How To Use ChatGPT to Get Ahead in Ecommerce
Sick of racking your brains for fresh ways to promote your ecomm business?
AI-written content used to be a total joke, but Open AI's ChatGPT has changed the game completely.
It's particularly handy for copywriting, but it can do a whole bunch of nifty things. This robot is automating tasks faster than you can nuke a TV dinner. You can even ask it to write an entire book for you (terrifying, but cool, but terrifying).
The copywriter in me inherently rejects the notion of letting an AI do all the hard yards for you, but having spent an entire day playing on this thing, it's hard to go past how damn handy it is.
So as hard as it is to admit, if you want to give your ecommerce business a boost, ChatGPT really can help. It's perfect for automating tasks that would normally slow you down, and it's great for making you better at what you already do.
Read below for how you can use ChatGPT to your full advantage, strengthen your ecomm business, and take over the world (not guaranteed).
8 Ways To Use ChatGPT
1. Suggest marketing angles for new products.
Dreaming up new angles for your products can take a heck of brainpower.
There's a bit of lingo to learn to work ChatGPT, but once you do, it's phenomenal for slow-brain days. Rather than sitting around with your team, scouring your brains for one more angle for a Facebook ad, you can ask ChatGPT and get it done in minutes.
Is it perfect? Nope. But it immediately gives you somewhere to start.
2. Use ChatGPT to write ad scripts for you.
Once you've asked GPT for marketing angles, you can then ask it to create a script for you. At HeapsGood, we often write UGC-style ads for our socials. Using the AI chatbot, I was able to get a full new script written in a quarter of an hour.
Okay GPT, you win this one.
3. Write product descriptions
Website product descriptions need to hit a word count to rank, and coming up with creative ways to waffle on about your products takes time. Here, I keyed in the tone of voice and the product, and ChatGPT did the rest.
Speaking of SEO, you can also ask it to make the product description SEO-friendly. You'll need to check it at the end, but it does save a lot of time.
Boom.
As a note, for copywriting requests, it helps when you:
- Specify what your brand does;
- Ask for how many words you'd like;
- Specify tone and target audience; and
- Ask it to regenerate the copy once you have it's initial draft, with more specifics.
You can ask it to be more formal or informal, to write in the style of another brand, writer, or celebrity, or even to add more jokes.
4. Brainstorm ideas for content creation.
Ah, content creation. The quicksand of time in your work day. For those days when you just need something, you can ask a mate (GPT, we're getting along now).
As an aside, ChatGPT doesn't have any knowledge of events after 2021. So it's not the best to milk for info if you're hoping to post this week's TikTok dance.
But also, there's better ways to promote your business than a trending dance. Just sayin'...
5. Write captions for your socials (and generate hashtags)
The most common daily task for ecomm businesses, but occasionally one of the most taxing. You can ask it to create for anything from a Halloween to a EOFY theme, and then just key in your brand's angle.
I didn't here, but as above, I recommend adding a suggested word count to your request. Otherwise, GPT will use the opportunity to write half a page's worth of C-grade standup for your Instagram caption.
6. Ask it to write code for you.
Something we use a lot is the HTML for putting a customer name directly into our weekly emails. As a lowly creative writer, the thought of having to understand computer code makes my brain feel wriggly.
If computer programming ain't your thang, GPT can do that part (and explain it back to you).
If you're really struggling with understanding code, or any other concept, you can always ask: "Explain _______ to me like I'm five years old." You'll walk away feeling a little wiser, if not slightly patronised.
7. Ask it for recipes.
ChatGPT is also just damn good at giving you a faster and simpler answer than any other search engine. See what it did with my poorly-stocked pantry.
Yum... I guess?
8. Use it to check your sustainability practices... or ours.
While this question is arguably Google-able, ChatGPT is handy for keying in specific questions, and it'll come back with specific answers. It'll also usually explain its reasoning, which is something Google can't do.
Did someone say... subliminal messaging?
Robots Aren't All That
While ChatGPT is undeniably amazing, it's not without its limitations. Firstly, its knowledge only goes up until 2021, which makes it not-so-great for predicting future trends.
Secondly, its "humour" is questionable, so don't totally rely on it for your witty one-liners.
Thirdly, always fact-check any claims it makes. While it can calculate and code, it's absolutely something you want to check before you start keying it into the backend of your online store.
At the end of the day, the human brain is capable of the most nuanced, hilarious observations possible. Just take a look at Twitter for confirmation.
ChatGPT is just a wonderful starting place.
The Wrap Up
There it is! You now know how to harness ChatGPT and get ahead with your ecommerce business. With the power of AI at your fingertips, you can automate mundane tasks, gain insights into your customers' needs, and even get some inspiration for your social media posts.
The most important takeaway is that to master ChatGPT, you need to master specificity. The AI works beautifully when given all the right parameters, but it's ultimately up to the human in front of the screen (you, hopefully) to ask for the right things.
So be patient, use trial and error, and don't rely solely on AI to run your business. Remember to use your own judgement, creativity and good old-fashioned common sense.
After all, behind every successful ecommerce business is a human brain (or two) working hard behind the scenes.
Discovered any other sweet ways to use ChatGPT?
We're enthusiasts now, so let us know about 'em in the comments below.
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