Artificial intelligence (AI) is old news by now, but many marketers still aren’t sure what to make of it. Some, snowed under by work, are unrestrained in their artificial intelligence usage. Others are more cautious, either unsure how to use it or concerned about ethical considerations.
I know you are busy. You are likely here because you want to expedite your processes and keep up with workplace demands. However, according to a 2024 Upwork survey, 77% of employees say that artificial intelligence has increased their workload, rather than decreasing it. In the meantime, 96% of senior leaders believe that AI should boost business productivity.
There is a clear gap here: a skill gap. This detailed guide aims to fill it, providing pointers for how to use AI in content creation, write effective prompts, and find the best AI copywriting tools for the job.
The Problem with AI-Generated Content
When I attended CopyCon in October 2025, it is safe to say that artificial intelligence was the elephant in the room. Most copywriters in attendance expressed opposition to AI-generated copy due to the low-quality output (the words “bland” and “robotic” may have featured). Others took issue with the frequent factual inaccuracies. Yet, digging deeper into conversations, it transpired that despite the initial vehemence, many did use artificial intelligence as part of their creative process.
What’s that about?
It turns out that copywriters hate artificial intelligence when it is used to “write” subpar content that just doesn’t do the job the way that a human can. When it is used skillfully as a sidelong content tool, though, well, that’s a different matter.
It’s all about how and when AI is used–intentionality is the name of the game. (On a petty sidenote: no, that em-dash was not written by ChatGPT. I chose it myself, thank you very much.)
Benefits of AI in Copywriting
I won’t say that AI will give you an “edge” because, let’s be honest, everyone and their nephew’s dog is using it these days. But when used with purpose, it does have the potential to save your team time and increase their volume of written output for content-based projects.
Speed
You want it done? AI is your man. The output might be a bit rough around the edges, like what you’d expect from a budget painter-decorator, but, with a bit of polishing, it will fill in the gaps on that urgent website project.
In the words of CopyCon speaker Neil Simpson, “You are not a typist.” As evidenced by many writers in history, you don’t need to hand type the words to be the author of the ideas. You can make AI your typist, taking advantage of the 75,000 words per minute processing speeds of some models.
Affordability
AI articles will always be more affordable than the ones that humans write. After all, you don’t have to pay a robot. If funding is limited or your hiring budget is stretched thin, AI writing tools are a no-brainer. It’s a bit like having an intern who helps you with admin, research, and drafting basic content. It won’t be of the same calibre as a seasoned copywriter, but if your budget is small, it’s a good place to start!
Creativity
Okay, hear me out on this one. Of course, full creative output will remain with humans (and, apparently, the occasional painting elephant). But I’ve heard too many marketers say they use AI for “brainstorming and idea generation” to not include creativity as a benefit.
Here’s the deal. All creativity begins with inspiration, usually through reading or viewing an amalgamation of other people’s creative works. As AI output is, in basic terms, an amalgamation of the hundreds of thousands of texts that it has been tested on, it can serve as that initial inspiration board.
Where you take it from there is up to you.
How to Use AI as a Content Tool (With Prompt Templates)
Before I go any further, we need to address a common query:
Can’t AI just write my content for me?
Well, yes…and no. It really depends on the quality of content you are aiming for. It can certainly give the appearance of writing your content for you, but I’m here to tell you that, despite what the marketing might suggest, artificial intelligence isn’t designed to be a world-class creative copywriter.
What it can do is serve as a multipurpose tool, taking care of the mundane tasks so that you can focus on the creative stuff. Here are some of the best applications, according to copywriters:
1. Ideation
From long-form blog content to social media posts, you can use AI to produce a high volume of content calendar ideas. Platforms like ChatGPT are particularly good at organising these ideas into a logical order, while providing a variety of suggestions for different post formats. As with human writers, you need to provide a solid brief. Include as many details as possible to ensure that the output is relevant.
Create a [timeframe] content calendar for a [company type] targeting [specific audience], focused on [primary goal], published on [platforms], using a [tone] voice, and structured by [frequency/format].
2. Outlining
Say goodbye to blank page syndrome. The next time that you don’t know where to begin with writing a blog post, turn to AI and ask for an outline. Plug in a prompt to your preferred AI platform, making sure you include details such as your main keyword, title, search intent, audience, and some of the key points you want to cover:
Write a clear, SEO-friendly outline for a [content type] titled “[working title]”, targeting the keyword [primary keyword], aligned with [search intent], written for [specific audience], and covering [key points, angles, or questions to include].
3. Source finding
Can’t remember the source for that pithy quote or statistic that will sum up your point perfectly? Ask AI to find it for you. Do make sure to cross-check the output, though, as this is an area that AI has been known to make mistakes in.
Find credible, original sources for [quote/statistic/claim] about [topic], prioritising [region/industry/date range], and return 3–5 options with the exact quote/figure, author/organisation, publication date, context, and a link.
