What is ChatGPT and how can you start using it?

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More specifically, how can you as a Content Creator use ChatGPT to your advantage and make your life a whole lot easier?

In this post, I’m going to give you an overview and tutorial of how Content Creators can use ChatGPT to come up with content ideas, create a content calendar, pitch to brands and so much more.

Creating an Account with OpenAI

The first step to using ChatGPT is, of course, creating an account with OpenAI.

I could spend a whole section on creating an account and whether you should use ChatGPT or GPT-4, but I’m sure most of you are familiar enough with ChatGPT (or the internet in general) to know how to create an account.

If not, please refer to the video I have embedded in the section above, then come back right here to continue.

What is ChatGPT?

To answer this question, let’s ask ChatGPT itself! Here’s what ChatGPT says:

“ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a large language model developed by OpenAI. It is one of the most advanced models available today, with over 175 billion parameters.

As a language model, ChatGPT has been trained on a massive amount of text data from the internet, including books, articles, and web pages. This training allows ChatGPT to understand natural language and generate responses that are often indistinguishable from those of a human

ChatGPT can be used for a variety of natural language processing tasks, including text completion, language translation, and conversational AI. It is often used as a base model for developing more specialized AI applications.”

There you have it, folks. That’s ChatGPT from ChatGPT itself. But are you still confused like I am?

That’s okay! ChatGPT is conversational in nature and it remembers previous prompts and conversations if it’s all in the same thread. You have the capability to regenerate a new response for clarification.

And if that’s still confusing, you can do what I did and ask to explain to me like I’m 5 years old.

Explain ChatGPT Like I’m 5 Years Old

Here’s what ChatGPT said:

“ChatGPT is like a very smart robot that can talk to you in English (or other languages). It knows a lot of things because it has read many books and websites on the internet. You can ask ChatGPT questions or talk to it like you would talk to a friend. It will give you answers that make sense, just like when you ask your teacher or parents for help.”

Basically, you can ask ChatGPT anything and everything and it’s pulling its “knowledge” from books and the internet to come up with answers.

What Can I Ask ChatGPT?

A few things to know about ChatGPT before getting into content creation are the types of questions you can ask it.

Here are a few questions and prompts you can use on ChatGPT:

• Yes or No Questions
• Ask ChatGPT to tell you a story
• List Generative Ideas

There’s obviously so much more ChatGPT can do like having a simple conversation or solving math equations, but those are the ones I want to highlight.

What Can’t I Ask ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is also trained to decline inappropriate requests, so it may be able to tell you a story, but definitely no fan fiction… if you catch my drift.

There are also some limitations it states:

• ChatGPT “may occasionally generate incorrect information.” So, I wouldn’t use it to ask for advice on how to deal with something, especially medical advice. That’s what doctors are for.
• ChatGPT “may occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content.”
• “Limited knowledge of world events after 2021.”

With all this in mind, let’s move on to using ChatGPT for content creation.

How Can You Use ChatGPT as a Content Creator?

Let’s start with some of the basics.

Use ChatGPT to Create the Perfect Instagram Bio

One thing a lot of people struggle with is coming up with an Instagram Bio. Yes, ChatGPT can create that for you.

Here’s how I asked ChatGPT to write one for my husband. I asked, “Can you write an Instagram bio for someone who is a retired filmmaker and is now interested in self-help or improving their lifestyle through healthy outlets and wants to encourage other men to do things they love and take care of their overall health.”

Yes, that’s wordy, but it’s also enough information for it to piece together the perfect Instagram bio for my husband. Here’s what it came up with:

“Retired filmmaker turned self-help enthusiast 🎥📚🧘🏻‍♂️ On a mission to improve my own lifestyle through healthy outlets and encourage other men to do the same 💪 Sharing my journey to better physical and mental health, plus tips and tricks for finding happiness in everyday life 😊Let’s make the most of our time here and pursue our passions with purpose! 🙌#selfimprovement #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #motivation”

Obviously, this is too long. So, I asked it to rewrite the bio to fit Instagram’s 150-character limit. And here’s what it said:

“Retired filmmaker turned self-help enthusiast on a mission to inspire men to pursue passions, prioritize health, and find happiness. 😊💪🧘#selfimprovement #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth”

Boom! Look at that. There’s your Instagram bio. Personally, I’d get rid of the hashtags and put a Call to Action there instead (which you ask ChatGPT to write for you), but that’s pretty darn good!

