I recently asked in my monthly newsletter whether Virtual Assistants were using AI tools for content creation and how they were finding it. (If you don’t receive my emails you can sign up here).
Since the newsletter went out, I’ve had so many responses from VAs up and down the country who are either using AI and loving it, or those who have not dipped their toes into this helpful tool yet and are unsure where to begin, and even those who felt it was dishonest to use AI!
So, what is AI?
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a powerful machine-based tool that can be used to generate text for social media, blogs, newsletters, promotional material- basically anything you can dream of!
One of the most used systems for text generation currently is Chat GPT which is free to use (a paid-for version enables you to access it at peak times and generates quicker responses).
AI tools are not just limited to text, with many companies now exploring options for clients, such as Canva’s image generator (which is still very much in its infancy) and Google now adding AI features that will provide more information during a web search.
How can you use AI to support your content generation?
The endless possibilities of using AI can make it feel a bit overwhelming. Put simply, you can use AI to help you generate ideas for your business, eg:
👉 You have written an amazing blog but are struggling with a suitable title.
👉 You want to create social media content for a client, but their business model or industry is new to you.
👉 You need some inspiration for your own social media posts.
👉 You’ve got a great blog or article title, but want some support with the structure.
👉 You want real life examples of what you’re talking about.
What are the ‘do’s and ‘don’ts’ for using AI?
AI can be a great tool. But ultimately it is robotic and does not have a human delivery or tone, and it definitely doesn’t have your voice!
The information provided by a chat tool is not fact-checked and for these reasons alone never just copy and paste ideas it has generated and show them off as your own. As well as the fact that it won't sound like you and might not be accurate (Chat GPT still thinks our Monarch is QEII), there are ongoing debates about the ethics of using AI content and who the real owner is.
So how can you use it effectively? Get it to help you to generate ideas. It can be just as helpful to be given ‘wrong’ ideas as right ones, as rejecting those which aren't a good fit will encourage you to consider what you want to share, and what your tone of voice is.
Some helpful prompts:
When you open a platform such as Chat GPT you can ask it to complete a variety of tasks for you. Some examples include:
👉 I want to write a killer LinkedIn post about how VAs can best support clients in [X industry]. Please provide me with 5 suggested points…
👉 Can you generate an outline for blog posts on [subject]?
👉 I want an engaging social media caption on [subject]. Please provide me with some options.
👉 Help me create a captivating product description for our online store for [product type].
👉 Create responses to frequently asked questions about [topic].
👉 Generate 20 hashtags for [niche].
AI tools have opened a whole new world for VAs and it’s still in its infancy.
So, if you have never used AI before, dip in and see how you find it. If you have any questions or would like to chat this through, then get in contact with me today.