ChatGPT in Marketing: Benefits, Pitfalls and Best Practices

Hardly a week passes without the world of AI delivering new potential applications. Tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have found their way into everything from answering everyday questions (“How do I work this Airbnb AC unit?”) to driving advancements in science and medicine.

ChatGPT is many things to many marketers. For some, it’s a quick solution for developing written content in bulk (emails, blogs, newsletters, and so forth). For others, it’s a valuable way to create, augment, or spot-check the next campaign’s keyword lists, taglines, and targeting strategies.

The real value lies in its ability to streamline repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work. But the challenge for marketers isn’t just about using ChatGPT—it’s about knowing when and how to use it effectively, ensuring it solves problems without creating new ones.

What To Consider When Marketing With ChatGPT

First, it’s crucial to understand what ChatGPT is (and what it isn’t).

Contrary to what the name might suggest, OpenAI’s program doesn’t actually “think,” nor does it read articles or browse the internet in real time. Instead, it excels at recognizing common language structures and patterns, based on a vast library of materials (books, websites, other texts) it’s been fed during training.

What makes it remarkable is its ability to transform these patterns into cohesive, contextually relevant responses almost instantly. This is what fuels the perception that it has the potential to shake up industries across the board.

For marketing purposes, ChatGPT’s ability to recognize commonalities in like content and quickly summarize its findings can be extremely valuable for brainstorming, drafting, and organizing ideas, so long as users remain aware of the program’s key shortcomings:

ChatGPT Wants To Agree With You. The program acts as an assistant naturally attuned to agreement or affirmation—even if the premise of your prompt is flawed. This tendency, combined with its ability to “hallucinate” (i.e., generate plausible-sounding but false information), means it sometimes confidently presents invented facts or sources without warning.

Its Knowledge Isn’t Always Current. The program isn’t connected to the internet in real time. Unless paired with a browsing tool, it can’t reflect recent events, emerging trends, or up-to-date product launches.

It Lacks Human Understanding. While ChatGPT can mimic tone and structure, it doesn’t actually comprehend meaning or context. Without human input, its responses can easily veer “off-brand.”

It Risks Reflecting Bias. ChatGPT’s knowledge is based wholly on human-created content, which means it can unintentionally mirror biased viewpoints.

It Struggles With Specialized Topics. In niche industries or highly technical fields, ChatGPT often oversimplifies, leans on generalizations, or lacks the nuance that a subject matter expert would bring.

It Won’t Replace Strategy. ChatGPT doesn’t replace strategic thinking — it can’t evaluate audience sentiment, balance competing priorities, or align messaging with long-term brand goals the way a skilled marketer can.

In addition to these important caveats, there remain several ethical concerns when it comes to ChatGPT’s unauthorized usage of training materials, and its potential environmental impact.

Will ChatGPT Take Our Jobs?

AI is often seen as a threat to jobs, but the reality is more nuanced. These systems don’t operate in a vacuum—Google’s AI tools, for example, don’t directly integrate with Meta’s platforms. This disconnect highlights the ongoing need for human expertise to bridge gaps, interpret data, and apply insights effectively. AI can feel like a “black box,” which makes human oversight essential for using it strategically and spotting opportunities that algorithms might miss.

In digital marketing, structure is everything—especially when working with AI. The quality of results depends on the quality of inputs. Clear, well-organized data and specific goals help AI perform at its best. On the flip side, vague or unstructured inputs lead to scattered, less useful outcomes. This is where marketers shine. By aligning campaign structures with client objectives, we guide AI to deliver more focused and impactful results.

AI isn’t replacing marketers—it’s reshaping the way we work. New roles, like prompt engineering, are emerging to optimize how we interact with these tools. While AI can handle repetitive tasks with efficiency, it still relies on humans for troubleshooting, refining, and filling in the gaps where automation falls short. For example, future campaign managers may spend less time on manual tasks, like combing through search term reports, and more time on high-level strategy and decision-making.

Ultimately, AI is a tool—one that’s only as effective as the people guiding it. Marketers bring the creativity, critical thinking, and strategic vision that no algorithm can replicate. As AI evolves, so does our role, making human expertise not just relevant, but indispensable in shaping the future of marketing.

ChatGPT Best Practices

At this point, most are familiar with ChatGPT’s common functions within the marketing realm. It can quickly generate ad copy, including headline variants and full-length product descriptions, as well as produce social media captions tailored to different platform tones.

It can also assist with email campaigns, draft subject lines, offer fresh angles, supply new blog topics or taglines, and generally aid anyone stuck in a temporary creative rut. It can even assist in outlining customer personas or mapping user journeys based on a few basic inputs.

Still, the final product likely requires some human polishing to ensure any outbound messaging connects authentically with your intended audience. With that in mind, here are some quick tips for getting the most out of ChatGPT (without losing your creative edge):

Use Detailed Prompts. The more specific the prompt, the better the output. Include tone, audience, length, and format.

Treat It Like a First Draft. Always refine and tailor the results, particularly when statistics or other stated facts are involved. Double-check these with trusted sources—remember, ChatGPT isn’t above fabricating stats to suit your message. 

Build Prompt Libraries. Develop reusable prompts (templates) for different clients or campaign types.

Train It With Your Brand Voice. Feed ChatGPT examples of your tone using previous examples to help it hone in on the tone you’re looking to achieve.

Fact-Check Everything Again. Never assume the AI’s output is accurate or up to date.

Give It One Last Human Touch. For the best results, always work to merge ChatGPT’s speed with your own insights and intuition.

In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, tools like ChatGPT offer a powerful way to enhance efficiency and spark creativity. However, their true value lies in how they are used. By understanding its strengths and limitations, marketers can leverage ChatGPT as a complement to their expertise, not a replacement for it. The key is to approach it as a collaborative partner — one that accelerates workflows and inspires new ideas, while leaving the nuanced, strategic, and human elements of marketing firmly in your hands. With thoughtful application, ChatGPT can be a catalyst for innovation, helping marketers focus on what they do best: connecting with audiences in meaningful and authentic ways.

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