You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz around ChatGPT not only on high school and college campuses, but also in the marketing world…That it is “new,” that the technology can ‘replace people,’ and that your business should be using it now. These are ALL myths.
Now that we’ve calmed you down, let’s discuss what ChatGPT really is.
ChatGPT is a language processing tool driven by AI (artificial intelligence) technology. The “GPT” stands for “generative pre-training transformer” (aka it's trained with lots and lots of data and utilizes a ‘transformer’ algorithm to mimic human conversation). Think of it as an evolved version of those chatbots you’d interact with on AOL Instant Messenger back in the day. Remember those accounts that seemed human-like in their communication but were actually computer-generated? With time, technology, and many, many more data inputs, ChatGPT has become significantly more “human-like” in its capabilities. And yes, it can do some amazing things like:
Author an essay, article, poem, or email (and yes, this is already a problem of “new-age plagiarism” in high schools and colleges across the country)
Create an app
Generate ideas and examples
Write code
Explain complex topics in simple terms
Design a resume or cover letter
Build Excel formulas
Make product recommendations
Summarize and translate text
Compose music and poetry
Answer test questions (like, passing the SAT, CPA, Bar, and US Medical Licensing exams)
Play games
The program launched December 1st, 2022. Within 5 days, it had already gained 1 million users. Less than 6 months later, approximately 40% of marketers are using ChatGPT in some capacity. Are you??
WAIT!! Before you jump on board, know that the technology is not perfect (yet). Its parent company, OpenAI, admits that ChatGPT will sometimes “write plausible but incorrect responses.” ChatGPT is not connected to the web in real-time (and post-2021 info is limited), so data might be out of date or incorrect. Additionally, it’s only as “smart” as the data and training put into its programming. As a result, it can be just as biased (and downright wrong) as a human being.
Still, ChatGPT is astounding and has already impacted industries of all kinds (and did we mention the basic version is FREE?!). Here are some of the ways that ChatGPT can be used in the marketing world:
Ways AI and ChatGPT Can Help With Marketing
1. Customer service.
Impressive chatbot systems like ChatGPT can alleviate some of the icks of customer service like long wait times and generic, unhelpful responses. The technology affords these chatbots to personalize communication and help out the customer quickly and efficiently. From FAQs like “Where can I find…?” “What’s your return policy?” and “How do I track my order?,” ChatGPT can answer them all. This leaves human customer service representatives freed up to handle more complicated issues.
2. Personalization.
ChatGPT can analyze audience data and personalize marketing language to better engage your target audiences. The technology can adapt tone, mannerism, and verbiage to resonate with people of various demo- and psychographics. Plus, the algorithm (equipped with the customer’s preferences and purchasing history) can help ChatGPT to make product recommendations.
3. Content creation.
Say you’ve programmed all your brand information, upcoming events, and sales lingo, into the technology. Then, all you’ve got to do is ask ChatGPT (à la Amazon’s Alexa, but via typing) for an email newsletter, Instagram caption, blog ideas, subject line, calls-to-action, or something else. The technology can also update your current content to target a certain audience or focus on a specific goal. Check out HubSpot’s 190 ChatGPT Prompts for marketing, business, social media, and more.
This is nothing short of incredible. But, ChatGPT isn’t all-knowing. You can’t always trust its answers because it sources its information from over 570 GB of Internet text databases (including Wikipedia). It’s a computer system after all…So, it relies on patterns rather than truly understanding the nuance of facts and data.
Still, while ChatGPT isn’t a credible source for factual information (*HINT HINT Why high school and college students should think twice before using it to compose their essays…), it is an incredibly useful tool for marketers. Use ChatGPT’s quick and expansive answers to prompt your content creation. Think of the tool as your “content assistant, helping you to ideate, create, and share content quickly and efficiently.”
Will ChatGPT Replace Marketers?
Now, we know the question you’re all thinking → Will ChatGPT eventually replace marketers? Our steadfast answer is NO. While the technology is already starting to help our industry, marketing will always need that unique human touch in order for a brand to leave a lasting human impact. Additionally, like we discussed above, ChatGPT is far from perfect, and errors in content or mannerism can cause harm. In marketing, nuance is critical. And while ChatGPT can spit facts faster than a Jeopardy champion, it cannot replace the creativity and discernment of a person—at least, not yet.
What’s more, ChatGPT isn’t the place to go looking for marketing strategy help. Sure, you can ask for a list of advice, but it won’t be catered to your business’s unique goals, resources, and challenges. So, ChatGPT won’t be taking our jobs either … We’re still here for you! Schedule a discovery call to see how we can level up your brand strategy.