Use ChatGPT for YouTube Video Ideas

To come up with ideas, you want to already have a good idea of what your niche is. Or at the very least, what type of videos you want to make.

I already have a lot of posts here and a lot of videos on YouTube about picking a niche so I won’t go over that here, but it will help.

When writing a prompt for ChatGPT, it’s okay to be wordy and extremely descriptive. Especially when using it for content ideas for YouTube, the more descriptive the better, hence why knowing your niche beforehand is important.

Here’s what I asked ChatGPT to come up with for YouTube ideas:

“Can you come up with 10 catchy YouTube titles targeted toward content creators who want to grow on social media or make content creation their full-time job?”

Now, here’s what ChatGPT came up with:

1. 10 Social Media Hacks for Content Creators to Go Viral
2. From Hobby to Full-Time: How to Make a Living Creating Content
3. The Ultimate Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel
4. Maximizing Your Social Media Presence: Tips and Tricks
5. How to Monetize Your Content: Making Money on YouTube
6. 10 Mistakes to Avoid as a Content Creator
7. Growing Your Following: Strategies for Boosting Engagement
8. The Power of Collaboration: Growing Your Channel with Others
9. Building Your Brand: Creating a Cohesive Image on Social Media
10. Going Beyond the Screen: Creating Community as a Content Creator

Let’s take this even further.

“Can you give me a few title variations for #6?”

“1.  Avoid these 10 Common Mistakes as a Content Creator
2. The Top 10 Mistakes You’re Making as a Content Creator
3. Are You Making These 10 Mistakes as a Content Creator?
4. 10 Mistakes Content Creators Need to Stop Making ASAP
5. The Biggest Mistakes Content Creators Make and How to Avoid Them”

And so on…

I really like title #2, so I’m going to ask, “Can you provide an outline for “The Top 10 Mistakes You’re Making as a Content Creator”

And ChatGPT gave me an extremely thorough outline for that video. If you want to see the full outline, you can see it on my video at around 11:00 minutes. It’s a lot to type and rather than boring you, I want to get to an important reminder.

Always Be Aware of Copyright Issues

Some people that have been playing around with ChatGPT have discovered that there are some issues with copyright.

As you know, this software pulls from online articles, blog posts and anything published online. So, what’s going to stop it from fully using an entire blog post or book, copy & paste without adjusting to avoid copyright?

It’s important that any time you get a response from ChatGPT, plug it back into Google to make sure you’re reverse-searching and you’re not copyrighting anybody’s content.

Use ChatGPT to Create a Posting Schedule

“Can you create an Instagram posting schedule for me when I can only post 3 times a week?”

And here’s the schedule that ChatGPT gave me:

“Day 1: Monday
Time: 10am EST
Content: Inspirational quote graphic

Day 2: Wednesday
Time: 3pm EST
Content: Product of service showcase post

Day 3: Friday
Time: 6pm EST
Content: Behind-the-scenes photo or video of your business or personal life

Of course, the timing and content of your posts should be tailored to your specific audience and goals. But this schedule provides a good starting point for a consistent posting strategy.”

Love it. This would be what every week would look like for you.

And it’s not wrong. This is simply a starting point. What matters is consistency and you’ll figure out a posting strategy that works for you as you go.

Use ChatGPT for TikTok or Reels Ideas

I know, I have my own way to come up with Reels ideas, but why not use another effective tool?

Let’s ask ChatGPT, “Can you help me come up with Instagram Reels ideas for someone who loves both fashion and home decor?”

ChatGPT said:

“1. Outfit to Decor: Start the reel in your current outfit and then transition to a shot of a corner or room in your house that matches your outfit. This could be a color scheme, a pattern, or a style theme.

2. Before and After: Show the transformation of a room in your house or an outfit that has been styled differently. You can use a split-screen effect to show the “before” and “after” shots.

