5 Basic Small Business Tasks for ChatGPT

5 Basic Small Business Tasks for ChatGPT

Easy A.I. Prompts and Processes for Everyday

Using A.I. models like ChatGPT is as easy as typing what you want and waiting for the result. Those questions or commands you enter are called “prompts.” The usefulness of the results you get back are directly related to how you word and manage your prompts. That’s called “prompt engineering.”

(If you don’t yet have a ChatGPT account, see the notes at the end of the article.)

In this blog, we’ll take a look at five basic small business tasks for ChatGPT and how can prompt an effective response.

1. Ticket Clarification / Text Simplification
2. Social Posts with Emojis and Hashtags
3. Training and Rewriting Content for a Different Purpose
4. Sales Letter (AIDA vs FAB model)
5. Blog Writing

Task One: Clarifying Customer Emails and Requests

Have you ever received an email or a support ticket from a customer, and you can’t quite figure out what they want? Ask ChatGPT to untangle the confusion.

Sometimes you find yourself reading an email that goes on for paragraphs like this:

I hope this message finds you well, and not too bogged down with all sorts of techie troubles, but I’ve got a bit of a thing to ask about our website, you know, the one you helped set up last spring. It’s been great, really, but you know how it is, things change, people change, and what we thought was just peachy back then feels a bit out of step now, like wearing socks with sandals, not that there’s anything wrong with that per se. Anyway, what I’m trying to get at, and I hope I’m not being too roundabout here, is that picture when you first pop onto our site, the one with the big splash of colors and our big, bold promise of saving pennies which seemed like a good idea at the time.

What in the world do they really want?

Prompt Example: Following is a ticket from a customer.  It is confusing and rambling. Please simplify it so that our web developer will understand the intent of the customer and how to proceed. “Copy and paste the entire email or ticket between quotation marks.”

ChatGPT Response: Here’s a simplified breakdown of the request for the website updates:

Homepage Image Update: Replace the current homepage image, which features a “big splash of colors and a big, bold promise of saving pennies,” with something more subdued. The aim is to convey a message that whispers rather than shouts.

Content Refresh to Reflect New Brand Direction: Update the website’s copy to reflect a shift in the company’s value proposition. Move away from emphasizing being the cheapest option to highlighting prompt, helpful customer service, akin to being “superheroes for customer service.”

Budget-Conscious Updates: Any changes to the website should be minor (“a nip here, a tuck there”) and cost-effective. The company is not looking for a complete overhaul but wants to update the site’s image and message within a tight budget.

General Tone: The overall request emphasizes a gentle evolution of the website’s branding and messaging, not a radical transformation, with a careful eye on budget constraints.

ChatGPT can help organize and parse meaning out of confusing text. If your customer was angry, it can even help you respond in a civil and effective manner.

Task Two: Social Posts with Emojis and Hashtags

Everyone knows they should be active on several Social Media platforms and post as often as they can. But who has the time to think up and write clever and engaging posts?

While you may always be short on time, ChatGPT can help.

Let’s say you were reading online and you found a useful article from AARP on Social Security Scams. You want to share this with your Social Media followers.

Prompt Example: Following is the URL to an article on Social Security scams. Write 5 short, engaging Social Media posts regarding this article. Include emojis, hashtags, and a link to the article. https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-and-scam-awareness/

ChatGPT Response: (For space, we’ll just share the first response generated)

🚨 Beware of Scammers! 🚨 Don’t let fake Social Security calls trick you into giving away your personal info. Stay informed with the latest tips on protecting yourself. Learn more ➡️ https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-and-scam-awareness/ #ScamAlert #ProtectYourInfo #SocialSecurity

Keep in mind, different Social Media platforms accept different lengths of post. You may have to trim the recommended post or ask ChatGPT to revise it in shorter format.

Task Three: Training and Rewriting Content for a Different Purpose

One thing beginners with ChatGPT may not realize is that you can “train” ChatGPT and use it to repurpose existing content.

For example, two years ago we wrote an article for our blog entitled “Voice Search and Your Website” and we want to refresh and reuse it in an email marketing campaign.

We could write a prompt like this:

Prompt Example: Following is the URL to an article on “Voice Search and Your Website.” Review this article and provide 5 ideas for email campaigns targeted at small business. Incorporate any new facts or trends for 2024. https://chroma-marketing.com/voice-search-and-your-website/

(Telling ChatGPT to go read specific information, or even copying that information into the prompt is one way of “training” it to help with responses.)

ChatGPT Response: (For space, we’ll just share the first two responses generated.)

