In the last year or so, along with many others, I’ve been experimenting with how to get the most out of GenAI when creating content for our company. I’ve developed my skills by learning from our team and through my own trial and error. While I’ve spoken with people who are really skilled at getting value from AI for content creation, I’ve also noticed newer users struggling with little guidance. This got me thinking about what advice would’ve helped me when I was starting out.
Creating content with AI has been a hot topic for a while now, but I’ve noticed a recurring pattern where companies and other users are over-selling what AI can do, creating unrealistic expectations. As a result, I’m seeing two common outcomes: users either give up too soon because they’re not getting good results, or they publish AI generated content that just adds to all the surface-level noise rather than offering authentic insights.
So, what are some common mistakes I’ve noticed and what can you do to get more out of tools like Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot?
Assuming AI knows more than it does: At the beginning, it’s easy to assume that AI knows more than you. It sounds so confident, right? But here’s the thing – AI is really good at sounding like it knows what it’s talking about even when it’s completely wrong. As an example, when rewriting our website copy this year, I used AI to help explain how we boost ROI. It immediately started making up specific statistics about ROI increases. AI wants to give you a result that fits your prompt, so if you’re not careful, it will fill in gaps where it’s missing information. When you’re working on something, always fact-check what it gives you and make sure you’re always in the driver’s seat.
Not giving AI enough context: Some users load up their AI of choice and just immediately ask it to create something with limited information. Yes, AI has a huge set of knowledge fed into it, but it doesn’t have your insights or know your workflow. It therefore helps to be really clear about why you’re creating this content in the first place and who it’s targeted at. If you’re working on a specific task or project, give that context up front and clearly spell out what to consider and what to avoid. When you provide more context, you’ll get more accurate output.
Letting AI take ownership: I’ve seen users copy and paste AI-generated content without adding their own expertise or unique voice. The result is then generic surface-level material that readers can usually spot as inauthentic or at the very least, unhelpful and lacking value. What makes your content worth reading is your perspective and expertise. A golden rule I personally work to is if you can’t explain the content yourself or go deeper on the matter if asked about it, you probably shouldn’t be posting it.
Experiment to find the right tool: Not all AI services are built the same. Each one has different strengths and weaknesses. Instead of sticking with the first one you try, test a few options. Give them the same task and see how they respond differently. This helps you learn which tool is best suited to you or the specific projects you’re working on. Taking the time to find the right tool for your needs can make a huge difference in the quality of the content you create.
Use AI as a competent assistant, not an expert: The most successful way to use AI for content creation, is to treat it more like an assistant. Remember, YOU are the expert. It can’t replace the experience and knowledge you have firsthand. Before starting a project make sure you know the outcome you’re looking for rather than expecting AI to figure out everything for you. You can definitely use AI to knock ideas back and forth but use that to figure out the outcome you need and guide accordingly.
Focus on specific, manageable tasks: Through my own experimentation, I’ve noticed that GenAI handles smaller, more broken-down tasks a lot better. When your prompt is too general, you’re much more likely to get generic, shallow content. Break down projects into smaller components and be specific about what you need for each part. This gives you more control over the output and allows you to refine each section to be more useful and sound authentic. As you complete smaller tasks, you can remind AI to consider it in the bigger picture when writing other parts.
Getting value from GenAI doesn’t have to be complicated but it does require some thoughtfulness and practice. The key is to remember that these tools are meant to assist you, not replace your expertise or unique perspective. Being clearer about what you want to get out of your AI use and the purpose behind your project will help you maintain your authentic voice and create content that actually provides value to your audience.
Since using the techniques I’ve discussed in this article I’ve been producing much better content and reframed the way I think about AI. What’s been your biggest challenge when using AI to create content? Did you figure out how to get around it or did you just give up on it altogether? I’d love to hear your thoughts.