AI for The Win: 5 Game-Changing Strategies for Your Content Marketing

AI for The Win: 5 Game-Changing Strategies for Your Content Marketing

The Game: AI for Content Marketing

I like to think of using AI for content marketing as a game: there are players, rules, competition, fields of play, and a strategy for winning. Here’s one of my favorite quotes about strategy,

“Strategy is knowing where to play and how to win” (Harvard Business Professor Frank Cespedes).

As you know, content marketing has become a vital part of any successful business strategy. With the rise of AI, businesses now have the ability to take their content marketing strategy to the next level.

In this blog post, we’ll look at 5 ways AI can help you know “where to play and how to win” so you can level up your content marketing game.

Ready? Let’s put together your winning AI Content Marketing game plan.

1. AI for Personalization

Think of this like “personalized playbooks”. Although your audience may be in one specific niche, their individual interests and behaviors are likely varied. The more personalized your content is to your target audience, the more likely your audience is to engage.

 

Here are some examples of how AI personalizes content that you’re probably already familiar with:

  • Content recommendations: AI algorithms can analyze user behavior, preferences, and interests to create personalized content recommendations. For example, Netflix uses AI to recommend movies and TV shows to users based on their viewing history.
  • Dynamic content: AI can also be used to display different content to different users based on their behavior. For example, an e-commerce website could display different product recommendations to users based on their search history and purchase behavior.
  • Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots can personalize the user experience by providing personalized responses to user inquiries. For example, a chatbot for a clothing website could provide personalized recommendations based on a user’s style preferences and purchase history.

 

How to win: Use AI to personalize your content, so you can provide a more engaging and relevant experience for your audience and more conversions for your business. When creating content using AI make sure to specify not only your own brand-specific elements but also who the audience is and what they need from the content.

We’ll cover more of this in our next strategy…

 

2. AI for Content Creation

The most obvious “power play” you are most likely aware of is the ability of AI like ChatGPT, Jasper.ai, Copy.ai, and more to create content at scale.

AI-powered content creation tools are becoming more advanced and can now generate high-quality content automatically. These tools use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to analyze existing content and generate new articles, blog posts, and social media updates.

These tools can analyze a topic, understand the context, and generate content that is not only coherent but also informative and engaging. While AI-generated content may not replace human writers completely, it can save time and resources and provide a starting point for further content development.

*Pro-tip: Make sure you edit content to match your tone of voice, aka, it needs to “sound like you”. You might be able to get a fully AI-written blog rephrased to get past plagiarism and AI detectors, but your audience will likely be able to tell that you didn’t write it. Maintaining the authenticity of your brand is crucial. Trust is built on brand consistency.

 

Need help with AI-powered content creation? Download the AI Content Marketing Blueprint to get a step-by-step method for speedy content creation. Includes a Free Notion Template to 10x your content creation with audiencespecific content, keywords, multiple attention-getting blog titles per topic, and automated blog writing.

 

How to win: Use AI to help you create an outline or first draft of your long-form content (blog, article, video, or podcast). Then, edit it to make it your own.

Now that you know how to play the game. How do you get better? Let AI be your content optimization coach.

“Coaching works because people learn by doing what they would have done anyway – just smarter, faster, better, and with support and feedback.” Consulting Today

 

3. AI for SEO Optimization

AI is great at analyzing “game films”, to optimize your content.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is done by analyzing search patterns and identifying the most relevant keywords and topics for your content. AI-powered SEO tools can provide insights into what your target audience is searching for and then help you optimize your content accordingly.

Here’s how AI can help:

  • Keyword research: AI-powered SEO tools can analyze search patterns and identify the most relevant keywords for your content. This can help you optimize your content for search engines and increase your visibility in search results.
  • Content optimization: AI can analyze your content and suggest changes to improve its relevance and readability. For example, AI algorithms can identify opportunities to include relevant keywords and improve the structure of your content.
  • Link building: AI can analyze your backlink profile and suggest opportunities for link building. This can help you improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your website.
  • Competitor analysis: AI-powered SEO tools like SEMRush and Ahrefs can analyze your competitors’ websites and identify opportunities to improve your own SEO strategy. This can help you stay ahead of the competition and improve your visibility in search results.

 

How to win: AI tools can help you create a list of keywords to use in creating content that is going to be most appealing to your audience and that is most likely to get attention on Google. The AI-driven tool writerzen can even help you to pinpoint the keywords that are being searched often but not written about – these are hidden gems that may even help you show up on page 1 of search results.

4. AI for Content Distribution

This is the most recognizable “where to play” facet of content marketing that so many entrepreneurs don’t think enough about. Besides contextualizing your content for different platforms, both long and short form, AI can help determine when to post, where to post, and how often.

