A chat about ChatGPT

I write content.....A LOT of content.

I have marketing clients I write social media posts for, LinkedIn articles, website content, magazine articles and newsletter articles....not to mention I own a magazine publishing business. This being said I wouldn't profess to be a master copywriter...but I am a bloody good 'translator'.

Give me a concept, talk at me for half an hour, describe the outcome...and I will translate whats in your head, and your spoken or written ramblings into engaging content.

On the reverse give me a highly technical article on taxation, the process of making gin, the latest vaccinations for cattle, sustainable farming methods, social investment and I will translate it into engaging content.

I also consult for businesses on a range of topics, authentic wellbeing in the workplace, business growth, transformative leadership...all of which need a 10-16 page report, these also involve a lot of content creation.

So it will be no surprise that I have, and do use ChatGPT. Sometimes it is to enhance what I have done, other times it is to help me find better/alternative words, on occasion it is to create a framework around a concept I'm struggling with, other times it simply saves me time reading 3 or 4 articles to find the information I need.

However one thing I never do is ask it to do my job.....i.e write something and present it as the finished article.

Using ChatGPT right now is a bit like when lip fillers were new (bear with me it's a good analogy I promise...if nothing else it'll be a unique one and not AI generated!) If you had them you could spot a mile off, and slowly over time we all started to recognise when someone had them, and now so many people do it's those that haven't that stand out in a crowd instead.

Right now if you are one of the few (we might be in our millions but it's still a few in the grand scheme of things) that use it, you can spot the telltale signs if others are using it as a cut and past job well done.

In a few more months even if you don't generate content you'll start to notice it too....and before long it'll be those that don't use it that will stand out from the crowd.

Before starting this article I asked ChatGPT what the pitfalls of using it were...this is what they had to say:

ChatGPT is a remarkable tool that is trained to produce human-like responses to any given input. As an AI language model, it can generate coherent and grammatically correct sentences that can be helpful in writing articles for digital platforms. However, there are several pitfalls of using ChatGPT to write articles, which must be considered to avoid any negative consequences.

Firstly, ChatGPT can sometimes produce inaccurate or irrelevant responses, which can mislead the readers. The model relies on its training data to generate responses, and sometimes it may not have access to the most up-to-date or accurate information. Therefore, it's crucial to verify the information provided by the model before using it in any digital platform.

Secondly, ChatGPT may not be able to capture the tone or style that the writer intends to convey in their article. While the model can generate grammatically correct sentences, it may not be able to replicate the tone or voice that is unique to the writer. This can result in articles that are impersonal and lacking in authenticity, which can negatively impact the engagement of the audience.

Thirdly, ChatGPT may not be able to generate content that is optimized for search engines. Writing for digital platforms often requires incorporating relevant keywords to ensure that the article appears in search results. However, ChatGPT may not be able to generate content that is optimized for search engines, which can decrease the visibility and reach of the article.

Lastly, using ChatGPT to write articles can lead to ethical concerns, especially when it comes to plagiarism. Since the model is trained on a vast amount of data, it's possible that it may generate content that is similar to existing articles, leading to plagiarism issues.

In conclusion, while ChatGPT is an impressive tool for generating content, it's important to be aware of its limitations and pitfalls. It's crucial to use the tool carefully and responsibly, taking necessary precautions to ensure that the articles produced are accurate, engaging, and ethical.

And then because I thought it might help those who don't realise there are very clear telltale signs they have used ChatGPT I asked it "How should we use ChatGPT to generate content to maximise engaging and ensure our content doesn't end up all the same"?

Their response was:

To use ChatGPT effectively for generating content, while also ensuring that it is engaging and unique, there are several strategies that you can implement:

1. Use ChatGPT as a starting point: ChatGPT can be an excellent tool to spark ideas and generate initial content. However, it is essential to use the model's responses as a starting point and not rely entirely on them. You can use the responses provided by ChatGPT to develop unique and engaging content ideas that are personalized to your brand or niche.
2. Incorporate personal voice and tone: To avoid the risk of sounding like every other article, it's essential to incorporate your personal voice and tone. This means that you should add your personality, humor, and style to the content generated by ChatGPT. Your unique voice will help your content stand out and engage your audience.
3. Edit and refine the content: It's crucial to edit and refine the content generated by ChatGPT to ensure that it meets your standards and requirements. You can make changes to the structure, grammar, and tone to ensure that it aligns with your brand and message.
4. Use ChatGPT to generate new perspectives: ChatGPT can provide unique perspectives that may not have been considered before. Using the model to generate content can help you approach a topic from a different angle, providing your audience with new insights and ideas.
5. Add relevant keywords and optimize for search engines: Adding relevant keywords to your content can help it rank higher on search engines, making it more visible to your audience. ChatGPT can be used to generate content around specific keywords, which can be incorporated into the final piece.
6. Train ChatGPT on your data: To maximize the effectiveness of ChatGPT, you can train it on your data. By training the model on your specific industry, niche, or brand, you can generate content that is unique and aligned with your message.

In conclusion, ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for generating content. However, to maximize engagement and ensure that your content stands out, it's important to incorporate your personal voice, edit and refine the content, use it to generate new perspectives, add relevant keywords, and train it on your data. By using ChatGPT effectively, you can produce unique and engaging content that resonates with your audience.

So "In Conclusion" (this is one of ChatGPT's more obvious tells btw), by all means use it as a framework, it really is very brilliant, though if it isn't your authentic voice with your unique human touch it won't be long before your audience will disengage.