Embracing AI in Content Creation: A Conversation with Cody Schneider
We recently had the pleasure of hosting Cody Schneider, a Denver-based entrepreneur and digital marketer, on my show. Cody, who has a rich background in marketing automation and content production tools. He has been instrumental in growing multiple software startups over the past decade. He is the founder of Draft Horse, an AI content platform that impressively achieved $10 million in monthly recurring revenue (MMR) in its first month through virality.
The Rise of AI in Content Creation
Cody shared that the idea of using AI content at scale became accessible in July 2022. At this point, AI technology had advanced enough to be usable for marketing purposes. Cody and his peers in Silicon Valley began experimenting with AI for content creation and repurposing. They found that AI was particularly effective at repurposing content and creating content in bulk. Draft Horse, for example, focuses on creating SEO-optimized articles in minutes. Users provide a list of target keyword phrases, and the AI writes a blog post for each keyword.
The Power of AI in Content Production
Cody emphasized the importance of abstracting content production workflows and empowering marketers with AI tools. Instead of hiring a large team to manually create and repurpose content. Startups can leverage AI to amplify the productivity of a smaller team. Cody gave an example of a startup that published 10,000 articles related to SMS and email marketing using AI tools and offshore teams for manual tasks like adding photos and call-to-actions.
We discussed the importance of creating content in multiple formats to reach a wider audience. People consume information in different ways, such as reading, watching videos, listening, or looking at graphical content. Cody suggested repurposing long-form content into bite-sized pieces for different channels like Twitter, YouTube shorts, and LinkedIn. He also highlighted the power of AI in extracting key takeaways from a podcast episode and generating content based on those ideas.
Navigating Algorithm Changes
We also touched on the impact of algorithmic changes on content creation. Cody shared his experience with blogs, where human-written ones saw a decrease in organic traffic while AI-generated blogs performed well. He thinks that Google has a difficult time identifying AI-written content. To create original thought leadership content, Cody recommends interviewing industry experts and using AI to generate an outline based on their insights. This approach allows for unique content creation that stands out from the average.
The Role of AI in Content Strategy
I emphasized the importance of putting thought into content strategy and having a clear goal in mind. AI can assist in targeting, improving, and distributing content, but should not replace the initial effort and strategy put into creating high-value content. We both agreed that AI can enhance productivity and provide opportunities for individuals to upskill and become more valuable resources within their organizations.
Enhancing Productivity with AI Tools
Cody discussed the power of AI tools in enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of junior marketers. He highlighted how these tools can help them navigate their workflows and achieve their marketing goals more efficiently. Drawing from his experience in the tech industry, Cody emphasized the importance of using tools effectively and setting clear goals to guide the team’s efforts.
Cody also mentioned the potential of leveraging global arbitrage by hiring offshore team members. He explained how AI can bridge the communication gap and enable these employees to provide customer service and sales support seamlessly. By using AI to improve their English and ensure accurate communication, companies can tap into a global talent pool and expand their operations.
Embracing AI for Future Success
In conclusion, our conversation highlighted the potential of AI in content creation while emphasizing the need for human input and strategy to achieve success. Cody suggests that individuals should take ownership of this change and build their own expertise in automation and AI. He mentions the emergence of roles like “director of automation” and highlights the value these professionals bring by automating processes and saving the company money. By demonstrating their ability to create value through automation, individuals can secure their positions within the organization.
As we move forward, it’s clear that embracing AI tools and integrating them into our work processes is not just an option, but a necessity. The future of content creation and marketing is already here, and AI is driving it.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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