Read this before using ChatGPT to create marketing copy and social media content
Victoria Rose 
Let’s get one thing straight: there is zero shame in using ChatGPT to create marketing copy and social media content.
In fact, I believe it’s an incredible tool that anyone in business should be taking full advantage of.
But, like any tool, how you use it can make the difference between something that’s “meh” and something that’s exceptional.
To explain why training ChatGPT is crucial, I want to give an analogy in terms of dogs because that is my special area of interest. Let’s dive in…
Why you need to think of ChatGPT like a dog (bear with me!)
Dogs have been bred for centuries to help humans - whether it’s retrieving game, detecting scents, or offering medical alerts and assistance.
Sure, there are tasks we could technically do without them, but dogs make those tasks far more efficient.
Then there are tasks we can’t do without dogs (or other equipment), like finding injured game in dense cover or detecting changes in blood sugar levels.
ChatGPT is the same.
When it comes to marketing, if your business is centred around educating people (whether you’re a trainer, coach, or teacher) you’ve probably got at least one topic that people ask you about all the time.
Even if you hate writing copy, you could jot down your thoughts on that topic in a way that provides value to your audience and customers. Sure, those thoughts might be jumbled, with the odd spelling or grammatical error, but you could do it. ChatGPT makes this process faster and more efficient.
Without a wealth of marketing knowledge and experience, you might not know what steps to take to turn strangers on the internet into loyal customers. ChatGPT, however, can answer almost any question you have about promoting your 121s, courses, workshops, and coaching programmes. It can even go a step further, planning strategic content topics, drafting blogs, creating email campaigns, and giving you a full month’s worth of social media content.
Where does the training element come in?
Let’s go back to our dogs for a moment.
Without any training at all, dogs have innate genetic behaviours that they’ll happily perform without human input.
If you took a Labrador Retriever from working parents out to a field and threw a ball, chances are it would chase the ball, use its nose to locate it (assuming it didn’t catch it mid-air), pick it up, and take it somewhere. Maybe back to you, if you’re lucky.
Now, with training, you could take those natural instincts and refine them. You could teach that Labrador to wait for the ball to land before running out. You could train it to stop midway and take direction to another ball it hadn’t even seen being thrown. It could be trained to bring the ball all the way back to you, hold it gently in its mouth, and release it only when cued.
For basic, natural behaviours, training isn’t strictly necessary. It just makes things better.
But for specialist behaviours, like scent detection for the police or diabetic alert dogs, training isn’t optional. Without it, the dog simply wouldn’t be able to perform the task.
It’s the same with ChatGPT.
Like dogs, ChatGPT comes with built-in abilities. It has a wealth of information it can draw on to do things “naturally” without much input from you.
If you’re trying to do something basic, like checking text for spelling mistakes, you can just open it up, ask it to review your text, and it’ll suggest alterations.
If your business operates in a more generic industry and you don’t have a niche or a specialist approach, you could also ask ChatGPT to write a blog on a topic of your choice. It’ll churn out some basic, generic text that’s probably fine.
But with training, you could take this to the next level. You could teach ChatGPT to write copy that sounds exactly like you, capturing your tone, style, and unique voice.
Equally, if you’re writing about a specialist topic, something niche that requires expertise, training (or at least providing a ton of upfront information) is absolutely essential. Without it, ChatGPT simply won’t produce anything that’s usable for your business.
The problem with skipping the training (even if you don’t want to write on a specialist topic)
I’ve seen a lot of people using ChatGPT without training it. Perhaps it’s because they’re not aware they can train ChatGPT.
Or maybe it feels optional, like letting a dog chase a ball without caring whether it actually comes back.
Either way, I’m here to tell you that your business isn’t just a casual pet - it’s a hardworking gundog, a scent detection dog, or a diabetic alert dog - and so your ChatGPT needs training to perform at its best.
Untrained ChatGPT content is passable, but it lacks the personal touch. People are getting better at spotting AI-generated text, and if your content feels generic or robotic, it won’t build the trust you need to turn strangers into clients.
Even worse, untrained content risks creating a disconnect. If someone reads ChatGPT-generated content, likes the “version” of you they see, and then meets the real you, they might feel surprised or even put off if the two don’t match.
How can you train ChatGPT?
If you train ChatGPT to do one thing, let it be this: replicate your tone of voice. Unlike teaching a dog complex skills, this is straightforward and yields huge results.
Here’s how you can do it… Go to ChatGPT, copy the following prompt and follow the instructions:
Prompt:
"I want you to help me define my brand voice by analysing the text I’ve written or transcriptions of conversations I’ve had. Please follow these steps:
- Ask me to upload one piece of content (text or transcription) at a time. Use phrases like:
'Please share your first piece of content to get started' and 'Once you're ready, share your next piece of content for analysis'.
Allow me to tell you when I’ve finished uploading all my content by saying, 'I’m done' or something similar. Confirm that you’ve received all the content before proceeding.
Once all content has been received, analyse it for:
Tone (e.g., conversational, formal, humorous, empathetic)
Rhythm and sentence structure (e.g., short and punchy, flowing and descriptive)
Common phrases or words I frequently use
Any stylistic choices (e.g., use of metaphors, direct calls to action)
Create a detailed summary of my brand voice, including key elements like tone, rhythm, language patterns, and unique style. The summary should be clear and structured so that I can easily give it to ChatGPT in future conversations to replicate my voice accurately.
Let’s begin. Please ask for the first piece of content."
ChatGPT is a game-changer, just like a well-trained dog. It can make your marketing more efficient, give you ideas you hadn’t considered, and help you come up with content even if you hate writing.
But to truly get the most out of it, you need to put in the work upfront.
Your business deserves the same care and attention you’d give to training a gundog or a specialist scent detection dog. Because when you take the time to train ChatGPT, it stops being just another AI tool and becomes an invaluable part of your marketing strategy.
Want to put your trained ChatGPT to use in your business? Click here to download my ebook.
