The landscape of content creation is evolving at breakneck speed, and artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this exciting transformation. From crafting captivating website copy to generating stunning visuals, AI offers a powerful toolset for boosting efficiency, igniting creativity, and achieving better results—if used correctly.
Using AI in your content strategy isn't just about jumping on the latest trend. It's about unlocking a world of possibilities that can propel your content to new heights, and taking care that you don’t trade speed for quality.
Here at Little Dot Studios, we’ve been using AI in our production and editing processes in some really exciting ways, and we’ve learned a thing or two. So, here are some tips, examples, and common pitfalls to look out for when leaning on AI for faster, better content creation.
Demystifying AI in Content Creation
Think of AI as a dynamic, ever-learning assistant in your creative studio. From text generators to help you churn out compelling copy and scripts to image creators that translate your vision into stunning visuals, a wide range of AI tools now exists and is still quickly evolving.
Harnessing AI's Benefits
Speed is an obvious benefit of AI, especially when you’re thinking about some of the open source, better known tools. But what other benefits can you leverage within the creative process?
- Unleash Efficiency: Imagine churning out manual tasks in record time while maintaining high quality. AI automates repetitive tasks, freeing you to focus on the strategic aspects of content creation.
- Spark Creativity: If you’re stuck for ideas, AI can help ignite the creative fires by suggesting engaging topics, unique writing styles, and even generating story frameworks.
- Master Data & Analytics: Whether it’s through out-of-the-box functionality or through your own creative application of AI technologies, you can also use it to analyse and interpret content performance in new and imaginative (and faster) ways.
Crafting Your AI-Powered Workflow
A lot of the time, the usefulness of AI technology comes from your own creativity in terms of how you use it. This is where roles like “Prompt Engineer” come into play - AI tools, even free ones like ChatGPT, often require the right instructions and a practised hand to get the best out of them.
But before you go expanding your tool stack with AI capabilities, here’s a quick breakdown on how to decide where the tech can truly benefit your workflows.
Step 1: Identify Opportunities:
Where can AI make a difference in your content creation process? Research, generate ideas, format content – there are endless possibilities. Researching AI tools and where they could fit into your current processes is key to bringing in tech that will really make a difference.
Step 2: Choose Your Weapons
Not all AI tools are created equal. Consider ease of use, compatibility with your workflow, and cost when making your selections. You can also start small: Figure out where AI is likely to make the biggest impact with the easiest adoption, and then continue building your AI stack from there. Lots of tools you already use may also have introduced AI functionality that you haven’t checked out yet.
Step 3: Seamless Integration:
Think of AI as a collaborator, not a replacement. Aim to seamlessly integrate its capabilities into your existing workflow for a smooth and efficient process. For example, many organisations are building custom GPTs to better meet the needs of their internal needs and existing operations.
Step 4: Train & Customise:
Treat your AI tool like a talented apprentice. Train it on your brand voice and content goals to ensure a seamless fit. Test different prompts and create templates from the ones that work best for you and your team. Don’t forget that your human teammates may also benefit from training on these new capabilities to get the most out of them, too.
Step 5: Monitor & Refine:
Remember, human oversight remains crucial. Always review and refine AI outputs or you could risk lower quality and poor brand alignment.
Interesting Examples of AI in the Content Production Process
Generative text-based AI tools have quickly become well known. Similarly, lots of people are testing out video and image generators (and coming up with mixed results). But here are a few applications of AI that we’re using in our production processes here at Little Dot Studios that you may not have thought of yet.
Automated Dubbing Translations
Translation is one area that AI is taking by storm. But it’s not just through texts and documents where this can have an impact.
If you’re producing video content (especially if you’re producing a lot of it), you’ll know how expensive the processes of manually translating voiceovers, or applying dubbing can be. With AI, you can automate this process and quickly dub voice overs with other languages.
Not only does this speed things up, but it opens up many more possibilities of making your content accessible to a much wider audience through multiple languages.
