In recent times, AI writing tools like ChatGPT, Bing AI, or Google Bard have changed the way we can approach writing blog posts. It’s now easier than ever to get a quick start on writing your company’s blog posts with the help of AI. This article aims to provide guidance and insight into the world of leveraging AI to assist in writing any kind of blog post, in any industry. Follow these ten tips and you will be able to effectively enhance and streamline the content creation process.
1. Provide clear instructions
When using AI writing tools, ensure you provide clear instructions to achieve the desired results. Specify the article’s structure, tone, and any keywords or phrases that should be included. Well-defined instructions help AI models generate more accurate and relevant content, saving time in the editing process. You can never provide too much info! Let’s say you were to generate a blog article about “The Benefits of Exercise”. Without clear instructions, the AI model might produce a generic piece that lacks specificity and detail. However, by providing clear instructions, you can guide the AI model to create content that aligns with your intended message and target audience.
Example of unclear instructions:
“Write an article about the benefits of exercise.”
Example of clear instructions:
“Write a 1,000-word article about the physical and mental benefits of exercise for individuals aged 40 and above. Focus on the positive impact of exercise on cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, cognitive function, and stress reduction. Include real-life examples of individuals who have experienced improvements in their overall well-being through regular exercise.”
2. Always fact-check
When using an AI model to assist in writing blog posts, you should never accept info from it without fact-checking from another source. AI chat models are specifically programmed to mimic speech patterns, so it is easy for them to generate false or completely made-up information. Human intervention is crucial to maintain credibility and professionalism. ChatGPT’s developers (2023) have confirmed that the model occasionally produces incorrect info: “ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts.”
3. Use AI as an aid, not a replacement
While AI can assist in generating blog articles, it is essential to remember that it should complement human creativity, not replace it entirely. Use AI as a tool to assist and streamline the writing process, generate initial drafts, and gather ideas. Ultimately, human writers should review and refine the content to ensure it aligns with your brand’s voice and style. According to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI: “This is sort of a funny thing, I used it to help me draft a tweet that I was having a hard time with.” (Garza) He knows AI is useful to draft text, not write whole articles.
4. Choose the best AI model to use
As of recently, there are now many AI writing models integrated into lots of software all around the virtual workspace. You can now have AI generate ideas for writing in many high level writing apps, such as Google Docs or Notion. Using AI inside of your normal writing tool when possible can make AI assistance extremely helpful and natural. Also remember that some AI models can behave differently than others. For example, Bing’s AI writing tool has 3 options you can use to control its speech patterns: “More Creative”, “More Balanced”, and “More Precise”. Using these modes to our advantage is key in harnessing AI to streamline the writing experience.
5. Ensure readability and coherence
Sometimes when using AI writing tools, the content produced can lack coherence or flow. Ensure all AI generated ideas that you decide to pursue and use in your blog posts make sense. Pay extra attention to paragraph transitions, sentence structure, and overall readability. Human intervention is crucial to refine AI-generated content and enhance its coherence. Antony Aumann, a religious studies and philosophy professor at Northern Michigan University, told businessinsider.com that he had caught two students turning in essays that were written entirely by ChatGPT. “There were certain red flags in the essays that alerted the professors to the use of AI. Hick said the essay he found referenced several facts not mentioned in class, and made one nonsensical claim.” Insider (2023) This is a great reason why fact checking AI output is essential to using it properly.
6. Personalize the generated ideas
To build a stronger connection with your audience, personalize the AI-generated content. Tailor the article’s tone, examples, and anecdotes to resonate with your target readers. Use AI-generated drafts as a starting point and merge your brand’s unique personality to create a more authentic and relatable blog post.
7. Experiment and learn from feedback
AI technology is constantly evolving, and so is its ability to generate high-quality content and ideas to use. Experiment with different approaches and techniques. Analyze feedback from readers, monitor engagement metrics, and continuously refine your content creation process to optimize the benefits of AI.
8. Utilize other tools such as plagiarism checkers
When using AI to write blog articles, sometimes it’s easy to use too much from the model to the point where you could be infringing on someone’s copyright. Tools like plagiarism checkers can ensure that you aren’t using any content that someone else has already written, even if it was included on accident.
9. Use visual content suggestions
Modern blog posts most often include images, whether it’s a stock image or something taken by the writer. AI models can suggest a stock image query to use when they help you generate ideas for your blogs. They can also generate useful infographics such as graphs, charts, and other enhancing media. These suggestions can complement the written content and provide a richer experience for your readers.
10. Stay updated and adapt to new technology
The world of AI is constantly changing, and that has been especially apparent over the last few months. Checking up on recent AI development can be crucial so you can keep using the most up to date and efficient software.
In conclusion, AI language models are extremely powerful tools, but with great power comes great responsibility. Ensure that you are using AI in the most efficient, but also safe way. Ensure that you fact check, personalize, and inspire from any ideas an AI model generates. Using AI as a direct repository of text is irresponsible and can lead to low quality, incoherent articles that readers will not enjoy.
If you’d like to learn more about how to write with AI on your website, contact Appletree MediaWorks.
“Read TIME’s Interview With OpenAI CEO Sam Altman” by Alejandro de la Garza. Time, June 21, 2023. Accessed June 29, 2023. URL: https://time.com/6288584/openai-sam-altman-full-interview/
ChatGPT developers from OpenAI: Developed by OpenAI. Accessed June 29, 2023. URL: https://chat.openai.com
“Two professors who say they caught students cheating on essays with ChatGPT explain why AI plagiarism can be hard to prove” by Beatrice Nolan. Business Insider, January 14, 2023. Accessed June 29, 2023. URL: https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-essays-college-cheating-professors-caught-students-ai-plagiarism-2023-1
