The ongoing conversation about how to use Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude in content creation continues to grow fiercer every day.
While purists claim that any use of AI tools during the content creation process is heresy, lazy bandwagoners are satisfied to have AI create their content for them regardless of the results. The rest of us are somewhere in the middle.
In time, both purists and bandwagoners will be proven wrong in their approach and become obsolete. The purists that resist the use of AI tools entirely will be akin to writers resisting the adoption of the computer in favor of sticking with their typewriters, while bandwagoners will continue to see a degradation in their business strategies and brands as they erase what differentiates them from their competitors. Clearly, neither position will be advantageous to hold onto in the coming years.
These days most people believe that AI-style tools have some role to play in the content creation process, but the question becomes what kind of role?
How much is too much to let technology do for you?
Think about writing an article for your company’s blog. Should you ask Grok to write you an article on a particular topic and then just copy/paste it onto your blog? Should you use Grok to do the research and then write the article yourself? What about doing your own research and writing and then using Grok to edit it for you? As you can see, these are very different scenarios with different considerations, which will likely result in very different outcomes.
While purists claim that any use of AI tools during the content creation process is heresy, lazy bandwagoners are satisfied to have AI create their content for them regardless of the results. The rest of us are somewhere in the middle.
In time, both purists and bandwagoners will be proven wrong in their approach and become obsolete. The purists that resist the use of AI tools entirely will be akin to writers resisting the adoption of the computer in favor of sticking with their typewriters, while bandwagoners will continue to see a degradation in their business strategies and brands as they erase what differentiates them from their competitors. Clearly, neither position will be advantageous to hold onto in the coming years.
These days most people believe that AI-style tools have some role to play in the content creation process, but the question becomes what kind of role?
How much is too much to let technology do for you?
Think about writing an article for your company’s blog. Should you ask Grok to write you an article on a particular topic and then just copy/paste it onto your blog? Should you use Grok to do the research and then write the article yourself? What about doing your own research and writing and then using Grok to edit it for you? As you can see, these are very different scenarios with different considerations, which will likely result in very different outcomes.
When you’re faced with similar decisions, decide which considerations you should prioritize. Relevant considerations may include overall quality, brand alignment, authenticity and transparency, project speed, price, business ethics, legal compliance, regulatory requirements, partnership agreements, or something else entirely.
To us, the quality of the finished product and the ethics of its creation are the most important because we strongly believe that:
What is most important for you?
Let’s examine overall quality and strategic brand alignment as we review a human-generated article versus some LLM-generated articles and discuss their differences. We will perform this exercise as if we were writing an article on Content Marketing for our own LionShark blog. Now, let’s get started!
Comparing Humans vs Machines
Human-Generated Article
To us, the quality of the finished product and the ethics of its creation are the most important because we strongly believe that:
- A human component is needed to make branded content authentic and relatable (i.e. no one can speak to people quite like people can).
- Simply using LLMs to scrape existing content and regurgitate it in new configurations stagnates our collective creative and intellectual growth as a society.
- Using existing content without the permission of its author robs content creators of their intellectual property.
What is most important for you?
Let’s examine overall quality and strategic brand alignment as we review a human-generated article versus some LLM-generated articles and discuss their differences. We will perform this exercise as if we were writing an article on Content Marketing for our own LionShark blog. Now, let’s get started!
Comparing Humans vs Machines
Human-Generated Article
If you’ve heard the buzz around content marketing but can’t exactly nail down what it is, you’ve come to the right place! We’re breaking down what content marketing is, how to do it well, and where it fits into your overall business strategy. Let’s dive in!
Content marketing is about using your brand’s digital assets to market your business. It centers around all the things businesses create – things like webpages, blog articles, videos, images, social media posts, emails, landing pages, podcasts, and webinars.
As you may have guessed, content marketing is a “pull” strategy, meaning that aims to create brand awareness and product demand to bring people to a product (rather than a “push” strategy, which brings the product to people through things like advertising and distribution channels). The goal with content marketing is to establish trust by providing value to your audience before asking for anything in return (like a purchase, download, or signup).
