There’s been a lot of buzz recently about ChatGPT, a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. It has already garnered a lot of attention for detailed responses and natural-language answers across many domains of knowledge. For example, ask ChatGPT to do a rap song about climate change and it can do it – quite convincingly. We asked ChatGPT to write about the use of artificial intelligence in marketing today and this is what it wrote, taking less than 30 seconds to draft this. (Remember this is a machine.):

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly important tool in the field of marketing, as it allows businesses to personalize and optimize their marketing efforts in ways that were previously unimaginable. By analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns and trends, AI can help marketers target their messages to specific audiences and improve the effectiveness of their campaigns.

One of the key ways that AI is being used in marketing is through the use of machine learning algorithms. These algorithms can analyze data from a variety of sources, including social media, website traffic, and customer purchase history, to identify patterns and trends that can be used to predict customer behavior. This allows marketers to tailor their messages and offers to specific segments of their audience, increasing the likelihood of conversions and sales.

AI is also being used to optimize marketing campaigns in real time. For example, AI algorithms can analyze data from a campaign as it is running and adjust the targeting and messaging in response to the results. This allows marketers to continuously improve the performance of their campaigns and get the most out of their marketing efforts.

Another area where AI is making a big impact in marketing is in the creation of personalized content. By analyzing data about individual customers, AI can help marketers create customized content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of each customer. This can be particularly powerful for businesses that have large, diverse customer bases, as it allows them to create personalized experiences for each customer.

Overall, AI is transforming the way that businesses approach marketing, and it will continue to do so in the coming years. By leveraging the power of machine learning and data analysis, marketers can create more targeted, effective campaigns that deliver better results for their businesses. 

That’s honestly pretty respectable, if not amazing. Content is produced in seconds too! Here’s another request we entered. “Write me 10 great ad copy headlines for a Black Friday sale.” It wrote this within 15 seconds.

1. “Black Friday deals you don’t want to miss!”
2. “Huge discounts on all your favorite products!”
3. “Shop our Black Friday sale and save big!”
4. “Don’t miss out on our biggest sale of the year!”
5. “Get your holiday shopping done early with our Black Friday sale!”
6. “Limited time offer: huge discounts on everything!”
7. “Black Friday savings you won’t find anywhere else!”
8. “Score amazing deals on the hottest products during our Black Friday sale”
9. “Huge discounts on top-rated products – don’t miss out!”
10. “Black Friday sale: shop now and save!”

Again, pretty good from a fundamental marketing perspective. The headlines created embody a lot of best practices here from a marketing perspective (create FOMO – fear of missing out, relating urgency, convenience, and other techniques) Definitely impressive.

So, let’s try one last on, adding a fictional brand. Here’s what we asked it: “Write an email to customers on behalf of our product called Maestro, an all-natural dark chocolate bar sourced from sustainable methods. And let customers know about our 25% percent off Black Friday sale.” And here’s what it wrote:

Dear valued customers,

We hope this email finds you well. As the holiday season approaches, we wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity to save on our all-natural dark chocolate bar, Maestro.

For one day only, we are offering a Black Friday sale with 25% off all Maestro products. Our chocolate is sourced from sustainable methods and is made with the highest quality ingredients to provide a rich, decadent taste that you’ll love.

Don’t miss out on this chance to indulge in the best dark chocolate on the market at a discounted price. Simply use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY25 at checkout to redeem your discount.

Thank you for choosing Maestro and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Best regards,

[Your Company Name]

That’s decent wordsmithing above, and while we might tweak it some, it’s already better than some marketers we know, who make copy or other grammatical errors.

The implications of this are pretty obvious too.

And small businesses certainly should start paying more attention. After all, if a machine can do things this well and this quickly – (that climate change rap was pretty good) – you might not need to spend as much time developing marketing as you had in the past. Need an email written? Just ask the machine. Need to draft a whitepaper? This ChatGPT can certainly help get you started. It may not have progressed or currently be sophisticated enough to replace every copywriter’s job but could certainly make individuals who do it a lot more efficient at this point.

Conclusion

The future is unclear for sure. Some of the facts stated by ChatGPT are influenced by what the Internet generally considers to be true (which may or may not actually be the case. Hence, it can also repeat untruths if something is more commonly believed but not factually correct.) But as we head into 2023, one thing is pretty certain. If you’re a small business (or any business for that matter), it’s going to be increasingly important to take advantage of what machines have to offer, so you can maximize your efficiency and not fall behind. Think of it this way, with all the content we asked the machine to produce, we wrote this blog in less than 30 minutes.