Get better at processes, not prompts

Identify team strengths and weaknesses to find your ideal use for AI [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 8.18.23 WEEKLY NEWS 9.1.23  FEATURED [3 Strategies To Help Content Marketers Navigate Work Grief and Burnout]( By Chris Gillespie You have carried a crushing burden of unprocessed grief and endured a barrage of changes at work in the last few years. It's time to make positive changes to your work environment for your mental and physical health. [Read more](  MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES [Big Bump in Ad Spend May Lead to Better Year for Marketers]( by Content Marketing Institute Team You could describe the last few months as “bumpy” for marketing, tech, and advertising. But new data for three must-track categories indicates a smoother ride ahead for marketers. [How To Put AI To Work for Better Content Marketing]( by Jodi Harris How do you put AI’s content marketing capabilities in play for your brand? Experts presenting at Content Marketing World share what to do – and what not to do. [Will AI Make Marketing Teams Stronger or Cover Their Weaknesses?]( [by Robert Rose]( Can generative AI help your marketing and content teams if you don’t have a documented creation process? And if you do, should AI play to your strengths or weaknesses? Let’s explore the answers. [ICYMI: Mastering the Art of Smartphone Video: Expert Tips for Pro-Quality Footage]( [by Ann Gynn]( You might not need more budget to improve the results from your video content. Follow these tips to shoot quality video from a mobile phone.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Get better at processes, not prompts Many companies operate like the Wild West for content requests, brainstorming, and creation. They lack any process to research, ideate, and create. Any well-regulated workflow process only enters the scene when producing digital assets. Yet business executives want marketing and content teams to use generative AI to enhance that creation process – yes, the process that doesn’t exist. The main problem isn’t “Explain how to make this process more efficient.” It is “Explain the benefit of using AI to solve a problem that’s not understood.” Spoiler alert: Better prompts are not the answer. About three months ago, I consulted with a large, fast-growing media and technology company seeking to integrate generative AI into its content marketing (e.g., thought leadership) processes. I did an audit of the “occurrent processes” – how the stuff really gets done. With this client, as in many businesses, no documented process existed for the content creation life cycle. Yet somehow, they researched, created, and edited the content sent to the design team to produce what everybody wanted – the digital assets for various channels. Mapping these occurrent processes documents the workflow for the content’s life cycle. From there, the improvements fall into two categories. The first involves the business’ application of more standardized approaches to make content creation more efficient, effective, or measurable. The second improvement step – specific to generative AI – is a gap analysis to identify where existing AI toolsets could be applied to make team members more efficient, expand their capabilities, or change the nature of the content collaboration. Now, the business has options about what, where, and when a new generative AI tool might be worth piloting. Should it maximize the team’s strengths or minimize its weaknesses? The long prevailing theory in business says teams achieve more success by building on their strengths rather than repairing their weaknesses. Tom Rath and Barry Conchie explore this idea in [Strengths Based Leadership]( based on Gallup’s 30-year research project. To be clear, the theory doesn’t say you should ignore weaknesses. It suggests you invest in your talents and minimize the effect of your shortcomings. But here’s the challenge: Generative AI in content and marketing is so new, disruptive, and chaotic that few people and even fewer marketing teams can truly point to it as a differentiating strength. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I discuss how having a well-understood creative content management process may provide this strength. If you can establish a standard for how your team’s work is accomplished, it becomes easier to make decisions about the most effective AI approach for your brand. I’d love to hear if you agree with my theory. Send me [an email](mailto:Robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=AI%20strengths%20and%20weaknesses) to let me know your thoughts. Until then, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  SPONSORED CONTENT Increase Your B2B Marketing ROI with These Practical SEO Approaches While B2B and B2C consumers are fundamentally the same, their buying processes aren’t. Learn how integrating a B2B-specific SEO approach can help you amplify reach, authority, and ROI. [Learn more here »](  MORE FROM CMI The Countdown Is On Content Marketing World is only a few weeks away, and the spectacular CMWorld community is counting down the days until they unite in Washington, D.C. Haven’t registered yet? It’s not too late to join us September 26-28 to learn from and network with the best of the best in content marketing. [Register today]( for this year’s event with promo code COMMUNITY100 for $100 off your conference pass.  What can you expect from Content Marketing World sessions? Watch this video to hear from past attendees about the jam-packed program, innovative content, brilliant speakers, and practical takeaways. [Watch now »](  To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [subscription center.]( Copyright © 2023 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]