# Content Marketing Workflow — AI Workflow export
# https://invitationbuddy.com/workflows/content-marketing-workflow
schema_version: "1.0"
exported_at: "2026-08-16T13:33:32+00:00"
source: "https://invitationbuddy.com/workflows/content-marketing-workflow"
workflow:
  name: Content Marketing Workflow
  slug: "content-marketing-workflow"
  version: "1.0.0"
  tagline: "Research, draft, optimise and publish a marketing article end to end"
  summary: "A complete content pipeline: topic research, keyword analysis, AI drafting, SEO optimisation, human review, publishing and performance follow-up."
  description: |-
    Turn a topic into a published, optimised article without the usual week of back-and-forth. The workflow covers the full path — research, outline, draft, optimise, review, publish, measure — and names exactly which tool does what at each stage.
    
    It is deliberately semi-automated: the AI does the research synthesis and the first draft, a human owns the edit and the final approval. That split is what keeps the output publishable.
  category: Content Creation
  type: Multi Tool
  difficulty: beginner
  automation_level: semi_automated
  pricing: freemium
  language: en
  trigger:
    type: manual
    detail: null
  input_types:
    - text
    - url
  output_types:
    - blog
    - image
    - summary
  author: null
  company: null
  last_updated: "2026-07-03"
overview:
  purpose: |-
    Turn a topic into a published, optimised article without the usual week of back-and-forth. The workflow covers the full path — research, outline, draft, optimise, review, publish, measure — and names exactly which tool does what at each stage.
    
    It is deliberately semi-automated: the AI does the research synthesis and the first draft, a human owns the edit and the final approval. That split is what keeps the output publishable.
  business_value: "Cuts the cost of a researched article from roughly a day of writer time to about ninety minutes of review, while keeping a human accountable for every published claim."
  expected_outcome: "One publish-ready article of 1,200–2,000 words with a target keyword, internal links, a hero image and a measurement plan attached."
  problems_solved:
    - "Blank-page paralysis at the start of every brief"
    - Inconsistent tone across writers and freelancers
    - SEO treated as an afterthought instead of an input
    - "No repeatable process, so quality swings article to article"
  ideal_users:
    - Content marketers running a regular publishing cadence
    - Solo founders producing their own content
    - Agencies standardising output across accounts
    - SEO teams that need volume without dropping quality
  benefits:
    - Repeatable quality — the same steps every time
    - SEO built into the outline rather than retrofitted
    - "The human review point is explicit, not assumed"
    - "Every step names its tool, so the process survives staff turnover"
  limitations:
    - Factual claims still need a human check — the draft will state things confidently that are wrong
    - Competitive keyword research needs a paid SEO tool to be worth much
    - "Does not replace subject-matter expertise on technical topics"
    - Image generation rights vary by provider — check before publishing
  success_metrics:
    - "Time from brief to publish-ready draft"
    - Organic sessions per article at 90 days
    - Editor changes required per draft
    - Cost per published article
metrics:
  estimated_minutes: 95
  estimated_cost: 2.4
  cost_currency: USD
  estimated_tokens: 48000
  success_rate: 92
  automation_percent: 70
  human_review_percent: 30
industries:
  - SaaS
  - Marketing
  - Media
  - "E-commerce"
tags:
  - Beginner Friendly
  - High ROI
  - Human Review
  - Prompt Chaining
ai_skills:
  - Text Generation
  - Summarization
  - Image Generation
tools:
  -
    name: ChatGPT
    role: primary
    required: true
    url: "https://invitationbuddy.com/ai-directory/chatgpt"
  -
    name: Claude
    role: supporting
    required: true
    url: "https://invitationbuddy.com/ai-directory/claude"
  -
    name: Jasper
    role: supporting
    required: false
    url: "https://invitationbuddy.com/ai-directory/jasper"
  -
    name: Copy.ai
    role: supporting
    required: false
    url: "https://invitationbuddy.com/ai-directory/copy-ai"
models: []
integrations:
  -
    name: OpenAI
    kind: ai_provider
    auth_type: api_key
    required: true
  -
    name: Google Docs
    kind: productivity
    auth_type: oauth
    required: true
  -
    name: WordPress
    kind: marketing
    auth_type: api_key
    required: false
  -
    name: Canva
    kind: design
    auth_type: oauth
    required: false
  -
    name: Slack
    kind: communication
    auth_type: oauth
    required: false
prerequisites:
  -
    kind: api_key
    label: OpenAI or Anthropic API key
    detail: "Any current frontier model works; the prompts are not provider-specific."
    required: true
  -
    kind: account
    label: SEO research tool
    detail: "Surfer, Semrush or Ahrefs — needed for real keyword volume."
    required: false
  -
    kind: account
    label: CMS with an API
    detail: "WordPress, Webflow or similar for the publish step."
    required: true
  -
    kind: credits
    label: Image generation credits
    detail: Only if you generate the hero image rather than sourcing it.
    required: false
steps:
  -
    number: 1
    title: Topic and audience research
    description: "Establish what the audience already knows, what the top-ranking pages cover, and where the gap is. This is the step people skip, and it is why most AI content reads generic."
    tool: Perplexity
    model: "GPT-4o"
    prompt: |-
      You are a content strategist. Research the topic "{{topic}}" for an audience of {{audience}}.
      
