Boosting Creativity and Business Growth with AI: My Success Story and Tips
As a freelance videographer and content creator, I’m always searching for ways to streamline my workflow, generate fresh ideas, and elevate the quality of my work. One of the most impactful changes I’ve made in the past year is incorporating AI tools into my creative process and business operations. From brainstorming video ideas to optimizing website copy, AI has become an invaluable part of my toolkit. In this blog, I’ll share how I use these tools, where they help the most, and why I’m excited to expand their use in the future.
Brainstorming and Idea Generation
Ever faced a creative block, staring at a blank page wondering what to make? I’ve been there. And ChatGPT has become my right hand in these types of situations. I use it to brainstorm fresh video and blog ideas by feeding it information about trends, audience preferences, and my business goals. With just a few prompts, it generates a list of engaging concepts tailored to my niche. Even if it doesn’t come up with a fully developed idea, it often sparks fragments of inspiration that I can build upon.
Here are some prompts I’ve used to help generate blog and video ideas:
“Pretend you are the world’s leading digital marketing consultant. Please take a look at my website kofilm.me for my business where I provide video and photo services for tech companies, events, and more. Based on my website, can you give me a list of 10 blog ideas with titles optimized for SEO so that my ideal clients can find me better?”
“I also have 3 short films that I shot for a tech company doing philanthropy work (building homes for families in need in Mexico). Can you give me 5 blog ideas and titles so I can showcase these 3 short films I am very proud of while still optimizing for SEO so tech companies, entrepreneurs and those looking to document their companies philanthropy projects can find me better?”The above prompt eventually resulted in this blog post: How Storytelling Through Film Elevates Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Efforts
“I am working on building a YouTube channel based around filmmaking, freelancing, and making a creator-led business … The purpose of my YouTube channel is to boost my marketing efforts for my freelance videography business as well as positioning myself as a leader in the filmmaking, freelance video, and creator-led video spaces. Can you give me 10 more YouTube video ideas that would align with my purpose, be exciting to watch, and do well in the YouTube algorithm these days in October 2024?”
“Great, can you give me 10 more video ideas that would cater to producers who may be searching YouTube for top talent for their next production?”
Content Creation: Outlines, Scripts, and Copy
One of the biggest time-savers for me is using AI to generate outlines and scripts for videos and blog posts. I simply input my main idea or theme, and ChatGPT drafts a detailed structure that I can refine. This significantly reduces the time I spend outlining from scratch.
AI also helps craft attention-grabbing titles, compelling thumbnails, and optimized descriptions. By incorporating keywords and catchy phrasing, I ensure my content is discoverable and engaging for the right audience.
Here are some prompts I’ve used to help generate outlines, scripts, and blogs based on notes or ideas I’ve thought of myself:
“I'm creating a new YouTube video that is about my "Founder Story" for KO Film. This concept came from the book "Stories that Stick" by Kindra Hill. Here are my notes, can you help me create an engaging founder story for my business that would be engaging and entertaining to watch for my ideal audience?”
“Can you make a blog post for me about why it's important for businesses and brands to invest in video content for my website where I am advertising my video services. Here is an outline with facts and figures. Can you turn this into a blog post that is pleasurable and engaging to read and would appeal to business owners thinking about investing in video content for their business:”
SEO Optimization & Repurposing Content
When I have a blog post written, I often use AI to edit it for SEO optimization and flow, to make sure it has all the right keywords and is concise and compelling to read. I then repurpose that same content for LinkedIn posts and other social media platforms, using ChatGPT to tailor the messaging for each audience and platform. This allows me to promote my blog posts and get more eyes on them and my website.
This workflow allows me to maximize my marketing efforts and save time by turning a single idea into multiple pieces of content. As a result, my website visits are up 422% year over year. Clicks and impressions in search have also increased by 100%, largely driven by two AI-assisted blog posts on CSR initiatives and event photography.
Website Copy
Crafting compelling website copy can be challenging. AI has been an excellent assistant here, too. By providing detailed information about my business, current clients, and future goals, I receive targeted suggestions for web content that speaks directly to my ideal audience.
The About Me page and Food & Drink Events page on my website both have AI generated copy that has performed well. I’ve gotten qualitative feedback from viewers that the About Me page is helpful in describing what I do and who I do it for, remaining a top viewed page on my website. And the Food & Drink Events page is a new landing page I created this year to target this specific niche. Since creating the page in January, it has consistently ranked highly in page views and watch time compared to other pages on my site. It is currently ranked as the 2nd best performing page on my site based on watch time, with an average time of 7 minutes and 53 seconds spent on the page. That’s an engaged audience! No doubt, it is due to a combination of the copy and visual assets included on this page.
AI Tools for Video and Photo Editing
Beyond writing and idea generation, AI has transformed my post-production workflow:
Generative Fill in Photoshop: This feature is a game-changer for extending backgrounds and removing distractions from photos and even videos.
Adobe Podcast & Descript: These tools help me remove background noise and improve audio clarity in ways traditional editing software hasn’t been able to.
Auto-Generated Transcripts and Captions: Using Premiere Pro’s AI-driven features, I quickly generate transcripts and captions, enhancing accessibility and audience engagement.
Filling in Weaknesses
One of the reasons I rely on AI is its ability to fill in the weaker parts of my process—namely, idea generation, writing, and marketing optimization. These tasks have historically been time-consuming and mentally draining for me. By leaning on AI, I can focus more on the creative execution and production aspects where I excel.
I also enjoy using AI to organize my stream-of-consciousness thoughts into more palatable content that I can then edit and refine. Blog posts generated with AI consistently rank highly in time on page on my website, demonstrating strong audience engagement. This suggests that AI contributes to creating content that holds readers' attention, likely due to improved readability, structure, and relevance.
Last year, my top-performing post was Solo vs. Team Content Creation. This year, it’s Unlocking Success: Why Your Business Needs to Invest in Video Content, published back in July 2024. The fact that it continues to engage readers over six months later highlights the evergreen power of AI-assisted content creation.
Future Plans: Expanding AI Use
I’m excited to explore more AI capabilities, particularly in image generation. Graphic design isn’t a strong suit of mine, so I see immense potential in using AI as a virtual team member to create custom graphics, assets, and visuals.
I’m also eager to experiment more with AI-driven video generation, particularly for animations and other non-realistic moving images. Although realistic video creation still has room for improvement, AI shows promise for non-literal, artistic visuals. Since learning video and graphic animation can be a lengthy process, AI has the potential to elevate my content beyond my current skill set.
Final Thoughts
AI tools have become indispensable in my creative process and business operations. They help me generate ideas, write compelling content, and streamline post-production tasks—all of which boost my business and free me to focus on the aspects of my work I love most. As these tools continue to evolve, I’m excited to see how they will further support my growth as a creator and business owner.
Ready to elevate your own creative process or business strategy? Whether you're a fellow creator looking to unlock new ideas or a business leader ready to harness the power of storytelling, AI tools can make a game-changing difference. If you’re curious about how strategic video content can boost your brand, let’s connect! Send me a message, I’d love to help you bring your next project to life.