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The ChatGPT Scoop

Amanda Hoffmeyer

ChatGPT. It seems like it's all anyone is talking about. But how should we marketing folk be using it? We're taking a deep-dive on what it is, what it isn't, tips to get more out of your ChatGPT conversations, and tips about how you should (and shouldn't) be using it. Let's go!

What Does it All Mean

 

Let's start at the source, ChatGPT of course. I asked ChatGPT to quickly introduce itself to you like it's was greeting you at a first meeting, here's what it said:

Hello everyone! I'm ChatGPT, an advanced conversational AI developed by OpenAI. I'm here to engage in meaningful and informative conversations, answering your questions and assisting you with a wide range of topics to the best of my abilities.

 

Pretty impressive, right? Here's the scoop on all the details you need to get started trying it out for yourself:

 

  • ChatGPT 3.5
    This is the default version of ChatGPT. This is what you'll most likely be using.

  • Beta Testing ChatGPT4
    ChatGPT4 has better reasoning and math skills. It is more capable of forming coherent thoughts and less likely to hallucinate (see below). Today, while in beta mode, you are limited to 25 messages every 3 hours. This technology is moving FAST though so by the time you get around to trying ChatGPT this may be different.

  • 💰 Is it Free?
    There is a free version, however the length of your conversations is limited based on your number of available free "tokens". A "token" is approximately 4 characters, so a "token" is about equivalent to 1 word. For example, if you have 4,000 free tokens and you ask a question that is 3,000 tokens long you can only get a response back that is 1,000 tokens long. If you're serious about using ChatGPT get a paid account, they cost $20/ month.

  • 🌀 Hallucination
    Confident, but incorrect answers. The longer your conversation is the more likely this is to happen.

  • 🤔 How Current is the Information?
    ChatGPT's knowledge is based on the data it was trained on, it's knowledge cutoff was September 2021. If you are trying to use ChatGPT to give you information about events or industries more current than September 2021 it might have trouble (or hallucinate, be careful).

 

🔎 Pro Tips:

  • Ask it to think step-by-step about a problem. This type of prompt will allow the AI to reason through your question in a more humanlike way. For example if I asked you to do a complex math problem you could do it if you broke it down into steps. The same principle applies here.

  • The better your prompt (aka the way you frame your question and the informational inputs and context you give it) the better your response will be. For example you can tell it the tone you want it to have, the length of your content, keywords to use, and you can tell it about key topics you want to make sure it includes.

  • Ask it follow up questions or to rephrase or shorten it's answers to meet your needs. 

  • Don't ask it for medical or financial advice.

  • Don't give it proprietary data. OpenAI shares your conversation with a human to assist with machine learning through a process called data labeling. It's in the privacy policy—check it out.

What is it Good For?

Here's what we're using it for:

  • Brainstorming. ChatGPT makes a great brainstorm partner. Give it some details about what you are trying to do and get ready for an engaging conversation! 

  • Subject Lines. If you have a subject line that is too long ask ChatGPT to shorten it. You can tell it how many words you want and keywords you want to include. It's also good for writing preview text, summarizing long-form content, and making social copy more punchy (if you give it the right prompt).

  • Outlines. This is a great tool to get an outline of topics you want to cover in content such as ebooks or blogs.

  • Use it Like a Search Engine. Instead of reading articles searching for the one pearl of information you need, ChatGPT can find it for you and shorten your research process. Just be careful, hallucination is real.

  • SEO. You can ask it to add keywords to your content after you've written it to speed up your SEO optimization process. Just be careful with the prompt. If you ask it to edit your pre-written blog it will often shorten it significantly and drop all the language that makes it feel human.

 

Here's a few other resources:

Can ChatGPT Just Write all My Content?

 No. We know what you heard. AI is going to take jobs and become the content writer! We've done our own homework and been reading what other marketers are saying and we've come to the same conclusion. No. 

Can it get you a starting point. Sure. Can it help with an outline? Absolutely. Can it write a long-format piece about your complex piece of clinical equipment? We don't recommend it.

In Summary...

✅ ChatGPT is a tool, like anything else, it should be used responsibly

✅ ChatGPT can save marketers time and be a great brainstorming sidekick

✅ ChatGPT does not replace an expert, but it can increase productivity when used in the hands of an expert

✅ ChatGPT may not know information more current than September 2021

✅ ChatGPT speaks with confidence, that doesn't mean it's correct 

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