      Review these competitor pages: {{competitor_urls}}
      
      Produce:
      1. What every competitor covers (the table stakes)
      2. What NONE of them cover (the gap)
      3. Three angles that would differentiate our piece
      4. The five questions a reader most wants answered
      
      Be specific. Do not pad. If the gap is small, say so.
    input: "Topic, target audience, 3 competitor URLs"
    output: Research brief with angle and gap analysis
    expected_result: "A one-page brief naming the angle no competitor has covered."
    estimated_minutes: 15
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: semi
    manual_review: false
    tips:
      - "Feed it real competitor URLs, not just the topic — the gap analysis is only as good as the input"
      - "Ask for the questions readers ask, not the questions competitors answer"
    warnings:
      - Verify any statistic it surfaces against the original source before it reaches the draft
  -
    number: 2
    title: Keyword and SERP analysis
    description: "Pick one primary keyword and a handful of secondaries with real volume, and note the search intent the SERP is actually rewarding."
    tool: Surfer SEO
    input: "Topic, target market"
    output: "Primary keyword, 5-8 secondaries, intent classification"
    expected_result: "A keyword set with volume, difficulty and the intent the current top three satisfy."
    estimated_minutes: 10
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: semi
    manual_review: false
    tips:
      - "Match the intent the SERP shows, not the intent you wish it had"
      - "If the top results are all product pages, an article will not rank — change the format"
  -
    number: 3
    title: Outline generation
    description: "Turn the brief and keyword set into a section-by-section outline, with the argument each section makes."
    model: Claude Sonnet
    prompt: |-
      Using this research brief and keyword set, write a section outline for an article of about {{word_count}} words.
      
      Brief: {{brief}}
      Primary keyword: {{primary_keyword}}
      Secondary keywords: {{secondary_keywords}}
      
      For each section give:
      - The H2
      - The single point that section makes
      - Which keyword it naturally serves
      - Roughly how many words
      
      The outline must build an argument, not list topics. No section should be skippable.
    input: Research brief + keyword set
    output: "H2/H3 outline with per-section intent"
    expected_result: An outline your editor would approve without restructuring.
    estimated_minutes: 8
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: auto
    manual_review: false
  -
    number: 4
    title: Draft generation
    description: "Generate the draft section by section against the outline. Section-by-section beats one long generation: tone holds, and you can regenerate one part without losing the rest."
    model: Claude Sonnet
    prompt: |-
      Write the section "{{section_heading}}" of an article titled "{{title}}".
      
      The point this section makes: {{section_point}}
      Brand voice: {{voice_guide}}
      Target length: {{words}} words
      
