The AI Tools in My Current Workflow
This is not a post from a writer about Em Dashes; I am a strategic marketer and long-time content strategist and writer who uses AI daily. Good content is good content, period. This article discusses the various AI tools I have integrated into my workflow to enhance productivity and quality of work; I can assure you that I am far more productive with these tools than I was without them. How you use these tools makes all the difference in the quality of work you produce. Here’s my top list of AI tools:
- Grammarly: I found it interesting that many purist writers clutched their pearls daily when ChatGPT exploded onto the scene, yet almost every writer I know was already using Grammarly to safeguard their grammar from typos and mistakes. I rely on Grammarly so much that if I had to give up all other AI tools to keep it, I would.
- Claude Pro: I prefer Claude over ChatGPT because I find it a more human-like writer with less obvious AI turns of phrase. But it’s Claude’s Projects that have become an invaluable solution to help me create content for my unique clients. I build individual projects that serve as knowledge containers by uploading a wide range of client and industry content, allowing Claude to understand my clients, their target audiences, and their products and services. You can create nested projects within a client project to explore a specific subject in greater detail. For example, at FinMason, we were preparing to launch a new product, FinCore. Building a nested project enabled me to ideate emails, video scripts, articles, and blog posts for launch.
- Perplexity: When I need reliable information that searches the web, SEC filings, Edgar, or other sources, I use Perplexity. It provides detailed answers, particularly regarding businesses you may be curious about, marketing tools, or academic research, and cites all its sources; it’s easy to go down countless rabbit holes, clicking on the links.
- Creative.ai: This may be the best AI graphics program on the market; however, I stand by my oft-repeated statement that no AI can match the expertise of a skilled human graphic designer. Creative.ai enables me to create basic graphics and short videos with my choice of voiceovers and music, providing access to an incredible image gallery. They also have possibly the best customer service in the AI industry.
- Beautiful.ai: This tool helps you avoid boring PowerPoint designs, use gorgeous templates, and streamline the design process to create engaging on-brand decks.
- JustDone.ai: If you need to ‘humanise’ AI content, JustDone makes it easy. I no longer care about the “AI content is garbage” discussion; I care about whether the content is solid, informative, and useful. However, if you need to make AI content undetectable to AI cheat checkers, it works.
What AI Can’t Replace in My Workflow
AI makes me more productive, but it does not provide the inspiration and expert input that I get from working with great teams of humans. I have worked with a few great writing partners in my life, and nothing about AI content tools replaces the conversations and collaboration that make good content great. And as I’ve already mentioned, there is no AI equal to a skilled graphic designer, for the same reason we still buy art long after the birth of the photograph. I believe that there is something unique about the human soul, and that is what great art and great design bring to us; the AI art I have seen has been soulless.
The key to successfully integrating AI into your workflow isn’t about replacing human creativity—it’s about amplifying it. These tools have become essential extensions of my strategic thinking, allowing me to focus on the high-level creative and strategic work that truly drives results for my clients. Whether you’re in financial services or any other industry, the question isn’t whether AI will change how you work, but rather how thoughtfully you’ll choose to harness its capabilities. The future belongs to those who can seamlessly blend AI efficiency with human insight, creating content that’s not just faster to produce but genuinely better. That’s where the competitive advantage lies.
If you’d like to discuss implementing AI into your marketing workflow, reach out.
