Why is it we're so comfortable talking about AI as the future, but not so comfortable talking about using it in everyday work?
As if we are somehow... cheating.
In this article we answer one deceptively simple question:
How can I use ChatGPT in my everyday work and not feel like a fraud?
First, we will look at a few common fears around using AI in content creation, then explore why marketers may feel guilty using it. We will then look at 10 use cases everyone can implement in their daily tasks - no shame attached.
Let’s get going.
It’s natural to feel apprehensive around new developments, and AI assisted content creation is one heck of a development. Some of the most common objections include:
Lack of originality: One concern is that using an AI language model like ChatGPT to create content could lead to a lack of originality. Some people worry that the content generated by ChatGPT might be too similar to content that already exists, or that it won't have the same creative spark that comes from a human writer.
Inaccuracy: Another concern is that the content generated by ChatGPT might not be accurate or reliable. While ChatGPT is trained on a large corpus of text, it may not always be able to distinguish between fact and fiction, or between different levels of expertise.
Ethical considerations: There are also ethical considerations around the use of AI language models like ChatGPT for content creation. Some worry that the use of such tools could lead to the displacement of human writers and the loss of jobs in the industry.
Dependence on technology: Finally, some worry that the use of ChatGPT could lead to a dependence on technology and a decrease in critical thinking skills. If people rely too heavily on AI-generated content, they may become less able to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of information on their own.
The fact is all of these statements are true. But the solution to these fears is the introduction of the human element.
While ChatGPT does the heavy lifting of creating your ideas and rewriting them to your further specifications, you have the bandwidth to be original, research in more depth, address those ethical considerations and use the technology as a sounding board.
It’s just like Alan Grant says in Jurassic Park:
Content creators don’t want their creative wins handed to them by some machine, we want to craft them, pour over the details, research and build with pride.
When first starting with ChatGPT or any other AI generative tool it can feel as though you’ve sold out. Gone to the dark side. Become a fraud.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
It’s still your ideas that are being made manifest. You’re still the one fine tuning and doing the research. You’re doing the mental legwork to make sure everything adds up and value is being delivered. ChatGPT is simply doing the donkey work of putting the text together.
When you start to see AI as a time saving tool to get your ideas out there quicker, it really isn’t cheating at all. Do you think Galileo wouldn’t have used a calculator if he could?
Now to the best part…
Probably the most frequent use case marketers have. An AI assistant helps you write social media posts by suggesting content, optimizing the length of the post, and even creating a custom image or video.
Begin by telling ChatGPT what role it should play, the context around your request and the goal you want to achieve. It is then up to you to use your human intuition and creativity to fine tune the posts for your own social media goals.
Social media post suggestions should always be taken as a jumping off point only. It is never a good idea to copy and paste AI generated responses directly into your post scheduler.
Sourcing and packaging newsletter content as well as gaining sign off from the various stakeholders can take a lot of mental energy. ChatGPT can help write headlines, simplify research content, write summaries, generate key talking points, suggest images and more.
Known primarily as a language model, one of the most surprising aspects of ChatGPT is its ability to analyze.
With a little prompting it is possible for ChatGPT to analyze website content, suggest improvements for SEO and readability, and provide recommendations on formatting and structure.
Let’s be clear. It will not provide in-depth analysis with extremely tailored recommendations. However, its suggestions for SEO improvements, formatting and readability are very good starting points.
Blog posts are wonderful marketing tools simultaneously cementing your position as a thought leader, improving SEO and continually driving traffic to your website for a fraction of the lifetime cost of an ad campaign.
Asking a machine to create your articles from scratch and expecting continued results seems like a big ask. Which is why you don’t do it.
Continue to write your blog posts as before, using your human intuition, ability to connect disparate ideas and critical thinking. Then, using bullet points from your article as a prompt, you ask ChatGPT to write its own version too.
It will almost certainly come up with angles, phrases and sentence structures you hadn’t even considered. You then iterate a hybrid version of the article using a combination of brainpower and AI.
Once you have identified students who are interested in creating content for your institution, ChatGPT can provide them with topic suggestions, and even review and edit their work.
While an AI assistant may not have human-like intuition or creativity, it can still be a valuable tool for guiding and collaborating with student content creators to generate engaging and relevant communications.
A buyer persona, a fictional representation of who your prospective students (or even parents) are, is a useful marketing tool. Creating buyer personas gets you into your prospects frame of mind and allows you to tailor marketing campaigns more effectively.
Here’s what happened when we asked ChatGPT to create an undergraduate buyer persona for an ex-polytechnic university in the UK midlands:
An AI assistant can help you draft press releases by analyzing news articles, press releases from other institutions, and other relevant sources to generate newsworthy content.
Fact checking, managing run-in times, networking with publications and developing a sound PR strategy - that’s your job.
Social listening is a massive part of the content iteration process. By analyzing how people are reacting to your content and what they are talking about, you can make more informed decisions about what you should post next.
An AI assistant can help you conduct social listening by analyzing sentiment and topics not only on your owned social media channels but those of your competitors too.
No, ChatGPT cannot directly access your social media channel data. However, it can provide valuable insights and recommendations based on the analysis of publicly available data.
Go carefully though. ChatGPT themselves have started warning individuals and companies not to input sensitive information. If in doubt, leave it out (and check with the chain of command).
OK. So you probably shouldn’t type in ‘please create an entire university marketing plan’ hit go and sit back. But small or single person marketing teams looking to get their processes in order no longer need to start from a blank page.
It’s important to have a good idea of your institutional value proposition, its direction and target audiences before you begin. Including this information and asking ChatGPT to outline the following sections will give you a good starting point:
Here’s what ChatGPT responded when we asked it to create a marketing plan for fictional Words On Brand University:
Language models such as ChatGPT are excellent sounding boards when responding to inquiries from prospective students, current students, and other stakeholders. It can also help answer questions, provide information, and resolve issues.
ChatGPT should be seen by marketers as a time saving device and not a replacement of their services.
AI assistants help us realize the human generated value of our ideas. We cannot ask ChatGPT to be creative for us, to understand our audiences like we do, or factor in social kinks and human diversity.
The tips above should be taken as just a few ideas to inspire your own use of this powerful new tool. Using an AI assistant such as ChatGPT can be an effective way to gain time back and refocus mental energy onto more strategic or creative tasks.
If you're looking for more in depth insights into using ChatGPT for education marketing. Words On Brand can provide one-to-one or group trainings for your team.