      Rules:
      - Lead with the point, then support it
      - Concrete examples over abstract claims
      - No filler phrases ("in today's fast-paced world", "it's important to note")
      - Do not repeat what earlier sections covered: {{previous_sections}}
    input: Approved outline + brand voice guide
    output: Full draft
    expected_result: "A complete draft in your brand voice, ready for a human edit."
    estimated_minutes: 12
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: auto
    manual_review: false
    tips:
      - Generate one section per call and pass the previous headings in — it stops the model repeating itself
      - Keep the voice guide short and specific; a long one dilutes
  -
    number: 5
    title: SEO optimisation pass
    description: "Check keyword placement, heading structure, internal links, meta title and description, and image alt text."
    tool: Surfer SEO
    input: Draft + keyword set
    output: Optimised draft + meta fields
    expected_result: "A draft scoring in the target range, with meta fields written."
    estimated_minutes: 10
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: semi
    manual_review: false
    warnings:
      - Do not stuff to hit a content score — a readable article that scores 78 beats an unreadable one that scores 95
  -
    number: 6
    title: Human review and fact check
    description: "A person reads the whole piece, verifies every factual claim and statistic against its source, and makes the edit. This step is not optional."
    input: Optimised draft
    output: Approved article
    expected_result: An article a named person is willing to put their name on.
    estimated_minutes: 30
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: manual
    manual_review: true
    tips:
      - Check every number and every attributed quote
      - Read it aloud — that catches the AI cadence faster than reading silently
    warnings:
      - Skipping this step is how organisations publish confident falsehoods under their own brand
  -
    number: 7
    title: Publish
    description: "Push to the CMS with meta fields, hero image, canonical URL, internal links and schema."
    tool: WordPress
    input: Approved article + assets
    output: Live URL
    expected_result: Article live with correct metadata and internal links in place.
    estimated_minutes: 5
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: auto
    manual_review: false
  -
    number: 8
    title: Measure and iterate
    description: "Schedule a 30/60/90-day check on impressions, position and conversions, and feed what you learn back into the outline prompt."
    tool: Google Search Console
    input: Live URL
    output: Performance report
    expected_result: "A scheduled report and a decision: leave, refresh or expand."
    estimated_minutes: 5
    difficulty: beginner
    automation: auto
    manual_review: false
prompts:
  -
    title: Topic and audience research
    kind: user
    body: |-
      You are a content strategist. Research the topic "{{topic}}" for an audience of {{audience}}.
      
      Review these competitor pages: {{competitor_urls}}
      
      Produce:
      1. What every competitor covers (the table stakes)
      2. What NONE of them cover (the gap)
      3. Three angles that would differentiate our piece
      4. The five questions a reader most wants answered
      
      Be specific. Do not pad. If the gap is small, say so.
    variables:
      - topic
      - audience
      - competitor_urls
    model_hint: "GPT-4o"
  -
    title: Outline generation
    kind: user
    body: |-
      Using this research brief and keyword set, write a section outline for an article of about {{word_count}} words.
      
      Brief: {{brief}}
      Primary keyword: {{primary_keyword}}
      Secondary keywords: {{secondary_keywords}}
      
      For each section give:
      - The H2
      - The single point that section makes
      - Which keyword it naturally serves
      - Roughly how many words
      
      The outline must build an argument, not list topics. No section should be skippable.
    variables:
      - word_count
      - brief
      - primary_keyword
      - secondary_keywords
    model_hint: Claude Sonnet
  -
    title: Draft generation
    kind: user
    body: |-
      Write the section "{{section_heading}}" of an article titled "{{title}}".
      
      The point this section makes: {{section_point}}
      Brand voice: {{voice_guide}}
      Target length: {{words}} words
      
      Rules:
      - Lead with the point, then support it
      - Concrete examples over abstract claims
      - No filler phrases ("in today's fast-paced world", "it's important to note")
      - Do not repeat what earlier sections covered: {{previous_sections}}
    variables:
      - section_heading
      - title
      - section_point
      - voice_guide
      - words
      - previous_sections
    model_hint: Claude Sonnet
use_cases:
  -
    title: Weekly blog cadence
    description: "Publish two researched articles a week with one part-time editor instead of a full content team."
    industry: SaaS
    outcome: Consistent cadence without new headcount
  -
    title: Agency client delivery
    description: Standardise output quality across accounts so every client gets the same process.
    industry: Marketing
    outcome: Predictable quality across writers
  -
    title: Product launch content
    description: Spin up a cluster of supporting articles around a launch in days rather than weeks.
    industry: "E-commerce"
    outcome: Launch coverage ready on time
  -
    title: Content refresh
    description: "Run steps 1, 2 and 5 against existing articles that have slipped in the rankings."
    industry: Media
    outcome: Recovered organic traffic
faq:
  -
    question: "How long does this actually take end to end?"
    answer: "About 95 minutes of wall-clock time per article once the prompts are tuned, of which roughly 30 is human review. The first two or three take longer while you calibrate the voice guide."
  -
    question: "Can I automate the human review step?"
    answer: "You can automate the checks — readability, keyword placement, broken links — but not the judgement. Someone has to verify the factual claims, because the draft will state wrong things fluently."
  -
    question: "Which model should I use for drafting?"
    answer: "Any current frontier model produces a usable draft. The bigger lever is outline quality and the voice guide, not the model choice."
  -
    question: "Do I need a paid SEO tool?"
    answer: "For step 2, effectively yes — free keyword data is too coarse to pick between close options. The rest of the workflow runs without one."