4. Keyword incorporation
When you have a list of keywords and you need to optimise an article or webpage quickly, AI can be a lifesaver. Simply enter your list of keywords and your article draft, then ask the platform to advise you on the most logical areas for keyword placement.
Review this draft [paste text] and integrate these keywords [paste list] by recommending the most logical placements (title/H1, H2s, intro, body, FAQs, meta title/description) while keeping the writing natural, maintaining search intent: [intent], targeting [audience], and flagging any missing sections needed to include key terms without stuffing.
5. Tone of voice checking
Using AI tools for tone of voice checking is most effective if you already have custom GPTs set up that are tailored to your company’s tone of voice. This is great for employees who occasionally write content for your business but find it hard to get to grips with tone of voice guidelines.
Review this text [paste content] and assess whether the tone of voice aligns with [brand/personality descriptors], suggesting specific wording improvements where it sounds inconsistent, unclear, or off-brand.
6. Proofreading
While overall quality assurance is best conducted with a human touch, initial proofreading and content checking can be carried out by AI. Don’t blindly copy and paste suggestions, but consider carefully whether they are relevant, or indeed an improvement, on the original text.
Suggest edits for this text [paste content] to correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and clarity, while preserving the original meaning, structure, and tone, and flag any ambiguous or unclear sentences.
Common Artificial Intelligence Pitfalls
Don’t fall into the same traps as everyone else. I mentioned earlier that simply using AI won’t give you an edge, but avoiding these AI pitfalls could. With that said, it’s worth being wary of:
Vague prompts
If your AI output is consistently poor, one reason might be that your prompts are too vague. AI copywriting tools work by responding to the briefs that you provide for them. They are not mind readers. When you fail to give clear instructions, the tools will revert to generic copy that doesn’t take the audience or brand voice into consideration.
Lazy research
I hear that “AI it” is beginning to replace “Google it” as the term of choice for checking information online. Truthfully, the thought makes me shudder. Why?
Artificial intelligence output is not 100% factually accurate.
A 2025 BBC report discovered that AI messes up news coverage a disquieting 45% of the time.
So, while artificial intelligence can be used for light research, it cannot be relied on for complete factual accuracy.
Always cross-check your sources, and, like with any form of research, use critical thinking. Ask yourself if there is more than one reputable source backing up a claim. Unless they are related to well-established industry concepts, ensure that sources are recent, ideally within the last 3-5 years.
Not editing
Treating the initial output as your final draft is not going to result in quality content. If the first draft written by a human who understands their audience and has subject matter expertise is assumed to need redrafting, then how much more so for AI content?
Go through your AI copy with a fine-tooth comb, identifying sentences that sound too “samey”. Incorporate natural human rhythm by switching up the sentence structure. Like this. And, if it suits your brand voice, swap bland word choices for something that springs off the page.
Best AI Copywriting Tools
Trying to choose the best AI tools is like trying to choose between 14 brands of peanut butter in the supermarket. Overwhelming, and a bit nuts.
Different tools will work better for different people, but as a copywriter at an agency, these are some of my favourites that help me in my outlining, research, and writing process.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tool with extensive AI functionality built in to speed up accurate keyword research and content planning. It’s extremely helpful for competitor research and analysing page performance, with rankings displayed visually in an easy-to-understand format.
Surfer SEO
I love Surfer. I’m using it right now. It’s fantastic for making sure that your copy is keyword optimised for search engines, scanning top articles, and providing a list of the main keywords to include. As you incorporate them into your article, it provides you with a score to help you understand how well-optimised it is.
ChatGPT
Your standard GPT engine tends to be a bit basic, but with a well-trained model, the content output does the job. I use it mainly to advise on whether the structure of my article flows well, map outlines onto frameworks, and check tone of voice (super helpful when working with a variety of clients).
Claude
Claude is a more natural-sounding language model that is good for idea generation, outlining, and keyword incorporation. Be cautious about plagiarism, however, as I have noticed that Claude occasionally pulls direct quotes from websites without correct attribution.
Grammarly
A solid proofreader, Grammarly does what it says on the tin: catches and amends spelling and grammar errors. Just there, it reminded me to capitalise “Grammarly”. It sometimes has good suggestions for sentence structure amendments, but they might not always fit your purpose. I mainly use it as a catch-all tool for small errors.
Your Best Asset for AI Copywriting
Your best asset for AI copywriting is people.
Unless a tradesman knows how to use their tools, the tools themselves are useless. Unfortunately, many companies are churning out poorly formed AI-written content with little to no human input. In the process, the quality of online content is (in my opinion) decreasing. If you want to stand out, you need to learn to use it well or receive input from those who know how.
At The Munro Agency, we use artificial intelligence every day, but mindfully and with intention. There isn’t a member of our content team who isn’t committed to their craft and to producing work of the highest standard. The truth is, we love what we do, and we know how to do it–with or without AI.
If you would like some extra input to meet your content marketing goals, get in touch with us, and we’ll discuss how we can support your business.
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