Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about ChatGPT. OpenAI’s conversational AI tool crossed one million users in just five days after launch, and marketers everywhere are asking the same question: what does this mean for us?

At GlobeCom, we’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT since its November release. Here’s our honest assessment of what it means for content marketing in 2023 and beyond.

What ChatGPT Actually Does Well

Let’s start with the positives. ChatGPT excels at several tasks that can genuinely help marketing teams:

Brainstorming and ideation. Need 20 blog post ideas about sustainable packaging? ChatGPT can generate them in seconds. The quality varies, but it’s an excellent starting point for creative sessions.

First draft generation. For straightforward content like product descriptions, email templates, or social media posts, ChatGPT can produce serviceable first drafts that humans can refine.

Research synthesis. While you shouldn’t trust it for facts (more on that below), ChatGPT can help organize and synthesize information you provide, making research phases more efficient.

Content repurposing. Turn a blog post into social snippets, transform a webinar transcript into an article outline, or generate FAQ content from existing materials.

Where ChatGPT Falls Short

Now for the reality check. ChatGPT has significant limitations that marketers must understand:

Factual accuracy is not guaranteed. ChatGPT confidently generates incorrect information. It doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. Every fact must be verified by a human.

It lacks your brand voice. The output is competent but generic. It cannot replicate the unique perspective, tone, and expertise that differentiate your brand.

No original insights. ChatGPT remixes existing information. It cannot conduct interviews, share proprietary data, or offer the kind of original thinking that builds thought leadership.

Knowledge cutoff. As of now, ChatGPT’s training data ends in 2021. It doesn’t know about recent events, trends, or developments in your industry.

A Practical Framework for Marketing Teams

Rather than viewing ChatGPT as a replacement for human creativity, we recommend treating it as an augmentation tool. Here’s how:

Use AI for Speed, Humans for Strategy

Let ChatGPT handle the time-consuming tasks that don’t require strategic thinking: generating variations, creating outlines, drafting routine communications. Reserve human effort for strategy, brand voice, original research, and quality control.

Establish Clear Guidelines

Create a policy for your team that addresses:

  • What types of content can use AI assistance
  • Required human review processes
  • Disclosure practices (if any)
  • Quality standards that must be met regardless of how content is created

Focus on What AI Cannot Do

Double down on the content that requires human expertise: original research, customer interviews, expert commentary, and genuine thought leadership. This content will become more valuable as AI-generated material floods the internet.

The Bigger Picture

ChatGPT is just the beginning. We’re entering an era where AI will be embedded in every marketing tool and workflow. The marketers who thrive will be those who learn to work alongside these tools while maintaining the human elements that audiences actually value.

The question isn’t whether to use AI in marketing. It’s how to use it strategically while preserving the authenticity and expertise that build lasting brand relationships.

What’s Next

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more specific guides on using AI tools effectively across different marketing functions. We’ll also be watching closely as Google and other platforms respond to the influx of AI-generated content.

One thing is certain: 2023 will be the year that AI transforms marketing. The teams that approach this transformation thoughtfully, rather than reactively, will have a significant advantage.