Leveraging AI Tools: 6 ways to empower SA's content creators

The news cycle is dominated by the perils of services like ChatGPT and Midjourney, but these tools – as well as a host of pre-existing offerings – can be wielded by the next generation of content creators to take their creativity to new heights. It’s important to shift perceptions of AI and the impact it can have across all industries, seeing it as an enabler and not a detractor with huge potential to elevate not only career opportunities but also its potential at a higher education level.

AI offers content creators unprecedented opportunities to enhance their creative process, to save time and to learn new skills through prompts and editing. To properly leverage the potential of AI there must be a marked shift to the skills provided at a tertiary level as well as revised approaches to training and upskilling to better understand, collaborate, and adopt AI practices. The Red & Yellow Creative School of Business shares the below six valuable tips and tools that content creators can leverage to effectively harness the power of AI for career success:

1. Let chat about ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can assist in generating creative ideas, overcoming writer’s block, and providing inspiration. It can engage in interactive conversations, brainstorming sessions, and act as a virtual collaborator, enabling you as a content creator to explore new angles and perspectives. It can also assist in content editing, proofreading, which saves you valuable time and enhances the overall quality of your content.

With a well-aimed prompt, ChatGPT can adapt to different tones and styles resulting in more tailored messaging for specific audiences or platforms (although a strong edit and proofread is always recommended, for now).

If you’re stuck on research and don’t know where to start, ChatGPT can help out here too, providing relevant information, statistics, and data that can be incorporated into content seamlessly. Overall, ChatGPT as it us today is a useful tool that gives you a strong base for written content. Top tip: Don’t leave it as is, but take it as a shortcut for your first draft.

2. Seamlessly generate ideas and inspiration

One of the most significant challenges content creators face is generating new and exciting ideas consistently. AI-powered tools like BuzzSumo and SEMrush enable creators to gain valuable insights into trending topics, keywords, and popular content. These tools analyse vast amounts of data and provide content creators with a deeper understanding of their target audience’s interests, preferences, and online behaviour. By leveraging AI-generated insights, content creators can identify content gaps, tap into emerging trends, and develop engaging topics that resonate with their audience, ultimately fuelling their creativity.

3. Streamline your content creation and editing

AI tools offer content creators the opportunity to streamline their content creation and editing processes significantly. Tools like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor utilise AI algorithms to detect grammar, spelling, and style errors, providing real-time suggestions for improvements. These tools not only save time but also enhance the overall quality and readability of the content, ensuring that it adheres to the highest professional standards. Content creators can now focus more on the creative aspects of their work, knowing that AI is assisting in the technical aspects.

4. Enhance your visual content:

In the age of visual storytelling, creating captivating visuals is paramount to engage the audience effectively. AI-powered tools such as Canva and Adobe Sensei leverage machine learning algorithms to simplify the design process, enabling content creators with limited graphic design skills to produce visually stunning assets. These tools provide pre-designed templates, intelligent layout suggestions, and automated image enhancement – much more useful outcomes than the generator gimmicks we see on our feeds today.

5. Improve your SEO and content optimisation:

Search engine optimisation (SEO) plays a crucial role in ensuring that content reaches its intended audience. AI tools like Google’s RankBrain and Yoast SEO simplify the optimisation process by analysing keywords, suggesting meta tags, and providing insights into search engine algorithms. By leveraging these tools, content creators can better understand how to structure their content, improve visibility in search engine results, and attract organic traffic to their websites or platforms.

6. Personalise the user experience:

One of the key benefits of AI in content creation lies in its ability to take the user experience to the next level. AI-driven recommendation systems, such as those used by Amazon and Netflix, analyse user behaviour, preferences, and historical data to deliver personalised content recommendations. Content creators can leverage similar AI technologies, like Google Analytics and HubSpot, to gain insights into their audience’s preferences, interests, and online behaviour. Armed with this information, you can tailor content that works for your audience, resulting in increased engagement and loyalty.

Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly transformed the content creation landscape, offering content creators a wealth of tools and opportunities to enhance their work. From generating ideas and streamlining content creation to improving SEO and personalising the user experience, AI tools have become valuable allies in the content creation process.

But what remains necessary is how to effectively harness them, create the prompts you need and have a keen eye for the content that’s going to resonate for your brand or organisation.

Institutions like the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business offer national certificates designed to help content creators with more information available here as well as continue to assess the best way to adapt existing and new courses and modules for faster understanding, learning, and implanting of AI and the skills required to harness it.