AI for Content Creation: Top 10 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

If you work in content marketing, it’s almost impossible to go online and not hear something about AI. Since ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022, AI-generated content has taken off, with some companies using the technology to churn out new content at an unprecedented pace. And it’s not just small businesses that are using AI to create content; one study estimates that almost 11% of Fortune 500 blog articles are likely AI-generated, while another claims that almost 6% of news articles are published with “little to no human oversight.”

If major players are increasingly using AI to create content without human interference, you might be tempted to do the same. While AI certainly has its place in outlining, brainstorming, and fine-tuning content, leaving the human aspect out of your content creation process can lead to issues. These problems can range from publishing inaccurate information to articles that are inconsistent with your brand’s voice and vision, or articles that are just plain…boring.

As someone who spends most of their time creating, editing, and proofreading content, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to leverage generative AI to create better content at a quicker pace. It’s taken some trial and error to get there, so to save you the trouble, I’m sharing some common mistakes copywriters make when using AI to create content and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Providing Generic Prompts & Expecting Creative Answers

Ever get frustrated that AI just won’t give you the answers you’re looking for? AI prompting has become a key skill, and for good reason. Short, generic prompts, like “create a blog about dog kibble” will result in generic answers. AI is a powerful tool, but it can’t read your mind!

Instead, treat AI as a copywriter on your team. Just as you’d provide a copywriter with explicit direction, do the same in your AI prompt. You should provide:

• The role your AI companion will take on
• The main points you want the AI to create content around
• The voice and tone the AI should use
• Goals for the piece

With more information and direction, your AI’s output will be of much higher quality. However, don’t just prompt and post—nine other mistakes should be taken into consideration first!

Mistake #2: Giving AI Confidential Information

Providing AI with as much context as possible helps get a better result, but be cautious of sharing private items like client names, customer data, or proprietary information. Remember, everything you upload to tools like ChatGPT and Gemini becomes part of the AI’s learning model. To get the best output without compromising security, consider using a private AI model, like FruGPT. FruGPT allows you to train a private AI tool with your information. Your private AI is not used to train other AI models or shared in any way.

FruGPT is unique because it supports multiple AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT series and other specialized LLMs, giving you the flexibility to choose the right model for your needs. Whether you need creative writing, technical content, or research-backed data generation, FruGPT enables you to select and fine-tune AI models accordingly.

If a private AI platform isn’t an option, ensure you’re leaving out confidential information in your prompts. Using the pet food example above, you’d want to leave out the name of the pet food company, the brand name of the kibble, and any private information you wouldn’t want a competitor getting ahold of.

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Mistake #3: Forgetting To Add Your Expertise & Perspective

No matter how well you train your AI, it can’t capture all the unique experiences, nuances, and knowledge you have about your product, service, or brand. After prompting AI for content creation, go back and add specific examples, stats, and business information. Don’t forget—your competitors are likely using AI for content creation and optimization. The key to setting yourself apart is to give your content a human touch and real-world examples.

Mistake #4: Lack of Fact Checking

AI has made huge strides in content generation—quickly providing coherent, well-written, and engaging content when prompted correctly. However, you should always fact-check AI-generated content for key reasons:

• Hallucinations: AI models can “hallucinate” or fabricate information
• Inaccurate training models: AI tools can generate incorrect information
• Contextual understanding: AI might struggle to understand nuance and context
• Source reliability: Your tool might not always cite reliable sources

To create content that’s rich, accurate, and compelling, always consider doing your own research and integrating your insights.

Mistake #5: Abandoning Tone & Voice

Brand voice defines how your company is perceived and how you relate to your audience. Don’t let AI make you sound robotic or generic. Infusing AI-generated content with your tone and voice ensures the content aligns with your brand values and maintains clarity and coherence. To make AI output better match your brand’s voice, consider uploading your editorial brand and tone guidelines to a private GPT.

Mistake #6: Failing to Tailor Content to Audience & Platform

Just as human-created content is tailored to audience and platform (blog posts, emails, paid media ads, etc.), your AI-generated content should be, too. Include specifics in your prompt about where the content will appear and background information about the audience. Also, review the content to ensure it answers user questions and complies with platform specifications.

Mistake #7: Not Optimizing for SEO

AI can support your SEO efforts by speeding up content creation, but be cautious of poorly written AI-generated content that doesn’t follow Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). To help each content piece rank highly, have an SEO expert review it to ensure it meets the most current SEO best practices.

Mistake #8: Not Proofreading

Even if you ignore mistakes #3 and #5, at the very least, proofread AI-generated content before you publish it. Ask yourself:

• Does it sound human?
• Do ideas and topics flow smoothly?
• Is the content specific enough to be helpful, or is it too generic?
• Are there excessive words or symbols that are overused by AI?

Mistake #9: Not Adapting to AI Advances

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. In Deloitte’s Q3 2024 Generative AI survey, 67% of organizations reported they are increasing investments in generative AI. Given AI’s expanding role, we must learn to work with AI rather than push against it.

Mistake #10: Using AI To Replace Your Creativity

AI is a powerful tool—but it isn’t you. Large language models are built on what’s been done before. They can’t tell the future or predict the next viral idea. Instead of asking AI to create something for you, consider using it as a collaborator to enhance your creativity.

Ensuring AI Enhances Your Content Strategy

AI-generated content needs to do more than rank well—it needs to engage users. Mastering the balance of efficiency and quality can be a tightrope walk, but by avoiding these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to creating content that appeases search engines, algorithms, and humans alike.

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