Voice Search Optimization Basics: Share tips on optimizing content for voice search, emphasizing the importance of conversational tone, local information, and answering common questions directly on their websites.

Maximizing Local Discoverability through Voice Search: Guide businesses on enhancing local SEO strategies, focusing on how to be more discoverable in local voice searches by including local landmarks, service areas, and local references.

To continue developing the email campaign, you would select the suggestion you like best and create new prompts moving ChatGPT in the desired direction.

Important note: Once you are in a conversation with ChatGPT, it remembers what you are talking about, so there is no need to start explanations over again from the beginning.

Prompt Example: Let’s go with your second idea and write an opening paragraph targeted at older, small business owners who may not know what voice search even is.

ChatGPT Response:

Voice search is becoming an essential tool for finding information online, yet its workings might seem mystifying, especially if you’re navigating the digital marketing space for the first time. Imagine speaking to your phone as you would to a friend, asking it for the nearest coffee shop or the best plumber in town, and receiving an immediate, accurate response. This is the convenience voice search offers, a technology increasingly integrated into our daily lives, making it crucial for businesses, including yours, to understand and leverage for improved visibility and customer engagement.

As you can see, by following a few easy steps, you can take old material and give it new life and new purpose in your marketing efforts.

Task Four: Writing a Sales Letter (AIDA vs FAB model)

ChatGPT is aware of many “contexts” that you can reference to help move your task in the desired direction.

One example is writing a sales letter. Two types of marketing approaches are the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action) and FAB (Features, Advantages, and Benefits) models.

If you are familiar with these, or any method, theory, or context, you can just ask ChatGPT if it is too.

Prompt Example: Are you familiar with the AIDA method of writing marketing copy? Yes or no.

ChatGPT Response:  Yes, I am.  (Note: if I had not added the “Yes or No” command at the end of my prompt, I’m sure ChatGPT would have given me a long explanation of what the AIDA method is and how it works. It’s up to you.)

Now, knowing that ChatGPT is familiar with the context of the task I’m aiming for, I’ll go ahead and start with a project prompt.

Prompt Example: Following is the URL to our webpage on Award Winning Web Design. Please write a sales letter in the AIDA style targeting local non-profit agencies. If more information is needed on any point, add questions in parentheses in the body of the email and we will fill in the needed data.   https://chroma-marketing.com/web-services/web-design-development/

ChatGPT Response:  (The response below is shortened for space.)

Subject: Transform Your Non-Profit’s Impact with Our Award-Winning Web Design

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

[Attention Section:]

Did you know that the first impression of your website decides within seconds whether someone will engage further with your mission? In today’s digital age, your website is often the first point of contact for potential supporters, volunteers, and beneficiaries. It’s not just a website; it’s the digital face of your cause.

[Interest Section:]

At [Your Company Name], we specialize in creating custom, visually stunning websites that not only capture the essence of your organization but also enhance your online presence. Our expertise in web design has been recognized with [specific award names], showcasing our commitment to excellence and innovation.

[Desire Section:]

Imagine your website being a beacon for your cause, attracting more visitors who are transformed into active supporters, donors, and advocates for your mission. With our award-winning web design services, you can achieve:

Note: Sometimes ChatGPT cannot or will not access the URL you may provide.  This is easy to work around.  Simply copy and paste the information from the web page or document you want to work with into ChatGPT.  An example for that could be as follows:

Prompt Example: Following is information copied from our webpage on Web Design and Development. Refer to this information when answering prompts in this conversation.

Task Five: Writing a Blog

Yes, you can just ask ChatGPT to write a blog.  For example:  “Please write a blog on why homeowners should buy my air purifiers.”

If that is all you do, or something close to that, the result is going to be spammy, and your customers will recognize it as spammy and Google will too. In the end, it may do more harm than good.

ChatGPT exists to accelerate good work, not to replace the fact that you have to do good work.

Blog Step One: Ideas

Prompt Example: My company sells EZ Breathe Ventilation Systems. Provide 5 blog topic ideas on how these systems are of use in residential homes in Southwestern, Pennsylvania.

ChatGPT Response:  (The response below is shortened for space.)

Combating Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Humidity: How EZ Breathe Ventilation Systems Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home: This post can discuss the high humidity levels in Southwestern Pennsylvania, especially during summer, and how it leads to mold and mildew growth in homes. Highlight how the EZ Breathe System can reduce humidity levels, thus preventing mold growth and improving air quality.

