For all of the talk about AI, there are surprisingly few examples of how companies and individuals are actually using it. I've been looking everywhere for this information and haven't had much luck. So, I decided to do something about it and hosted my own AI for marketing free workshop a couple of weeks ago.

AI doesn't replace human creativity. It amplifies it.
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In fact, we've all stumbled upon those websites with content that feels... well, robotic. That's what happens when you let AI run wild.
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​Instead, use AI to enhance, not replace. It's like salt - a sprinkle can elevate a dish, but too much, and it's inedible.
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Some other guiding principles that I live by when using AI:

• Anonymize data. Make sure you're not sharing proprietary customer information or data. And if you work in healthcare, financial services, government, or any other heavily regulated industry, be even more cautious about what you're sharing with AI.
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• Use AI for an efficiency boost. Most people assume AI will get a task from 0 to 100%. Realistically speaking, AI is better at getting a task from 0 to 60% or like 80% - 90%.
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• Don’t settle. Experiment on your terms, test out different prompts, and refine based on the outputs. When working with AI, you need constant optimization - and that never ends.
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• Keep it simple. There is a lot of advice on social media about how to craft mega prompts to give you everything you need at once. I found this usually doesn't work. And it is better to do one prompt at a time. Each prompt should have one or two actions max.
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• Be specific. Then, the more specific and prescriptive your prompt is, the better the output. This isn't just about the information and context you give it but also how you want that information presented back to you.

Also, you don't need 50+ tools to make it work. I've tried a lot of tools because of FOMO, and my current tech stack is small.

• ChatGPT Plus
• Midjourney
• Zapier
• Rev Max

*I'm also using Claude for some things, but it is not in my regular rotation.

I'm always experimenting with new ways to use AI. However, these are the three use cases that come up over and over again.

• Summarizing. Don't want to read through your competitor's 50-page ebook for that one statistic or watch the 30 minute webinar? Feed it to ChatGPT's Advanced Data Analysis feature for a quick summary. Then, ask it questions to find what you need.
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• Role-Playing with AI. This is one of my favorite use cases as I'm using it to "think out loud" when writing website, email, or longform narrative copy. I can feed it information about my audience or a specific customer persona, then ask it questions to help me identify gaps and improve my piece.
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• Outlining. The most interesting way I use ChatGPT for outlining is to pay attention to what’s left out. Because AI is trained on what's already out there, it is going to spit out all the general advice on that topic. Then, I can add in originality nuggets and unique POVs that will make a piece stand out, so I'm not just producing more copycat content.

AI is here, and it's powerful. But like any tool, it's all about how we use it. I share a bunch more examples in my workshop. You can see the transcript here.

🚀 Five interesting things I read or listened to
​Five top articles or podcast episodes I came across this month

• ​Is your content marketing team on the verge of burnout? Here are some warning signs and how you can show up and help your team as a leader.
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• I've been thinking this about link-building for a couple of years. I'm glad to see Google agrees with me.
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• Here's why your B2B marketing playbook is broken and some things you can do to fix it.
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• .Do LLMs need to shrink? This article makes a compelling case for why this can lead to better results.
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• There are two things that aren't talked about nearly enough. First, the realities of exiting and selling a business. And when it is talked about, it is almost always from male founders. That's why this report on 50 female founders who successfully sold a business is such an important and much-needed read.
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• Bonus: One of my favorite parts about The Remote Work Tribe podcast is getting to have in-depth conversations with smart remote-first leaders. Many of which I've been consuming their content for years . My last five episodes with Brian Clark, ​Rand Fishkin, Andy Crestodina, ​Jordan Gal, and Branca Ballot are all bangers and must-listens, but hey I also might be a little biased. 😉

🤣 Just for fun

• ​From not every animal should be an emotional support pet. Anyone who has ever lived in Florida or Louisiana will tell you this is a disaster waiting to happen.
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• To when you hear your favorite music in the elevator.​
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• Colorado might have lost badly to Oregon in football, but Oregon's mascot, Bubbles, lost something more important and got exposed in the process. Hehe.
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• And I will never hear this word the same way again. Chances are, neither will you.

💪 Enjoy this newsletter
​Here are a few more things you might find interesting.

• ​Content Strategy: Are you looking for help scaling your content marketing strategy? I have close to a decade of experience working mainly with early and mid-stage software companies on both strategy and execution. I currently have limited availability starting in mid-September.
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• ​Copywriting: Need an experienced writer that can write both copy and content that converts. Check out my process.for writing longform blog posts, case studies/customer success stories, ebooks, whitepapers, industry reports, email drip campaigns, and newsletters. I currently have limited availability starting next month.
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• ​The Remote Work Tribe: My media brand that I've been working on since December 2019, where we help founders, CEOs, and marketers leading remote-first teams. Get curated resources—in the form of a twice-a-month newsletter and podcast—designed to help you build better remote teams delivered straight to your inbox once a month.

As always, if you have any feedback or any reading recs, hit reply and let me know. The only thing I love more than reading is getting thoughtful recommendations for what I should read next.
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Cheers,
- Jessica and The Remote Work Tribe Team
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P.S. If you're enjoying this monthly newsletter, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend (or three). You can send them here to sign up. ​

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