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It’s been more than two years since ChatGPT burst onto the scene. In 2023, I wrote that I am not worried about it, and today, I am here to tell you that AI is not coming for my job anytime soon. How do I know this? ChatGPT wrote an article for me. And it was not good.
Here was my prompt:
Write an 800-word article about the most effective marketing strategies for small businesses in the voice of Monika Jansen, CEO of Jansen Communications.
For fun, I’m going to grade its article.
What happened when ChatGPT wrote an article for me
It didn’t quite follow the prompt I gave it
Let’s dissect how it did in terms of just the prompt:
- The article is 1,085 words, so nearly 300 words longer than my request.
- The strategies are spot-on – yes, really! They are basic, so I would gear this article towards new business owners. And I would call that out in the title and introduction.
- It is not even close to my voice. In fact, it uses words I abhor. “Leverage” anyone? Gag.
Grade: C
I would never have written an introduction like this
As a small business owner, one of the greatest challenges you face is getting noticed in a crowded market. You don’t have the massive budgets or resources that large corporations have at their disposal, but you do have something they don’t—agility, creativity, and a personal connection to your audience. Over my years of running Jansen Communications, I’ve seen firsthand how small businesses can make a big impact with the right marketing strategies. So, let me share some of the most effective ways small businesses can elevate their marketing efforts and achieve lasting success.
If you’ve read any of my writing, you know this is not even close to my style and voice. Here are the problems:
- The sentences are far too long. The second sentence is 31 words, the second is 23 words, and the third is 21 words – all over the recommended 20 words max.
- The paragraph is too long. And when they’re too long, the text appears SUPER dense and not reader friendly. I would have broken it up between the second and third sentences.
- I don’t use the word “agility” or “disposal” and I rarely say “elevate”. The content really tries to sound conversational, but this is definitely NOT in my voice.
Grade: F
If you’re curious, yes, the rest of the article is riddled with these three glaring issues.
The strategies are mostly accurate
ChatGPT included seven strategies in the article:
- Understand Your Customer Inside and Out
- Leverage the Power of Social Media
- Create Valuable Content
- Embrace Email Marketing
- Invest in Local SEO and Google My Business
- Collaborate with Other Small Businesses and Influencers
- Measure, Test, Adapt
Some of the strategies include useful and specific tips, some don’t. For instance, when it comes to understanding your customer, ChatGPT advised, “Start by defining your ideal customer—who are they, what are their pain points, and what motivates them?”
Solid advice.
But then I started reading about social media, and some of the advice is broad and generic. Here’s an example: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter provide a unique opportunity to build brand awareness, showcase your products, and foster direct engagement with your community.
I feel like this is common knowledge. And because social media marketing has such a lousy ROI, I’d push this strategy down to the sixth position.
A few other quibbles:
- Content drives ALL marketing efforts. I would place a major emphasis on this section.
- My expertise is in B2B marketing. I wouldn’t write about Local SEO or Google My Business. With that said, I don’t blame ChatGPT for including this strategy, because my prompt did not specify B2C or B2B.
- The subheads (for the strategies) are really boring. I would write much more interesting ones.
- I love to include marketing stories about things I’ve done for my agency or for clients. If I had asked ChatGPT to include those, we would have gotten some wild and completely fabricated stories. Which means I would have had to write them from scratch anyway.
Grade: C
The final test: Could I use this article without heavy editing?
Oh my god, no. I would have to re-write the entire thing before it met my standard and could be published. And to do that, I would first have had to deconstruct the article and decide what to keep, what to toss, and what to add.
Then I would have to edit everything I’m keeping and write lots of new copy to make the article sound like me. This process would take me longer than writing it from scratch.
Let’s use strategy 7 as an example. Here’s what ChatGPT wrote:
Measure, Test, and Adapt
Finally, the most successful small businesses are always adapting their marketing efforts based on performance. Marketing is never a one-and-done task. Always track your metrics—whether it’s website traffic, social media engagement, or email performance—and test different strategies to see what works best.
Running A/B tests, refining your messaging, and trying new tactics will help you stay ahead of the competition. In marketing, staying flexible and open to change is key to finding what truly resonates with your audience.
Here’s my re-write:
Measure your marketing efforts and update your strategy as needed
Unless you dig into your marketing metrics on a regular basis, you’ll have no idea what is and is not working. Set aside time every one or two months to review:
- Website traffic – What pages and blog posts are people visiting? How long are they staying? Where are they coming from (organic search, direct, email, social media, etc.)?
- Email – What subject lines are people responding to? Open rates will tell you. And what topics and call-to-action are leading to clicks?
- Social media – Forget impressions, reach, and reactions. What topics and content type are people commenting on and sharing?
Track what you learn and the changes you make. Marketing is not a one-and-done, so keep experimenting!
I almost forgot to grade this section! But I’m sure you know what’s coming:
Grade: F
Do two F’s and two C’s equal a D? No. They equal an F.
Related: Skyrocket Engagement: How Better Titles and Headings Transform Your Blog