Some background
ChatGPT has surged into the limelight as a groundbreaking artificial intelligence tool back in Jan 2023. Since then, it’s seen worldwide adoption and for some has replaced search engines for answers to questions. Though it is still far from perfect, ChatGPT has the capability to provide marketers with solutions to some of the following:
- Content Generation;
- Market Research;
- Customer Support;
- Lead Generation;
- Personalisation;
- SEO Optimisation;
- Campaign Optimisation;
- Market Analysis;
- Brand Monitoring;
- Social Media Management.
It’s worth noting, that these are just a few examples of how marketers can leverage ChatGPT to streamline their workflows, improve efficiency, and enhance their marketing strategies.
However, if you’ve not used ChatGPT before, your first experiences with it may be rather underwhelming. This is because, like everything, there is a little bit of a learning curve to using it.
A lot of people assume that ChatGPT will provide them with exactly what they’re looking for 100% of the time. However, it’s vitally important to understand that it’s a tool like any other tool. It takes time to learn and utilise effectively.
In this guide we’ll look at some ways to improve “the art of prompt engineering”, exploring techniques to maximise ChatGPT’s potential.
A quick aside
Before we get going, I want to explain a basic principle of ChatGPT. The prompt.
A ChatGPT prompt is a written instruction or query provided to the model to generate a response or perform a task. Put simply, you ask it to do something.
Now, the more expansive or refined your prompt, the more accurate the result you may achieve. For example:
Prompt:
Give me a content idea for LinkedIn about marketing
Result:
“Unlock the Power of Personalisation in Marketing: Learn how tailoring your message to individual preferences can drive engagement and boost conversion rates. #MarketingTips”
As you can see, it’s pretty generic and doesn’t have much direction. However, let’s add some specifics to the prompt.
Prompt:
Can you create a LinkedIn post for 21 – 25-year-old college graduates who’re looking to transition into marketing from other fields? Make this a five-step guide to highlight some of the major milestones someone may take. Do so in less than 100 words.
Result:
“Transitioning to Marketing? 🚀 Here’s a 5-step guide for college grads:
1. Learn the Basics: Dive into marketing fundamentals.
2. Gain Experience: Internships, freelancing, or entry-level roles.
3. Build Your Network: Connect with industry professionals.
4. Specialize: Choose a niche or area of interest.
5. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with trends and tools. Ready to kickstart your marketing journey?
Let’s do this!
#MarketingTransition #CareerAdvice”
There we go. As you can see, that little extra specificity helped to direct ChatGPT in the right direction.
Anyway, here are some methods that you can use to improve your ChatGPT prompting…
Engage in interactive prompting
Example: Instead of simply asking, “What is the weather like today?”, engage ChatGPT in a dialogue by starting with, “Hey ChatGPT, could you tell me what the weather is like outside? I’m debating whether to go for a walk.”
Explanation: By framing the prompt as a conversation and providing context, ChatGPT understands the intent behind the query and can offer a more personalized response.
Provide context
Example: Rather than asking, “How do I cook pasta?”, offer context by saying, “I’m having friends over for dinner tonight, and I want to impress them with a homemade pasta dish. Can you provide step-by-step instructions for cooking pasta al dente?”
Explanation: By specifying the occasion and desired outcome, ChatGPT can tailor its response to meet your specific needs, resulting in more relevant and actionable advice.
Direct the AI’s perspective:
Example: Prompt ChatGPT to write a product review from different viewpoints, such as, “As a parent, share your thoughts on the safety features of this car seat.” or “From a tech enthusiast’s perspective, discuss the latest smartphone’s camera capabilities.”
Explanation: By guiding ChatGPT to adopt different personas, you gain insights from diverse angles, enriching the conversation and uncovering unique perspectives.
Maintain focus:
Example: If ChatGPT starts drifting off topic during a discussion about gardening, gently remind it of the focus by saying, “Let’s circle back to our discussion about pruning techniques for rose bushes. Can you elaborate on the best practices for maintaining healthy blooms?”
Explanation: By redirecting ChatGPT’s attention to the original topic, you ensure the conversation remains coherent and productive, preventing tangents that may derail the discussion.
Embrace experimentation:
Example: Experiment with prompts that encourage creative thinking, such as, “Imagine you’re a detective solving a murder mystery in a small town. Describe the clues you uncover and how you piece them together to solve the case.”
Explanation: By exploring imaginative scenarios, you challenge ChatGPT to think outside the box, fostering creativity and expanding its capabilities beyond straightforward queries.
Now, granted, a lot of the example above aren’t geared towards marketing. However, they’re more to illustrate a point. Ultimately, by adopting these tips you’ll empower your ChatGPT use, harnessing its capabilities more effectively. It comes down to remembering to adapt prompts to suit your objectives and leverage ChatGPT’s versatility.
However, I will close this article with one last piece of advice with ChatGPT.
Remember to rewrite the content
Now, I don’t mean all of it, but, ChatGPT will tend to use some pretty alien language in its outputs. So, one of the important takeaways from this article is to always read and rewrite the content that it provides. One major trap I see people falling into is the American spelling of words. Get rid of those Zs if you’re based in the UK 😛
Use generated content as a way of speeding up processes, not as a reliance to do all of the work for you.
Even prompting ChatGPT to be humorous and punchy likely won’t return the sort of thing you’re looking for. So just be careful.
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