Turn Curiosity into Strategy: How Kris uses AI in Content Marketing

Hi Kris! who are you and what do you do? 

Hi! I’m Kris Flanagan, and I’m Digital Communications Manager at Global Child Forum, in Stockholm. We’re a non-profit foundation that influences companies and investors to integrate and protect children’s rights when they do business. I moved to Sweden from the UK fifteen years ago, and outside of work I spend most of my time chasing after my two young children!

You recently took "AI for Content Marketing". What made you choose this course? 

AI has been such a rapidly evolving landscape, particularly over the last eighteen months. I saw the course as an ideal way to deepen my knowledge about the lesser-known AI platforms. It’s easy to get stuck using the more popular ones, but I wanted to push beyond these and explore new ways of coding, image-making, and video production, that I might not otherwise have gotten around to.

What did you take away from the course?

A main takeaway has to be that AI is an essential tool for top-level marketers today. Content Marketing is a creative job, and there’s some debate about the role of AI in creative arts and professions - but when it comes to ideation, content strategy and production, it’s here to assist you in producing your best results, not to offer shortcuts.

What was it like having lisa Walder as your instructor?

Lisa is terrific! She’s a leader in this field, and the sessions were brimming with energy and ideas. She also cultivated a really welcoming learning environment, where we could offer thoughts and feedback freely – I enjoyed hearing the perspectives of my classmates too.

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

It gave me such a thrill to see the coding possibilities offered by some of the platforms I wasn’t using yet. When you can work with an AI to achieve the result you want – whether that’s a large amount of collated information, or a huge dataset – and then be able to go a step further and translate it into a UI that makes your findings navigable and actionable, that’s really cool!

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

Definitely! The tools and analyses I’ve introduced at work since graduating the course are already taking us down avenues of thinking that are really interesting, challenging us in a positive way, and helping shape our content strategy.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

It’s the classic answer: no two days are the same. There’ll be strategy, campaign, project and event planning meetings, lots of content development, website performance analysis, SEO and AEO work, and some SEM thrown in too – all of which can now be better supported by what I’ve learned during the course.

What’s the best part of your job?

I’ve always been hooked on the creative process. I enjoy having the scope to strategize, write, make assets and videos, design webpages and user journeys – and try things out, to engage our audience and inspire action. Working towards a worthy goal like creating a fairer, more equitable future for children is also a fantastic motivator, and something I’m proud to be a part of.

And the challenges?

A big one is dealing with complicated messaging. Whether it’s a nuanced social topic (as I handle today), or a complex technology you’re talking about (as I’ve done in the past) – how to break it down and simplify it effectively for all knowledge-bases or stages of a funnel can be difficult. If you’ve got the knack of making intricate things seem simple, while still offering value to your audience, you’re a skilled communicator - that’s the key challenge for any marketer.

Where do you find inspiration?

From all around me: colleagues, competitors, social media, podcasts, and everyday discussions. You never know where the spark of an idea will originate from – it’s just a case of making sure your eyes and ears are open (which is sometimes easier said than done, as life moves fast). I find that building some time into your calendar for reflection and research is a helpful thing to do.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

Always invest in yourself, and keep striving to learn. I think that holds true for all modern professionals, but especially in Content Marketing and related fields, where there’s always something new happening and it’s important to stay relevant.

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

Go for it! It can be a bit daunting to find yourself back in the (digital) classroom, but it’s good every now and again to step out of your comfort zone. This is the second time I’ve studied at Berghs SoC, and both times I’ve come away supercharged and equipped with new skills that have made me better at my job.