Here at Little Dot, we recently partnered with Dubformer, an AI dubbing platform, to quickly create non-English FAST channels. Learn more here!
Bringing Historical Assets to Life in Video
Whether it’s old, sepia-toned photographs or more modern still images, you can use AI to provide motion and intrigue to previously static media. For example, our history brand History Hit has breathed new life into clips for videos on their popular YouTube channel, recreating battle scenes and stories about Jack the Ripper.
That’s the beauty of new AI tools - it’s not just about generative functionality. It’s also about quickly and efficiently adding exciting new elements to stuff you already have. Plus, this is the type of animation that may have taken hours of work previously, but AI can take care of almost at the push of a button.
Enhancing Thumbnail Creation and Other YouTube Elements
There’s no doubt AI can do some cool stuff. But one of the most enticing aspects for creators, producers and editors is its ability to take care of more time-intensive tasks with minimal effort.
One example of this we’ve employed at Little Dot is YouTube thumbnail image creation. Producing thousands of hours of content makes even small time-saving wins like this a huge deal. From saving time with full automation, to enhancing image quality with AI generated imagery - we’re also automating repetitive tasks like metadata and the hashtags we use, among other things.
Looking to up your YouTube game? Check out the YouTube Knowledge Hub with free downloads, eBooks and whitepapers (and some examples of Little Dot’s work on the platform!) here.
What types of AI technology can be used in content production, editing and analysis?
Content Generation Tools
These AI tools can automate the creation of written content, such as articles, blog posts, and scripts. They're particularly useful for generating initial drafts or ideas, which can then be refined by human editors, overcoming writer's block and speeds up the content creation process from video scripts to shorter-form text like video titles and captions.
Image and Graphic Design Tools
AI in this category can generate or enhance images and graphics, making it easier for creators to produce visually appealing content without needing extensive design skills. These tools can create social media graphics, video thumbnails and other visual content, often with relatively simple inputs from the user about style and content preferences.
Video Production Tools
AI-driven video production tools can automate some areas of video creation, from editing to adding special effects. They can also generate video content from text descriptions or help with creating dynamic animations, saving a lot of time and resources in video production.
Voice and Audio Processing Tools
This category includes tools that can generate synthetic voices, convert text to speech, and dub videos in multiple languages. They're useful for creating high-quality voiceovers for videos, podcasts, and other audio content, enabling producers to easily localise content for different markets and make it more accessible overall.
Translation and Localisation Tools
AI-powered translation tools go beyond basic text translation to include dubbing and subtitling for videos, making content accessible to a global audience. These tools can drastically reduce the time and cost associated with manual translation, dubbing and localisation processes.
Data Analysis and Audience Insights Tools
AI in this category helps creators understand content performance and audience behaviour by analysing engagement data. These tools can uncover patterns, preferences, and trends, informing content strategy and helping creators produce more of what their audience loves.
Automated Editing and Proofreading Tools
This category includes AI tools that can check for grammar, spelling, style, and even plagiarism, ensuring that content is polished and professional. They save time in the editing process and help maintain a consistent voice and quality in all published content.
Predictive Analytics and Trend Forecasting Tools
Using AI to predict content trends and audience interests can help creators stay ahead of the curve. These tools analyse vast amounts of data to forecast content performance, helping creators to produce relevant and timely content that is more likely to resonate with their audience. Imagine a tool that could read a film script and tell you whether the production is likely to be a hit—well, AI content tools like this do exist!
The plethora of advanced tech hitting the market is almost overwhelming and it’s easy to be seduced by what they promise to help you achieve. But there are some easy mistakes and pitfalls to keep in mind when using AI of any kind.
AI Content Pitfalls to Avoid
Seeing more niche AI content examples like this can make it seem as though the sky's the limit. But letting AI technology have free rein over any content process is a dangerous game. Here are some tips on using it responsibly, avoiding mistakes or letting any quality slips sneak in.