3. Closet Tour: Take your audience on a tour of your closet and show how you organize your clothes and accessories. You can also provide tips for organizing a small closet or maximizing space.

4. Style Challenge: Challenge yourself to style a certain item of clothing or decor item in different ways. For example, how many different outfits can you create with a white button-down shirt? Or how many different ways can you use a decorative tray?”

It listed a few more ideas, but you get the idea here! And this list isn’t bad at all! These are great ideas for you to get started on.

And it’s a great way to combine two passions and find ideas you otherwise wouldn’t have come up with. There are so many of us who are multi-passionate and can’t find ways to create content that fulfills all those passions.

Now, thanks to ChatGPT, we know how to combine them all.

Use ChatGPT to Land a Paid Brand Collaboration

Let’s see if ChatGPT can handle this task.

Landing paid brand collaborations is something I’ve always taught and I even have a post on coming up with pitches for brand collaborations. Can ChatGPT come up with something better?

“Can you write an email to Torani to help me land a brand collaboration with them, pitching my services as a content creator in the social media space?”

Here’s what it came up with:

“Subject: Collaboration Opportunity with [Your Name] – Social Media Content Creator

Dear [Torani Representative],

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my interest in collaborating with Torani as a social media content creator. As an avid fan of your products, I would love the opportunity to work together and showcase your brand to my engaged audience.

A little bit about me: I am a content creator with a passion for creating visually stunning and engaging content that resonates with my audience. My primary focus is on social media, and I specialize in developing content that showcases products in an authentic and relatable way.

I believe that my skills and experience align perfectly with Torani’s brand values, and I am excited about the potential for a collaboration between us. Here are some ideas for how we could work together:

• Creating a series on Instagram or TikTok videos showcasing Torani products in various recipes and applications
• Developing blog posts or articles featuring Torani’s products and how they can be used in a variety of settings
• Hosting a giveaway or contest on social media featuring Torani’s products as prizes
• Collaborating on a sponsored social media campaign to promote a new or existing Torani product

I am open to other ideas and suggestions as well, and I would love to hear your thoughts on how we could work together. My social media channels have a combined following of [insert your following], and I am confident that we could create content that would resonate with both my audience and Torani’s target demographic.

Thank you for considering my proposal. I am excited about the potential for a collaboration between us and would be happy to discuss this further at your convenience. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to explore this opportunity further.

Best regards,

[Your Name]”

Now, this is clearly a bit long. Ideally, you want to be straight to the point because brands likely get so many pitches on a regular basis.

But this touches on a lot of key points you want to include in your pitches: a brief sentence about you, focus on the brand and your audience’s resonance and relatability to them, etc.

Of course, you can keep going with ChatGPT to tidy it up a bit, which I’d recommend. I also recommend using my email pitch that has helped me land several paid brand collaborations.

How to Start Making Money as a UGC Content Creator

One last thing that I want to test is how to get started as a UGC creator and start making money.

Let’s ask, “How can I sell my UGC content to brands so I can start making money?”

To view what ChatGPT said in its entirety, you can watch my video around 19:50. Here’s a summarized version of what they said:

“Selling your UGC content to brands can be a great way to monetize your content. Here are some steps to help you get started:

1. Identify brands that align with your content…
2. Reach out to the brand…
3. Showcase your UGC content…
4. Negotiate compensation…
5. Create a contract…
6. Create and deliver content…
7. Follow up…”

Given the ellipses, it elaborated a bit on each step, but you get the idea. But what about #2?

A lot of people get stuck when it comes to outreach. If only there were a tool that could help come up with a pitch to send to brands.

Oh wait, there is! If you get stuck on any of those points it comes up with, ask ChatGPT for elaboration. You can ask it to create an email pitch for UGC creation or even with UGC ideas for specific brands.

Get Creating With ChatGPT

Basically, what it comes down to is if you feel like you’re stuck in a creative rut, jump over to ChatGPT.

I love to do keyword research, so I’ll still be on TubeBuddy and VidIQ to help come up with content ideas and find effective, SEO-friendly topics, but to get those wheels turning, ChatGPT can absolutely help with that.

So get started and have fun!

And as always, follow your joy!