Our AI Journey: Lessons from Failed Experiments and Where We Are Now
When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, it felt like someone had invented the power drill in a world of hand-wielded hammers. We realized we had to pick up this new tool, or we'd get left behind building content the old-fashioned way.
Like many companies, we started with what seemed obvious: build a specialized AI content team, use the latest tools, and offer lower-priced content at higher volume. The math looked promising. The reality? Not so much.
Our team spent hours wrestling AI-generated content into shape, adding nuanced insights and matching client voices. We didn't just pay extra for AI tools — we paid for the extensive human cleanup required to meet our quality bar.
That early experiment taught us an important lesson: AI has no inherent value. Like any tool, its worth comes from how skillfully you apply AI to your existing processes. You can slap a "we use AI!" sticker on your product, but it's a red herring unless you can prove meaningful change — improved speed, more consistent quality, and a bigger creative payoff.
Now, we're finally landing on an approach that delivers results based on everything we've learned. Head over to our blog to read all the details about our successes and failures with AI, and what's coming next.
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What We're Thinking About
??♀? Which marketing channels are dead? Our Head of Content Ajdin Perco went on a search for the marketing channels that people most often Google as 'dead' (“Is {insert channel} dead?”). Find out what he discovered in his LinkedIn post.
??? Our new podcast season. In February, we're launching a new season of the Animalz podcast titled "AI & Content: Hello, is there any value out there?" We'll share insights from real pioneers — like Nathan Baschez of Lex and Kyle Coleman of Copy.ai — who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly with AI. More on our podcast approach here on Ty’s LinkedIn.
??? New tool coming. Next week, we're launching a free SEO traffic forecasting tool — built for content marketers, by content marketers — who don’t know how to code. We'll leave you with a sneak peek: