Don't let ChatGPT Write Your Blog Post. [Try these 3 Things Instead]
Updated: Feb 6
I can't go a day without hearing about ChatGPT.
It's all over LinkedIn
It's all over Facebook
It's taken over Twitter.
Even my barber was telling me how he uses it for recipe ideas.
So what gives? Is it the next best thing? Will it replace writers? Can you use it to write all of your blog posts, landing pages, and outreach emails?
Probably not.
I'm biased. I'd rather you pay me to write your content than ChatGPT. I'm not going to sit here and lecture you on creativity or the importance of the human touch.
To be honest, I bet AI can write better content than 99% of people on this planet.
The thing is, people are a lot better readers than they are writers. They know when they're reading the 1%
However, if used properly, it can be a partner for generating ideas, creating outlines, and discovering new sources.
In this article, I'll show you a few handy ways to incorporate ChatGPT into your blog writing process.
ChatGPT Isn't good at writing blogs
AI has been making some pretty big misses when it comes to producing content. Check out what happened for CNET.
-Clumsy Mistakes
-Factual Misrepresentation
For example, check out this ChatGPT response to the following prompt.
"Write me a blog post about the benefits of drinking coffee in the morning"
ChatGPT:
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and is a staple of many people's mornings. Drinking coffee in the morning has been shown to have numerous benefits, making it a great way to start your day. Here are some of the benefits of drinking coffee in the morning.
Boosts Energy and Alertness: One of the main reasons people drink coffee in the morning is for its caffeine content. Caffeine is a stimulant that can help increase alertness and reduce feelings of fatigue. This can be especially helpful for people who struggle to get going in the morning or who need an extra boost of energy to start their day.
Improves Mental Performance: In addition to boosting energy, caffeine has also been shown to improve cognitive performance. Studies have found that caffeine can help improve focus, attention, and reaction time, making it a great way to prepare for a busy day ahead.
Supports Physical Performance: Caffeine has also been shown to improve physical performance. It has been found to increase endurance and reduce feelings of pain and fatigue during exercise, making it a great drink for anyone looking to stay active and healthy.
Supports Weight Loss: Coffee has been found to have a number of properties that can support weight loss. For example, caffeine has been shown to increase metabolism, which can help the body burn more calories. Additionally, coffee can help reduce appetite, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet....
Overall, drinking coffee in the morning can be a great way to start your day with a boost of energy, improved mental and physical performance, and a better mood. Just be mindful of your caffeine intake, as too much can lead to negative effects like jitters and disrupted sleep.
It's not awful, right? It gets the job done. It's lacking something though.
Consider the intro. Who didn't know that coffee is popular? It's these types of general statements that make AI easily detectable. Notice the concluding paragraph as well. It rewords the intro and wraps up the contents of the body pretty nicely but it's a little too neat.
Now, check out the intros of two other prompts.
"Write me a blog about the benefits of jumping rope"
Jump rope is a simple and versatile exercise that can provide numerous health benefits. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, jump rope is an effective way to improve your fitness and well-being. Here are some of the benefits of jump roping.
"Write me a blog about the benefits of running"
Running is a popular form of exercise that offers a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, running can provide numerous benefits for your health and well-being. Here are some of the benefits of running.
And the conclusions..
In conclusion, jump roping is a great form of exercise with numerous health benefits. It's a great way to improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, build muscle, and have fun while doing it. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking for a new form of exercise, give jump rope a try and see how it can benefit you.
In conclusion, running is a great form of exercise with numerous health benefits. It's an effective way to improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, build strength, and support mental health. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to step up your running game, start incorporating running into your fitness routine and see how it can benefit you.
Again, these aren't awful. If a sixth grader turned it in, they'd get an A. But everyone knows it was written by a sixth grader.
At the end of the day ChatGPT is just doing exactly what you told it to do - no more, no less.
Exceptional writing, on the other hand, gives you more.
Using ChatGPT for Blog Ideas
Here are better ways to interact with ChatGPT to help improve your blogging efforts
As a brainstorm partner. It's conversational method of delivery makes it easy to quickly go back and forth on ideas
As an outline generator. With a prompt that's leading enough, you can create a pretty cool outline.
As a source finder. Ask it where to find information about certain topics.
Using ChatGPT to Brainstorm Blog Ideas
Here is an example of a prompt that can be pretty useful to create blog ideas.
"Give me some blog title ideas for an organic coffee roasting company that wants to appeal to older coffee drinkers. Use popular and high performing keywords"
ChatGPT Response
"Organic, Rich, and Aromatic: The Perfect Blend for Mature Coffee Drinkers"
"Coffee with a Conscience: The Benefits of Drinking Organic Coffee"
"From Farm to Cup: The Story of Our Premium Organic Coffee Beans"
"Indulge in the Art of Roasting: The Secret to a Perfect Cup of Organic Coffee"
"The Purest Brew: The Health Benefits of Drinking Organic Coffee"
"Discover the True Taste of Coffee: The Advantage of Organic Roasting"
"Savor the Moment: A Guide to Enjoying a Perfect Cup of Organic Coffee"
"Age Gracefully with a Cup of Organic Coffee: A Guide for Mature Coffee Drinkers"
"The Best Years of Your Life: A Guide to a Healthier Lifestyle with Organic Coffee"
"Elevate Your Coffee Experience: The Premium Taste of Organic Roasted Coffee".
Not bad. I wouldn't be able to determine the difference between a ChatGPT headline and a real one. Then again, I don't know coffee roasting.'
