Scary. Cool. Defective. Impressive. Dominating.
These words describe ChatGPT, the hot new AI tool that is allegedly the most sophisticated artificial intelligence. So how does it impact digital marketers? Let’s say– in a BIG way.
GPT-4, GPT -3’s predecessor, is now available via ChatGPT’s new ChatGPT Plus program, which runs $20 monthly. The most sophisticated version yet, GPT-4 can build entire websites and even score in the top 10% on a simulated bar exam.
It sounds like a futuristic movie.
ChatGPT is also proving its intelligence and value in the digital marketing community. From email marketing to chatbots to content ideation, its ability to add an extra member (or two!) to your team is impressive.
While GPT-3 is free, GPT-4 is available for $20 per month. Don’t have an extra $20 per month in your budget? No worries! ChatGPT is still available for free. Here are some ways you can start using the tool today.
Quick And Cheap Copywriting
Just what it says. ChatGPT helps businesses with limited resources. There is nothing cheaper than a free AI tool (it’s still relatively inexpensive if you upgrade to the new pro version).
Type in a social media or email topic, and be ready to be amazed. Of course, you must massage the language to fit exactly what you want, but it is still way faster than writing the copy yourself.
I highly encourage small businesses to dive into ChatGPT to streamline copywriting and save money. It is an ideal tool for underresourced companies trying to keep up with social media marketing and other types of digital media. You could even use it to write a draft of a blog post and other forms of digital copy. It is important to remember here to double-check all copy before publishing to a broader audience.
Customer Service
ChatGPT revolutionizes how we can use AI chatbots to move customers through the funnel. The chatbot on your website can now answer complex questions automatically, which sends fewer questions directly to the customer service team.
ChatGPT can also help customer service teams by decreasing response time, weeding out irrelevant inquiries, hyper-personalizing conversations, and preventing customer service teams from getting frustrated/inappropriate with customers.
Email Marketing
Enter the dreaded subject line. I cannot tell you how many subject lines I’ve written in my career. I can write them in my sleep at this point.
If subject-line fatigued like me, look no further than GPT-4. One of my favorite functions of this AI tool is its ability to produce flawless subject lines in seconds, perfect for A/B testing.
GPT-4 also can create an email workflow. Before you kiss your email marketing job goodbye, note that creating a workflow via ChatGPT requires a lot of refining. It helps if you continue to prompt the tool until the workflow skeleton is enough for you to run with.
Here is an example workflow for a dogfood brand:
Content Ideation
You just added another teammate to your brainstorming sessions! Since ChatGPT has analyzed XX pieces of content, it can suggest more significant ideas than human-only brainstorms. Imagine those brainstorms at 3 PM that you struggle to develop new ideas for. In steps ChatGPT with the creative fuel you need to keep going.
GPT-4 is highly capable of producing content ideas for all social media platforms and digital channels. Refinement will be needed to coach the tool on exactly what type of ideas you want to develop.
SEO
I plan on writing an extensive blog on when and where to use ChatGPT for search engine optimization. While helpful, it is not the end-all for your SEO strategy. Places where I find ChatGPT to be most accurate include:
- Basic SEO Tips
- When I say basic SEO tips, I mean BASIC. If you are an SEO pro, ChatGPT will produce tips that you (hopefully) already know. However, if you are a small business owner, the tips ChatGPT provides will boost your SEO. For example, I searched an SEO strategy for McDonald’s, and it provided me with these tips:
- Creating keyword lists
- ChatGPT can get a keyword list going for you, but I always check mine against Google rankings/SEMRush. Again, basic is the keyword when considering what this AI tool can do for your SEO.
- Competitor analysis
- ChatGPT can help you access keywords competitors are using and even some tips you might have yet to think of for your brand.
Generating Templates
Hello, teachers! Although many schools are choosing to ban ChatGPT (for a good reason), teachers may find the AI tool helpful for cutting time creating quizzes, one-pagers, and more. Again, all need some human touch to finalize them, but the technology can still cut out much of the work.
Agencies can use ChatGPT to create creative briefs, wireframes, and other templates for clients. AI-produced templates cut down a large amount of internal and external work, allowing more time in an industry that is often overworked and underpaid.
Website Creation
Based on a handwritten sketch, ChatGPT created an entire website successfully that ran JavaScript. While this is impressive, there is more that goes into a website than JavaScript. The site needs to be SEO-optimized, designed for the brand, and connected to all the correct accounts, such as GA4, Facebook pixels, and trackers.
ChatGPT’s website creation shows that it’s possible to cut out technical work from the sketch to the elemental composition of the site. ChatGPT can create your site’s skeleton, but you still need to fill in some of the blanks.
Warnings
A rule of thumb my career lives by is always double-checking technology-created content and metrics. Mistakes happen, and while ChatGPT is impressive, it’s not a human at the end of the day. Even the most state-of-the-art tools require a human touch at points. The more niche your market, the closer you must stay to the technology.
While ChatGPT-4 will possibly replace 20 jobs (including mine– So hey! Hire me!), and the technology is constantly improving, keep in mind that the tool only has machine learning up to 2021. If you’re a brand that lives in the present and future moments, you will face problems with its knowledge base and the content it produces for you.
If you are having a panic attack regarding ChatGPT replacing your job, take a deep breath. GPT-4 is sophisticated but far from replacing a human digital marketer. The tool still requires fine-tuning to create digital marketing campaigns for your products or services.
There are so many types of digital marketing for this AI model to catch up on. For example, look at what I received below when I asked the AI tool to write a Google ad:
Not quite there.
So what you should you do now? Find some places in your digital marketing strategy where you can use some examples outlined in this post; if that seems too daunting, at least sign-up for a free OpenAI account and play around with the tool.
Becoming familiar with ChatGPT will help not only your marketing efforts but also your career. This AI darling is not going anywhere, and the more you can eat up information about it, the better.
Happy learning!
– Marji J. Sherman