Time Out! The mistake entrepreneurs in the start-up and growth phases make is thinking they need to be on every platform immediately or continuously. So, how do you know what platforms to focus on first? The way I think about it is this: “Where are you most likely to win?” That’s where you play. Double down on providing great content there, then think about expanding.

AI helps with content distribution in the following ways:

  • Optimal timing: AI algorithms can analyze user behavior on social media and other digital channels to determine the best time to distribute content. This can lead to higher engagement rates and more traffic to your website.
  • Targeted distribution: AI can analyze user behavior and preferences to determine the best channels to distribute content. For example, AI algorithms can identify which social media platforms are most popular among your target audience and prioritize distribution on those platforms.
  • A/B testing: AI-powered A/B testing tools can help you optimize your content distribution strategy by testing different variations of your content to see which performs best. This can help you identify the most effective distribution channels and messaging strategies.

 

How to win: To be a champion you need stamina. That means avoiding burnout if you’re an entrepreneurial athlete. In the AI Content Marketing Blueprint, I include tips on how to choose the best social media platforms for your brand and exactly what prompts to use with chatGPT to make creating captions, posts, and tweets fast and easy.

 

5. AI for Analytics

When the whistle blows, you’ll know if you’ve won or lost by looking at the scoreboard. In content marketing, the scoreboard is your analytics dashboard. AI-powered analytics tools can provide deeper insights into user behavior and content performance. These tools can analyze data from multiple sources and provide actionable insights to help you optimize your content strategy.

This is not only your own scoreboard, but it’s also a “game film” analysis and real-time game commentary.

Here are some AI-powered analytics tools to consider:

  • Google Analytics: Google Analytics uses machine learning to provide insights into user behavior and content performance.
  • Adobe Analytics: Adobe Analytics uses AI and machine learning to provide insights into customer behavior and optimize marketing campaigns.
  • IBM Watson Analytics: IBM Watson Analytics uses AI to provide insights into data and help businesses make data-driven decisions.
  • Tableau: Tableau uses AI and machine learning to provide insights into data and help businesses visualize and understand their data.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list (not even close). There are more and more AI-powered analytics tools available every day.

How to win: Read the following pro tip!

*Pro tip: There’s marketing and then there’s growth marketing. If you want your chance at the pros, think like a growth marketer.

Most entrepreneurs spend 90% of their time focusing on the top of the funnel—lead generation. But growth marketing means paying attention to the entire funnel. Here are two things to do that will get you out of the amateur league:

  1. Run lots of plays in practice. Don’t wait six months to see if your SEO strategy is producing results. Instead, set up small experiments for short timeframes and be clear about what tells you if it’s a winning play. Example: A/B test a blog title for 1 week and determine the winner by most clicks.
  2. Know what “winning” looks like (conversions). The most common problem expressed to me by entrepreneurs is this, “My social media (content) marketing isn’t converting.” To which I answer, “What do you mean by converting?”. There’s a difference in what counts as a conversion depending on where in the funnel the conversion takes place. If you are expecting sales conversions based on the five YouTube videos you posted on your brand-new YouTube channel, you might think you’re losing. You might be playing on the right field, but winning (conversions) isn’t defined by how many sales you made. Winning (conversions), in this case, is better defined by another metric, i.e., watch time, engagement, watching consecutive videos, etc. In other words, you can’t dominate the division by practicing free throws in your driveway. But you can improve your free-throw percentage.

AI for the Win

AI technology is changing the way we play the game of content marketing. By leveraging AI tools for personalization, content creation, SEO optimization, content distribution, and analytics, businesses can take their content marketing strategy to the next level. Whether you’re an amateur or in the pro league, AI can help you create more effective and engaging content that helps you win. Good luck!

5 Powerful Growth Hacks to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy

5 Powerful Growth Hacks to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy

5 Powerful Growth Hacks to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy

So, you’ve created a kick-ass blog and you’re pumping out content like there’s no tomorrow. But even with all that effort, your traffic growth seems stuck in first gear. You’re not alone. Traffic growth for most long-form content – blogs, for example – tends to max out around 2-3%. That’s why you need to start using growth marketing techniques to take your content strategy to the next level.

In this post, we’ll share five of the most effective growth marketing techniques to help you create more engaging content, attract more readers, and power up your content marketing strategy.

Read on to learn 5 growth marketing tactics to follow for creating content that converts 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  1. Using keyword research to determine what topics people are searching for online
  2. Finding new and trending content ideas using tools like BuzzSumo
  3. Creating SEO-friendly content that’s people-friendly, too
  4. Using your BEST social media channels to distribute your content
  5. Leveraging data and analytics to see which pieces of content are performing the best

 

Want AI to help you? Download the AI Content Marketing Blueprint

1. Keywords are key

Use keyword research to determine what topics people are searching for online. Then, develop content around those keywords.

It seems obvious. Right?

