As a marketing leader, you're always on the hunt for tools that streamline content creation while maintaining quality. Enter ChatGPT: an AI marvel that seemed to promise just that. I, too, was captivated by its potential, although my first attempt at harnessing its power assumed that I could templatize repeatable prompts to give me quality output for different clients and use cases. The idea was simple: create ad-lib style templates, feed them into ChatGPT, and voila - instant, custom content. This approach had its merits, particularly for generating short text ad copy. It was quick, easy, and effective - to a limit.
This 'prompt engineering' or templatization, as pushed by AI influencers in their lead magnet downloads, typically resulted in lackluster output. This gave end-users the impression that generative AI outputs were pretty basic and not worth using.
The allure of this 'quick fix' began to dim when confronted with more complex tasks, like script generation for longer form videos. The outputs, though technically accurate, lacked the nuance and depth needed to keep viewer retention rates high. ChatGPT can handle short simple tasks, but to set it up to deliver longer, more in-depth output, you need to utilize a long chain of prompts.
The power of iterative dialogue
The answer lies in embracing the art of conversation with ChatGPT. Instead of viewing it as a mere response generator, consider it a collaborative partner in content creation. The key is to engage in an iterative dialogue, where each prompt sources information, organizes / structures the knowledge, formats the output, and refines and expands your content.
This widened dialogue can:
- Facilitate research in an accelerated manner - effectively teaching and informing you as you chat
- Quickly outline your content, helping you structure your points in a way that flows logically
- Enable you to ask for the output in any way you want whether it’s bulleted, tabled, with visual storyboard suggestions, or just straight prose
- Leave the door open for further development of the content
By iterating on the conversation, you can gradually shape and fine-tune the content to your liking. This process goes beyond mere templated responses, allowing for a more tailored, specific output.
Building context for depth
Another significant advantage of this iterative approach is the accrual of context throughout the conversation. Each exchange adds layers of understanding, enabling ChatGPT to offer more insightful, detailed, and relevant responses. I always try to load the chat session with as much information and background before asking for the output. This also allows you to expand your own thinking beyond the initial assumptions as the chat nudges you along - helping to generate new ideas.
For instance, I’ve been working on a Youtube channel. YouTube scripts can take hours to write. Using the above, I can typically create a script with visual storyboard suggestions in ~40 minutes.
Screenshots of this in action:
The end result of this iterative process? The first draft of the script for the video below:
Leaning into the future
2023 was a crazy year for AI and 2024 will be even crazier. For marketers to stay ahead of the curve, understanding and utilizing tools that roll out in the future to the maximum output possible is going to be super important.
By having longer, richer conversations with AI, you can unlock its true potential - a potential that just seems to keep growing as the months of 2023 have rolled on.
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