A well-executed content marketing strategy will demonstrate thought-leadership, transparency, and authenticity to appeal to your company’s key audiences. However, as the name would imply, content creation must be guided by a strategic plan to succeed. It cannot simply be a haphazard collection of content that a business thinks their audience may want someday. It needs to be comprised of well-crafted content that not only sells a product but the brand itself as well. It must deliberately and consistently deliver exactly what a company’s core audience needs when they need it, which requires an investment of time and money to do well. However, the payoff is worth it because a good content strategy will fuel your overall business strategy by supporting business goals and ensuring alignment across various teams and objectives.
Remember, regardless of what your strategic revenue plan looks like, its execution will always require at least some type of content. You simply can’t succeed with a business strategy that drops the ball on content creation and promotion!
When you need a content strategist or content creator, we can help! At LionShark Digital we have been offering content marketing consulting as well as outsourced content writing for more than a decade. Our team leverages their expertise to deliver results for yours! Contact us today to find out more!
ChatGPT-Generated Article
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Unlike traditional advertising, which often interrupts the audience with promotional messages, content marketing aims to provide information or entertainment that the audience actually wants. This could be in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media updates, infographics, or newsletters. The core idea is to build trust and loyalty by delivering content that educates, solves problems, or adds value to people’s lives.
At the heart of content marketing is storytelling. Successful content tells a story that resonates with the target audience. For example, a fitness brand might publish articles on healthy eating, workout routines, or mental wellness tips, positioning itself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source. Over time, readers who benefit from this content are more likely to buy the brand’s products or services.
Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in content marketing. By incorporating relevant keywords and structuring content effectively, businesses can improve their visibility on search engines like Google. This organic reach drives more traffic to their websites, making SEO an essential tactic for content marketers.
Content marketing also supports other digital marketing strategies. High-quality content can enhance email campaigns, provide substance for social media posts, and serve as the foundation for paid advertising. Furthermore, content can be repurposed in various formats, extending its lifespan and increasing its value.
Measuring the effectiveness of content marketing involves tracking metrics like website traffic, engagement (such as likes, shares, and comments), conversion rates, and lead generation. These insights help marketers understand what’s working and refine their strategy accordingly.
One of the key advantages of content marketing is its long-term impact. While paid ads stop working when the budget runs out, great content continues to attract and convert customers over time. However, it requires patience, consistency, and a deep understanding of the audience’s needs and behaviors.
In summary, content marketing is more than just producing material — it’s about delivering the right message to the right people at the right time. When done well, it not only drives sales but also builds lasting relationships with customers, making it a powerful tool in the modern marketer’s toolkit.
Grok-Generated Article
Content marketing is a strategic approach to creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience, ultimately driving profitable customer actions. Unlike traditional advertising, which directly promotes products or services, content marketing focuses on building relationships by providing information that educates, entertains, or solves problems for consumers. This approach fosters trust and positions brands as thought leaders in their industries.
At its core, content marketing revolves around understanding the needs and interests of a specific audience. Businesses identify their target demographic and craft content—such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, or social media posts—that resonates with their audience’s pain points or aspirations. For example, a fitness brand might publish workout guides or nutrition tips to engage health-conscious consumers, while a tech company could share tutorials on using their software. The content must be high-quality, authentic, and aligned with the brand’s values to build credibility.
The process begins with setting clear goals, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or boosting customer loyalty. Next, businesses develop a content strategy, which includes defining the audience, choosing appropriate formats, and selecting distribution channels like websites, social media, or email newsletters. Consistency is key—regularly publishing content keeps audiences engaged and reinforces brand presence. Additionally, content should be optimized for search engines (SEO) to improve discoverability, incorporating relevant keywords and addressing trending topics.
Content marketing offers measurable benefits. It drives organic traffic, enhances brand visibility, and nurtures long-term customer relationships. According to studies, businesses using content marketing see higher engagement rates and lower customer acquisition costs compared to traditional advertising. Tools like Google Analytics or social media insights help track performance, allowing marketers to refine their strategies based on data.
However, success requires patience and adaptability. Content marketing is not a quick fix; it demands ongoing effort to produce fresh, relevant material and stay ahead of competitors. Challenges include keeping up with changing consumer preferences and algorithm updates on platforms like Google or Instagram.
Claude-Generated Article
Content marketing has emerged as one of the most effective ways for businesses to connect with their audiences in today's digital landscape. Unlike traditional advertising that interrupts consumers with promotional messages, content marketing focuses on creating valuable, relevant content that naturally attracts and engages potential customers.