Don’t Over-Rely on AI
Let AI be your assistant, not your overlord. Human creativity and editorial judgement are irreplaceable. These tools can be a helpful wall to bounce creative ideas off, and they can shoulder a heavy content load when it comes to the production and editing process. But human eyes at every step are absolutely critical. Just try getting ChatGPT or other generative tools to fire out some blogs or email copy and you’ll find discrepancies in tone, misinterpretations and sometimes even completely incorrect information. Detailed proofing and verification from additional sources is essential.
Brand Voice Dissonance
Make sure AI-generated content mirrors your brand voice and tone. Generative text tools can sometimes go rogue or stray from instructions - Don't let your unique identity get lost in the mix.
Quality Control Slip-Ups
Maintain high standards by proofreading, editing, and fine-tuning AI outputs to ensure quality and originality. You’ve probably seen some examples of AI gaffes here and there, but it’s easier for those to slip through the net than you think! So, at every step of the way but especially before you hit Publish, go over AI generated and edited content with a fine toothed comb.
Ethical Considerations
It’s important to understand, as much as possible, copyright law and the responsible use of AI. It’s a tricky topic to navigate and there is still a ton of debate around it, but it’s a good idea to put up some guardrails around AI usage within your content processes, and make sure your whole team and any contractors you work with are aligned with your policy.
Beware of a lack of uniqueness
AI tools have a low barrier to entry, but that means that everything can start to look and sound the same. If you’re not adding additional value to the AI content you’re creating, someone else could be generating exactly the same thing. To stand out, AI must be the starting point, not the destination.
The Future of Generative AI and Content Creation
With great power comes great responsibility, and the rise of AI in content creation is sparking some lively debates around copyright issues. On one side, there's excitement about how AI can democratise creativity, giving people the tools to express themselves in ways they never thought possible. On the other hand, there's concern about how these technologies might infringe on existing copyrights, potentially blurring the lines between original and AI-generated content. Navigating these waters will be crucial for ensuring that the future of content creation is both innovative and respectful of creators' rights.
That being said, It's fascinating to consider the vast potential that AI holds for the future of content creation. Picture a scenario where AI doesn't just kickstart the creating process but also enhances and customises content to align with a user’s preferences and previous interactions. This could truly transform how we engage with video, news, books, and educational content, making sure everything we consume is tailored to our interests and to our knowledge or interest level.
The role of AI in content creation is also set to level the playing field. As advanced tools become more user-friendly, individuals and small businesses will have the power to produce top-notch, compelling content without needing big teams or hefty budgets. This could create a more dynamic and varied digital world, filled with perspectives from every corner of the planet.
Yet, it's crucial to handle this power with care. As we lean into AI's advancements, we must also consider ethical issues and the significance of keeping a personal touch. AI can suggest, draft, and even optimise. But the soul of content – its empathy, humour, and ability to create connections – is something that, at least for now, remains uniquely human. Striking a balance between AI's efficiency and the unique value of human creativity is essential for a future where technology complements, rather than replaces, the human element in content creation.
Beyond the Hype
AI presents a transformative opportunity for content creation. From incredible efficiency to creative spark, and in-depth insights, it’s an exciting time to be involved in content. However, human expertise remains irreplaceable. Striking the right balance between AI innovation and human creativity will unlock the true potential of these revolutionary tools.
There is also a very real ceiling on the capability of the most advanced AI tools - the resources to run and maintain them. As models become more and more advanced, they require more chips, more resources and more energy to service them. It might feel like AI growth is a runaway train, but there are some practical barriers that will likely slow that train down, enabling adaptation and transformation to take place.
We’ve been content superfans here at Little Dot Studios since long before AI came on the scene, and our expertise combined with the efficiencies of AI make us a true content powerhouse. Want to take your content, audience and monetisation to the next level? Get in touch!
