You know that feeling when you really want to hate something — like, really want to despise it — but then after getting to know it...you kind of can't? That whole "enemies to lovers" vibe? Yeah, that's pretty much how we felt about ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that's taking the whole damn internet by storm.
But we're really, really curious about what that might mean for the world of content marketing. Has no one thought of the poor copywriters?!
Jokes aside, ChatGPT is set to revolutionize digital marketing, especially in the case of content, chatbots, customer service, and growth marketing.
How Will ChatGPT Change the Course of Content Marketing?
I decided to set up my own ChatGPT account to see what all the fuss was about. It's currently free (though there are professional plans for heavy chatbot use), and easy to register through your Google profile. From there, all you have to do is type in a command, and the bot will generate a response pretty much immediately.
Here's how ChatGPT can be put to use in content marketing for different types of content.
Article Generation
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence using reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). Because of this, it has a natural, conversational tone and a vast expanse of knowledge. With a single prompt, ChatGPT can generate an article that is cohesive, grammatically correct, and even interesting. It also happens in a flash.
For example, I typed in the command, "Write an article on quantum physics for beginners." In less than 90 seconds, I had a fully fleshed-out, 500-word article (that I have not fact-checked because I personally know absolutely nothing about quantum physics).
Blog Posts
As with articles, ChatGPT can knock out a blog post on pretty much any subject in basically no time. Because of its conversational tone, it can replicate the way an actual human blogger would write, and even include headers and sub-headers (for the record, no AI was used in the writing of this blog, except as examples).
In this case, I asked ChatGPT to write up a blog...about itself.
A little dry, maybe. But with some human intervention, it could certainly be a usable blog. I foresee applications utilizing ChatGPT to write quick blogs to boost frequency for brands that want to have a strong online presence, but can't quite afford a team of professional writers.
Social Media
Writing a ton of social posts can be a big task. Keeping character counts in mind and adding hashtags can sometimes be a drag, and maybe your brand doesn't have a dedicated social media manager. So what if I asked ChatGPT to do it for me?
This feels like a great use of ChatGPT. Even if I don't use the exact tweet, I can leverage it as a starting point, jazz it up a little, and use the hashtags provided. I can see this being a major timesaver for a lot of social media managers.
Product Description
If you have a robust e-commerce site, writing up tons of product descriptions can be tedious. But with a few keywords, ChatGPT can take care of the boring stuff for you. Make sure your prompt is extremely detailed, so the information generated will all be correct. And remember you'll probably still want to add a human touch before using the bot's descriptions.
Headlines and Taglines
I always tell people that marketing and advertising isn't anything like Mad Men, and most of what you end up writing is nowhere near the sexy taglines and attention-grabbing headlines Don Draper churns out. But I also wanted to see if ChatGPT was up to the challenge. My first prompt was admittedly not that thrilling.
So I wanted to challenge ChatGPT even more. I started with a pretty broad prompt to write a headline for soap, but I wanted to see what would happen if I got more specific, and angled for something a little more fun.
If I had a hipster soap company, would I use it? Maybe, maybe not, but it provides a nice starting point to get the ball rolling.
Scripts and Dialogue
This one makes me skeptical. I don't see how a chatbot, even the best one out there, could convincingly replicate an actual human conversation. But, in the name of science, I requested that ChatGPT generate a dialogue between two people breaking up in the park on a sunny day.
I'm not sold. I do see how this can be useful, especially during the brainstorming stage, or when you're really stuck for a line. But will this put screenwriters out of a job? Probably not.
Poetry and Song Lyrics
Need to come up with a catchy jingle, or write a little rhyming couplet for a holiday ad? ChatGPT to the rescue. The bot is capable of writing up a poem or song in under a minute. And boy, oh boy, did I put ChatGPT to the test.
Honestly, I'm howling.
Not sure how applicable this will be, but I can definitely see the value if you need to get the creative juices flowing, generate some unexpected and fresh content, or just give your brain a break (and a good laugh).
There's One Big "But..."
Isn't there always? Look, all of this is great, but as marketers, we must keep in mind the limitations of ChatGPT. It is still, after all, a bot. It will require editing, proofreading, fact-checking, and thorough review to ensure any content it creates meets your quality standards and suits your brand voice, tone, and style.
A human touch is and will continue to be necessary to get the most out of ChatGPT. It's especially important to give ChatGPT as much data as possible for the best results. Make sure your prompts are packed with information on the type of content you want, the specific style and tone, and any additional details that will set your content apart.
Ultimately, ChatGPT is can be a huge time-saver. Automation is here and we should use it to save time and resources. When I need a fresh idea or can't get the words just right, my friendly neighborhood chatbot will be there to assist.