At its core, content marketing is a strategic approach that involves developing and distributing consistent, high-quality content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. The ultimate goal is to drive profitable customer action by establishing trust, demonstrating expertise, and providing genuine value before asking for anything in return.
The foundation of successful content marketing lies in understanding your audience's needs, challenges, and interests. Rather than pushing products or services directly, businesses create content that addresses these pain points and provides solutions. This might include blog posts that answer common questions, videos that demonstrate product usage, infographics that simplify complex topics, or podcasts that explore industry trends.
One of the key advantages of content marketing is its ability to build long-term relationships with customers. When businesses consistently provide helpful information, they position themselves as trusted authorities in their field. This trust translates into brand loyalty, increased customer lifetime value, and valuable word-of-mouth referrals.
Content marketing also offers significant benefits for search engine optimization. Search engines favor websites that regularly publish fresh, relevant content, which can improve organic rankings and drive more traffic to your site. Additionally, quality content naturally attracts backlinks from other websites, further boosting your search visibility.
The versatility of content marketing allows businesses to reach audiences across multiple channels and formats. From social media posts and email newsletters to webinars and case studies, content can be adapted and repurposed to maximize its reach and impact. This multi-channel approach ensures that your message reaches customers wherever they prefer to consume information.
Measuring the success of content marketing requires tracking various metrics beyond just sales numbers. Engagement rates, website traffic, social shares, email subscriptions, and brand awareness all provide valuable insights into how well your content resonates with your audience.
Content marketing represents a fundamental shift from interruptive advertising to permission-based marketing. By focusing on providing value first, businesses can build stronger relationships with their customers, establish thought leadership in their industry, and ultimately drive sustainable growth through trust and expertise rather than aggressive sales tactics.
Choosing a Winner
Which of those articles was the best? Well, that depends on how you define “best” in this situation. The article by Claude was probably the most polished. But was it the most persuasive? No. Did it best capture our LionShark brand voice? Nope! Was it aimed at one of our core audiences? Again, no.
It was just the kind of informational article that you could find anywhere, because it came from everywhere. Sure, it achieved the objective of explaining a topic, which may convince some business leaders to explore implementing a content strategy, but it didn’t tie that into what they already understand and offer a solution, which is what was needed to make this an effective article for our audience.
So, which article is the winner? Ours, because we know our core audiences better than a machine. (And because this is our game, we get to decide who wins.)
Round Two: Giving Machines a Second Chance
Of course, we could have refined our prompt to see if Claude would have given us something closer to what we were seeking in tone and purpose. However, it still wouldn’t be able to replace the human touch that’s needed to create something of value that truly resonates with our audience.
We asked Claude to make the initial article it created “more friendly and conversational” while keeping it “purpose-driven so that people reading it think they should hire someone to handle their content marketing.” The result Claude returned was a lengthy sprawling article, so we refined the prompt even further by asking to keep it around 400 words for the sake of comparison. This was the result:
Which of those articles was the best? Well, that depends on how you define “best” in this situation. The article by Claude was probably the most polished. But was it the most persuasive? No. Did it best capture our LionShark brand voice? Nope! Was it aimed at one of our core audiences? Again, no.
It was just the kind of informational article that you could find anywhere, because it came from everywhere. Sure, it achieved the objective of explaining a topic, which may convince some business leaders to explore implementing a content strategy, but it didn’t tie that into what they already understand and offer a solution, which is what was needed to make this an effective article for our audience.
So, which article is the winner? Ours, because we know our core audiences better than a machine. (And because this is our game, we get to decide who wins.)
Round Two: Giving Machines a Second Chance
Of course, we could have refined our prompt to see if Claude would have given us something closer to what we were seeking in tone and purpose. However, it still wouldn’t be able to replace the human touch that’s needed to create something of value that truly resonates with our audience.
We asked Claude to make the initial article it created “more friendly and conversational” while keeping it “purpose-driven so that people reading it think they should hire someone to handle their content marketing.” The result Claude returned was a lengthy sprawling article, so we refined the prompt even further by asking to keep it around 400 words for the sake of comparison. This was the result:
“Let's be honest – your competitors are probably still throwing money at ads that people scroll right past. Meanwhile, the smartest businesses have discovered something better: content marketing that actually works. But here's the thing – doing it right isn't as simple as posting a few blog entries and hoping for the best.
