As Content Creators we are in a rather favourable position to benefit from AI scandals. How could that be? Well, if there’s something that Artificial Intelligence simply can’t beat us at, it’s creativity. And the lack thereof has already created all sorts of awkward situations with AI tools.
The most crass examples have been these two cases:
- Google launching AI Overview as the new search result page
- Adobe coming up with new T&C that violates creators’ rights and client NDAs
In both cases AI has been brought in to “fix a problem” that didn’t exist. And that’s rarely a good idea anyway. And both cases have trimmed the services’ user bases significantly.
For example, Google added AI to its search engine to compete with ChatGPT’s and TikTok’s growing influence as a search engine. Especially younger users tend to look for information through TikTok’s search rather than Google.
Is AI going to take your job?
No matter what, AI’s influence is growing on every online platform. This can be really scary for us who rely on content creation as a profession. But now that AI is starting to find its own corner among things, it’s becoming clearer that not all of us need to worry about losing our jobs.
At the end of the day, our greatest competitive advantage against AI is our creativity and authenticity. Even Google’s new AI search engine has been taught to promote content that was created by humans and that shows original thinking instead of AI’s generic content.
Thus, we can benefit from AI scandals! The biggest assets in our tool box are authenticity in our content and well done SEO. If SEO is something that you struggle with, I can help you there! Check out my Done-for-You SEO service here.
Content Creators Benefit from AI Scandals in 5 Ways
As the recent AI-related scandals have shown us, inauthenticity and false information is currently running rampant in the online world. That’s why authenticity is becoming paramount in terms of marketing and promoting products and services.
There’s a massive need for more authentic, trustworthy, and ethical content. Content creators, especially bloggers, can use this change in tides to enhance their credibility and appeal.
If you’re not already, the best place to start creating content online is creating a website. While a social media platform can be fun and quick to create with, your account isn’t yours. The only thing you have full control over is a website.
And to get a website started you need a hosting service. I switched to Lyrical Host couple years ago and couldn’t be happier with the level of service! They even gave me a discount code to share with you: with code OUTLANDISH10 you can get 10% off your chosen hosting service.
Now, let’s dig into different ways how content creators can benefit from AI scandals:
1. You are a trusted voice / the authority
When we think of products in a supermarket, positioning is the number one thing especially for niche brands to stand out, right? Why would it be any different with content creators?
Even if the practicalities are very different, the way you position yourself in your chosen niche matters. As a content creator you want to be seen as an expert, an authority. And the only way to do that is by
- Emphasizing authenticity: create content that is well researched, transparent, and backed by credible sources. This positions you in a way that allows you to benefit from AI scandals
- Building a personal brand: highlight your commitment to ethical standards and authenticity to integrate it all into your personal brand
If you’re thinking how one can achieve this, here’s a popular idea: publish Behind-the-Scenes content. Share the content creation process or little bits of your personal life to demonstrate the effort and ethics involved in what you do.
Read also: Why You Should Start A Newsletter – 10 Reasons
2. We keep it real
If you want to benefit from AI scandals, you kind of need to stand out from the crowd. This means, first and foremost, staying away from popular trends when creating content. Participating in trends instead of creating authentic, original content is the surest way to drown in the grey mass.
Another thing is sensationalism or volume over accuracy. You know exactly what I mean by that. Even if you’re upset about something, always check the accuracy of what you’re about to publish online before doing so. There’s quite enough fake news and propaganda out there, we don’t need to add to that!
People are so fed up with not being able to trust what they are told by authorities that the best way to benefit from AI scandals is to keep it real. Like, properly real! Be yourself, that’s what people want to see.
And soon you’ll realize that also brands prefer an authentic, ethically aligned content creator over the scandal-infused influencer. I know it’s not enough for me to say this, you need to believe it yourself, but I’m still gonna say it:
You are more than enough just as you are ♥
3. Supporting and cultivating our audiences
Why do people follow other people online? Well, there is a plethora of reasons, but some of the most popular reasons are:
- Community: Creating/enhancing their social circle
- Relatability: Looking for like minded people who share tips and experiences
- Seeking validation: Keeping up with trends, staying up-to-date (as in, if an influencer recommends a product, everyone must be buying it, so we must buy it too)
If we wish to benefit from AI scandals, we need to be aware of our audience. What they want, need, are looking for? It’s beneficial to understand what makes them stick around. But here’s the tricky part:
While understanding why people follow you online, you should still make sure your content is authentic instead of curated for what you assume your followers want to see.
As content creators we also have our lived experiences. And sharing those experiences honestly and transparently on your website or social media is the most sustainable way to curate a loyal following.
Through our lived experiences we can
- educate our followers by explaining what certain things we’ve been through have taught us
- show our followers that sharing one’s experiences isn’t shameful, brave or scary, it’s necessary
- support our followers when they contact us because they share those experiences with us.
4. Adding effectiveness with AI tools
While we are here to discuss how to rank above AI-generated content, that doesn’t mean we should shut it out completely. Quite the contrary: we can enhance our creating process by adding in AI. But we should do that carefully.
AI can for example be helpful in coming up with ideas for social media content or blog posts. It can create a draft, from which you then write a full, personal article. Or if SEO is something that really does your head in, AI can help you on that front too.
The trick in making sure we benefit from AI scandals rather than become a part of them, is to not go overboard with it. Don’t publish blog posts that were 100% written by AI and claim it was written by you. If you do do that, for transparency’s sake, mention in the article that it’s AI-generated.
I can guarantee that people prefer content made by humans, especially if they follow you for community and relatability reasons.
5. We build communities
As mentioned before, something that AI can’t do and consistently keep up with, is building an active community. Sure, there are AI chatbots that can converse with people, but when it comes to creating a community, we’re talking about a much bigger concept.
Building and cultivating a community means actively and directly engaging with your audience through comments, private messages on social media, and newsletters.
From personal experience I can guarantee that the more openly you share your own lived experience and opinions, the more engagement you will get. On top of that, it’s more genuine engagement, which encourages audiences to engage with the content creators in the future as well.
If you’ve never done that before, but want to benefit from AI scandals rather than fall victim to them, you can start with these simple ways:
- create polls
- do Q&A sessions
- organize live discussions
- ask questions from your audience (get to know them, make them feel involved)
- request feedback from your followers on their interests
When you start encouraging engagement through these ways, they might not immediately work. Don’t get discouraged, though! Keep at it, grow your audience, and the engagement will come.
And remember, the ‘quiet’ followers who never react to your content but still show up every day, they matter too! In fact, they are often your biggest fans and the most likely to buy from you.
Final Thoughts
The world of technology is in a turmoil thanks to the arrival of Artificial Intelligence. Especially on the marketing and content creation side of things people have been worried about losing all of their work and income to this new technology.
But instead, we’ve witnessed a scandal after a scandal after a scandal. And at the end of the day, we can actually benefit from AI scandals, if we work smartly around them.
AI is after all a technology tool, which makes it very different from us humans. Simply because it doesn’t live, which means it doesn’t experience, feel or possess genuine creativity. Everything AI creates is copied online, which means it was originally created by a human.
Thus, by focusing on a strategy that revolves around authenticity and transparency, content creators can not only benefit from the shortcomings of AI-generated content but also contribute to a more informed and ethically conscious digital landscape.
Have you been worried about AI stepping on your toes as an online content creator? What sorts of worries has AI brought up for you? Let’s chat below in the comments! ♥
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