In 2013, AI content creation was first used to generate sports articles that could be published almost in real-time. Yahoo! used Automated Insights’ Wordsmith platform to write personal reports, match recaps, and match previews based on fantasy football data.
The platform used natural language generation (NLG) to personalize content for each user. Particular care was given to ensure that the AI captured Yahoo’s brand voice and tone.
“The tone of the narratives for Yahoo were intentionally snarky and sarcastic, so there was a process to making sure the jokes, language, and stats about each week’s matchup (or the draft reports at the beginning of the season) that are highlighted were what Yahoo was looking for,” Automated Insights spokesperson Laura Pressman shared.
Programmatic ad buying boomed in 2014. With AI, digital ads could be bought and sold based on defined campaign goals and a set budget, as AI made decisions and recommendations based on collected data.
In 2015, Google’s AI algorithm RankBrain revolutionized the way people consume and create content by considering user intent when returning search results. Take the query “shepherd’s pie” as an example. The search engine would return results for recipes and tutorial videos based on the understanding that the person is likely looking for information on how to prepare it. As such, historical and literary references about shepherd’s pie would be farther down the roster of search engine results pages (SERPs).
In 2016, AI progressed to listening and verbally responding, and virtual assistant devices became valuable additions to modern homes.
Since then, more mainstream uses for AI content generation have emerged, with apps like Slack, WhatsApp, and Messenger leveraging AI to answer basic customer support questions via chatbots. This feature provides better customer service, lead generation, and user experience.
How startups can use AI for content + tools you can use
What does using AI in one’s content strategy mean? Technically, AI simulates human intelligence by performing tasks that mimic human behavior and cognition. It also continuously improves the more it is used, as it gathers more data and information.
Here are some specific areas where startups can maximize the use of AI to develop an effective content strategy:
Content research and blogging
AI can create engaging, grammatically-correct blog posts optimized for search engines. This can be particularly helpful for smaller teams that need to publish relevant content to establish their brand’s digital presence but do not have the resources to hire a team of copywriters.
Much like Yahoo’s Automated Insights’ Wordsmith for fantasy football, teams that deal with large amounts of content and data can benefit from AI-powered assistance. While not a substitute for human writing, these tools can streamline content workflows.
Businesses can also benefit from automated SEO research tools.
Here are some tools to check out for AI blogging:
- Moz’s Keyword Explorer: AI-powered keyword research tool for SEO
- SEMrush: SEO analysis tool powered by AI.
- Google’s Natural Language Processing tool: Identifies a piece of content’s general sentiment and covered topics
- GPT-3: Content generator for text, images, and other relevant content
HubSpot recently launched Content Assistant and ChatSpot. These will revelutionize how you create content and use your HubSpot CRM. (Learn more at ChatSpot.ai)
- Copy AI’s Content Generator: Creates content from predefined templates
- Grammarly: Checks common grammar and spelling mistakes with style, tone, and clarity considerations
- Jasper: AI Content Generator that helps you and your team break through creative blocks to create amazing, original content.