Do you dread the thought of having to write a blog post or article? Does the idea of creating content for your audience sound exhausting and time-consuming?

You're not alone. As our other marketing tools rapidly evolve in terms of what they can do, the demand for fresh content from businesses like yours increases exponentially. But is it possible that AI writing tools could be your saving grace?

What are AI Writing Tools?

AI writing tools use natural-language artificial intelligence to create content based on your inputs. They are designed to be more like a virtual assistant than an opinionated copy editor because they don't know the industry or company in which you operate.

These AI writing tools can come with some restrictions (like not being able to write about certain topics), but for the most part, there is no limit on what they can create. They offer features that include:

• Customizable length and style of content;
• Plagiarism checking;
• Automatically generated images from words or phrases your audience might find interesting; and
• Better understanding of what readers want through natural language processing.

Since these programs use artificial intelligence, their output will vary depending on who uses them. For example, I describe segmentation in email marketing may be very different from the next guy. Since these AI writing tools rely on human input to get them started (and to keep them going), the quality of your output is going to depend on what you put into it.

AI writing tools are not magic. They use algorithms to mimic human language, but they can't produce original content like a novelist or artist could. In addition, you may have seen some attention-grabbing headlines about how these AI programs are stealing jobs from writers and journalists – don't believe them! The reality is that the market for articles has grown because of these tools – and the best writers are learning how to work with them, not against them.

Should you add an AI writing tool to your marketing toolbox?

Business today is demanding more content than ever, from blog posts to ad campaigns. But as new AI tools come on the market, are most business owners ready for them?

AI tools may be right for your business if you constantly need content but don't love writing each and every word yourself. There are some key advantages to using AI tools, such as improving your writing quality and saving time when you have an urgent deadline looming. AI tools can create good general knowledge content in less time than natural writing.

An AI tool may not be suitable for your business if you have highly specific content needs or need to provide opinions or thought leadership. AI can't do interviews for you or deep research. In these cases, you may need to hire a writer for your content or roll up your sleeves and do the writing yourself.

AI tools have their limitations, but they remain an intriguing option for businesses that need to get more writing done in less time.

Combining AI writing with Human Writing

The best option may be combining AI writing with human writing, which I did for this article. In these cases, you can work with an AI tool (I use conversion.ai) to create portions of your content that you then edit, optimize, and humanize.

To get the most out of using an AI writing tool, you need to have the following ready before you start:

• A brief description of what your content is about
• An outline of what you want to cover (if you're creating long-form content like a blog post)
• Keywords related to your topic
• A goal for the content (to increase conversions, generate more leads, and so forth)
• Your target audience

What can you use AI writing tools for?

AI writing tools don't just work for long-form content. In fact, some of the AI tools I've tried don't even offer blog post writing, although I anticipate it will be coming. However, these AI tools are still great for creating starters of short content, including:

• SEO meta descriptions
• Headlines
• Ad copy
• Emails
• Social media posts

You can also use AI tools to create ultra-long form content. You can use AI to develop multiple shorter pieces that you weave together to create evergreen content. Some people even rely on AI to write books.

AI tools can be used for more than just writing. Some AI content creation tools also let you create video scripts and voiceovers, which is great if your marketing strategy requires it! As a business owner myself, I know that we don't always have time to write more content than we reasonably have time for. AI tools can be a huge help when it comes to this.

So – the million-dollar question… should you invest in an AI writing tool?

Most business owners are struggling with how to keep up and stay on top of their content marketing. This is where AI writing tools come into play, which can help those that need a little boost in the content creation process.

The answer really depends on your individual needs – there are pros and cons to using an AI tool instead of doing it yourself or delegating tasks to someone else.

If you're looking for some assistance with managing all this content, I would say yes! Consider adding one of these tools as part of your repertoire because they will help get the job done efficiently while also saving time (which we know is precious when running any small business).

But it's also important to know that not all AI tools are created equally. I've only tested three – the first I canceled within 2 weeks because I found the content virtually unusable. The second I'm still working with (conversion.ai), and the third… well, the third wasn't even worth mentioning. It was THAT bad.

AI tools aren't a silver bullet that will save you from ever having to write or edit again. But for business owners that want to speed up the basics of their content creation and are willing to put in some time to work out the kinks, AI may be just the assistant they need.