Let’s get this out of the way first and foremost, this blog post was not written by ChatGPT or any AI tools for that matter. It’s me, Megan Coghlan, a human being and the Founder of the social media marketing agency, Backcourt Marketing! As a social media marketing agency, content creation is basically the biggest part of what we do. We take it seriously and hold our work to a high standard of ethics when it comes to writing social media posts and marketing materials that represent our clients professionally. So, when the massive rise of AI came about this year, we wanted to explore its capabilities while paying close attention to the credibility of the content it would generate. After testing and evaluation, the summary of what we’ve found is that like anything, it has its pros and cons. The key is using it right and knowing your risks. And, no, we are not worried about our job security. If anything, we’re excited about all the more things we can do to grow! Here are the top five lessons we have learned while experimenting with ChatGPT and other AI content-creation tools.
It can save a lot of time
We’re all about saving time on social media. But, we’re going to emphasize the “can” in this point and you will learn why in the next section of this blog post. AI content creation tools can save marketers and writers time in a few ways.
To start, if you’re a slow typer, that robot can pump out a 1,000-word article in less than 30 seconds. Beyond that, however, it can generate lists for you which you can create CSV files of and import into content calendars, scheduling tools, and even design tools like Canva. These lists typically require editing, but once they are ready, that can be much better than having to individually submit items or ideas piece by piece into content management tools.
Another way ChatGPT can save marketers time is by summarizing long-form pieces of existing content. Social media marketers like us can use ChatGPT to help take the essential, bite-sized key points from large and credible pieces of research and make them into easily digestible social media posts. And if saving time really is the biggest priority for you, you can even just ask ChatGPT for time-saving tips!
It can require considerable editing
Here are where the caveats come in. ChatGPT rarely gets things perfect. Even if it may seem that it does, we do not recommend copying and pasting its content exactly as it comes out for your marketing materials, for a number of reasons.
To start, if several people ask ChatGPT exactly the same question, it will generate nearly the same answer for each of them. We can promise you that however you are using it for your business, someone out there is certainly doing the same. Google can recognize duplicate material, which can get you flagged for plagiarism or downgrade your visibility. How long did you think college students were going to get away with writing their essays this way, anyways? This means that at the very least, you would need to revise your sentence structures and verbiage.
Anyone using ChatGPT to produce content must be incredibly careful about it. Should you write up blogs or social media posts using AI, we urge you to plan on editing the material significantly. First, fact-check anything that is research-based or informational. We have seen the tool produce misinformation that industry experts will gladly call BS on should they come across it on social media. Don’t risk your business’ credibility by trying to save yourself a bunch of time on your marketing materials.
With all of that in mind, sometimes the editing that takes place does not make ChatGPT the time-saver you’re looking for.
It’s great for generating new ideas
Now, back to a positive. Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Every marketer has been there. ChatGPT will give you a selection of new content ideas to choose from.
Let’s say you’re looking for new ideas for your travel blog. Try asking ChatGPT for 25 new ideas for travel blog post topics and watch it come up with at least one you haven’t thought of. For us, it helps us come up with consistently fresh topics to cover on social media for those clients we’ve been managing for quite some time and want to shake up some new themes. If you’re ever starting to feel like your content is getting repetitive, ChatGPT can help offer a new perspective.
It won’t sound like you
You are your brand. Your brand is unique. So, why would you want it to sound like everyone else? Or, even worse, why would you want your brand to sound like a robot?
We’ll note that ChatGPT does allow you to add in certain tones, for example, you can ask it to make something sound lighthearted, professional, or other descriptors that would reflect your brand voice. This may help, but, it still isn’t you.
As mentioned earlier, we hold our content to a high standard of ethics and performance. Part of this involves understanding our clients and their brand on a deep level. We go through questionnaires that put ourselves in the shoes of our clients and their customers, then take on their brand voice and ensure that is reflected in every piece of marketing material.
If you have been managing your social media presence for some time, then suddenly switch to AI-generated content, your followers will recognize this quickly and start to drop off. Let’s keep your brand authentic and not let social media turn into a space where all posts start to look the same. A robot does not know your business’s overall purpose and mission, but you and your team of brand advocates do. A robot also doesn’t empathize with your customer’s pain points, which eliminates a whole category of the most engagement-rich content you could put out there.
It can’t replace a marketing team
We have plenty of things to love about ChatGPT. It has provided us with new ideas, some time-saving practices, and some laughs. AI can do some pretty amazing things. All the while, we also know what makes the most successful businesses and brands thrive, and that is relating to human beings. A brand needs to speak to the needs of its customers and customer service with a personal touch keeps customers coming back. Those are things that no robot can offer.
For a social media presence that represents your unique brand, accomplishes your business goals, and gets you more business, contact Backcourt Marketing today.
