The Community Roundtable

Empowering global community leaders with research-backed resources, training, and tools.

Beyond ChatGPT: Four Generative AI Tools for Community Managers

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One of the biggest use cases for generative AI for community managers is help generating new content and copywriting. We think generative AI is a great tool for outlining, drafting, and researching content projects but IT IS NOT a substitute for thoughtful, people-generated content for your communities.

Since ChatGPT blazed onto the scene in November 2022 they’ve been the biggest generative AI name community managers have been discussing. But, ChatGPT isn’t the only (or even best) option for a lot of the content-related uses community managers have for generative AI capabilities. Google’s Bard is the other big name in general generative AI right now, but of course this is constantly changing.

Here’s a quick rundown of four generative AI tools for community managers working on content/copywriting projects:

Four Generative AI Tools for Community Managers

  1. Jasper is a popular AI content and copywriting tool that uses GPT-3 to generate high-quality, human-like copy. Jasper, like most of these tools, can create a variety of content, including blog posts, ad copy, and social media posts. Jasper AI copywriting tool
  2. Writesonic is another popular AI content and copywriting tool that uses GPT-3 to generate high-quality copy. They focus on writing factual and hyper-personalized content that maintains your brand voice and is SEO-optimized with your chosen keywords. Writesonic AI copywriting tool
  3. Anyword is an AI content and copywriting tool that focuses on AI performance writing for marketing teams. And stands out for it’s ability to write optimized copy for search engine results pages (SERPs). The also have a Canva extension so you can generate copy during the design process. Anyword AI copywriting tool
  4. Grammarly is a well-known grammar checker that you might already use (we do!) We just learned that Grammarly also offers an AI copywriting tool that can used to improve the grammar, style, and clarity of your copy, in addition to generating copy in the your voice or the voice of your brand. Grammarly AI copywriting tool

Which Tool Should You Choose?

As always, the best generative AI tool for you and your community depends on your specific needs, preferences, and resources. Looking for a tool that can generate high-quality, human-like copy? Jasper or Writesonic are good options. Looking for a tool that can write copy optimized for SERPs? Anyword is a good option! And if you are looking for a tool that can help you improve the grammar, style, and clarity of your copy, then Grammarly is a good option.

We’d be remiss not to reiterate that any generative AI tool are not a replacement for human copywriters. They are a valuable source of ideas and inspiration, but shouldn’t be used as the sole content generation tool (learn more about the challenges of using generative AI here) in your toolbox. Ultimately, the best content for your community managers is still going to be written by human community managers. They are the ones who truly understand the nuances of your voice, tone and language, and the unique needs and requirements of your audiences.

Other Factors to To Consider

Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing a generative AI tool for content generation and copywriting:

  • The type of content you need to create. Some tools create certain types of content better than others. For example, Jasper is a good choice for creating blog posts, while Writesonic is a good choice for creating ad copy.
  • The price. Generative AI tools can range in price from free to hundreds of dollars per month. It is important to choose a tool that fits your budget.
  • The ease of use. Some tools are more user-friendly than others. If you are not familiar with generative AI tools, it is important to choose a tool that is easy to learn and use.

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3 Challenges of Using Generative AI in Community Management

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As generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT and Bard, continues to develop, it is likely that we will see even more ways in which it can be used to help community managers accelerate the work they do, but like any emerging technology it is evolving, and isn’t without downsides.

Before we dive into 3 challenges of using generative AI in community management, there is one big challenge we want to address on its own.

Generative AI can be misused for malicious purposes, such as generating misinformation, fake news, or deceptive content.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

This raises concerns about the potential for user manipulation, fraud, or spreading harmful narratives. Safeguarding against misuse requires responsible usage, content moderation, and proactive measures to ensure the technology is not exploited for harmful intents. As a community manager using generative AI be aware of the content that is generated and always double-check facts and verify any questionable content.

Before starting to use generative AI in your community work, definitely explore what some of the challenges are, and make sure you understand the impact generative AI can have on your work.

3 Challenges of Using Generative AI in Community Management

  • Bias: : Generative AI models can reflect biases present in the training data they were exposed to. This can result in biased or unfair outputs, perpetuating societal biases or stereotypes. Addressing and mitigating bias in generative AI remains a significant challenge, requiring careful data curation, model design, and ongoing evaluation. As we strive to build diverse, inclusive community spaces, being aware and correcting for any biases in content generated by AI technologies is critically important.
  • Accuracy: Generative AI models are not always accurate, and they can sometimes generate incorrect or misleading information. This can damage the reputation of you as a community manager, your community or overall organization. Our rule of thumb is that ANY content generated by an AI technology is a first draft. Treat generated content the same way your would any first draft content, and make sure it is proofed carefully, and edited for clarity, relevance, and tone.
  • Overconfidence and Lack of Transparency: AI models often exhibit overconfidence in their responses, providing answers even when they are uncertain or the information is not available. This creates a false sense of reliability and makes it difficult for readers to gauge the accuracy of the generated content. While generative AI can be a great brainstorming tool, we hesitate to recommend it as a replacement for thoughtfully written, expert content created by community managers and subject matter experts.

