The highly competitive mobile-first South African digital news scene relies on more than intuition for success; it requires data-based decisions and the strategic application of AI.

These tools enable publishers to process content efficiently, stay ahead of rapidly evolving algorithms, and respond promptly to shifting consumer behaviour — a recipe for getting ahead of the pack and capturing attention in a crowded market.

AI gives digital news publishers a competitive advantage

There are many AI tools available that can give newsrooms an edge over their competitors.

In March, our team learned how to create custom generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) that streamline certain processes. While we have a strict policy against creating content using AI, we have embraced the AI revolution by utilising different tools that reduce time spent on menial tasks.

Briefly News aims to stay on top of trends and measure our performance against our competitors weekly. The initial process took many hours to complete and was prone to human bias. The GPT we coded reduced the competitor analysis by almost half the duration but with more accurate, data-backed recommendations.

To code a GPT like the competitor analysis, the first step is to define the purpose and the tasks it needs to perform.

In the case of this report, the GPT is tailored for competitor analysis, which involves reviewing and comparing the content, style, and engagement strategies between Briefly News and its competitors.

To achieve this, the GPT is trained to process and assess multiple components of the content, such as posting time, social leads, preview images, headlines, and overall strategy. The model incorporates guidelines that ensure consistency, creativity, and strategic decision-making when evaluating these elements.

The top posts from Briefly News and our competitors are compiled through a paid content research tool, and the results are fed into our custom GPT for the actual analysis.

Components of the competitor social media analysis

Using the built-in protocols and detailed analysis frameworks we added to the GPT, it effectively compares our social media posts and headlines with those of our competitors.

The process includes several components:

• Time of posting: This compares the timing of Briefly News’ posts with those of competitors.
• Social leads: This involves comparing the social lead (the text accompanying social media posts) between Briefly News and competitors. The goal is to identify which social lead is more engaging and creative while adhering to editorial guidelines. Suggestions are provided to improve the social lead if necessary.
• Preview images: The quality and creativity of preview images used in posts are compared. We receive feedback on how to improve the visual aspect of the content to make it more compelling and appealing to the audience.
• Headlines: The headlines of Briefly News and its competitors are compared. The focus is on creativity, emotional appeal, and avoiding clickbait. Headlines must be descriptive and engaging, and must also follow SEO best practices to drive traffic without being misleading.
• Summary and recommendations: We receive a summary of the findings from the previous steps. Suggestions give us guidance on how to improve Briefly News’ content strategy and avoid past mistakes.

The custom GPT’s feedback undergoes a crucial review by a managerial team member, who also ensures the data is free from hallucinations before compiling a comprehensive report.

The finalised report is shared with the project’s writers so they can stay informed about the news landscape and emerging trends. This helps them understand current trends, identify opportunities for content, and ensure Briefly News’ work remains competitive and relevant.

AI isn’t replacing journalists; it’s empowering them

AI is constantly learning and evolving, and it’s difficult to say where we will be in the next 10 years. AI is no longer the future. It’s here, and we can either adapt or stay behind.

As we’ve demonstrated at Briefly News, the thoughtful integration of AI tools for time-consuming tasks, such as competitor analysis and content optimisation, can streamline workflows and save time.

The integration of these tools can empower newsrooms with insights to create more compelling and relevant content while staying ahead of the competition.

Rather than fear the change, newsrooms must embrace the benefits of AI while maintaining journalistic integrity.

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