by Paul DeLeeuw, Tech Lead at ddm marketing+communications
The unfettered use of ChatGPT and other LLMs in content creation has no doubt saved plenty of marketers time wrestling with writer’s block. When correctly deployed, these tools can inspire creativity while suggesting SEO-friendly words and phrases that effectively capture and resonate with target audiences.
Between our busy schedules and the relative ease of use of most LLMs, however, it’s easy to deploy them incorrectly. To avoid these pitfalls, a closer look is needed at how these AI scripts source their results, suppress creativity by default, and can be personalized to generate results better tailored to your specific purposes.
The limits of LLMs
A Large Language Model (LLM) is a statistical algorithm for creating content in a certain context. It possesses no original knowledge, but rather draws on online sources to generate content that aligns with your prompts. The less specific the prompt, the more the returned response will appear to be a generic amalgamation of what others have already published about your query (or slightly different topics, if the query is not worded precisely).
Unless it’s specifically prompted to get creative, to flourish — to “be random” — an LLM should not be counted on to generate anything cutting-edge. It’s trying to be straight and to the point, rather than be thoughtful and unique.
When you consider that every LLM is merely mining a database for thoughtfulness that already exists, it makes no sense to count on it to produce a thoughtful, polished final draft. Unless generic is the goal, don’t use ChatGPT for your final draft.
So how can LLMs inspire creativity?
The best way to use an LLM to generate original, creative content? Don’t.
Instead, use LLMs as a tool for planning, brainstorming, suggesting, and generating copy not intended to be customer- or client-facing. Use your own brain for the final draft. It’s the best source of original content at your disposal.
Crowdsourcing wisdom has its place: planning a process, uncovering the best resources for learning about a particular topic, or cutting through the sponsored clutter at the top of a search engine query. ChatGPT can offer users a head start, and get content creators to a place where they’re ready to bring their own voice to the table.
Put differently, LLMs offer a shortcut to the first stage of the creative process — not the last. Remembering this point is even more important when trying to stand out in a world where many creatives will rush to generate LLM-produced content as a time saver. Against this backdrop, your original voice has a chance to shine more than ever.
Personalizing ChatGPT
Despite its inherent limitations, ChatGPT offers a useful feature for generating query results more specific to your own creative process. Create an account, sign in, and set “personalization” to “on.” You’ll answer four questions that effectively feed it information that’s useful for knowing what you find inspirational.
Over time, ChatGPT queries will elicit responses that better match your own voice. Ask it to be SEO-friendly — if that’s your goal, providing relevant keyword suggestions in the prompt will help — and it won’t be hard to add a dash of your own voice before yielding copy worthy of a final draft.
The only way to stand out in a world where ChatGPT is being used to generate low-effort content is, unfortunately, with more effort than your competition. Fortunately, both you and your LLM of choice can use your efforts more wisely to save time and still be creative.
Paul DeLeeuw is the Head of Interactive Oversight at ddm marketing+communications, a leading marketing agency for highly complex and highly regulated industries. As a tech lead, Paul provides business process and data automation solutions within the healthcare, financial services and manufacturing spaces.
