What is AI?
You know AI as artificial intelligence, meaning technology designed to imitate human intelligence. Since ChatGPT arrived in November 2022, AI has developed at an explosive pace.
It's possibly the most talked-about and hyped AI tool ever, and with good reason. ChatGPT shows a level of language modelling that can generate human-like text.
Before we go any further, let's take a quick look at how ChatGPT describes itself:
The data ChatGPT is built on consists of large amounts of text from the internet and other sources, which the bot can analyse and imitate in new formats.
Quickly and easily, you can generate answers that match the input you give the bot. You do this through so-called prompts, a kind of command that tells it what you want answered. The more information you give, the better the text the bot “spits” out.
As ChatGPT says, it has neither experiences nor feelings. And that's exactly why human intervention is still needed to create original and personal copy, but we'll come back to that.
How do I use AI as a copywriter?
At a time when technology is moving at lightning speed, it's essential for copywriters to see artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT, as an ally rather than a competitor.
When I write copy, I always use a rhetorical template that goes all the way back to antiquity. First I work on generating ideas (inventio), then I structure my text (dispositio), and finally I make sure to adapt the language (elocutio). Throughout every phase, I focus on my target audience and the situation I'm writing for (intellectio).
Since I started using ChatGPT, I've discovered that these phases have not only become easier but have actually given me better copy.
Idea generation
ChatGPT can help suggest topics, angles and perspectives you might not have considered yourself.
➤ Prompt idea: “I'm working on a (describe the purpose of your text, e.g. article, presentation, marketing campaign) about (describe the topic or main theme). I'm looking for some fresh and original ideas or angles that could make my text more engaging and informative. Can you help me generate some creative ideas or suggestions to enrich my text?”.
Structure
With ChatGPT's help, you can organise arguments and ideas more quickly in a logical and persuasive way.
➤ Prompt idea: “I'm working on a (describe the purpose of your text, e.g. blog post, email, article) about (describe the topic or main theme). I need help organising my ideas and creating a coherent structure for the text. Can you suggest how I could divide the text into sections or headings and put my ideas in a logical order?”.
Language
ChatGPT can suggest tone of voice, word choice, synonyms, grammar and general stylistic elements that tailor your text to the target audience.
➤ Prompt idea: “I'm writing a (describe the purpose of your text, e.g. blog post, landing page or product description) aimed at (describe your target audience, e.g. technical experts, everyday consumers). I'd like help adapting the language to suit the target audience. Can you advise me on how to make the text (choose the relevant criteria, e.g. more technical, easier to understand, more formal, more informal)?”.
Target audience
the company's brand by feeding ChatGPT relevant information. You can also paste in links that ChatGPT can read and give advice based on.
➤ Prompt idea: “I need to write a text for (your company's name or a short description of your company). We mainly target (describe your target audience, e.g. young professionals, small businesses, technical experts). I need to write copy that fits our brand and appeals to our target audience. Can you help me understand our company identity and tone of voice, and advise me on how best to adapt my copy to our target audience's preferences and needs?”.
It may take a bit of practice to learn how to prompt ChatGPT as well as possible, but I promise that once you've cracked the code, you'll be able to write copy at a whole new level.
Another little hack is to let the bot write your prompt. Just tell it what you need help with and ask whether it can write a prompt for that. That's actually what I did for all the examples above.
5 tips for using AI in digital marketing
AI isn't just part of the future of digital marketing, it's already part of the present. With ChatGPT as your digital helper, you get a reliable colleague who never goes on holiday, never gets tired and can assist you with your daily tasks.
When you're navigating the digital marketing jungle, it can be a challenge to keep up with the latest trends and tools. And it's in cases like this that you should turn to ChatGPT.
1. Create engaging ad copy
When it comes to digital ad formats such as Google Ads or social media ads, the battle for attention is intense. ChatGPT can help you write sharp, engaging ad copy that not only catches the eye but is also optimised to turn curious clicks into solid leads.
2. Write SEO-friendly web copy
ChatGPT can polish your web copy to make sure it's not only engaging and informative but also SEO-friendly. That means your copy is ready to climb Google's rankings, so your audience can find you at the top. Want to learn how to publish hundreds of high-quality articles at once? Read more about AI programmatic SEO here.
3. Optimise your email marketing
ChatGPT can help you personalise your email marketing by generating tailored content that appeals to different segments of your target audience. AI can help write subject lines that increase open rates, as well as copy that drives clicks and conversions.
4. Develop creative campaign concepts
With its ability to generate creative ideas, ChatGPT can help you come up with unique campaign concepts that stand out in a crowded digital world. AI can suggest themes and slogans, and even help outline the content for entire campaigns, saving you a lot of work.
5. Use ChatGPT's tools
Today, ChatGPT can do more than write. For example, you can generate images, analyse data, upload files and let it search the web. It can be used for everything from research to drafting ads.
ChatGPT, a collaboration between human and machine
The world is evolving, and so is technology. Just as the steam engine revolutionised industry and the computer transformed the modern workplace, AI is now setting the stage for the next wave of technology.
During industrialisation, too, people had to reshape their work and get used to new and more streamlined working processes than they were used to. The same is true now.
Of course, the great progress in AI also brings challenges for copywriters. As AI becomes more advanced, some may fear that tools like ChatGPT will undermine our ability to think critically and diminish our creativity.
That's naturally not an unfounded fear, but it overlooks an important perspective: ChatGPT isn't meant to replace the human insight copywriters offer. It's meant to complement it.
Think of ChatGPT as a kind of digital assistant. It can come up with ideas, suggestions and even write copy, but you're the editor. You decide which ideas to take forward and which direction your text should go. So use ChatGPT to break through writer's block, come up with new perspectives or fine-tune your language.
But don't forget that it's your creativity, critical thinking and sense for checking sources that ensure the quality of the text. For example, I would never dream of using text from the bot without reservation, with information I was unsure about, without fact-checking it.
All in all, the role of the copywriter has simply changed since ChatGPT arrived. Before, it was mainly about writing for people. That's still the case, but the role is now two-sided. We also need to be able to communicate with robots.
