In the first part of our AI for Digital Marketing series, we talked about using tools like ChatGPT to help with with creating written content. One of the issues that inevitably comes up with this is poor quality output, either in the form of inaccurate information, or results that sound like a computer wrote them (imagine that!). If you’ve been trying to harness the alleged magic of ChatGPT and have been wondering why the resulting content has been coming up short, here are some ways to fine-tune your prompts.
Be more specific. Much more. ChatGPT will do exactly what you ask, but the more vague the prompt is, the more room you give it to fill in its own interpretations, which is where things tend to go off the rails. Instead of asking ChatGPT to “write about the most popular street food trends,” try something more like “write five funny and upbeat paragraphs about the most popular New York City street food trends, including information about why each one is so popular, and the area where each trend originated. Be sure to include at least one vegan street food trend in your list.” The more specific you can be with your prompts, the more specific the results will be.
Refine your prompts rather than giving up. If you give ChatGPT a prompt and the output is disappointing, don’t assume it’s impossible to get a good result with that prompt. Hone in on exactly what aspect of the response didn’t meet your standards, clarify that part of the prompt, and try again. For example, if you liked the information but the tone was too casual, try “rewrite that text in a tone that’s more formal and appropriate for the website of a luxury brand.” You can even ask it to exclude specific words or phrases, or to write for a target audience, e.g. “provide a step-by-step tutorial of how to draw a dog, using simply-worded instructions that a young child can understand.”
Recognize your role in the process. One of the biggest misconceptions with AI is that it’s here to take over the work of humans, but in fact it’s here to assist you as the captain of your marketing ship. So don’t be frustrated if you have to make some adjustments to the content that you get from ChatGPT — not only is that okay, it’s expected, and it’s also a good thing. At this point in the AI game, human-written content still has a certain organic feel to it that machines simply can’t match, so enjoy tweaking the text here and there, as well as adding in your own expertise and opinions to make the content truly unique.
In order to succeed in 2023 and beyond, your business needs to be using AI in the context of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Contact us for a free consultation — we’ll look at what you’re doing now and help you adjust your trajectory to incorporate the latest AI tools and techniques.
COGO Interactive is an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategy, web design, SEO and social media marketing. We work with clients in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and across the nation.
