompts takes time and research, or a lot of trial and error.
It was difficult to get it to condense information in a cohesive way.
Sometimes when asked for 50 or 100 words, it still gave 300+ words.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“I appreciated the bulleted lists it created quickly to summarize information, but I still don’t know how to create perfect inputs so it will give me exactly what I’m looking for. I do see a lot of potential to use ChatGPT for research, inspiration, idea generation, etc.”
GPT 4
Input Time: 15-20 minutes
Output Time: Seconds
Editing Time: 2 hours
Pros
Great to help with brainstorming information and ideas
Cons
It took a long time to edit and refine, change sentence structure, inject personality, find data to back up claims, etc.
The language was overly formal, then too flowery, and overall lacked personality.
Lots of trial and error with prompts.
Outputs were much longer than the writer wanted it to be, requiring major cuts.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“I wouldn’t use GPT4 to write an article completely. It still takes a lot of time to refine it; I'd rather just write it myself. I’m excited about the prospects, but a little underwhelmed by GPT4’s ability to write a polished, publish-ready piece in one shot.”
Jasper
Input Time: 5 minutes
Output Time: 43 seconds
Editing Time: 1 hour
Pros
Self-explanatory and easy to use and navigate.
Can add tone of voice and keywords at the beginning of the input process.
A great beginner tool for generative AI.
Cons
Generator kept stopping in the middle of a sentence. If the writer waited too long to click “continue generating,” it seemed like the AI system forgot where it was and started a new thought process rather than finishing where it left off.
Frustrating that the tool would sometimes pause to “catch its breath.”
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“Since I have explored other AI tools outside of Jasper, I believe there are better tools that offer more advanced features for content marketers who are looking to build out more in-depth digital marketing campaigns. However, for simpler tasks, Jasper is a solid option when it comes to creating content quickly.”
Writer
Input Time: 10 minutes
Output Time: 1 minute 42 seconds
Editing Time: 2 hours
Pros
The “Blog Builder” feature has potential value with features like supportive tools for spelling, grammar, word count, sentence clarity, and plagiarism detection (paid version).
It walks you through step-by-step how to input data. There are multiple opportunities to adjust your input and output so the content you get in the end is as focused as possible.
Cons
Using the “Ask Writer Anything” feature presented a lot of information that was very robotic and repetitive, which added more time to the project during the editing process.
Needed to be very specific and give examples of what you are looking for to get quality output.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“I think Writer.ai is a great option for those interested in exploring generative AI. It is easy to use and fairly easy to navigate the different tools and features on the site. However, I don't think the quality of the output was there. I’ve been more impressed with other AI tools compared to this one.”
Copy.ai
Input Time: 30-40 minutes
Output Time: 1 minute 3 seconds
Editing Time: 1+ hour
Pros
Fast output
User interface was very easy to navigate
Did a great job of providing specific examples when prompted (although out of date by 1-2 years, as is typical with most AI tools), which made it faster to find relevant sources to cite.
Cons
Missing conversational tone despite including prompts to use a professional yet friendly voice.
Several places needed to be revised so the message was speaking directly to the reader.
Professional Writer’s Opinion
“Copy.ai was very user-friendly. As a first-time user, I was impressed by how quickly the AI delivered content. Revisions to voice and tone are still needed, as well as smoother and more natural transitions from one topic to the next. But overall, this was a very smooth and enjoyable experience.”
Summary
Every AI tool has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to your specific content objectives and goals. In order to choose the best AI fit, it takes time, experimentation, and an open mind to find what will work best.
Overall, our team felt much more comfortable exploring and applying AI tools after completing this project. While editing, human input was always required and AI streamlined the writing process in many cases. We found a mix of effective prompt engineering and applying the right topics to the right tool were the keys to effective content generation.
Our team felt that these tools were particularly effective in the following areas:
Generating ideas
Fleshing out detailed outlines
Gaining a deeper understanding of unfamiliar topics
For more on this topic, check out our blog, The Basics of Using Generative AI in Content Writing.
How Humans Can Use AI to Deliver Maximum Output
Despite the hubbub of AI Twitter influencers telling content creators everywhere to count their days, the truth of the matter is that AI tools will never completely replace human counterparts. AI is only as good as its human prompter, and even after AI produces output, human eyes are the final step before content can be deemed ready to publish.
Strategies for Successful AI Collaboration
AI is changing the content creation landscape, process, and scope. To be successful in this new climate, humans need to play to our strengths while simultaneously playing to AI’s strengths.
How to apply human strengths to content through AI:
Provide the initial input, direction, and guidelines to set AI up for success.
Inject empathy and emotional intelligence to hit on your audience’s pain points and emotions.
Use storytelling techniques to craft compelling narratives that engage readers in a memorable way.
How to apply AI strengths to content through the human lens:
Use AI to optimize and refine existing content with proofreading, suggesting edits, enhancing grammar, and increasing clarity.
Use AI to process data, complex topics, and automate repetitive processes.
Don’t give up after one try — use generative AI’s iterative capabilities to improve on and rework outputs. Check out our blog, Inputs and Outputs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating High Value Content Using Generative AI to learn more.
Humans and AI have unique strengths that, when combined, can result in a faster, easier, and improved content generation process. Learn more in our blog, The Human Touch: Creativity + AI-Assisted Content Creation.
