The Importance of ‘People-First Content’ in the Age of ChatGPT
Unless you’ve been staying off the Internet, you’ve likely heard of ChatGPT. This AI tool has been making headlines all over the world, inspiring both fear and awe in marketers.
As a digital marketing professional, I had been following news stories about artificial intelligence for a while. I’ve always been fascinated by the topic, especially with how our everyday reality is slowly catching up to the futuristic technology we used to only see in science fiction films.
Last year, the conversation around AI centered on the ethical (and unethical) uses of AI-generated art. Many people found AI art software like Midjourney and Dall-E to be useful in creating professional-level imagery. However, artists argued that using these tools is a form of plagiarism because they generate images based on publicly available art without credit or compensation to the artists whose works were used to “train” the software.
In addition, many creatives feared that the widespread use of these AI tools would devalue the work of human artists, with some even speculating that AI would one day replace humans entirely.
Today, writers face a similar dilemma with the emergence of ChatGPT. Is this chatbot as revolutionary as many people claim? Can this new technology fully replace human writers? Let’s explore all of these questions and more.
What Is ChatGPT, and How Is It Used?
Before we address any of the questions posed above, let’s start with this: what exactly is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT, which is short for “Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer,” is a chatbot used to generate texts, essays, and other written content. Launched by OpenAI in November 2022, ChatGPT was trained to understand text data and uses machine learning techniques to identify patterns in its dataset, which it then uses to create new text based on prompts given by users.
Much like other chatbots, the tool allows you to have human-like conversations, but ChatGPT has been generating buzz for its highly advanced conversational capabilities relative to other AI tools.
For example, ChatGPT can not only answer frequently asked questions but also write detailed, long-form essays, assist you in writing code, or even just have a normal and friendly conversation that feels eerily human.
Why Is ChatGPT Controversial?
The recent conversations surrounding ChatGPT have focused on its impact in the education sector. In January 2023, many school districts in the U.S. have banned the use of ChatGPT, fearing that students have been cheating on their schoolwork by submitting AI-generated essays. Educators fear that ChatGPT can hinder student learning while also rendering traditional writing assignments obsolete.
Another concern about ChatGPT is its potential use as a “replacement” for human writers. Since the chatbot can write lengthy and detailed articles on any topics in a matter of seconds, some are concerned about whether this technology will devalue the works of marketing professionals or even render them obsolete.
Can ChatGPT Replace Human Writers?
Much like other digital marketers (and people who write for a living, in general), I was both fascinated by and fearful of ChatGPT’s existence and its implications in my line of work. If businesses could use a free AI tool to quickly and easily create web content and blogs, what would that mean for me?
As we enter the Age of Artificial Intelligence, will still there be a need for human writers?
As of this writing, I can honestly say, “no, I don’t think ChatGPT in its current form can truly replace human writers.”
To illustrate my reasoning for this answer, let’s take a closer look at what ChatGPT can and can’t do:
What ChatGPT CAN Do
· Streamline Routine Writing Tasks
ChatGPT can generate text in seconds, which can be useful for automating minor writing tasks like replying to emails or social media messages. In fact, chatbots like ChatGPT were once created for this exact purpose — to help brands reply to large volumes of customer messages in an efficient and timely manner.
The advanced conversational abilities offered by ChatGPT can help customers feel less awkward about interacting with chatbots. At the same time, companies can use ChatGPT for simple customer service inquiries, lead generation, newsletters, and other routine writing tasks that don’t require much creativity or insight.
· Help Improve Writing Efficiency
Has writer’s block ever gotten in the way of your work? Have you often found yourself staring at your blank Word document for hours on end?
For writers who may occasionally need inspiration or creativity boosts, ChatGPT can be a helpful tool. Since it functions as an advanced chatbot, you can send it prompts and gain inspiration from whatever it generates. For example, if you’re writing a story and are stuck on a particular scene, try starting a “conversation” with ChatGPT and see if you can get out of your rut.
For marketers who sometimes need help coming up with new topics or angles to write about, ChatGPT can help create topic summaries, which can then be used by human writers to create longer, more detailed articles.
What ChatGPT CAN’T Do
· Generate New Insights
Here’s the main limitation of ChatGPT: It is an AI tool that generates answers based on the existing dataset it has been trained on, which means that it can rehash, rephrase, or rewrite insights but it cannot create new ones.