Improving Indoor Air Quality in Older Homes with EZ Breathe Ventilation Systems: Many homes in Southwestern Pennsylvania are historic and may not have the best natural ventilation. This topic can cover the challenges older homes face with indoor air quality and how the EZ Breathe System can modernize these homes by providing efficient, effective ventilation.

Blog Step Two: Outlines

Start by picking the idea you would like to go with and ask for an outline of the potential article. Don’t be afraid to modify the outline, add bullet points, or ask questions of ChatGPT about the outline. When you have the outline you want, you can copy and paste it into ChatGPT and inform the system “this is the outline we’re going with.”

Prompt Example: Let’s go with your first idea. Please provide an outline for an in-depth blog/article of 1,000 to 2,000 words on this topic. Show places where calls to action (CTAs) should be included.

ChatGPT Response:  (The response below is shortened for space.)

Title:

Combating Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Humidity: Prevent Mold Growth with EZ Breathe Ventilation Systems

Introduction

• Brief overview of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s climate and common issues with indoor humidity.
• Introduction to the importance of managing indoor air quality and preventing mold growth.
• Brief mention of EZ Breathe Ventilation Systems as a solution.

Understanding Humidity and Its Impacts on Health and Home

• Detailed explanation of how humidity affects indoor environments.
• Discussion on health risks associated with mold and mildew (allergies, respiratory problems).
• Impact of humidity and mold on home integrity and value.

The Challenge of Humidity in Southwestern Pennsylvania

• Overview of the regional climate, focusing on humidity levels during different seasons.
• Common challenges homeowners face in managing indoor humidity.
• Real-life anecdotes or quotes from locals (if available).

Blog Step Three: One Section, 300 words at a time

Never ask ChatGPT to simply “write the article.” For now, Large Language Models like ChatGPT work best in delivering short responses of around 300 words. When they go significantly beyond that point, they tend to veer off course, write less effectively, and even “hallucinate” incorrect information.  To deal with this effect, develop the blog one section at a time.

Prompt Example: Write a draft for the second section, using about 300 words. Use a friendly style, 8^th grade reading level, targeted at moms.

ChatGPT Response:  (The response below is shortened for space.)

Understanding Humidity and Its Impacts on Health and Home

Hey there! If you’re living in Southwestern Pennsylvania like I do, you’re no stranger to the sticky, humid air that seems to settle in our homes, especially during those hot summer months. But did you know this humidity is more than just a discomfort? Let’s dive into why keeping our homes less humid is important for both our health and our homes.

First off, when our homes are too humid, it becomes a playground for mold and mildew. These aren’t just unsightly spots on walls or ceilings; they can actually make us feel pretty sick. If you or your little ones have ever had a runny nose, itchy eyes, or sneezed a lot without knowing why, mold could be the culprit. It’s like having an uninvited guest who doesn’t want to leave!

Blog Step Four: Cite and Verify

Always keep in mind that ChatGPT is not a search engine. It’s a language engine. That means it’s going to write things that sound plausible by may not be accurate. Nevertheless, you can ask it to help with accuracy checks in the following way:

Prompt Example:  Please provide specific references, including the URLs of 2 to 3 websites with relevant information to this section.

ChatGPT Response:  (The response below is shortened for space.)

For the section on understanding the impacts of humidity on health and home, here are some key insights drawn from reliable sources:

Humidity in your home, which is essentially the level of water vapor in the air, can have significant effects on both your health and the structural integrity of your home. Maintaining the right humidity level is crucial to creating a comfortable living environment and preventing issues like mold growth and damage to wood and furnishings. High humidity levels facilitate the growth of mold and mildew, which can cause health problems such as respiratory issues, headaches, and allergic reactions. On the other hand, too low humidity can lead to dry skin, irritation of the respiratory tract, and increased susceptibility to infections due to the prolonged survival of viruses in drier air​ (IAQ.Works)​​ (https://www.airthings.com/)​.

Note: It is your responsibility to review the references in light of the article being written and make sure everything is accurate.

Blog Step Five: Copy Edit and Bring Your Own Voice to the Effort

So far, these may seem like a lot of steps and a lot of work. Granted, but take it from a writer with 35 years’ experience in developing commercial content— this is a very fast alternative to doing all the research, planning, and drafting yourself. In my experience, ChatGPT can help reduce content development on a longer article from 30% to 50%, and that’s not nothing!

Your last step is to make the article your own. ChatGPT’s default writing style is somewhat “fluffy,” lacking in detail and substance.

To correct this, read the ChatGPT draft out loud and consider how you might say the same thing, or add details from your own experience that will give depth and context to the materials.