How to Apply AI Tools to Content Marketing
The best part of collaborating with AI to create great content is that the possibilities are endless. From digital content marketers to bloggers, AI can be applied to a variety of content marketing functions in a variety of ways. Granted, ethical and quality considerations will always be present (just like they are for normal content creation).
Let’s break down several use cases, best practices, and considerations for AI-driven content ethics and quality control.
6 Content Marketing Use Cases for AI
How and when you decide to apply AI to your content marketing strategy will depend on your business needs, AI knowledge, and AI tool capabilities.
To get you started, here are six ideas to help you brainstorm where AI can move the needle for your content team:
Automation: AI can be a great tool to increase productivity and output through automation. For example, you can automatically generate content, automate performance reports to improve marketing strategies and automate surveys to increase audience insights.
Content Planning: AI can help you batch-create content for the future, especially in high-volume areas like social media posts or short blog posts.
Graphic Design Help: Gone are the days of waiting on graphic designers to deliver customized blog headers and social media images. Visual generative AI tools can churn out custom images in moments and eliminate the middleman.
Brainstorming: AI can be used as a sounding board to both come up with ideas and refine them, for everything from blogs to website copy to white papers.
Iterating High-Volume Content: For high-volume content such as ads, social media posts, and videos, advanced AI tools can automatically iterate on things like color, copy, and more to test various versions to see what’s most effective.
Personalization: AI tools are great at personalizing content like emails through segmentation. They can also personalize content based on the customer journey, providing a custom experience tailored to your audience’s behavior and content needs.
For even more ideas, check out our blog, 30 AI-Powered Tips to Maximize Your Content Marketing.
Best Practices & Tips for Generative AI Content
Successfully generating content with AI is both an art and a science. Just as you’d develop processes and best practices around any marketing function, operationalizing and codifying your content marketing strategy with AI is key to success.
Here are several tips for making your AI-generated content the best it can be:
Clearly define your goals and objectives. That way, your prompts will be more effective and you’ll know what a good output looks like.
Understand AI’s capabilities and limitations. Trying to make AI generate something it’s not equipped to handle wastes time and resources. Likewise, not using AI for easy-use cases does the same.
Create a training and adoption process. Curating and preparing learning materials for yourself and your team will ease the adoption process and make it more clear where your team needs training.
Learn to speak AI’s language. Becoming an effective AI prompter means giving AI specific input and guidance in a way that it understands. This can look like providing samples to emulate, specifying stylistic parameters, or giving explicit instructions about what you do or don’t want. It can also look like breaking longer content into more digestible chunks in order to get the best output.
Give AI human feedback to improve. Refining is an inevitable component of generating content with AI. Making your AI content publish-ready based on your expertise and judgment will always be vital to success, even as AI tools grow and improve.
AI Content: Ethical Considerations & Quality Control
Two of the biggest challenges with AI-created content are quality control and ethics. For example, 63% of marketers are worried about inaccuracies and bias in AI content, and 28.4% of consumers say AI answers aren’t credible. Blatant misinformation, racial biases, and inflammatory rhetoric are all problems AI creators are grappling with today.
Given the limitations of existing AI, it’s crucial that AI content adopters ensure they have ethical guidelines and quality assurance processes in place to limit potential errors. Processes such as establishing brand guidelines, providing clear instructions, and reviewing all AI-generated content can help combat errors and biases in generative content.
The Future of Generative AI in Content Marketing
Given how far generative AI tools have come and the potential for rapid expansion, using AI for content marketing simply makes sense. Plus, investments in AI are already paying off — 41% of marketers with AI-assisted campaigns saw an increase in revenue growth. Non-AI adaptive organizations are leaving these gains on the table and will only fall further behind–because AI isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Future AI Content Marketing Trends
The technology behind AI will continue to improve. Whether it’s generating more complex media like infographics or using machine learning to understand more emotion and nuance in content, you can bet AI’s content capabilities will only get better and better as time goes on.
AI’s integrations with other technologies will also cause disruption across industries like transportation, education, and healthcare. For content, AI combined with virtual and augmented reality will have the power to generate immersive and engaging content experiences that have never been seen before.
In this context, AI will serve to enhance and amplify human creativity, accelerating possibilities and helping us test the limits of content creation as we know it.
Final Takeaways: AI + Content = Unbridled Potential
We’ve explored the cultural moment of AI, its history and uses, and how several different AI tools compare in terms of benefits and drawbacks. Here are three final takeaways for content leaders considering using AI as part of their content marketing strategy:
Start today: Content teams who wait to apply AI to their strategy are missing out on valuable ROI and key learnings for the future. AI tools aren’t going anywhere, and the difference between those who succeed and those who fall behind is learning how to apply AI effectively.
Value human expertise: There’s no substitute for human creativity, intuition, and expertise. Writers can work together with AI to deliver excellent results, but relying on AI alone won’t deliver the quality needed to succeed.
Build your AI function intentionally: Learning best practices and building the necessary infrastructure to implement and maintain generative AI tools will be key. As new iterations and AI technologies emerge, your team needs to have a structure ready to support new learning and applications over time.
Content Worth Reading
Our team at Comma Copywriters is intentionally and thoughtfully building AI to best serve our clients. Although AI tools change, what remains constant for our team of writers and editors? At Comma, every word counts. Our team is currently innovating new ways to use AI for quality content, with a commitment to writing content worth reading.
Learn how we can help you explore AI-driven content for your organization by scheduling your free 20-minute consultation today.
