Everyone has heard of ChatGPT. It’s the fastest growing plataform, second to Threads, to reach 1 million users. It did so in 5 days. But can it be used for your average small business marketing? This AI tool that has caught the attention of savvy entrepreneurs, offering a unique approach to brainstorming ideas, planning campaigns, and crafting affordable marketing strategies. Let’s explore three practical ways small-business owners have embraced ChatGPT to elevate their marketing game.
1. Source Influencers and Streamline Outreach
In the world of beauty and cosmetics, influencer marketing plays a pivotal role. Christal Alert, the founder of Tonal Cosmetics, faced the challenge of spending hours every day searching for and reaching out to influencers. To tackle this, she turned to ChatGPT, leveraging its capabilities to curate a list of influencers aligned with her brand’s personality and ethos.
By providing information about her target customers and user personas, Alert tasked ChatGPT with generating a comprehensive list of influencers. The AI not only streamlined the outreach process but also assisted in drafting personalized emails and messages. The result? A significant reduction in the time spent on influencer outreach, allowing Tonal Cosmetics to focus on building meaningful connections with influencers who resonate with the brand.
Now, ChatGPT is prone to mistakes, yes. But designing your avatar, or getting a hold of your target audience can be challenging for a beginner, especially with no experience and no previous data to analyse. ChatGPT provides a groundwork for getting an basis of those, but further testing will be required, as is anything related to marketing.
2. Cut Time Spent on User Research
For Marina Guastavino, the founder of Directo, a web extension catering to travelers, speed to market was crucial. To enhance user research, Guastavino sought ChatGPT’s insights into the types of users her product could target. While the initial responses were generic, delving deeper into specific questions led to the discovery of user types she hadn’t considered.
ChatGPT became a valuable brainstorming partner, suggesting different categories of frequent travelers, such as business travelers, influencers, bloggers, and digital nomads. This information became the foundation for tailored marketing messages, enabling Directo to connect with diverse traveler segments effectively. Guastavino’s strategic use of ChatGPT contributed to gaining over 25,000 users within six months of launching the product.
3. Create a Launch Campaign with Ease
Candice Smith, founder of French Press PR, experienced the power of ChatGPT when conceptualizing a lead-magnet quiz for the relaunch of her PR accelerator program. Faced with uncertainty about how to promote the quiz, Smith turned to ChatGPT, providing context and expectations for the tool.
In return, ChatGPT crafted a detailed launch plan, including the creation of a prelaunch landing page, the development of a drip email campaign, and even ideas for blog posts to promote the quiz. Acting as a thought partner, ChatGPT allowed Smith to save hours of work and provided a starting point for her creative endeavors.
ChatGPT as a Small Business Marketing Ally
The stories of Alert, Guastavino, and Smith underscore the versatility of ChatGPT as a marketing ally for small-business owners. While the tool may not always be entirely accurate, it serves as a valuable starting point, offering fresh perspectives, ideation support, and time-saving solutions.