Copy Editing Example

Original ChatGPT Draft

Besides affecting our health, too much humidity can be tough on our homes as well. Have you ever noticed your wallpaper peeling off or a musty smell in certain rooms? That’s humidity at work. It can make our beautiful homes wear down faster, affecting everything from the paint on the walls to the wood in our furniture.

But here’s the good news: managing humidity is something we can totally do. By keeping our homes at the right humidity level, we can protect our health and keep our homes looking and feeling great. It’s all about creating a cozy, comfortable space where our families can thrive, without the unwanted side effects of too much moisture in the air.

Edited Draft

Besides affecting your health, too much humidity damages your home. It makes rooms smell musty and causes wallpaper to peel.  Did you know air that is too humid makes the wood in your furniture swell? Over time, changes in humidity stress the wood until it warps, cracks and splits. We’ve even seen damp air cause mold on freshly painted interior walls when humidity levels rose above 60%.

The good news? Managing humidity is something we can totally do. By keeping our homes at the right humidity level, we can protect our health and keep our homes looking and feeling great. It’s all about creating a cozy, comfortable space where our families can thrive, without the unwanted side effects of too much moisture in the air. Did you know The EZ Breathe ventilation system is maintenance free and can improve indoor air quality, reduce humidity, and dehumidify. It can cost as little as $1,850 to install and runs for less than $4 per month.

What’s the difference?

In the first paragraph, I simplified the wording a little and added some specific detail from personal experience. Bringing your personal experience into your blog is always a great idea. If your blog is about humidity damaging homes, and you’ve seen specific damage in homes from it, then add those details. Always add personal knowledge and expertise when you can!

In the second paragraph, the main addition is the last sentence. If you find a space to add your specific product or solution and some details about, add those in. Your blog has a purpose after all— to make readers aware of how your company can step up to solve the problem.

Customize ChatGPT to Write in Your Style

Another approach that takes a little upfront effort is to train ChatGPT to write more like you in first place!

Once you have signed up for the FREE or paid plan, when you click on your name in the lower left corner, the option Customize ChatGPT appears. This enables you to train ChatGPT in your own writing style.

Here is the URL to an article in Zapier about “How to Train ChatGPT to Write Like You.”

Important Notes

Asking ChatGPT to Research Online

ChatGPT may not be able to access all websites and sometimes even says that it can’t browse the Internet. The first one is true. Some websites will block ChatGPT access. The second answer isn’t really true, as OpenAI (the makers of ChatGPT) officially launched real-time internet browsing for ChatGPT in October 2023.  However, sometimes ChatGPT seems to fall back to old responses from the days before this was possible.

What Does Google Think of A.I. Written Articles?

Google is not anti-AI. They have their own A.I. system now called Gemini. However, it is very important to know that Google reviews all articles for what it calls E-E-A-T.

Google’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) framework is used to evaluate the quality of a website and the quality of search engine results. E-E-A-T is a component of Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG)

What does that mean to you? It means whether you are using ChatGPT or not, always review your work for providing quality, useful information to your audience.

Completely automated articles, just like over-aggressive sales copy, can sound spammy. And Google doesn’t want to reward online content spammers. So, do a good job, and the search engines will want to help spread your message far and wide.

Additional Prompts for Your Consideration

Here is a list of some useful ChatGPT prompts as well as how to write good prompts.

https://vengreso.com/blog/best-chat-gpt-prompts

How to Get Your ChatGPT Account

To use ChatGPT, go to https://chat.openai.com/ and create a Free or Paid account.

The differences between a Paid ChatGPT account and a Free one relate to features, response times, and usage limits. Here’s a short overview:

• Features Access: Paid accounts have access to more advanced features, which might include the latest model updates, premium functionalities such as professional-level content generation, and specialized tools or integrations.
• Response Times: Paid accounts typically experience faster response times, leading to quicker interactions and less waiting for outputs.
• Usage Limits: Free accounts have usage limits, which can include limitations on the number of messages or queries that can be sent within a certain timeframe.

What Your Web Agency Can Do for You

At Chroma-Marketing Essentials, we are keeping on top of cutting-edge trends like A.I. Driven content development. These tools simply help us do more and do it more affordably for even our smallest business customers.

We see opportunities to help our clients compete with bigger enterprises online and find new and effective ways to reach their target market. This is just the start. In 2024-25 are rolling out new programs that leverage A.I. as the cornerstone of new SEO and content development initiatives.

Call Chroma today at 724-523-3001 or visit Chroma Marketing Essentials to embark on a journey of digital excellence with a local touch. Let’s build a website and a marketing strategy that reflects your business’s unique story and propels it into a future of success.