In today’s digital, always connected world, Google too often stands as a gatekeeper between entrepreneurs and small businesses and financial success. Ranking well in the search engines requires time and expertise that many entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t have, because their focus must be on fine tuning the value proposition and operations of their business.
The day after Google was invented, the search engine marketing firm was probably created to make money off of hard working entrepreneurs and small businesses owners trying to make the most of their investment in a web site through search engine optimization (SEO), keyword advertising, and social media strategies.
According to IBISWorld the market size of the SEO & Internet Marketing Consulting industry is $75.0 Billion. Yes, that’s billion with a ‘b’.
Creating content for web sites is an even bigger market. According to Technavio the global content marketing size is estimated to INCREASE by $584.0 Billion between 2022 and 2027. This is the growth number. The market itself is MUCH larger.
The introduction of ChatGPT threatens to upend these markets, to the detriment of this group of businesses, but to the benefit to the nearly 200,000 dentists in the United States, more than 100,000 plumbers, million and a half real estate agents, and numerous other categories of small businesses.
Many of these content marketing businesses create a number of different types of content for the tens of millions of small businesses in the United States, from blog articles to tweets to Facebook pages and everything in-between. The content marketing agencies that small businesses hire recent college graduates or offshore resources in places like the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Ecuador, Romania, and lots of other locations around the world and bill their work to their clients at a much higher rate.
Outsourcing content creation has been a great way for small businesses to leverage external resources so they can focus on the business, but now may be the time to bring some of this content creation work back in house. Particularly where the content is pretty straightforward and informational for an average visitor to the web site.
With ChatGPT you can ask it to “write me an article on how to brush your teeth” or “write me ten tweets on teethbrushing” or “write me a facebook post on the most common reasons a toilet won’t flush.”
I asked it to do the last one for me and here is what it came up with:
“Toilets not flushing can be a huge inconvenience, but thankfully there are some common reasons for this issue that you can easily check and fix yourself! The most common reasons a toilet won’t flush include a clogged drain line, a clogged or broken flush valve, a broken toilet handle, a blocked or broken flapper, a broken trip lever, or a faulty fill valve. Check these components of your toilet to see if they can help you get your toilet flushing again! #toiletissues #diy #plumbing”
You can then take what ChatGPT writes for you and combine it with a free image from a site like Pixabay, Pexels, Freepik or Unsplash and off you go!
You can also ask ChatGPT to help you figure out what to write about. For example, I asked ChatGPT “What are the most common plumbing topics people want to read about?” and here is what it came back with:
1. Basic Plumbing Maintenance
2. Unclogging Drains
3. Fixing Leaky Faucets
4. Installing Toilets
5. Troubleshooting Shower Problems
6. Replacing Water Heaters
7. Preventing Clogged Pipes
8. Understanding Water Pressure
9. Identifying Pipe Types
10. Repairing Frozen Pipes
I can then give ChatGPT a new prompt based on one of its suggested common topics, for example “Basic Plumbing Maintenance” and ask it to suggest ten titles for articles on basic plumbing maintenance and get results like these:
1. Five Tips for Maintaining Your Plumbing System
2. An Introduction to Plumbing Maintenance
3. How to Diagnose and Repair Common Plumbing Issues
4. The Benefits of Regular Plumbing Inspections
5. Troubleshooting Plumbing Leaks and Blockages
6. How to Properly Clean and Maintain Plumbing Fixtures
7. Understanding the Basics of Plumbing Safety
8. Keeping Your Plumbing System Efficient and Cost-Effective
9. Strategies for Preventing Plumbing Emergencies
10. Troubleshooting Plumbing Noises and Vibrations
I can then pick one of the ten titles that I think will resonate with potential readers and have ChatGPT right an article on it, for example, the prompt “Write me an article with the title ‘Five Tips for Maintaining Your Plumbing System’” and get the following result:
Maintaining your home’s plumbing system is an important responsibility that can help you avoid costly repairs later on. While it may seem overwhelming, taking the time to keep up with your plumbing system can save you time and money in the long run. Here are five tips to help you maintain your plumbing system.
1. Inspect Your Pipes Regularly: It’s important to inspect your pipes regularly for any signs of wear and tear. If you see any small cracks or damage, act quickly to repair it. A small crack can turn into a major leak if not addressed in a timely manner.
2. Clear Obstructions in Drains: Over time, drains can become clogged with debris, such as soap scum, hair, and food particles. To prevent this from happening, make sure to regularly clean out your drains with a plumbing snake or an auger.
3. Clean Your Fixtures: Cleaning your fixtures regularly can help prevent corrosion and buildup of sediment. Use a soft cloth and a mild cleaner to wipe down the fixtures and remove any dirt or dust.
4. Check for Leaks: Leaks can be difficult to detect, but they can cause significant damage if left unchecked. Pay attention to any wet spots near your plumbing fixtures and listen for a hissing sound, which can indicate a leak.
5. Call a Professional: If you’re unsure of how to maintain your plumbing system or if you’re having any plumbing issues, it’s best to call a professional. A plumber will be able to inspect your system and make any necessary repairs.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your plumbing system is in good working order. Taking the time to properly maintain your plumbing system can save you time, money, and stress in the long run.
As you can see ChatGPT is an incredibly powerful tool and one possible way of stretching your marketing dollars a little farther in these challenging times. As I mentioned previously the content is pretty straightforward and won’t necessarily separate you from your competition by presenting a solution the world has never seen before, but it can definitely help you keep your web site and social media presences be more interesting and more alive.
The purpose of this article is to look at the most nuts and bolts way of utilizing it to help with some of the digital marketing needs that most businesses have, but there are a near limitless number of other ways that you can use ChatGPT.
My friend Mark Schaeffer wrote an article titled 20 Entertaining Uses of ChatGPT You Never Knew Were Possible that I think you will enjoy if you’d like to learn even more about ChatGPT and what it can do.