Overall, generative AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for community managers to help scale and accelerate some of the rote work being done. However, be aware of the challenges and limitations of this technology before using it in your community so you can avoid mistakes like biased or inaccurate content.

Addressing these challenges requires ongoing research, transparency, and responsible deployment of generative AI models, along with continuous improvements in training methodologies, bias mitigation techniques, and user feedback mechanisms.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

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We firmly believe that AI is NOT coming for the community manager jobs. In fact, the potential for AI to help community professionals extend their impact is huge. But for a lot of us, it’s unclear how to even start with AI. So, we decided to bring in some experts.

Hans Scharler is a MathWorks Community Strategy Leader and Chen Lin is a MathWorks Product Manager for MATLAB Central (and a member of TheCR Network.) They contributed a straight-forward look at Why Community Matters (More Now) in The Era of AI in the 2023 State of Community Management Report (get your copy here) and shared four easy prompts for how you can start to use AI like ChatGPT in your community program.

Once you get comfortable with the basics of AI prompting, try some prompt engineering to help you as a community manager. (Not comfortable with ChatPGT/the basics of prompting? Check out the pull-out AI guide in the on pages 59-60 for the 2023 report!)

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

Use ChatGPT with the these four AI prompts for community managers below and customize for your particular needs. You will be surprised what you are now capable of doing with Generative AI.

  • Define a high-level editorial calendar template for content and themes to support an online community for a SaaS startup. Include ideas for each month. Output as a table.
  • Help me create a rotating support model for managing an online community. Define the problem statement, possible solutions, include a table of the pros and cons for each approach.
  • Act like a new community member who just joined an online community for a professional community network. You were recently hired by a tech company to be a community manager. You have a technical background and are interested in working with people. What resources do you need to be successful in your new role?
  • Help me justify an increased investment to our company’s community strategy. Write three talking points that a CMO would find compelling.

If you are just starting out, reset your expectations. ChatGPT is not designed to do your work, but to accelerate your work. You still need the ideas, you just need to learn how to express them as prompts. Another thing to remember is that it is a living conversation. The first response might not be quite right, so try again, ask ChatGPT for variations, provide more details or context, and ask for different formats like a bullet list, an email template, a table, or even a LinkedIn post with hashtags and emojis. You will learn a lot through trial and error vs. question and answer so keep trying!

What is Generative AI and Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

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What is Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content, such as text, images, or music. Two common generative AI models are ChatGPT and Bard. Generative AI models are trained on large datasets of existing content, and they learn to identify patterns and relationships in that data. Once they are trained, generative AI models can be used to create new content that is similar to the content they were trained on. You may have seen examples of AI generatde art on social media channels, and music that contains elements generated by AI is now eligible to win Grammy Awards.

What is Generative AI and Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

We aren’t going to be winning any Grammys over here, but we are interested in how community managers can use generative AI to scale and accelerate the work they do.

Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

Overall, generative AI has a wide range of potential applications for online community managers, including:

  • Assisting with member support: Generative AI can help you identify common support issues and craft an approach for increasing member satisfaction. First define the problem statement, and use generative AI to brainstorm possible solutions, including a table of the pros and cons for each approach.
  • Automate repetitive tasks: Generative AI helps you automate tasks such as moderating comments, generating FAQs, and creating social media posts. This can free up community managers to focus on more strategic and creative work – like taking ideas from generative AI and turning them into meaningful content and programs, and strengthening members relationships.
  • Providing insights into community behavior: Generative AI can be used to analyze community data and identify trends and patterns. You can look at trends in member behavior and content consumptions, look for gaps where new content or programs are needed, and use data to create narrative-based dashboards.
  • Creating engaging content: Generative AI can be used to create new content such as blog posts, articles, and videos. As with all generated content, be sure to treat any copy as a first draft, and always proof and edit for clarity, bias, and accuracy.
  • Personalizing the community experience: Generative AI can be used to personalize the community experience for each member. This can be done by recommending content, suggesting friends, and providing targeted support.

Generative AI is still emerging and evolving but community managers should be thinking about how they can thoughtfully deploy it to scale and accelerate their work. Now is the time to research how generative AI can benefit you and your community program.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above! You can also download a free copy of the 2023 State of Community Management research to learn more about current technology and tool trends.