It’s undeniable that content marketers (and professionals across industries) have faced years of burnout as we were thrust into remote (and now hybrid) work arrangements and our companies grappled with an uncertain economy. And that’s independent from the ever-growing pressure and urgency to learn how to use AI to stay competitive.
But there is a lot to be optimistic about regarding the future of our industry and our value as humans—and there are proven ways for companies to better develop, engage, and retain us.
To get a pulse on how marketers feel about their work, Erika joins Kim Moutsos, VP of editorial at the Content Marketing Institute, in this #ContentChat recap to dig into findings from CMI’s Content Marketing Career and Salary Outlook 2024 research.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or read through the highlights below. If you’re currently looking for resources to help you in your career (including open positions), check out CMI’s career hub.
Q1: How are content marketers using generative AI to support their workflows?
According to the research, three out of four content marketers are using AI (even if it’s just to experiment). Top uses include brainstorming topics and researching headlines and keywords.
“47%—and this was the top number—said that they’re using AI to brainstorm new topics. Another 46% told us they use it to research headlines and keywords. I do that myself; I definitely have a few AI tools that I go in and I try out different headlines. Of course, I then evaluate it against my own judgment and experience.” – Kim Moutsos
About one in three marketers use AI to write drafts, but only 29% say they use it to proofread (which is surprising, because tools like Grammarly are AI-powered!).
“36% said they’re using it right now to write drafts. And only 29% say they use it to proofread.” – Kim Moutsos
One in four marketers use AI to create outlines.
“Another 25% said they use it to create outlines for assignments.” – Kim Moutsos
25% of marketers claim they don’t use AI at all… which could imply people don’t realize that many of their favorite tools use AI.
“Only 25% say they don’t use [AI] at all. And I’m actually a little skeptical about that number, because, let’s be honest, people are curious—does that mean they don’t use the output of AI in their work? I’d just be really shocked if there’s anyone working in our field who hasn’t at least gone over to peek at ChatGPT or something AI-related.” – Kim Moutsos
“I wonder, too, if some people just don’t understand that AI is in some of the tools that they’re using. For instance, I know so many people have used the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer. And if you ask them ‘do you use AI to help you with your headlines?’ they might answer no, not even realizing that it’s AI.” – Erika Heald
Erika loves using AI to help with personalization workflows and to ensure content has a unified brand voice (especially when writing for different executives or thought leaders).
“AI can be so helpful for workflows for personalization, and one of my favorites for really ensuring you have that unified brand voice across everything that comes out of your organization.” – Erika Heald
