Since the end of November, almost everyone has been talking about ChatGPT, the new chatbot from OpenAI. Within a week, the tool had a million users. You type a question or instruction, and within seconds you get a text back. That text often reads as if a person wrote it.
For marketers, that raises questions. Can you already do something with it? Where does it go wrong? And what remains work for you and your team? In this article you will read what ChatGPT can do now, what to be careful with and how to make a smart start.
What exactly is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot that runs on a language model. That is a computer program that has been trained on enormous amounts of text. From that text, it learns which words often follow each other. This allows it to produce sentences and entire texts that sound logical.
You can simply talk to it in plain language. You can also ask follow-up questions, such as: make it shorter, write it more informally or give three variations. That makes it more pleasant to use than earlier tools, where you could often only enter something once.
Important to know: OpenAI currently still describes the tool as a research preview. You can try it for free, but it is still changing and is sometimes overloaded. It also has no access to the live internet. Its knowledge stops at a certain point in the past. So it knows nothing about recent news or your own website.
Where it already helps
ChatGPT is particularly strong as a starting point. It solves the blank page problem. All you then need to do is steer and improve. Think of these tasks:
- A first outline for a blog article, with headings and a short explanation for each section.
- Multiple variations of ad copy, for example for a test in Google Ads or social advertising.
- Ideas for newsletter subject lines.
- A summary of a long document or report.
- Suggestions for topics or angles for your content calendar.
- Rewriting a text for a different audience or in a different tone.
The big advantage is speed. What used to take half an hour of thinking, you now have in a minute as a first draft. That draft is rarely finished. But it gives you something to react to, and for many people that is faster than starting from scratch.
What to watch out for
ChatGPT sounds convincing, even when it is wrong. The model is built to write text that sounds good, not to check facts. It can therefore make up figures, sources or statements. OpenAI itself warns about this too.
These are the main pitfalls:
- Incorrect information. Always check facts, figures and names yourself. If you ask for a source, that source may also be invented.
- Outdated knowledge. The tool does not know recent news or recent changes in, for example, advertising platforms.
- Privacy. Do not share confidential customer data, personal data or internal figures with a public tool. What you enter may be stored and used to improve the system. Also keep the GDPR, the European privacy law, in mind.
- Generic texts. Without good instructions, you often get a flat, predictable story. It will not stand out and does not set you apart from competitors.
- Search engines. Google mainly wants content that is useful to people. Having texts produced in bulk to rank in search results is risky. Use the tool as an aid, not as a text factory.
An example from practice
Suppose you work for an online shop selling sustainable sportswear. You want to test a new campaign for running jackets in Google Ads. Normally you would spend an hour polishing headlines and descriptions.
Now you give ChatGPT a clear brief. You name the target audience, the main benefits of the jacket and the tone of your brand. You ask for ten variations of a headline of no more than thirty characters. You quickly get a list back.
Then your work begins. You cut what does not fit your brand. You check whether the claims are accurate, for example about waterproofing or materials. You adjust the texts to the platform’s length requirements and to what you already know about your customers. You keep three or four variations and put them into a test.
The result: you reach a usable starting point faster, but the choices and the checking stay with you. Whether a variation really works only becomes clear in your data.
What it does not replace and how to start safely
ChatGPT does not know your customer. It does not know your market and cannot see your figures. It does not know why your offer is better than your competitor’s, unless you tell it. Strategy, insight into data and a feel for your brand remain human work.
You get the best results when someone with subject knowledge steers the tool and critically edits the output. Think of it as a fast, sometimes careless intern. They deliver a lot, but you never let their work go out the door unread.
Would you like to get started? Then take it step by step:
- Choose one small, low-risk task, such as ideas for subject lines.
- Write a clear brief. State the target audience, goal, tone and desired length.
- Do not enter confidential data. Use general descriptions.
- Check all facts and adapt the text to your own style.
- Measure the result. For example, compare the click-through rate of your own text with that of the text produced with AI help.
- Agree rules within your team about what is and is not allowed.
This way you learn what the tool can mean for you, without taking unnecessary risks.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT free?
At the moment you can try ChatGPT for free. It is a research preview, so the terms may change. Bear in mind that the tool is sometimes unavailable when it is busy.
Can ChatGPT replace my copywriter?
No. The tool quickly produces a first draft, but it does not know your customer, your brand or your market. A good writer provides direction, checks facts and creates a distinctive voice. However, the tool can help a writer work faster.
May I put customer data into ChatGPT?
Preferably not. It is a public tool and what you enter may be stored and used. Do not put personal data, confidential figures or internal documents into the chat. Work with general descriptions and, if in doubt, consult your privacy policy.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Would you like to know how to use AI and automation smartly in your marketing? Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort is happy to think along with you. We will discuss where you stand now, which tasks lend themselves to AI and where human expertise makes the difference.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call. You will get concrete ideas you can apply straight away, with no obligation.
