How AI is Revolutionizing Content Creation and Marketing

In this episode of the Eco D2C podcast, host Luke Tierney welcomes Chuck Aikens, founder of Tymoo and a veteran in the digital marketing space. With over 20 years of experience in content development and online marketing, Chuck shares invaluable insights on leveraging AI for content creation, optimizing SEO strategies, and building a robust online presence for brands.

Understanding AI-Generated Content for Brands

The conversation kicks off by addressing the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-generated content. Chuck emphasizes that while AI tools are powerful, they should be viewed as assistants rather than replacements for human creativity and expertise.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is best used for initial research, outlining, and base copy creation.
• Human input is crucial for “enrichment” – adding unique brand voice, case studies, and expertise.
• AI tools should be integrated into existing workflows, not used as standalone solutions.

Building a Strong Foundation for Content Creation

Chuck stresses the importance of laying a solid groundwork before diving into AI-assisted content creation. This foundation includes:

• Defining Your Target Audience: Develop detailed understanding of your ideal customers.
• Establishing Brand Voice and Tone: Create a consistent communication style.
• Documenting Product and Service Information: Compile comprehensive details about your offerings.
• Conducting Competitor Research: Understand your market positioning.
• Performing Keyword Research: Identify relevant search terms for your brand.

By investing time in these foundational elements, brands can better leverage AI tools to create content that resonates with their audience and aligns with search engine algorithms.

The Content Creation Process with AI

Chuck outlines a multi-step process for creating high-quality content using AI:

1. Initial Research and Outline: Use AI to gather information and create a basic structure.
2. Base Copy Generation: Leverage AI to produce a first draft based on collected data.
3. SEO Optimization: Utilize tools like Surfer SEO to ensure content meets search engine requirements.
4. Human Enrichment: Add brand-specific insights, case studies, and unique perspectives.
5. Final Editing and Refinement: Polish the content to maintain brand voice and quality standards.

Chuck emphasizes that while AI can significantly speed up the process, human oversight and input remain crucial for producing truly valuable content.

Leveraging AI and Automation in Content Marketing

One of the most exciting aspects of the discussion is Chuck’s insights into using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to streamline the content marketing process. Here are the key points:

• Integrate AI Across Workflows: Use AI tools at various stages, from ideation to final editing.
• Maintain Quality Control: Always have human oversight to ensure AI-generated content meets brand standards.
• Experiment with Different Tools: Chuck mentions several AI tools, including Fathom for meeting transcription and Jasper for copywriting.
• Focus on Productivity: Use AI to handle time-consuming tasks, allowing humans to focus on strategy and creativity.
• Combine AI with Traditional SEO: Leverage tools like Surfer SEO alongside AI content generation for optimal results.

Chuck’s Tymoo platform aims to simplify this process for brands, offering a streamlined approach to AI-assisted content creation and marketing.

SEO Strategy for Brands in the Digital Age

For brands looking to improve their search engine visibility, Chuck offers several strategic insights:

• Focus on Comprehensive Coverage: Create content that thoroughly addresses user queries and needs.
• Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: It’s better to have fewer high-quality pieces than numerous superficial articles.
• Align Content with Brand Identity: Choose topics that naturally fit with your brand’s essence and expertise.
• Invest in Long-Form Content: Longer, more detailed content often performs better in search results.
• Monitor and Iterate: Continuously analyze content performance and refine your strategy based on results.
• Think Beyond Blog Posts: Consider various content formats, including video, podcasts, and interactive elements.
• Integrate SEO with Overall Marketing Strategy: Ensure your SEO efforts support broader business goals.

Overcoming Common Content Marketing Challenges

Chuck addresses several challenges that brands often face when implementing content marketing strategies:

• Resource Constraints: Start small and scale gradually, focusing on high-impact areas first.
• Maintaining Consistency: Use AI tools to help maintain a regular content schedule without sacrificing quality.
• Measuring ROI: Set realistic expectations and focus on long-term growth rather than immediate results.
• Keeping Up with Technology: Stay informed about new AI tools and SEO best practices, but don’t chase every trend.
• Standing Out in a Crowded Market: Use your unique brand voice and expertise to differentiate your content.

The Importance of a Holistic Approach

Throughout the discussion, both Luke and Chuck emphasize that effective content marketing is not just about SEO or using the latest AI tools—it’s about creating a better overall online presence that serves your customers and supports your business goals. Here’s why this holistic approach matters:

• Enhanced Brand Authority: Consistently publishing high-quality content establishes your brand as a thought leader in your niche.
• Improved User Experience: By focusing on creating helpful, relevant content, you’re providing real value to your audience.
• Multi-Channel Benefits: Content created for your website can be repurposed across other marketing channels.
• Customer Education: Informative content helps potential customers understand your products better, potentially leading to more informed purchasing decisions.
• Long-Term Sustainability: By building a solid content foundation, you’re creating assets that can continue to drive engagement over time.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

