To label ChatGPT as a sizeable language model (LLM) chatbot barely scratches the surface of its immense value as a marketing, communication, and PR tool. It’s generative AI model is not a cure-all that will replace humans within your creative team. Instead, ChatGPT acts as a powerful tool that can enhance personal and team productivity and even contribute to creative brainstorming.
7 things you can do with ChatGPT
ChatGPT can support you in expanding your business or even earning money as a novice solopreneur. It’s akin to having your own collaborator and personal assistant who is always available. It can aid you by:
- Answering inquiries: Utilize ChatGPT similar to a search engine but with immediate, natural language responses.
- Assisting with professional documents: Generate and compose resume drafts, cover letters, and other documents.
- Editing and spell-checking: ChatGPT is happy to proofread your text for errors.
- Creating content: Formulate outlines or drafts of articles, blogs, essays, social media posts, as well as other content marketing and personal branding materials.
- Summarizing text: Condense lengthy texts into as few words or sentences as you desire.
- Translating: ChatGPT can translate text into Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, and numerous other languages for your diverse audience.
- Optimizing SEO: Identify popular digital keywords and phrases on any topic with a simple query.
ChatGPT can even aid you in creating images, writing and editing code, and composing music!
How to use ChatGPT
Registering for ChatGPT is simpler to set up than a social media account and easier to use than a search engine. The key is to approach it less as a technical skill and more as meeting a whimsical, yet highly intelligent, new friend.
Similar to any relationship, some tips will assist you in maximizing your experience.
1. Sign up for an OpenAI account
Initially, go to ChatGPT at chat.openai.com and click the “Sign up” option under “Get started.” All that is required is an email and password, or you can enroll through your existing Google, Microsoft, or Apple accounts. If you opt for an email address, you’ll promptly receive a verification to begin. Then, it’s just you and ChatGPT in the room. The interface is straightforward with a prompt to “Message ChatGPT.”
The only other consideration is whether you prefer a paid account or wish to stick with the free version. I suggest trying the free version for a day or two to get accustomed to it and see if it meets your needs. Many users find it beneficial to upgrade to a paid account after testing the tool. The paid version offers advantages such as:
- An updated model of 4.0, providing better understanding of prompts and responses with more detailed information and better-trained natural language
- Enhanced access to live data from Bing rather than relying solely on the last training date (currently April 2023)
- Access to DALL-E for image creation which can be quite enjoyable
- Priority access to ChatGPT when servers are overloaded and other users must wait
2. Enter a prompt
Type your prompt as you would in any search engine. This can be a question like “Who was the 16th president of the United States?” or a command such as “Write a four-line poem about springtime.” Take your time, and don’t be afraid to experiment and play by posing silly, ordinary, or even profound questions.
Tips for writing helpful ChatGPT prompts
Think of ChatGPT as a 7-year-old with a vast knowledge base. It possesses a lot of information but lacks wisdom and a full understanding of human nuances. Tips for optimizing this powerful tool include:
- Be specific and detailed. Articulate your requests clearly with as much detail as possible to steer ChatGPT towards the desired outcome.
- Break down complex requests. For intricate tasks, break them down into smaller, more manageable steps for more focused outputs.
- Try open-ended questions, too. Broad questions are particularly useful for ideation, enabling you to explore areas you hadn’t previously considered.
3. Interact with the AI to refine your answer
No response from ChatGPT will be precisely what you’re seeking. Feel free to ask it to refine its responses. This could involve requesting a more concise answer or instructing it to adopt a more professional tone.
Likewise, you can ask it to include information you felt was missing or, in the paid version, provide online references so you can verify the information and context yourself. Unlike a human, it won’t become bored or annoyed by your efforts to obtain the response you need. Additionally, you can refer back to previous responses to incorporate the best from each iteration.
Using ChatGPT to create images
Another benefit of the paid ChatGPT model is access to DALL-E, a generative AI model for producing graphic images. Similar to its language capabilities, it won’t provide you with precisely what you need for a major design campaign. Instead, it equips your design team with elements like backgrounds they can utilize in their print or digital design work or instances such as social media where timeliness is crucial.
The tips for using DALL-E mirror those in the chatbot. Be as specific as possible in your requests and continually request refinements to achieve your desired outcome. The AI’s capabilities are progressing rapidly both in terms of comprehending your input and in its generative graphic output.
ChatGPT is still learning
The technology is advancing swiftly, yet ChatGPT is still learning. As an example, only a month ago, I might have requested “Create a lifelike image of a snail riding on the back of a tortoise” from DALL-E. It was a whimsical choice involving placement and interaction that doesn’t occur naturally, and the concept amuses me. Typically, I’d receive odd snail-tortoise hybrids. Now, the generative AI recognizes them as separate, distinct entities.
The same goes for ChatGPT’s language processing. There’s usually something slightly off at a human level of reasoning and contextual understanding. Additionally, these models can introduce unconscious biases that may not align with your intent or audience. Nonetheless, as you learn from each other, the chatbot will save you time and money. More importantly, it will present you with avenues of ideas to explore that you may not have previously considered.
