In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, businesses must seek innovative ways to stay ahead. In recent years, increasingly sophisticated AI tools – particularly ChatGPT – have emerged as game-changers for content creation, customer interaction, and more.
While AI offers exciting possibilities for businesses, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before diving in with any new technology. So, the pressing question is: should you use ChatGPT as part of your online marketing toolkit?
In this blog, Thunderbolt’s experts in all things digital will explore the advantages and disadvantages of using AI-driven tools like ChatGPT for online marketing in Surrey, to help you make an informed decision on whether to implement it as part of your strategy.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. By using natural language processing and deep learning, it creates human-like text in response to questions or prompts entered by a user.
Registering for an account with your email address gives you free access to ChatGPT, though this does have a usage limit. There are also paid plans (ChatGPT Plus, Teams, and Enterprise), which offer superior access and features for a monthly subscription fee.
Since its launch, ChatGPT has gained popularity for its ability to quickly compose written content such as articles, blogs, social media posts, document outlines, essays, questionnaires, code, and email campaigns.
In fact, it has been crowned the fastest growing web platform ever, and has over 180.5 million users as of March 2024.
The Benefits of Using ChatGPT for Online Marketing in Surrey
As AI tools have become more sophisticated, businesses have started to see their potential for enhancing various marketing activities.
Specifically, ChatGPT has emerged as a useful option, with a recent Smart Insights poll finding that more than three-quarters of marketers want to use ChatGPT to improve their marketing performance.
Some of the key advantages of using ChatGPT for your online marketing in Surrey include:
1. Versatility
ChatGPT is highly adaptable and can be applied to various marketing functions. Whether it’s helping with SEO by generating keyword-optimised blogs, brainstorming ideas for engaging social media posts, fact checking content, or providing a list of awareness days and holidays to feature in your content calendar, the tool offers a range of applications for online marketing in Surrey.
This versatility makes it a useful tool for businesses of all sizes, helping to streamline marketing processes and ensure that you can stay on top of your digital marketing efforts.
2. Efficiency and Speed
Another notable advantage of using ChatGPT for online marketing in Surrey is its ability to produce large volumes of content in a fraction of the time it would take a human writer.
It typically takes ChatGPT a few hundred milliseconds to a couple of seconds to respond to straightforward queries, while articles can take between a few minutes and several hours depending on factors like the desired length or complexity of the topic. In comparison, it takes human bloggers an average of 5 – 6 hours to write long-form content.
Using ChatGPT to create initial drafts of content can be especially beneficial for businesses with limited resources, or those who want their marketing team to spend more time on specialised activities (such as email campaign set-ups or PPC management) while still generating relevant content.
3. Cost-Effectiveness
Hiring a team of content creators, copywriters, or customer service representatives can be costly, particularly for SMES (small and medium-sized enterprises). ChatGPT can offer a cost-effective alternative by automating some of the more time-consuming marketing tasks that these individuals perform.
Surrey-based businesses looking to cut marketing expenses without compromising on output can turn to the free version of ChatGPT for creating basic content or automating customer service responses. This can be a huge boon, especially in the early stages of business development, where every penny counts.
4. Data Interpretation and Personalisation
In addition to its content generation capabilities, ChatGPT can also assist in analysing marketing data. This means Surrey businesses can use the tool to interpret customer feedback, analyse campaign performance, and even generate reports. By leveraging AI, you can transform raw data into actionable insights and refine your online marketing in Surrey over time.
ChatGPT can also help personalise content for your target audience. By using historical data and learning from customer interactions, the AI can tailor its responses and content recommendations, making it a useful asset for targeted marketing campaigns.
The Drawbacks of Using ChatGPT for Online Marketing
While ChatGPT offers many advantages, it’s not without its limitations. Understanding the potential drawbacks is crucial when deciding whether to integrate AI into your online marketing strategy.
1. Lack of Human Creativity
One of the most significant limitations of ChatGPT is that it lacks true creativity. While it can generate content based on the data it’s been trained on, it struggles to think outside the box in the same way that a human can.
This means ChatGPT is excellent for repetitive, straightforward tasks, but it may fall short when it comes to creating unique, engaging content that resonates deeply with your target audience.
Human marketers bring context, emotional intelligence, and creative thinking to online marketing in Surrey, all of which are essential for crafting compelling narratives, developing innovative campaigns, and establishing strong brand identities.
Relying solely on ChatGPT may result in generic, uninspired content that doesn’t fully reflect your brand’s unique voice.
2. Contextual Limitations
Despite its advanced natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can struggle with understanding nuance and context. It usually excels at generating fact-based or formulaic content, but can falter when dealing with more complex topics.
For example, in highly specialised industries that discuss sensitive issues or require a deep understanding of the subject matter, ChatGPT might misinterpret certain aspects or produce content that lacks depth. This is a risk for businesses involved in online marketing in Surrey who want to ensure their content not only informs but also connects with their audience on a deeper level.
3. The Risk of Over-Reliance
There’s a danger in becoming too reliant on ChatGPT for your online marketing needs. While AI can automate many aspects of content creation and customer interaction, it’s important not to overlook the value of human oversight. Over-reliance on AI-generated content can lead to a loss of authenticity in your marketing efforts.
For businesses in Surrey, where local engagement and community-driven marketing are key, maintaining a human touch in your marketing strategy is crucial. Customers want to feel like they’re interacting with real people, not just automated responses. Striking a balance between AI and human input is essential for maintaining authenticity and building lasting customer relationships.
4. Potential for Errors and Quality Issues
Though ChatGPT is designed to provide accurate responses, it’s not infallible. There’s always the potential for errors, whether in the form of incorrect information (known as AI hallucination), awkward phrasing, or content that doesn’t align with your brand’s tone of voice.
In addition, without a detailed prompt, ChatGPT’s output may not be as effective or relevant as you desire. This is particularly concerning when using AI for customer interactions or content creation, as it can lead to misunderstandings or, worse, a damaged reputation.
Businesses need to be mindful of the need for human quality control when using ChatGPT for online marketing in Surrey. We suggest that a team member should always review and amend any AI-generated content before publishing it, to ensure it meets your brand’s standards.
5. Ethical and Legal Considerations
There are growing concerns about the ethical implications of using AI like ChatGPT, particularly in terms of job displacement, data privacy and the possible misuse of AI-generated content.
It is also important to exercise caution with what your business inputs into ChatGPT, and always fact check its output, to avoid potential legal issues related to breaching privacy laws, confidentiality obligations, or IP rights.
Consulting with experts like Thunderbolt, who can help to strike the right balance between automation and human involvement, can help mitigate these concerns.
Is ChatGPT the Right Tool for Your Business?
So, using ChatGPT can offer a range of benefits for your online marketing in Surrey, including saving time, improving efficiency, and reducing costs. However, its lack of human creativity, potential for errors, and possible ethical/legal issues are all factors that need to be carefully considered.
At Thunderbolt, we believe that while AI tools like ChatGPT can be valuable for businesses, they work best when used alongside human creativity and strategic thinking. By combining the strengths of AI with the unique insights and expertise of your marketing team or agency partner, you can create a balanced and effective online marketing strategy.
Contact us today to discuss your business’ unique marketing needs and discover how our experts can leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance your marketing – while keeping your brand’s authenticity intact!