As the conversation wraps up, several key takeaways emerge for entrepreneurs looking to leverage AI and improve their content marketing:

• Start with Strategy: Before diving into AI tools, define your target audience, brand voice, and content goals.
• Embrace AI as an Assistant: Use AI to enhance your processes, not replace human creativity and expertise.
• Focus on Value: Create content that genuinely helps your audience rather than just trying to game search algorithms.
• Be Patient and Consistent: Content marketing is a long-term strategy. Consistent effort over time will yield better results than sporadic campaigns.
• Leverage Technology Wisely: Use AI and automation tools to streamline your process, but always maintain a human touch in your content.
• Test and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to try different approaches. Monitor what works and refine your strategy accordingly.
• Think Holistically: Ensure your content marketing strategy aligns with and supports your broader business objectives.

Content marketing in the age of AI doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By leveraging technology while maintaining a focus on providing value to your audience, you can create a robust online presence that drives sustainable growth. Remember, as Chuck Aikens emphasizes, there’s no perfect way to do content marketing. The most important thing is to start somewhere, consistently put in the effort, and always keep your customer’s needs at the forefront of your strategy.

Q&A From Episode

Q: Can you tell us something interesting about yourself that most people don’t know?

Chuck: Well, the first thing that pops in my mind is, I think we all have had odd jobs. I’d like to think that I had some of the oddest jobs. I’ve laid blacktop, cleaned gas pumps. I was a security guard where I learned how to juggle because I was so bored at night, watching the campus at the University of Florida – go Gators.

But I think the one that really sticks out when it comes to odd jobs, I put myself through college with a DJ business. So every Friday night and definitely every Saturday night I spent in tunes at weddings until noon or one o’clock, whenever they shut off the open bar. That got me through college, running a little DJ business and playing the Macarena.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about Tymoo and why you started it? For the unfamiliar, what is Tymoo and where do you focus?

Chuck: Tymoo is first named after my kids. My son Tyler, we would call him Ty, definitely as on the baseball field growing up. And then my daughter Morgan who goes by MJ, she had a nickname of Moo when she was a little girl. So I threw the two together – Tymoo is a business name and I started it, oh gosh, maybe 10 years ago. I had a client that wanted some help on the side from my primary agency, and they needed me to be a true partner with them.

They’re still a client and partner today, and they do an important thing which is they provide caskets to folks who have lost somebody. They do it online at a discount. I’ve helped them with their e-commerce business for years, but I started Tymoo back then as sort of a partner to people that are looking to grow their brand.

Q: Where do you see really positive use cases for AI-generated content?

Chuck: The way that I use AI would be much how I would use a junior copywriter or an intern or an executive assistant administrator. In the use case at the moment, it’s to do things like ideation, to create outlines, to do some of the research in what I like to call your base copy. To do the things that are table stakes – like you’re gonna talk about a subject, you have to first decide and figure out what is already known in the world.

So AI can help me hone in an idea, develop an outline, and then using different types of prompts, I can write a piece of copy that is already built on the collective knowledge of everything that’s written in Google because it’s all indexed now into the large language models. One way or another, the information is in there. So AI can produce honestly the first round of copy for me.

Q: How do you marry that with SEO?

Chuck: Great question. So once I have that, there’s a couple things. When I have a particular topic or title, there’s something involved in the Google algorithms that’s a little bit different than AI, and it’s called natural language processing. Basically, what the machines are trying to do when they find your piece of content is they’re trying to figure out what it’s about and how well it covers the concept.

A tool I use for that is a product called Surfer SEO. There’s a number of them that work, and basically it runs through a proprietary process that a lot of folks use. It grabs the top 10 listings, runs it all through content AI natural language processing queries, and it figures out if you want to write a piece of copy about balanced training for dogs, here’s all the topics and the words that you need to use.

Q: What do you do next after generating the base copy?

Chuck: So in my process, this is when the technology stops. No more SEO tools, no more AI. This is where as a brand, as a brand manager, as a CEO, a CMO, you have to do something I call enrichment. This is where you take the research, the base copy that’s been optimized, and you have to bring to it your case studies, your stats, your narrative, your expertise, your visuals, and make it your own so that it’s relevant and interesting to your target audience.

I have ways that I coach and teach people how to do that, but I can only take it so far before the brand needs to enrich it and get it ready for their blog, their website, their social media channels, YouTube if it has a video component to it. There’s only so far you can get with AI during the process. I do try to humanize it so that it’s not so formulaic, and I’ve got some different posts out there that talk about that.

Q: How does AI affect the pricing of content creation services?

Chuck: In my world, you know, as something we will often unit price is something like a blog post. Here’s the way I look at it: statistically, historically, a blog post costs about $500 to produce. That’s just been the historical reference. When AI showed up, I do not view it as a way to reduce cost. If I think of it as a way to reduce cost, consequently, I’m going to reduce quality. What I view it as is a way to assist.

