How AI helps me create content my ideal clients love

Okay, AI has got a bad rap recently on LinkedIn, primarily because of the huge increase in poor quality content. I've found myself mocking it at times. 

But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

I found myself banging my head against the wall, trying to figure out why my content wasn’t hitting the mark. I was writing LinkedIn posts, articles, tweets - you name it - but the engagement just wasn’t improving. By most people's standards, it was great, but it had been flat for a while.

That’s when I decided to start listening.

Here’s how I did it using a simple Google Form and a bit of AI magic - and how you can do the same to create content that resonates, engages, and drives leads across your social channels.

Step 1: Create a survey with Google forms.

I realised that if I wanted to write content that connected with my audience, I had to ask them what they actually wanted. Obvious, but sometimes it's easy to get in your own head and write stuff you think is relevant. So I built a questionnaire using Google Forms. I used a mix of open-ended and closed questions - each serving a different purpose.

• Closed questions with checkboxes helped me get the big picture, quickly showing me general trends and patterns across my audience. These gave me a snapshot of where they were at in their journey.

• Open-ended questions are where the real gold lies. These questions gave my audience the space to talk freely about their challenges, goals, and frustrations. Why? Because those raw, unfiltered answers are where you find the deep insights that lead to more engaging content.

Keeping it straightforward was key. I didn’t want to overwhelm people, just gather the essential information that would allow me to see both the overall picture and the finer details of their needs.

You can see a copy of my survey here

Step 2: Sent it by email and LinkedIn

Now, creating the form was the easy part. Getting it in front of the right people was the next step. I sent it out to my LinkedIn connections who fit my ideal client profile and to my email list. I was aiming for at least 50 responses. That number might sound random, but I’ve found that it’s enough to start seeing patterns without being overwhelmed by data.

(Once you've built it, keep using it, it's a great way to keep getting new insights).

I didn’t just blast it out and pray. I sent a message on LinkedIn to each person I wanted feedback from, and I made sure it was short and sweet.

Step 3: Use ChatGPT to review the data

When those responses came in, I quickly realised there was a lot to go through. And while I could have spent hours reading through every single response, I decided to use ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting. I'd done this in the past, but reviewing the data was....overwhelming. 

Here’s the exact process I used:

1. Download the responses as a CSV file from Google Forms.
2. Upload that file to ChatGPT.
3. Use the following prompt:

"I’ve collected market research from my ideal clients. They’re coaches helping people with mindset issues. I sell a 12-week 1:1 coaching programme to help those coaches acquire new clients without spending hours on Linkedin. Review the data and give me the following:

• How can I make the value of my coaching programme clearer?
• Common vocabulary used by respondents.
• Content ideas based on their pain points."

Within minutes, ChatGPT gave me a breakdown of the common themes, language, and concerns of my audience. It was like holding a mirror up to my clients' minds.

This wasn’t just data - it was their words, their pain points, their desires. Suddenly, I wasn’t guessing anymore.

Step 4: Get AI to give me the content ideas

Now, here’s where things really turned around. By using the exact words and phrases my audience had given me, I was able to craft content that spoke directly to their needs. But I didn’t stop there. I used ChatGPT to take it even further.

Here’s how:

1. Generating LinkedIn Post Ideas: After getting those valuable insights, I asked ChatGPT for help in generating LinkedIn posts. I used this prompt:

   "Give me 50 ideas for LinkedIn posts based on the pain points mentioned by the respondents."

   This gave me an entire content calendar’s worth of LinkedIn post ideas, all based on my audience’s actual struggles and needs.

2. Creating Article Topics: I used a similar approach for longer-form content. Here’s the prompt I used:

   "Give me 20 article ideas that address the challenges mentioned in the survey responses."

   With these article topics, I knew exactly what to write about, ensuring that each piece of content was laser-focused on solving my audience’s most pressing problems.

3. Improving My Landing Page Copy: But why stop at content? I also used this approach to improve the copy on my website landing pages. Here’s the prompt:

   "Based on the market research from my ideal clients, how can I improve the copy on my landing page to make the value of my coaching programme clearer?"

   (remember to insert your landing page link)

   ChatGPT reviewed the data and suggested changes to my landing page copy, making it more compelling and relevant to my audience.

Step 5: Edit and publish.

Now, here’s the thing - AI can give you the structure, but it won’t sound exactly like you. So after generating the content, I spent time editing, refining, and injecting my own voice.

It’s easy to get lazy and just copy-paste what AI spits out, but that’s where you can lose the personal connection. I went through everything, adding my cheeky humour and no-nonsense approach to make sure it still sounded like me.

The result? My posts started getting more engagement. People were commenting, messaging me, and asking how I knew exactly what they were thinking. The reason? I wasn’t guessing - I was using their own words to speak to them.

This process has allowed me to scale my content without burning out. I’ve got a bank of ideas ready to go, all based on what my audience wants.

So, why does this process work so well? Here’s why:

1. More Engagement: When you use your audience’s own words, your content becomes more engaging. They see themselves in what you write, and that sparks interaction. Your content stops being about you and starts being about them.

2. More Relatable Content: People are drawn to content that feels personal, and when you use the exact language your audience uses, you build a connection. This relatability drives stronger relationships, and ultimately, leads to more trust.

3. Authority Building: When you speak directly to your audience’s needs and problems, you position yourself as the expert who understands their challenges. This builds your authority because people start to see you as the go-to person who can solve their problems. And trust me - when you’ve got authority, the leads come to you.

If you’re tired of writing content that doesn’t hit the mark, do what I did - ask your audience. Use a simple Google Form, let ChatGPT analyse the data, and then use those insights to craft content that actually resonates.

This process transformed the way I approach content creation. It stopped being a guessing game and became a strategy. I started getting more engagement, more leads, and ultimately more sales - all because I stopped trying to think for my audience and let them tell me what they needed.

And if you need help setting up your own survey or using ChatGPT to analyse your data, drop me a message - I’m more than happy to show you how it’s done.

Remember, AI doesn't have to be complicated, simple things like this, give you a significant improvement without you becoming an AI nerd.