3 tips to start your team’s AI content journey

We all know that generative AI (GenAI) is revolutionizing how we plan, create and optimize content. From streamlining workflows to improving patient engagement and beyond, AI offers marketing teams seemingly unlimited options to drive more measurable results in today’s complex healthcare environment.

Many folks are all in. In our own WG Content 2024 State of Content Planning Survey, 55% of respondents said they’re already using AI for content planning. Deloitte reports that 75% of leading healthcare organizations are experimenting with or scaling GenAI across the enterprise.

The momentum is real, but for those who may still be unfamiliar, the very idea of harnessing all this AI razzle dazzle can feel daunting. Fear not! Read on for practical tips on getting started with AI in healthcare marketing from WG Content’s Diane Hammons, director of digital engagement — including how to make sure your efforts are aligned with responsible AI governance principles.

1. Be curious — learn and keep learning

“Be curious! Generative AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a toolkit, and like any tool, it’s most powerful when you know how (and when) to use it,” says Diane.

Her advice: Start with the problem, not the technology. What are your team’s current pain points? Slow content production? Inconsistent brand voice? Lack of insights into your audience? Once you know your challenges, you can explore how AI marketing solutions might help solve them.

Use cases

Here are just a few use cases where GenAI can lend a hand:

• Developing marketing personas
• Crafting email messages and calendar invites
• Curating your news
• Repurposing larger content into smaller elements, like breaking down a white paper or video into snippets
• Writing survey questions for patient or physician feedback
• Creating social media posts aligned with brand tone
• Generating meta descriptions for web pages
• Writing alt tags for images

Credible resources

In this daily changing landscape, it helps to stay informed by choosing a few credible sources you can rely on. You can’t read everything, but Diane highly recommends Marketing AI Institute for free and inexpensive content-rich webinars, as well as its great podcast about AI technology as a whole.

More resources Diane recommends include:

• Search Engine Journal — topics feature how to structure information for AI search
• eHealthcare Strategy & Trends — insights to improve patient engagement, digital transformation and marketing performance across healthcare systems
• AI Disruptor — actionable solutions for leveraging AI in a writing and content creation system
• GAI Insights — essential AI news and analysis for enterprise leaders, with a focus on staying current with developments

Ongoing training

Invest in AI training for marketers to make sure your team knows how to apply tools effectively — whether you’re creating a B2B AI marketing strategy or testing AI tools for market research. Says Diane, “Ongoing training is critical for marketers and the whole company because informed employees make smart decisions about AI tools. They understand how to evaluate risk and how to use the tools safely and effectively.”

Diane attends the monthly in-person Cincinnati AI Meet-up group, where she joins minds with professionals from various industries throughout the city, ranging from beginner users to developers. You can find a similar group in your area.

“What I appreciate is it gets me outside my healthcare and marketing silo to understand AI more broadly — so you know what’s possible, what may be impacting clients outside of healthcare needs and how else they’re experiencing AI,” says Diane. “These folks have steered me to other AI entrepreneurs and thought leaders I can learn from.”

2. Find your agents of change

AI transformation isn’t a solo project. Create an AI exploratory committee with a variety of roles represented. The ideal candidates are curious, open to change and not quick to be discouraged.

“I think the temptation is to assign one person from each department,” says Diane. “Varied representation is important, but it’s even more important to have people with the right mindset, people who can see the big picture. Participation should be voluntary.”

And of course, buy-in from leadership is essential. Your team will need the space, time and permission to experiment. Make sure your leadership understands the potential rewards and the need for responsible AI governance.

Questions to ask

Questions for your internal AI exploratory committee might include:

• What are our business cases for using AI?
• What pain points might be fixed with generative AI?
• What time-saving measures can we find with generative AI?
• What are best practices for generative AI use within our industry?
• What tools might we incorporate or investigate?
• Are there workflows that can be standardized?
• Are there use cases when AI should be avoided?
• What legal considerations or regulations might we need to consider?
• How can we practice responsible AI use throughout the organization?

3. Start small and build

Finally, you don’t need to begin by launching a massive AI program. Start small, with tools your team already uses. These include email platforms, CRMs, project management tools and even Word or Google Docs.

“Are there AI features in your existing tech stack you haven’t explored? For example, let’s just start with notetaking for all our meetings,” says Diane.

Again, begin with the problem, not the technology — “Not: ‘This is cool; where can we use this?’ But instead, be aware of the technology so when you have a pain point, you know what’s out there,” says Diane.

Try:

• Using AI to generate subject line variations in your email platform
• Drafting blog outlines or headlines in ChatGPT
• Summarizing meetings or interviews with transcription

Each small win builds confidence, trust and the capability to move to the next bigger step.

AI governance: build a safe, scalable foundation

As you explore AI, you’ll need to consider what AI governance is and how to apply it. Simply put, AI governance refers to the frameworks, policies and oversight needed to use AI responsibly, ethically and safely — especially in a regulated industry like healthcare. Understanding why AI governance is important helps align your organization on expectations, safety and long-term success.

Note that AI literacy training and governance are a simultaneous path. Says Diane, “At WG Content, we recognized early on that we shouldn’t wait to train our team on foundational AI concepts, particularly around security, while we built out governance and use cases. GenAI was already in everyone’s hands — on their phones, at home and in everyday tools. The longer we delayed guidance, the more likely team members were to experiment independently, which could have put the company at risk. By getting ahead of that with clear practical training, we created a safer path forward and made sure our team knew how to use AI responsibly, no matter the tool or where they’re working.”

Governance framework

An AI governance framework incorporates and addresses:

• Ethical principles: fairness, transparency and privacy
• Regulatory compliance: HIPAA, GDPR and emerging laws
• Risk management: reducing misinformation, bias and unintended consequences
• Technical controls: auditing and explainability tools
• Stakeholder involvement: across teams and functions

Develop a written AI governance policy, create oversight roles and evaluate AI governance tools that support auditing and reporting. Without an AI governance policy, potential risks include compliance issues, security risks, reputational harm and even lawsuits.

You don’t have to do it alone

Yes, AI is changing everything — but you don’t have to navigate it alone. With the right guidance, structure and support, you can do even more than save time and money (though that’s pretty great!). You can tell better stories, serve patients more effectively and build deeper, more meaningful relationships that drive lasting impact. Learn how WG Content’s WGC Catalyst can help you take the next step!

More tips on AI and content:

Diane Hammons

So, you’re all writers? No. But we’re all communicators. Diane…

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