Understanding ChatGPT

2 May 2023

You’ve probably heard about the new AI guru taking the world by storm. ChatGPT has business owners wondering if they can minimize their marketing teams and copywriters if they keep their jobs.

OpenAI, the developers of ChatGPT, says this about their “Frankenstein’s Monster,” “We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

We’re impressed by the overall capability of ChatGPT (and a little unsettled?). It’s undoubtedly a fantastic tool to have on hand, but we started wondering if it could replace professional copywriters.

ChatGPT
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As a team who specializes in consultancy and marketing, we wanted to give ChatGPT a spin. Here’s what happened.

Can ChatGPT Replace Copywriters?

We got straight to the point. After all, ChatGPT is AI, and we didn’t take the time to discuss the weather or future summer vacation plans.

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Copywriters vs. ChatGPT

In a nutshell, the AI platform admitted that although it’s excellent, it doesn’t have the human capacity to complete a copywriting project from start to finish. We figured as much, but look at the details—copywriting is a multifaceted skill set. ChatGPT cannot:

  • Think critically
  • Perform creatively 
  • Proofread
  • Edit
  • Perfect tone and nuances

Where does this leave marketing teams? We still weren’t sure. ChatGPT was an admitted non-writer, and we wanted to test the waters. Could AI present the same information in various tones of voice?

Can ChatGPT Write to a Specific Audience?

We chose a topic and asked our AI friend to give us general information on email campaigns. It didn’t disappoint.

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Here’s how ChatGPT delivered when given the task:

  • The goal was met–short informational paragraph
  • Accurate information
  • Easy to understand

Although it checked the boxes, the copy is missing tone or any indication it’s being written for a specific audience. So, we took things a step further. We asked ChatGPT to give us copy that was more informal and approachable.

copywriters vs ChatGPT
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Now, we were getting somewhere. ChatGPT took our commands and created something sounding more human. Was this the proof we needed to ditch our copywriters? Not exactly.

Although ChatGPT considered our notes and had an unbeatable turnaround time, it didn’t create copy for a specific audience. For example, this may be too informal for some. ChatGPT delivered a conversational tone, but fine-tuning would be needed for most of our marketing clients.

Can ChatGPT Perfect Brand Voice?

We wanted to see how AI would present the same information with different instructions regarding tone. Unfortunately, we had a little too much fun here.

First, we asked ChatGPT to rewrite the information using extreme formality. It immediately went to the task and created copy that was fit for a medieval knight or inner circle of a 1600s royal court.

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Then, we experimented on the other side of the spectrum. We asked the AI platform to explain email campaigns with sarcasm. After a good laugh, we called an end to our experimentation so our human writer could get to work on this blog post.

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The Perks of ChatGPT

Our team agrees the AI platform is impressive. It’s a significant step in the right direction. The capabilities of ChatGPT will help businesses make strides in marketing. 

We appreciate:

  • The ability to write and rewrite with specific input. 
  • Capability to write short or long-form content.
  • Knowledge of tone and expressive writing.
  • Great for research purposes—understanding things in easy and readable terms.

When it comes to using ChatGPT in marketing efforts, we’re still wary. In our opinion, the inability to cater copy directly to your ideal client doesn’t make the platform sustainable for all your written content needs. However, we see the value of using ChatGPT sparingly in short-form content such as social media posts or as an assistant in writing speeches or presentations.

Tips on Using ChatGPT in Marketing

The biggest cautionary tip is to use ChatGPT sparingly in your marketing. It’s not near a point of replacing human writers. The copy will still need editing to bring in the human tone to attract clients.

Here are a few tips for implementing ChatGPT into your marketing efforts:

  • Use as a writing tool, not a writer’s replacement. For example, use the platform as an SOS button to kick writer’s block to the curb. Then, edit heavily to cater to your audience.
  • Use to help generate talking points.
  • Use it as a fact-checking tool 
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Wrapping Up

ChatGPT is a considerable breakthrough in AI, and we love it. We had fun experimenting with the various tones and giving the platform instructions to prove the world still needs writers. However, even the best style implementation with ChatGPT doesn’t consider your client’s pain points. Contact our team if you’re looking for a group of humans to help with your copywriting and content writing. Our friends at Lucent Creative partner with us to give business owners like you personable written content that speaks directly to your ideal and converts them into loyal customers.

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