Here is one more prompt, this time lets us a SaaS company.
"Give me some blog ideas for a no-code development platform. These blogs should attract executive level readers."
ChatGPT Response:
"Disrupting the Development Industry: The Rise of No-Code Platforms"
"Streamlining the Development Process: How No-Code Platforms Can Save Time and Money"
"The Future of Work: How No-Code Platforms are Changing the Way We Build Software"
"Revolutionizing Development: The Key Benefits of No-Code Platforms for Businesses"
"A New Era of Development: Empowering Non-Technical Teams with No-Code Platforms"
"Transforming the Workplace: The Impact of No-Code Platforms on the Job Market"
"The Power of No-Code: An In-Depth Look at the Advantages of No-Code Platforms for Executive Teams"
"Accelerating Your Business: How No-Code Platforms Help Companies Scale Quickly"
Again, all great ideas - although a bit repetitive. It would start a good writer in the right direction.
Using ChatGPT to Generate a Blog Outline
Lets take one of the SaaS headlines and ask ChatGPT to create an outline for us.
"Write an outline for an article titled "The Future of Work: How No-Code Platforms are Changing the Way We Build Software"
ChatGPT Response:
I. Introduction
A. Explanation of what No-Code Platforms are and why they are becoming more popular
B. Overview of the impact No-Code Platforms are having on the future of work
C. Purpose of the article: to examine how No-Code Platforms are changing the way we build software
II. What are No-Code Platforms
A. Definition of No-Code Platforms
B. Explanation of how No-Code Platforms work
C. Overview of the types of No-Code Platforms available
D. Advantages of No-Code Platforms over traditional coding methods
III. The Impact of No-Code Platforms on the Workforce
A. Explanation of how No-Code Platforms are creating new job opportunities
B. Discussion of how No-Code Platforms are making software development accessible to a wider range of people
C. Analysis of the potential for No-Code Platforms to increase diversity in the tech industry
D. Examination of how No-Code Platforms are transforming the skillset required for software development
IV. The Benefits of No-Code Platforms for Businesses
A. Explanation of how No-Code Platforms can increase productivity
B. Discussion of the cost savings associated with using No-Code Platforms
C. Analysis of the benefits of using No-Code Platforms for prototyping and testing
D. Examination of how No-Code Platforms are making it easier for businesses to bring their ideas to life
V. Challenges and Limitations of No-Code Platforms
A. Discussion of the limitations of No-Code Platforms
B. Explanation of the challenges businesses face when implementing No-Code Platforms
C. Analysis of the potential security and privacy concerns associated with No-Code Platforms
VI. The Future of No-Code Platforms
A. Discussion of the future trends in No-Code Platforms
B. Explanation of the potential for No-Code Platforms to continue to disrupt the software development industry
C. Analysis of the impact No-Code Platforms could have on businesses in the coming years
D. Discussion of the potential for No-Code Platforms to become an integral part of the future of work
VII. Conclusion
A. Summary of the main points covered in the article
B. Reiteration of the impact No-Code Platforms are having on the future of work
C. Final thoughts on the importance of staying informed about the evolution of No-Code Platforms.
I've got to admit - that's pretty good. I wouldn't mind writing that one. You can get more granular with ChatGPT if you start from the idea conceptually and narrow it down. Bad prompts equal bad responses.
Using ChatGPT to Find Sources
This is where it gets pretty cool. Finding sources is often the hardest part next to generating ideas. Check out what happens when I use the following prompt.
Keep in mind, ChatGPT is context aware, so it remembers our chat history.
"Give me sources I can review to write that article. Be specific"
ChatGPT Response
Industry Reports:
Gartner's Market Guide for Low-Code Application Development Platforms
Forrester's The Future of Work: Low-Code Development Platforms
IDC's Worldwide No-Code Platform Forecast
Journal Articles:
"The Rise of Low-Code Platforms and the Future of Work" published in the Journal of Information Technology
"No-Code Platforms: A Game Changer in the Software Development Landscape" published in the Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management
Blogs and Articles:
"The Impact of No-Code Platforms on the Future of Work" by Martin Fowler, a renowned software development expert
"How No-Code Platforms are Revolutionizing Software Development" by John Koetsier, a technology journalist
No-Code Platform Providers' Websites:
Zapier
Adalo
Webflow
Airtable
Industry Forums and Discussion Boards:
Reddit's /r/NoCode community
Hacker News' discussions on No-Code Platforms
News Articles and Press Releases:
"No-Code Platforms Take the Software Development Industry by Storm" by TechCrunch
"No-Code Platforms: The Future of Work in a Post-Pandemic World" by Forbes
Whitepapers and E-books:
"The Benefits of No-Code Platforms for Businesses" by Zapier
"The Future of Work: How No-Code Platforms are Changing the Game" by Adalo
"No-Code Platforms: Driving Digital Transformation in the Enterprise" by Webflow
How many hours do you spend researching sources for your content? Isn't this a pretty convenient way to start?
The problem is, some of these aren't real. So, you may end up playing fact-checker for ChatGPT's work. For example, there is no article titled 'No-Code Platforms: The Future of Work in a Post-Pandemic World', but there is this article by Forbes that is similar.
Conclusion
No, good writers aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Lets give some credit to our readers. AI tools like ChatGPT can be leveraged to help. It's like a partnership. A coalition of machine and human. For the foreseeable future, it looks like we will be doing more supervising that partnering. Isn't that that way it should be, anyways?