It may seem obvious, but many entrepreneurs mistakingly think of content creation as a way to profess their political views (ok if your business is in the political realm) or to copy-change-paste content others in their space have already posted. To think like a growth marketer, you need to start with clarity, intention, and a plan.

  • Clarity – know who your ideal audience is and have a detailed customer persona at the ready.
  • Intention –  know that metrics are important to measure and your goal for the content you produce. Your content should provide valuable information that speaks to and solves problems for your target audience
  • Plan –  consistently write about topics that your ideal audience is searching for online.

Here’s how to do it:

Create a keyword list – tools 

Use keyword research tools like Ubersuggest, Google Adwords Keyword Planner, or SEMRush to search topics that fit the criteria for your target audience. You’ll begin to compile a list of long-tail keywords related to your topic. Pay attention to the search volume (how often that keyword is searched each month) and competition (how easy or difficult it is to be found for that keyword). Each of these tools will provide this information. Your goal is to find keywords that your customers are searching for that have low competition. 

If you’re just starting out and want the opportunity to rank on Google quickly, consider targeting low-competition, lower search volume long-tail keywords. These are the search queries that your customers are typing in that are returning a lower volume of results. A tool for finding these “opportunity zone” keywords that I love to use is WriterZen.

By targeting low-competition, long-tail keywords that people in your niche are searching or might be typing into search engines in the near future, you’ll be able to create content that may help you rank higher in Google, faster. This can be a growth hack with a high return on investment (ROI).

2. Find out what’s Buzzworthy

Find out what’s being shared most often about your topic in real-time with a tool like BuzzSumo to get a read on what audiences like yours like to share.

BuzzSumo lets you analyze the most shared content across various social networks and in specific categories. You can enter any topic, URL, or hashtag into BuzzSumo to get a detailed breakdown of which articles have been shared the most on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more.

You’ll also get data that tells you how many times each piece of content has been clicked on and/or shared by who (i.e., influencers in your niche). This is a great way to find growth opportunities related to a given topic. 

Then, create something even better for your specific audience

Even if a topic has been shared, it hasn’t been shared through your point of view. What’s your perspective? Create content with your brand’s view, voice, and tone to relate to your specific audience avatar.

3. Write for the bots…but, especially for humans

Create content that is SEO optimized for bots but is also engaging for your fans.

Google and other search engines use bots to crawl across the web, looking for fresh content. The bots feed the data they find back to Google, which uses that information to determine what topics are relevant and trending and which sites and answers to show in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP).

By writing blog posts that have the keywords and architecture that the algorithm rewards, you’ll gain more visibility in search engine results, driving growth. But, if you only write for bots (or rely on AI to write for you), your content can feel repetitive and stale.

Check-in with your audience. What comments and questions do they have and how do they speak about them? Match your content sentiment  (positive, negative, or neutral) to that of your followers and you’ll attract more people like those who are already fans. 

4. Do it for the ‘Gram…but only if the numbers say so

Use your BEST social media channels to distribute your content. 

Prioritize your social (distribution) channels by thinking like a growth marketer. Where is this content going to be seen or heard by your ideal audience? Check your analytics to spot trends on your social channels.

What’s your growth trajectory like on each of your channels?

Which of your posts and pieces of content is performing the best (i.e., generating the most comments, click-throughs, and shares)?

If you’re not sure where to start, make a list of all of your current social channels and think about which ones have been working for you lately. Or, you can use a channel evaluation scoreboard to determine your top options.

Here’s one you can download to your Google drive.

This is an easy place to begin growth hacking with what you’ve already got in place. Another option is to try out some new-to-you social channels that may be more conducive to the growth of that particular piece of content.

Bonus! Experiment with collaborating for growth

Growth marketing is all about experimenting quickly and often to determine what works best. 

Try a quick, 2-week collaboration experiment: Partner up with other brands/influencers in your niche to create joint content initiatives. Who do you know (or know of) that talks to your audience but isn’t a competitor? For instance, if your audience includes female athletes in need of sports training and that’s what you offer, find a micro-influencer who offers athletic wear, nutrition, or accessories and reach out to team up.  If you get a boost in the metrics that matter most, double down on this growth marketing hack!

The truth is in the numbers

Leverage data and analytics to see which pieces of content are performing the best by using growth tools that show you detailed information about what’s working.

Google Analytics + Google Data Studio gives you a quick look at what content is performing well and will help you uncover growth opportunities to experiment with. Use a Growth Marketer best practice and check your dashboard or report weekly.

Find out what content is getting the most attention, and build your next content campaign on the topics that stand out as winners.

There you have it! Our five growth marketing tips to help you create more engaging content, attract more readers and power up your content marketing strategy. These are just a few of the things we focus on when working with clients, so if you want to learn more or talk to a strategist about how we could help take your business to the next level, get in touch today. We would be happy to chat with you about your specific needs and see how we can help. Talk to a Strategist>>