By MJ Finstrom
Effective marketing attracts new customers, wakes up dormant clients, fosters loyalty and generates referrals. It’s an important part of business. Nonetheless, some people neglect their marketing because they don’t have budget to hire a professional or they try to do it themselves and get stuck on the creative process.
The biggest area people struggle with is writing. They know what they want to say but have a hard time articulating it.
One solution might be ChatGPT, the new artificial intelligence sensation that is shaking up the tech world. With good human direction and intent, it can be the ultimate writing partner and collaborator when it comes to nailing the basics of marketing.
How to use ChatGPT
Here are some fundamental marketing tasks you might try with the help of ChatGPT. (You can sign up for ChatGPT at https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt.
- Update your bio across all online platforms: Instruct ChatGPT to write a bio. Make sure to provide specific details (your current position, where you worked before, expertise, experience, hobbies etc.) ChatGPT will provide an impressive draft, which you can then copy and paste into your preferred text editor (Word or Notes). Make sure to edit, fact check and make it your own. If it’s too long, ask ChatGPT to write a shorter version. You may want to use the longer version on your web site and a shorter version for your social media profiles. The next time someone asks you to send your bio, you’ll be ready!
- Improve your networking skills with a better elevator pitch: Let ChatGPT help you create a 30-second elevator pitch to use at your networking meetings. If the initial result seems too formal, ask ChatGPT to add some humor, add a catchy phrase, or simplify the language! Make sure to edit and add your personality.
- Send a monthly email to your current customers and prospects: Despite compliance rules, brokers can benefit from email marketing strategies. Sending team announcements, a list of local events, or a holiday greeting to current customers and prospects is a great way to stay top of mind. Start simple. Send a holiday greeting (happy summer, happy 4th of July, happy national financial awareness day, etc). Include a fun picture of your team or image related to the message. Let ChatGPT help you create the copy for the greeting as well as an attention-grabbing subject line. Send an email at least once a month to your list. Make sure to use an email marketing platform like Constant Contact for sending group emails. You can get a free 60-day trial of Constant Contact at www.emailtrial.com.
- Follow up on important conversations. After meeting a prospect or someone at a networking event, it’s always good practice to send a quick follow-up note, email, or text. With ChatGPT’s assistance, create a simple message that includes links to your social media, a list of your services and specialties, and a link to your website.
- Write a press release. If you have something to announce, craft a good press release. Whether it’s about a new team member, a promotion, added services, changes in business address or hours, etc., a press release is a great way to convey the news. ChatGPT can assist you with the initial draft. Your human direction to ChatGPT should be something like “Write a press release announcing our new team member Bob who comes to us from….” Once you’ve edited and finalized the press release, ask ChatGPT for guidance on how to distribute a press release. It will provide you with a list of helpful steps. If you want to take it a step further, ask ChatGPT to turn the press release into a social media post with emojis and hashtags or ask ChatGPT to turn it into a blog post, an email, a text, a postcard, etc.
- Improve and simplify your product and service descriptions. Financial products and health insurance plans can be very hard to understand. Ask ChatGPT to simplify a complex service or product description. You might discover there is a better way to explain what you offer. If it passes compliance you might update your web site, brochures and use the simplified version in your conversations or on a frequently asked questions page.
- Create a signature presentation. Everyone in business should have a signature presentation ready to deliver. A helpful and informative talk can establish you as the go-to expert in your field. It’s a great marketing strategy. You can use it for your own webinars or find organizations that invite guest presenters to their meetings. ChatGPT can help you come up with the outline for your presentation but you’ll want to use a tool to make it visually appealing. The standard tool has always been PowerPoint but Canva.com offers a great alternative that offers artificial intelligence to assist with the written content and slide deck creation. You can present in Canva or export the presentation to PowerPoint.
These are just a few ideas that can get you used to working with ChatGPT and other Ai integrations.
Don’t worry, Ai is not going to replace your brain. It does a great job articulating what we often find challenging to put into words but it will never replace human creativity, critical thinking, expertise or experience.
The era of artificial intelligence will most likely sharpen our critical thinking skills as it will become even more important to evaluate what we read, hear, say or write. Make sure to fold in your voice, expertise, experience, knowledge, thoughts, perspective and creativity when you collaborate with ChatGPT.
Marketing plans are a must
A strategic and consistent marketing plan will still require human effort. You can create all the amazing copy you want, but if you don’t have a plan for making sure it reaches your target audience, then it’s not effective marketing. Earning an email list and building a following on your blog and or social media takes work and time. You still need to show up at your networking meetings, make your phone calls and build and nurture relationships.
The takeaway: ChatGPT is a tool that can help you be more productive, articulate your ideas and help you fill in that blank page.
MJ Finstrom is the chief creative officer at HUTdogs, a creative services agency. They are dedicated to helping businesses and nonprofits strategically reach their audience.
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