It’s the talk of the town when it comes to tech developments – a hot topic in the realm of digital marketing. The news that Microsoft is set to invest a whopping $10 billion in AI tool ChatGPT has certainly set a cat amongst the pigeons over at Google – and led digital marketing experts all over the world to sit up and listen.
But what is it, and why is it worth a wedge to Bill Gates and co? And (dare we ask), could this revolutionary technology be capable of replacing content writers and digital marketers in the near future?
What is ChatGPT, and how does it work?
Developed and owned by Silicon Valley tech firm OpenAI, ChatGPT is essentially a chatbot – but to label it as such would be an unfair oversimplification of its actual capabilities. To describe it in the least complex terms, it’s a sophisticated and versatile AI tool which uses a Natural Language Processing model to learn and provide responses using its own intellect – something previous chatbots were unable to do.
This enables it to take care of a number of processes required by businesses operating online that would usually require paying a professional big bucks – such as creating sales pitches, sourcing customised information, dealing with client queries and *gulp* writing blogs.
On top of this, ChatGPT has got Google worried. That’s because whilst it’s not a search engine, it can understand and respond to user input in a very realistic and accurate way. Whilst most experts agree that it’s a long way off overtaking Google at its current level of capability, it’s still cause for concern.
US banking giant Morgan Stanley produced a report in December 2022 to determine whether Chat GPT could be a threat to Google. If lead analyst Brian Nowak’s opinion is anything to go by, the tool could ‘disrupt Google’s position as the entry point for people on the Internet’. In the same month an NY Times article described ChatGPT as a ‘code red’ for Google’s search business, set to ‘reinvent or replace’ the traditional search engine, whilst Gmail creator Paul Buchheit weighed in this week with the opinion that ‘ChatGPT will destroy Google’s business within 2 years’. No wonder Microsoft is keen for a slice of the action, with a search market currently dominated by Google.
What are the benefits of using ChatGPT for businesses?
Here’s the bit most of you have been waiting for – how can ChatGPT help you to run and grow your business?
First and foremost, ChatGPT is attractive to start-ups because it’s relatively inexpensive and ticks a lot of boxes. Its capabilities include:
- Writing sales pitches and providing tips on selling your product/services
- Offering personalised marketing strategies based on your business type
- Providing keyword research with simple prompts
- Writing content for your website/blog
- Support with coding and website bug fixes
- Dealing with customer questions and providing support in a more personalised and humanistic manner
Through inputting your requirements and specific prompts, and providing feedback on the chatbot’s performance, you can begin to build a personalised and powerful network of information which can support your business in a number of ways.
This sounds very exciting – and it is – but this technology isn’t a perfect solution and it does have its limitations. Remember, although it’s capable of learning over time, it is presenting information based on old data – specifically data gathered before 2021. Other drawbacks include:
- Lack of current and up-to-date information (even telling the time and sharing today’s date is beyond its capabilities)
- Unreliable accuracy rate when responding to questions and queries
- No internet access currently
This means that whilst it’s a great tool especially for those in the start-up stage, it’s not a substitute for professional sales, marketing and customer support just yet.
Can ChatGPT replace your copywriter?
Full disclosure: this blog was written by a human copywriter at a digital marketing agency – so maybe we’re a little biased. But hear us out! ChatGPT certainly has a lot of advantages – and it’s a real breakthrough in the realm of both AI and chatbot technology. But it can’t replace a real copywriter just yet.
Although we’re increasingly working alongside algorithms and technology, content writing is still a multi-faceted and innately human discipline, which reaches beyond the capacity of an AI prototype. And although ChatGPT is capable of generating decent quality, relevant content worthy of a blog page or LinkedIn profile, it can’t develop and cater to specific requirements which make content more engaging and relevant to readers such as tone of voice, regional colloquialisms and discernment between what’s appropriate and what misses the mark with a readership, such as using different words and approaches for different audiences. So whilst ChatGPT can quickly and inexpensively generate a lot of content for your site, such as blogs, they’re not going to be written to the same level or quality as you’d expect from an actual human.
One positive (besides the news that robots aren’t coming for our careers just yet) is the spotlight this new technology has shone on the importance of content and in particular, blogs. Regularly updated, consistently high quality and engaging content is still one of the quickest and simplest ways to raise your profile online – thanks to the SEO advantages (Google loves great content) and shareability of blogs and articles. So if you’re curious about ChatGPT’s blog-writing abilities, this could be your sign to invest in content writing today.
Fancy discussing your content requirements with a friendly human being? Take a look at our content page – https://www.candymarketing.co.uk/services/content-writing/
