The BIGGEST Mistakes People Make When Using ChatGPT for Content

Kristina Stubblefield: [00:00:00] Are you using ChatGPT to create content, but it still feels generic or off brand? You're not alone. Most people make these big mistakes when using ChatGPT and it's why their content doesn't get engagement. Today, I'm going to go over the five biggest ChatGPT mistakes and how to fix them so you can create content that sounds like you, saves time, and actually connects with your audience.

By the end of this. You'll know exactly what not to do when using ChatGPT and how to make AI content work for your business or organization. I've been fortunate to work with hundreds of people who thought AI generated content was useless until I showed them how to use it correctly. Now, they save five plus [00:01:00] hours per week on content creation, and they get better engagement.

Now, you want to stick around, because when I get towards the end of this, I'm going to share my number one secret to making ChatGPT sound just like you.  

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Let's get started with mistake number one. [00:02:00] Not pre baking the oven, giving ChatGPT context. Most people jump straight into ChatGPT and ask for content without giving it context about their business or organization. The result? Yeah, you're going to get an answer. It's going to be bland generic responses that could apply to anyone.

And we're seeing that out there right now in the world, people just utilizing very bland, generic AI content on many different platforms. So what's the fix? Well, before you ask ChatGPT for content, feed it detailed information about your business. I like to refer to it as pre baking the oven. You need to warm it up with the right ingredients. So, what should you [00:03:00] share with ChatGPT first?

Well, your business name, and tell it about your niche, your target audience. Who are they? What do they care about? Share with it your brand voice and your personality. Are you very formal, professional? Are you fun, conversational? Share with it. Who you are and what your personality is like. What are your unique selling proposition?

Like what makes you different? Share that with ChatGPT. Let me give you an example. Now I'm not going to use a business name to keep this where it could apply. So I'm just going to give you an example. I own a wedding planning business. that specializes in luxury, stress free weddings for busy professionals.[00:04:00] 

My brand voice is warm, elegant, and supportive. I help overwhelmed couples create their dream wedding without stress. Based on this, write a social media post about the benefits of hiring a wedding planner. Now, what I would say here is, Whoever's business this is, I would take time to give it information about my business, my name, why I'm in the wedding business.

You want to give it as much information about you. But this example that I gave is still a much better example than saying, I'm a wedding planner. Write a social media post about the benefits of hiring a wedding planner. That is a very simple, bland input into ChatGPT, where if you use the example I gave, that is a more detailed [00:05:00] prompt that you're sharing.

And guess what? The output that you get is going to be more detailed. 

Now, I want to make sure that you know to grab my free pre baking the oven worksheet so ChatGPT knows more about your brand inside and out. That worksheet will walk you step by step through how to share with ChatGPT. about your business or organization.

Let's move on to mistake number two, using vague prompts. This is a big one and I've already mentioned it just before with the other mistake. But if you type in, write a blog post about social media marketing, you're going to get an answer. But guess what? It's going to be a very generic, very surface level content.

And this is happening time and time and time again. The fix [00:06:00] be super specific with your prompts. Tell ChatGPT how long you want the content to be. What tone do you prefer? Who the audience is? What specific angle you want? So, I'm gonna give you two prompts. First one, very generic. I would say this is a bad prompt.

Write a social media post about productivity. I can't even say it with any enthusiasm. A good prompt. Write a short, engaging LinkedIn post under 200 words about the top three productivity hacks for remote business owners. Use a friendly, motivational tone, and end with a question to boost engagement. Let that sink in for a minute.

Do you see how a more [00:07:00] detailed prompt can work for you? Now, I want to give you another tip. If you don't like the first response you receive, don't just say to ChatGPT. Can you give me another option? You can try that, but revise the prompt. Think of it as a conversation. Now, I say that sometimes I get to do speaking and teaching engagements on AI all the time.

And I tell people, try to put yourself in a mindset where you're talking to someone. I know it's ChatGPT and AI. I know it's a machine, but if you can really think of it as a conversation, you can guide ChatGPT towards a better response for you and your brand.

Okay, let's go on to mistake number three. Oh, this one really [00:08:00] gets me. Copy and pasting without editing. Now, I'm going to tell you something. AI is powerful, but it is far from perfect. You do not want to just copy and paste. Please don't. Make sure you review the information that ChatGPT has shared with you.

And do you agree with it? Does it represent your business? Does it sound robotic? Is it repeating itself in what it gave you? Take the time to go back and forth, conversation style, until you get it refined. And I share this with you even if you're pre baking the oven.

Here's another example that I give people. Think of ChatGPT as your first draft writer, not your final editor. So, here's some tips on what you can do. [00:09:00] You can refine your prompts if you don't like what it gives you. Take the time to read through it in detail. Tweak words or phrases that don't match your voice.