Unlike human beings, an AI cannot be “inspired” to shift its perspective or think outside the box. ChatGPT cannot use critical thinking or solve a novel problem. It can only offer answers based on existing data.
As such, for writing tasks that require innovation, creativity, or problem-solving skills (for example, writing fiction novels, poems, whitepapers, or thought leadership articles), ChatGPT will likely be of little help in its current state.
· Verify Accuracy of Information
One thing everyone should remember about ChatGPT is that it is NOT a search engine. Unlike Google, which accesses and indexes web pages to help users find answers to their queries, ChatGPT does not search the Internet for information. Instead, the AI tool taps into its dataset to generate a reply for the purpose of continuing your conversation, not necessarily for providing accurate answers.
The problem is that ChatGPT’s dataset is limited and flawed. Sometimes, the chatbot will even provide inaccurate or misleading information.
In one case study, a marketer tasked ChatGPT with writing a product review for the Apple iPhone 14 Pro. Although the AI was able to provide a concise review highlighting a few of the benefits of the iPhone, it also incorrectly listed features as “new” and cited the wrong chipset for the specific model it was reviewing.
· Add a Personal Touch
ChatGPT can generate texts that seem almost convincing as human speech, but it cannot truly replicate the nuances of human language, interactions, and conversations.
Think about the people in your life. Think about your everyday conversations with them.
Each person has a unique voice and perspective, drawing from different backgrounds and experiences. And no two people will ever be 100% alike.
The same is true for writing. Give two writers the same prompt, and they will likely write you two vastly different works. Whereas, ChatGPT will likely send you the same (or at least very similar) reply to the same prompt every time.
Why People-First Content Still Matters
In the age of digital transformation and innovation, people from all walks of life still crave authentic and genuine connection. Even as AI technology becomes more and more advanced, high-quality content created by humans for humans is still necessary, preferred, and even advantageous for both brands and readers.
Even Google agrees that people-first content is king. In a 2022 update, Google announced a change to their search algorithm. Instead of giving high rankings to content primarily created for search engines, Google now rewards “helpful content” written for the purpose of providing value to readers first and foremost.
Although many businesses and marketers may feel tempted to turn to ChatGPT for help with content writing, here are the reasons why people-first content (which can only be written by humans) should still be your top priority:
People-first content helps establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
Building brand authority is no easy feat, but it’s crucial for getting customers to trust you and see you a key player in your particular industry.
Although AI tools like ChatGPT can help you churn out digital content quicker, you’ll likely be compromising the quality of your output, which may push readers (and potential customers) to click away from your website.
By investing in people-first content, you can showcase your expertise on subject matter relevant to your industry, create in-depth guides and articles that will draw in your target audience, and win their trust and their business.
People-first content can help you improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Many see content marketing as a mere tool for getting clicks and increasing website traffic, which is why they’re perfectly fine with gaming the search engine algorithm through keyword stuffing instead of focusing on creating quality content.
The truth is that content marketing is useful not only for raising brand awareness but also for inspiring customer loyalty and enhancing reader satisfaction.
When you consistently put out high-quality, value-driven content, readers will want to keep following your brand because they’ll see you as a dependable resource. These readers, in turn, may also share your content with their friends and family, widening your reach, driving website traffic, and, most of all, convincing more people to purchase your products or services.
People-first content gives you a significant competitive advantage.
The more AI-generated articles are published on the web, the more likely people-first content becomes a rare commodity — a diamond among stones.
Think of it this way: If you were a reader searching for in-depth answers to your query, would you rather trust the brand that frequently churns out mediocre content that merely restates facts you can likely find elsewhere on the Internet or the one that publishes detailed, well-researched articles that include original and creative insights?
In today’s increasingly crowded marketing landscape, investing in people-first content can help you stand above the competition and make an excellent first impression on your target audience.
In Conclusion
ChatGPT definitely seems to be changing the game for marketers. Although it can be helpful for less complex tasks such as email writing, this AI tool cannot yet fully replace human writers (and likely never will).
As we welcome the Age of AI, investing in people-first content becomes even more of a priority. Writing and publishing value-driven, high-quality articles can not only help you improve your search engine rankings but also establish yourself as an authority in your industry and win the trust (and the business) of your target audience.
Good luck out there, marketers!