Content marketing is like being the helpful neighbor who always has great advice. Instead of interrupting people with sales pitches, you're creating genuinely useful stuff that people actually want to consume. When they have a problem you can solve, guess who they're going to think of first?
The idea sounds simple – create valuable content consistently, and over time, people start to know, like, and trust you. But "simple" doesn't mean "easy."
Here's where it gets tricky: effective content marketing requires deep audience research, strategic planning, and understanding pain points at a granular level. Most businesses think they know their audience, but they're really just guessing. Getting this wrong means your content falls flat, no matter how well-written it is.
Then there's the consistency problem. Sporadic posting kills momentum. Your audience needs regular, valuable insights, which means having a content calendar, understanding seasonal trends, and planning content that builds on itself. Miss a few weeks, and you're essentially starting over.
Content marketing and SEO are deeply interconnected. You need to understand keyword research, search intent, and how to optimize content without making it sound robotic. Plus, effective repurposing requires understanding how each platform works and how to adapt messaging for different contexts.
Most business owners look at vanity metrics instead of numbers that actually matter. Proper measurement requires understanding attribution, setting up tracking, and analyzing data to continuously improve your strategy. Without this, you're flying blind.
Here's what nobody tells you: effective content marketing is incredibly time-intensive. Research, writing, editing, optimizing, promoting, measuring, adjusting – it's basically a full-time job. Most business owners either don't have the time to do it right, or they try to squeeze it in and end up with mediocre results.
While your competitors burn through ad budgets trying to shout louder than everyone else, businesses winning with content marketing aren't doing it themselves. They're partnering with experts who understand the nuances and can execute strategies that actually drive results.
Because at the end of the day, amateur content marketing is just expensive busywork that doesn't move the needle. Your business deserves better than that.
That’s definitely not an improvement, but Claude thought it was. The resulting article lacked any real substance – it was just a fluff piece (with grammatical issues to boot!). If we had chosen to use it on our blog as is, we would have just been adding to the white noise online and making our brand look bad in the process. If we had chosen to use that as the basis for an article we wrote, we would have wasted our time trying to mold that into something that could help our audience. So that second version wasn't helpful! Throw that in the trash.
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting… Humans and AI Meet
Now, were there some things in the original article from Claude that we could have included? Definitely! In reading through the first Claude article, we were reminded that we could have:
So, now we can do what purists would scoff at and bandwagoners would claim they don’t have the time for… We can get ideas from AI and use them to shape our work. Incorporating those three ideas into our article gives us this:
A Human-Generated Article that Leverages AI
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting… Humans and AI Meet
Now, were there some things in the original article from Claude that we could have included? Definitely! In reading through the first Claude article, we were reminded that we could have:
- Highlighted the long-term benefits
- Included specific examples of high-impact content that businesses rely on
- Discussed how content can be used across channels
So, now we can do what purists would scoff at and bandwagoners would claim they don’t have the time for… We can get ideas from AI and use them to shape our work. Incorporating those three ideas into our article gives us this:
A Human-Generated Article that Leverages AI
If you’ve heard the buzz around content marketing but can’t exactly nail down what it is, you’ve come to the right place! We’re breaking down what content marketing is, how to do it well, and where it fits into your overall business strategy. Let’s dive in!
Content marketing is about using your brand’s digital assets to market your business. It leverages all the things businesses create – webpages, blog articles, videos, images, social media posts, emails, landing pages, podcasts, webinars, and more – to address customers’ pain points and provide helpful solutions. Some examples of well-crafted content might include blog posts that answer tricky questions, videos that showcase product usage, or podcast episodes that explore industry trends.
As you may have guessed, content marketing is a “pull” strategy, meaning that aims to create brand awareness and product demand to attract people to a product (rather than a “push” strategy, which presents the product to people through things like advertising and distribution channels). Its success, therefore, relies on understanding your audience’s true needs, challenges, and interests to offer something that will appeal to them.
The goal with content marketing is to establish trust by providing value to your audience before asking for anything in return (like a purchase, download, or signup). This trust can not only help to attract more leads and convert them into new customers but also build the kind of long-term relationships with existing customers that creates brand loyalty, increasing a customer lifetime value.
