A year has passed since we integrated ChatGPT into our marketing operations. On that occasion, we wrote an article about the early days of ChatGPT (link). Today, we take a moment to look back and evaluate the impact of this technology on our work.
#1 Market research: The reality check
Initially, we were optimistic about ChatGPT streamlining our market research process. It will probably evolve in the right direction in the near future but the reality has been a bit different so far.
ChatGPT's advancements, such as source querying and web browsing, initially seemed promising. Yet, the critical nature of market research, with its dependency on accurate data and credible sources, revealed significant limitations with ChatGPT's capabilities. The tool often mirrored the direction of our queries, leading to a biased interpretation of data. This necessitated an extensive verification process for each piece of information, assessing the source's credibility, accessibility, and timeliness.
In the end, the process proved to be more time-consuming than our established methodologies refined with our clients over a decade. This experience has led us to continue relying on our traditional market research techniques while keeping an eye on future advancements in AI-assisted tools.
#2 A breakthrough in content creation
The real surprise came in the area of content creation. Contrary to our initial estimate, ChatGPT saved us around 50% of the time usually spent on those operations. With a well-defined structure, precise data such as target demographics, ChatGPT has the potential to save time. It's important to think of ChatGPT, not as a content replicator, but as a source of inspiration offering a plethora of ideas when creativity seems to be lagging or lacking.
For example, when developing blog topics, ChatGPT provided unique angles and fresh ideas, which could then be refined. When writing first drafts, it helped to set a basic structure that content creators can develop and customize.
#3 A clear time-saver for SEO
One of the most interesting developments was the creation of a new methodology for improving SEO, based on ChatGPT's capabilities. This methodology not only optimized our content for search engines, but also improved its overall quality and relevance.
ChatGPT has been instrumental in identifying trending keywords, generating SEO-friendly meta descriptions, and formulating engaging titles. For example, by analyzing current trends, ChatGPT helped us target keywords that increased our web traffic significantly.
For us, ChatGPT is a fantastic tool, but its effectiveness depends on the user's knowledge and expertise. It's not a magic solution that works by itself, and extends the capabilities of the people who use it.
Let's take SEO as an example. Our experience in using ChatGPT for SEO is not only due to the tool's capabilities. It was our team's in-depth understanding of SEO principles that enabled us to guide and use ChatGPT effectively. Without a solid SEO foundation, ChatGPT's suggestions and ideas could have been underused, or perhaps, misinterpreted.
As AI technologies evolve, we remain committed to integrating these breakthroughs into our marketing strategy and operations. Generative AI tools have broken new ground in efficiency and creativity, and we look forward to seeing how it continues to transform the digital marketing landscape.