When I asked ChatGPT to write an article about ChatGPT

Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene, it’s been the hottest thing on the marketing talk-track since TikTok. But is ChatGPT just the newest shiny object in a digital marketing world chock full of them?  

Artificial intelligence of various colors and flavors has assisted the marketing world over the last few years from chatbots to marketing optimization tools.  Chatbot platforms such as Drift and LiveAgent offer AI-based Q&A; most of the ad buying platforms from Google to Meta feature some form of AI to run more effective media; messaging platforms offer AI features from send time optimization to auto segment-building; and companies such as Persado and Phrasee use AI to optimize language and email subject lines. 

But with ChatGPT, the AI kraken has been released.  ChatGPT brings a whole new level of AI to the marketing game, and we’ve just begun to uncover its potential. And it’s not just me who is buying in. AI-linked crypto has been surging, and Microsoft plans to invest a measly $10B in Open AI, valuing the company at a petty $29 Billion. 

Last Monday, I joined a call with marketing and advertising professionals to talk about the latest in AI and its implications for marketing in the near term. Opinions ranged from ChatGPT being “a strong tool to help us do better marketing,” to “maybe this will replace junior copywriters,” to “this is a threat to Google,” to the nuclear “could this potentially replace us marketing folks?” 

We all agreed that this latest iteration is big for the marketing world, and we shared ways we are using the tool today. Before I reel off a list, know that the term “using ChatGPT” requires some interpretation.  ChatGPT isn’t yet at the stage where it can be utilized as a turnkey tool.  There are too many wildcards that still exist in the engine — you’ll sometimes get screwy answers that aren’t quite in context.  Nor do we know if anything ChatGPT says is potentially copyrighted or not. Turns out that good AI chat is as much a conundrum to the marketing world as it is to the education world where teachers need to determine if students are writing their own papers.

  We are currently using ChatGPT to:

• Inspire ad copy or subject line versions (about one in five are somewhat on target).
• Create thought leadership content (provides some good ideas and direction).
• Supplement or enhance job postings (came up with some stuff that help round out a job rec).
• Write alternate code versions (surprisingly good).
• Power website chatbots (still testing, but this should be a layup).

Just for fun, I asked ChatGPT to write me an article for martech about how digital marketers should use ChatGPT.  I’ll include a few excerpts below:

One of the key ways that digital marketers can use ChatGPT is to create highly engaging chatbots. …The advanced natural language understanding capabilities of ChatGPT enable chatbots to understand customer intent and respond appropriately, which can lead to a more satisfactory experience for the customer.

Another way that digital marketers can use ChatGPT is to generate high-quality content. The language generation capabilities of ChatGPT can be used to create compelling product descriptions, blog posts, and other types of written content. This can save marketers a significant amount of time and effort, while also helping to ensure that the content is of high quality and engaging. Additionally, ChatGPT can be used to generate a wide variety of content in different languages and styles, which can help to reach a global audience.

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that digital marketers can use to enhance their marketing efforts. By leveraging its capabilities for chatbot development, content generation, and social media monitoring, marketers can save time and effort while also providing a more engaging and personalized experience for customers. However, it’s important to mention that the model still requires a lot of human supervision and fine-tuning so it can deliver a good performance, so the implementation should be done by experienced engineers and data scientists.

It sounds a little like a high school student essay.  I wondered if they put that last line in there to make us feel less threatened.  Next, I decided that I wanted to have a little fun in the style of Keaton Patti and asked it to “rewrite the article but funnier,“ and here’s an attempt at a humorous tone from ChatGPT:

Digital marketing can be a real drag… But what if I told you there’s a way to take the drudgery out of digital marketing and make it fun again? Introducing ChatGPT, the AI-powered, party animal of the marketing world…

ChatGPT is like having your own personal, virtual copywriter, customer service representative, and social media guru all rolled into one. And the best part? Unlike some of your coworkers, ChatGPT never takes a coffee break and is always ready to work…

Imagine having a chatbot that can make jokes and carry on witty banter with your customers, all while recommending the perfect product for their needs. It’s like having your own personal stand-up comedian, but without the risk of offensive material or hecklers…

Say goodbye to staring at a blank page and hello to high-quality, SEO-friendly content that will have your readers begging for more… In other words, it’s like having a team of ghostwriters, but without the need for complicated NDAs and exorbitant paychecks.

But the fun doesn’t stop there, ChatGPT is also a social media superstar… ChatGPT will do the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on coming up with clever hashtags and witty captions. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good hashtag?

Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “This all sounds too good to be true, what’s the catch?” And while it’s true that ChatGPT is not a magic bullet, it does require some fine-tuning and human supervision to get the best results. But think of it this way, even the most skilled party animal needs a designated driver. And when it comes to ChatGPT, that designated driver is you (or your team of engineers and data scientists)… So, what are you waiting for? Let ChatGPT be the life of your marketing party.

P.S. And if you’re wondering if ChatGPT is good at planning parties, the answer is yes, it’s a blast, pun intended.

Not bad, right?  OK — perhaps a little corny, and I’m not sure if the bot is threatening me with, “blast, pun intended.”  But what do you expect?  It was written by a bot, after all. 

As it stands today, ChatGPT needs supervision — it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it panacea solution. Even its CEO, Sam Altman says that ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness.

It’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now. It needs humans to provide context, refine it, lead it, and rewrite copy.  But we’ve found real value in how it can offer some assistance, new angles, and inspiration. Better try it soon while it’s still free.