A well-executed content marketing strategy will demonstrate thought-leadership, transparency, and authenticity to appeal to your company’s key audiences. However, as the name would imply, content creation must be guided by a strategic plan to succeed. It cannot simply be a haphazard collection of content that a business thinks their audience may want someday. It needs to be comprised of well-crafted content that not only sells a product but the brand itself as well. It must deliberately and consistently deliver exactly what a company’s core audience needs when they need it and where they’ll find it.
Obviously, this requires an investment of time and money to do well across the right channels for your audience. However, the payoff is worth it because a good content strategy will fuel your overall business strategy by supporting business goals and ensuring alignment across various teams and objectives.
Rember, regardless of what your strategic revenue plan looks like, its execution will always require at least some type of content. You simply can’t succeed with a business strategy that drops the ball on content creation and promotion!
When you need a content strategist or content creator, we can help! At LionShark Digital we have been offering content marketing consulting as well as outsourced content writing for more than a decade. Our team leverages their expertise to deliver results for yours! Contact us today to find out more!
That result is a perfect example of how you can (and should!) use AI tools to enhance your work. Claude helped to identify some items that our article missed so we could add to what we had created to provide a more well-rounded resource for our audience.
More Helpful Ideas
Another example of how you can use LLMs like Claude to supplement your content creation is by asking for an outline that you can use as a foundation for your own writing as a first step to getting started. For example, when we ask Claude, “Can you provide an outline to write an article about content marketing that specifically focuses on what content marketing is, how to do it well, and where it fits into your overall business strategy?” This is the result:
More Helpful Ideas
Another example of how you can use LLMs like Claude to supplement your content creation is by asking for an outline that you can use as a foundation for your own writing as a first step to getting started. For example, when we ask Claude, “Can you provide an outline to write an article about content marketing that specifically focuses on what content marketing is, how to do it well, and where it fits into your overall business strategy?” This is the result:
IntroductionHow to Do It Well
- >What content marketing is and why it matters
- Understanding Content Marketing
- >Definition and core principles
>How it differs from traditional advertising
>Common content typesStrategic Integration
- >Know your audience and set clear goals
>Create valuable, consistent content
>Distribute across the right channels
>Measure and optimize performanceKey Success Factors
- >Aligning with business objectives
>Supporting sales and lead generation
>Budget and ROI considerations
>Coordinating with other marketing effortsGetting Started
- >Common mistakes to avoid
>Best practices for sustainable results
- >Next steps and long-term mindset
As you can see, if we wanted to use an LLM at the beginning of the process instead of the end, we could do that as well with the same kind of positive results.
Next Steps
Getting an on-brand blog article created that provides something of value to your audience is great, but you don’t need to stop there! Think bigger!
Always look for ways that technology can help you get more mileage out of the work you’ve already done. For example, you can take that article you just wrote or something else that’s already on your blog or website and ask an LLM to create a checklist or social media posts from it.
If we take that article we just created and ask Claude to create social media posts from it, Claude will not only give us some drafts that we can modify but also put them into categories like educational, community engagement, quick tip, thread starter, storytelling, and call-to-action as well as designate which are best suited for which social media platforms. That’s a huge time saver that uses your own content to do more!
Hopefully this guide helped you to understand how LLMs like ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude can be used to augment your content creation efforts to improve the efficiency, clarity, and effectiveness of your content marketing strategy. But, if you still have questions, feel free to reach out so we can address them!
Want to continue the conversation? We’d love to hear how you’re using these types of tools to improve results. Share your insights with our team!
Next Steps
Getting an on-brand blog article created that provides something of value to your audience is great, but you don’t need to stop there! Think bigger!
Always look for ways that technology can help you get more mileage out of the work you’ve already done. For example, you can take that article you just wrote or something else that’s already on your blog or website and ask an LLM to create a checklist or social media posts from it.
If we take that article we just created and ask Claude to create social media posts from it, Claude will not only give us some drafts that we can modify but also put them into categories like educational, community engagement, quick tip, thread starter, storytelling, and call-to-action as well as designate which are best suited for which social media platforms. That’s a huge time saver that uses your own content to do more!
Hopefully this guide helped you to understand how LLMs like ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude can be used to augment your content creation efforts to improve the efficiency, clarity, and effectiveness of your content marketing strategy. But, if you still have questions, feel free to reach out so we can address them!
Want to continue the conversation? We’d love to hear how you’re using these types of tools to improve results. Share your insights with our team!
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