Top tips for using ChatGPT for social media success
You’ve probably heard all about AI and ChatGPT. “The future” is now, and professionals across many industries use these tools to work more efficiently. According to UC professor Jeffrey Shaffer, generative AI is something that students and professionals need to learn. “Students are going to graduate, work for a company and be expected to know how to use this stuff. It's going to be a tool that is ubiquitous,” Shaffer says.
For social media managers, connecting with your audience will always require a human touch. Especially for smaller teams, AI can help spark initial ideas, plan content and save time within your existing workflows.
Tips for getting started with ChatGPT
More specific = better results
The power of ChatGPT is all in the prompt you provide. Be as specific as possible when using the tool.
Provide context: “You are a social media manager for [insert industry]…”
Provide background on the project, brand or tone: “The target audience is [insert customer], and the brand voice should reflect [insert your brand tone/voice].”
Ask for set outputs: “Provide five options in a bulleted list,” or “Two paragraph maximum.”
Don’t be afraid to ask it to revise and explore additional results as you go.
If you have content that you’ve already begun working on, ChatGPT can build upon your work. You can ask it to review and provide feedback or similar ideas. Examples can help the AI model learn and deliver more accurate results.
Always fact-check your results and never simply copy and paste content directly from ChatGPT. While harnessing generative AI can be a useful tool for productivity and assisting in ideation processes and initial planning, it is important to remain authentic and original. To avoid plagiarism or sounding too generic, one must exercise caution. As UC’s chief innovation and strategy officer Ryan Hays says, “There is a difference between allowing artificial intelligence to assist us with writing versus delegating the bulk of the work to a bot."
Three ChatGPT use cases to get your started
Creating and publishing content consistently is a cornerstone of a well-performing social media account. But planning ahead takes time, and an endless list of fresh ideas for content isn’t always on the top of your mind. With ChatGPT, you can help automate this process.
Sample prompt:
- Act as a social media manager for a tech startup in the financial services industry.
- Brainstorm a list of content ideas for Instagram, varying in the types of media you recommend.
- Focus on a balance of entertaining, engaging, and educational content that attracts new potential customers.
Sample results:
- Polls and quizzes related to financial literacy, industry trends, or customer preferences
- Live Q&A sessions with experts from your team answering questions from your followers
- Interactive posts encouraging followers to share their financial goals or money-saving tips
- Share success stories or case studies of how your product/service helped customers achieve their financial goals
- Share a carousel post highlighting the top podcasts, blogs, or books in your industry that your team recommends
- Infographics explaining complex financial concepts or trends in a visually appealing format
- Tutorial videos demonstrating how to use features of your product
- Financial tips of the day providing practical advice on budgeting, investing or saving
- Share a photo of your team participating in a local community event or volunteering activity, emphasizing your company’s values
- Customer testimonials from satisfied users
Quickly summarize long-form content
As a social media manager, staying up to date on the latest trends and platform changes is essential. That article you saved but know you never will have time to read? Use ChatGPT to read, condense, and recap the key takeaways from news stories or articles.
Sample prompt: Review the following news article and recap the top takeaways.
Sample results: Here are the top takeaways from the article:
- Expansion of Ecosystem: The 1819 Innovation Hub, affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, is expanding its ecosystem through strategic partnerships with startups. This indicates a commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the university community and beyond.
- Focus on Collaboration: The partnerships highlight the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. By teaming up with startups, the 1819 Innovation Hub aims to leverage diverse expertise and resources to drive innovation and address real-world challenges.
Have you hit writer’s block? Are you not feeling your most creative? ChatGPT can help get you started by giving you options and starting points for captions. It can also be helpful for repurposing your team’s own news content into social media content.
Sample prompt: Review the same news article above. Acting as a social media manager, synthesize the article into a short, attention-grabbing LinkedIn post to drive awareness and intrigue.
Sample results: The Hub is growing! We're thrilled to announce the latest expansion at the 1819 Innovation Hub, welcoming five new startup partnerships! Find out how these partnerships are shaping the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Cincinnati region.
Latest UC News
- Inaugural 1819 Innovation Hub Awards honor DAAP gradsThe University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub gave its inaugural DAAPworks innovation awards to spring 2024 graduates of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
- Breaking the cycle of incarceration: UC Aspire and Nehemiah ManufacturingUC Aspire and Nehemiah Manufacturing partner to provide training, opportunities for justice impacted individuals
- The Verge: The teens making friends with AI chatbotsKelly Merrill, an assistant professor of health communications and technology in the University of Cincinnati's College of Arts and Sciences, was cited in an article on teen use of AI chatbots for friendship and therapy purposes. Merrill, who studies the mental and social health benefits of communication technologies, told The Verge that extensive research has been conducted on AI chatbots that provide mental health support, and the results are largely positive.
- Scholarship success: Two UC grads shine at spring commencementIn a testament to the transformative power of education and financial support, Precious Randall and Corin Manning, recent graduates of the University of Cincinnati, have emerged as shining examples of success. Each graduated with bachelor's degrees from CECH in spring of 2024, but what sets them apart is not just their academic prowess; it's their remarkable journey made possible by scholarships that paved their paths to success.
- Patrick S. Portway receives A&S Distinguished Alumni AwardThe Distinguished Alumni Award is given to an established alumnus who is outstanding in their chosen field and whose significant contributions have benefited the community, state, nation, college or university.
- TVNewsCheck: A new documentary traces the popularity of local TV news to one man, Al PrimoA documentary by UC journalism professor Brian Calfano received kudos by the broadcasting trade publication TVNewsCheck. The documentary follows the career of Al Primo (1935-2022), an American television news executive who is credited with creating the Eyewitness News format.