If you don't use certain words, don't copy and paste it and put it out. Tell ChatGPT, I don't use this word. Add personal examples or stories. There's nothing better than helping ChatGPT make more authentic content than sharing examples and stories with it. Make sure the content flows naturally. If it is not how you speak, take the time to refine it.

I promise you it will be worth it. So let me give you some other examples. Hiring a business coach can help you grow your business by providing expert guidance. That's just kind of plain and simple. All right. [00:10:00] Now, let's give another example.

If you're feeling stuck in your business, hiring a coach can be a game changer. A great coach doesn't just give advice. They help you see blind spots, strategize smarter, and take action faster. Now, if you compare, those two outputs, I think you would agree that the second one sounds more human. It doesn't sound as plain and simple as the first one.

Now, as I've mentioned before, you can use ChatGPT to refine and reword your existing content, not just to create brand new content. So, if you have content that has worked well in the past, a blog post, social media, an email, share it with ChatGPT. This is one of my [00:11:00] favorite tips to share with people. If you have a social media post that has worked great for you in the past, take that post, put it into ChatGPT, of course, after what, pre baking the oven, put it in and say, this post worked great for me on whatever platform.

Can you create five similar posts? Again, have that conversation. 

Okay, let's keep moving on. We're, we're to mistake number four. Ignoring formatting and readability. This is really important. Long, long text, boring, hard to read. And I'm here to tell you, it kills engagement. Just because ChatGPT gave you all this information, doesn't mean you should run with it. Sometimes, ChatGPT writes paragraph after paragraph after paragraph with no clear structure. [00:12:00] So, what do you do? Go back to that conversation. Go back into there and say, I want to break my content into shorter sections.

Maybe you want to use booklet points. Maybe you want to turn it into multiple posts if it's a social media post. Is this something that you would want to read? Think about that. Who's your target audience? If it's paragraphs and paragraphs, or if it's one long paragraph, Would you read it? So let me give you an example.

And I'll try to read this one where it's not as plain and simple as I did before. Social media marketing is essential for businesses today because it helps with brand visibility. Customer engagement and driving sales. Businesses should focus on organic content, paid leads, and collaborations to maximize reach.

Okay, now let me read you a second one. And I want to tell, you be [00:13:00] thinking, how does it sound? Why social media marketing matters for your business. Boost brand visibility. Builds customer relationships. Drives sales and growth to maximize success. Focus on organic content, valuable posts, stories, reels, paid ads.

Target the right audience, collaborations, partner with influencers or brands. So here's another tip to go along with this. If ChatGPT gives you long paragraphs. Simply type in. Reformat this into short paragraphs and bullet points for better readability. Keep refining until you're completely happy with it.

It will be worth it. ChatGPT is a learning process. model. Don't forget that part. 

All right. We're to mistake number five for getting to train [00:14:00] ChatGPT over time. Mm ChatGPT gets better the more you use it. But most people start from scratch every single time instead of building on past conversations. So what do you do?

Well, you can use the same chat thread when working on related topics. You can also reference past responses. For example, can you refine this based on what we discussed earlier? You can teach it your style by

Pasting previous content you've written. Mmm. Now we're getting into really pre baking the oven. So let's make sure you took that one in. If you've got a blog post, or an email, or some social media post, and you're happy with the way they're written, Maybe it was even before you were utilizing AI. Put them in [00:15:00] ChatGPT so it can learn more about your style.

So, of course, you know I'm going to give you some examples.

Here's a blog post I wrote. Based on this, rewrite this new blog post in the same tone and style.  

You are saying to ChatGPT, Hey, here, I wrote this and I'm really happy with it. Rewrite this new blog. Based on how this other one, the tone, and the style. 

Now, there you have it. The five biggest mistakes people make when using ChatGPT for content. And, more importantly, how to fix them. If you've been frustrated with generic, robotic, and uninspiring AI generated content, now you know exactly what to do.

Pre bake the oven with the right details, use precise prompts, edit [00:16:00] for personality, structure your content for readability, and keep refining your ChatGPT responses over time. The real magic of AI happens when you guide it. Not when you just accept whatever it spits out. When you take control of the process, you'll get content that not only sounds like you, but also connects with your audience in a meaningful way.

If you want to make sure ChatGPT generates content that's customized for your brand, Make sure to grab my free Pre Baking the Oven Worksheet. This guide will help you train ChatGPT to create content that aligns with your business and brand voice. 

Now, if this content was helpful to you, don't forget to hit the subscribe button and share it with someone who [00:17:00] could also utilize this information.

Now, remember, AI is a tool, not a replacement for your unique voice. Use it wisely, refine as you go, and watch your content creation process become smoother and more effective. Until next time, take care and keep growing your business.   

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