You’re just going to do different things. And using that approach, what’s happened is the blog content that I’m associated with, whether it’s my own or a client’s, it has doubled and tripled in length. The engagement has gone up. Like, the quality of the content I can push now, because I’m no longer doing administrative work or it’s being – it does – it’s being done without having to pay $40-50 an hour for junior level copywriting, like I said, or for an intern to set things up.

Q: What are some of your favorite AI tools besides ChatGPT?

Chuck: So I use a product called Fathom for recording meetings. Reading that is important. That is knowledge extraction. I did two knowledge extractions today where I asked five questions, recorded it, and the reason I like Fathom is instead – it’s a little bit – I like it better than Zoom. I can trigger highlights, video clips, and transcriptions, as well as FAQs rather quickly from it.

Now that I have the knowledge, I’m usually gonna go straight to the large language model – ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, I don’t care – to do some initial research to develop out the idea. Once I’m ready to write copy, I do believe that you should have a dedicated tool for your copy development. At the moment, I’m using Jasper. I’ve been a client of Jasper for a number of years.

Q: What do metrics for success look like in content marketing?

Chuck: That’s a great question. And I mean, ultimately, right, the – the ultimate measure of success, just so that I, you know, address that, is right – it’s – we’re in business to make money. So it’s revenue. But to get revenue, you’ve got to have clients. To have clients, you’ve got to have sales. To get sales, you’ve got to have someone’s attention, right? To sell them.

Here’s what I like to think about if it truly has quality, because I’m gonna have quality, and like you said, it could fail or succeed. So how do you know if you’re failing or succeeding? A piece of content that succeeds has both visibility and engagement. So let’s talk about search first. First visibility is that it ranks. And there’s two ranking metrics. One: does it rank in the top 100? If you don’t get in the top 100, you really missed the mark.

Q: What is a pitfall that you see brands fall into when they’re trying to implement a content strategy like this?

Chuck: They don’t do enough work up front. And we – is one of the things I wanted to cover. So before I ever sit down to develop a piece of content, I’ve done – like I mentioned with the research that the product managers – I mean, there’s extensive work on tone and voice, product and service documentation, founder story, origin story, competitors. Like, in – and in today’s world, what I’m doing, and I’ve got to go back and pull a lot of stuff, is all this stuff needs to be in PDF.

Why would you think it’s going to give you an extraordinary result? So people just want to run in there and just do it, start prompting, generate a thousand words, put it on my blog, throw it on Facebook, it’s gonna work. It’s like – it has no chance. None whatsoever. You’ve got to do the homework. It’s one of those things – it’s like that iceberg analogy. Like, you see the tip of the iceberg, you never see all the work beneath it, you know?

Q: Are there other marketing strategies or additional platforms that you see as extremely complementary to content marketing?

Chuck: You know, the closest thing we have to rocket fuel right now and – I know this sounds basic, but you know, the internet was built on words and then links between those words, right? I mean, that – that’s the basis of the interwebs. That’s not how it works today. I mean, it is still the foundation of the internet, but you know, the – you know, and images never really took off. I mean, Google Images, I mean, people will search there. You can get it – images now, but video – video for brands is – is 2024.

You know, when you start to look at marketing and you get into expertise, authority, and trust, and you think about doing business with a real person – I mean, a face, a voice is so much more powerful, or is – is very, very powerful. So in marketing, it is full-on adoption of mobile video, micro moments, and building – building trust with somebody because if they’re doing 80% of the research before they ever reach out to you, why not show them yourself, your team, your product in a way that they can see it?

Q: What advice do you have for brands focusing their content strategy?

Chuck: I think the only thing that I would add when you’re – because I mentioned a couple times the amount of work you need to do in your target audience – when you’re – there’s two things when you’re a brand, but the first and foremost is that I would encourage you as a brand or a marketer: yes, be authentic. That’s a given. But when you do that, try to figure out what it is that you can talk about that you are truly equipped to talk about that other people are not as well equipped.

A lot of brands want to cover everything. You can’t be everything to everybody. So this is kind of that concept of niching down because when you establish and position yourself as authority in your content stream, really cool things happen with the Google algorithms, on LinkedIn, in Meta, in your different spaces because they’re trying to figure out who you are. So the deeper you can go in, the more on topic you stay, and the more additive you are to the overall knowledge – your expertise and experience that you can bring to the table – they recognize that and reward you.

Q: Where can our listeners find you?

Chuck: So, a couple places. First and foremost, there’s links to everything that I do on tymoo.com. LinkedIn – I’m pretty active on LinkedIn. That’s another good spot to find me. More than welcome to just drop me an email. It’s CIA – Chuck Isaac Aikens – CIA at Tymoo.com. So I would say those are probably the three – three best ways. There’s a – there’s a contact form and a newsletter sign-up on Tymoo. Hit me up on LinkedIn or shoot an email. I’m easy to hold of and always love talking shop.