The AI Tools I Actually Use as a Content Creator (And the Ones I Stopped Paying For)
I've probably tried every AI tool marketed to creators in the past two years. Some changed my workflow completely. Others were a waste of money that I wish I could get refunded.
The Tools I Use Every Single Day
1. Claude (Anthropic)
I use Claude for everything writing-related. Caption ideas, blog post outlines, email responses to brands, even scripting my longer-form Reels. It's significantly better than ChatGPT at understanding nuance.
2. CapCut (with AI features)
CapCut's AI features are genuinely impressive. The auto-captions are accurate enough that I rarely correct them. The text-to-speech voices sound natural.
3. Midjourney
I use Midjourney for creating unique visuals for my faceless accounts and blog headers. The v7 results are so good that I've stopped using stock photo sites almost entirely.
4. Notion AI
I already lived in Notion for content planning, so adding Notion AI was a natural step. I use it to summarize research, generate to-do lists from meeting notes, and brainstorm content pillars.
The Tools I Tried and Cancelled
Jasper: Designed for marketing copy, not creator content. Everything sounded like a sales page.
Copy.ai: Great for ad copy, terrible for authentic social media content.
AI Video Generators: The avatars still look slightly robotic, and the generated videos feel sterile.
How I Actually Use AI in My Workflow
- Monday morning: Spend 30 minutes with Claude brainstorming content ideas for the week.
- Scripting: Write a rough outline myself, then use Claude to tighten the language and suggest better hooks.
- Visuals: Generate custom images in Midjourney rather than using generic stock photos.
- Editing: CapCut's auto-captions save me about 10 minutes per Reel.
- Repurposing: Write one long-form blog post, then use AI to suggest how to break it into 3-5 Reels.
The Honest Cost Breakdown
- Claude Pro: $20
- Midjourney Standard: $30
- Notion AI: $10
- CapCut: Free
- ChatGPT Plus: $20
Total: about $80/month. For the time it saves me, it's absolutely worth it.
What AI Can't Do (And Probably Never Will)
AI can't replace your unique perspective. It can help you express it faster, but the core ideas need to come from you.
AI can't build genuine relationships with your audience. The DMs, the comment replies, the community building — that's all human work.
AI can't replicate the trust that comes from sharing real failures and honest opinions. Your audience follows you, not a perfectly optimized content machine.
Related resources: Explore more at the Instagram Creator Academy and CapCut.
Maya Chen
Creator, writer, and recovering perfectionist. I share what I learn growing Instagram accounts and building a creator business — the honest way.
