The Complete Guide to Effectively Using AI Writing Tools in Content Marketing Busy entrepreneurs can save time and money with AI-powered writing tools — if they use them properly.

If you're an entrepreneur, you're undoubtedly looking for ways to save time, money and effort wherever you can. You're probably keen on marketing your startup, but that means money to hire copywriters, content strategists, graphics designers and paid ad specialists, among others. And when could you possibly find the free time you'd need to do it yourself, assuming you had the skill set?

You've probably run across ads or social media posts boasting of the supposedly spectacular results that AI-powered writing tools offer. However, before you're convinced by those five-star ratings or name-brand testimonials to click an order button and shell over more of your company's limited marketing budget, take a step back.

This guide will give you a better idea of just what AI writing tools can do, what they shouldn't do, and how you can get the most out of them for your company's marketing needs.

Related: This Expert Shares 5 Tips for Marketing a Boring Product

What is AI-assisted writing, and how does it work?

AI-assisted writing tools use computers enhanced by machine learning to generate new ideas for content, provide and structure that content, and even edit it. You can find several AI writing tools that will be able to do this kind of heavy lifting when it comes to your written content.

Although some of these tools are best used for limited and specific topics, others can provide content on any topic you might envision. You or your content marketing team can then use these AI-powered tools to generate ideas for your editorial calendar, beat back writer's block or help actually write, format and edit the text itself.

AI writing assistants or tools work in several different ways. Some require human input on the topic and major bullet points to cover. Others might allow you to choose from among a selection of "tones of voice" such as "informative" or "humorous." Many tools provide an array of common templates or use cases, so you can specify if you're trying to create a marketing email message or an informative blog post.

Related: The Marketer's Playbook for Retaining Customers and Bringing in New Ones — Even During a Recession

How do AI writing tools boost your marketing efforts?

Implementing AI writing software into your marketing content creation process helps you save both time and money, regardless of if you're writing your content or hiring someone else to do it for you. It can quickly create a working outline or first draft for your content, which you or your content writer can then augment, edit and polish. And because time often does equate to money spent or saved for a cash-strapped company, you'll also save money.

AI tools can also help you overcome writer's block. Moreover, by generating suggested subtopics and points you might not have otherwise considered, these tools can also help you improve your finished copy and make a better impression on prospects and targeted audience members.

Related: 7 Ways for Marketers to Get Out of a Creativity Rut

Some of the most popular AI writing tools

AI writing tools have proliferated on the web in recent years, and not all of them share the same set of features or general approaches. Most tools offer tiered subscription plans, while many offer a free option as well for light users. Take a close look at the available options and use free or discounted trial periods to put the software through its paces.

For example, you might want to consider these tools:

• If you're looking for something lightweight and with a gentle learning curve, consider Rytr. It writes your content using your input on any of several topics and for different use cases, such as blog posts, email marketing messages and social media posts. You can also choose from among several different tones of voice, such as "thoughtful," "worried" or "informative." You can then use the tool's features to expand on specific concepts, rewrite a paragraph or add more suggested subtopics.
• Jasper is a bit more richly featured. Like Rytr, it can produce content for several different use cases and in several different languages. The higher tiers of membership allow for additional functionality, such as SEO and a plagiarism checker. It's a favorite of some large brands, such as Google, Airbnb and IBM.
• Somewhere in between those two options, Chibi AI helps writers who need assistance in revising, expanding or altering the tone of their copy. It's not quite as user-friendly or self-explanatory as Rytr, perhaps, and also perhaps not as richly functional as Jasper, but if you can come up with some initial copy to get it going, it will help you refine your words to be more effective and impactful.

More lightweight tools aren't as fully featured as the above tools, but can still provide a significant level of assistance as you create your content. For example, Hyperwrite.ai is a Chrome extension that will help you generate new ideas and expand your writing as you work, while Grammarly checks your grammar as well as your style.

However, these suggestions are just the tip of the AI writing iceberg. You can find in-depth independent reviews of these and many more platforms and apps to help you find the right tool for you. Many writers and marketing professionals avoid the app route altogether and use OpenAI's ChatGPT tool to generate their own topic ideas, outlines and copywriting.

Related: What the Future of Marketing Means for Your Business

Cautionary notes: safely using AI for marketing content

Recently, Google announced it would penalize sites in search results for using AI tools to try to game results or manipulate users. In truth, it seems to me that nothing will be more valuable than authenticity in the coming years when it comes to online content creation.

So, if your chosen AI tool produces content that's close to a competitor's published content, you might get penalized for duplicate content. What's more, AI tools might pull into your copy data and statistics that have been published on the web — but might not be accurate at the time you use them.

To protect your brand, you should always do your research and check for plagiarism and other similar content issues. You can spot-check specific phrases or sentences using Google itself. Many AI tools also have built-in plagiarism checkers you can use. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated copy-checking site.

Related: Looking to Hire a Marketer? Here's Why You Should Think Twice.

How to effectively bring AI writing tools into your content process

AI writing assistance technology has improved significantly over the years. However, it's a distant second to the capabilities of a skilled human writer. An authentic author can personalize the content as well as make it more creative, emotionally resonant and persuasive. To ensure accuracy and originality, remember to always keep a human being in control of the AI tool's output.

Start with a clear understanding of the limits of most AI tools. It's not possible to enter a few keywords, set a few options and then get a complete, well-written, persuasive 2,000-word article. Technology hasn't advanced that far. However, when you know what to expect and how to work with an AI efficiently, you can use it to streamline your processes.

For best results, some recommend starting with a general outline if possible. Some writers choose to ask their tool to expand on their work or suggest additional subtopics to improve a piece. The general recommendation is to provide as much direction to an AI assistant as it will allow. The more guidance you can provide to the tool, the closer it can get to delivering a piece that meets your needs.

Finally, review and edit the piece carefully to make sure it aligns well with your brand voice and content strategy needs. Proofread carefully to eliminate accidental mistakes, awkward phrasing or inaccurate data. Ask yourself, Does your brand voice feel authentic? Or does it feel overly generic, stilted or clumsy, like an AI wrote it? If so, there's a good chance potential customers may see that — and instead buy from someone who's more authentic.