What does ChatGPT and AI Really Mean for Businesses?

You have most likely been hearing chatter about “ChatGPT” and “AI,” more and more recently. And you might be asking, what is ChatGPT, how does it work, and what do I need to know as a small business owner?

1. What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that utilizes natural language processing to interact with users. It is a free tool that allows users to input direct questions and receive a response.
2. What are the limitations with ChatGPT? The platform may occasionally generate incorrect information. Users should fact-check the information through additional research. Also, users may need to reword their questions or initial messages to help generate more accurate responses.
3. How can ChatGPT help my small business?
   1. ChatGPT can help solve more customer service inquiries by setting up automations for customers who send messages on social media platforms or through your website. According to recent surveys, an overwhelming majority of customers, 90%, consider receiving an instant response as critical or highly significant when they require assistance from customer support.
   2. ChatGPT can also assist with writing professional business emails. Simply type a command like, “write a professional email response to the following message *paste the email text*” Users should always re-read the draft of the email, but ChatGPT can be an effective way to jumpstart an email response that might typically take several minutes to formulate.
   3. ChatGPT can help with marketing campaigns and activities. For example, if you need help coming up with creative names for your menu items, writing descriptions for your menu items/ products/ services, you can utilize ChatGPT. You can also utilize the technology to identify SEO-friendly keywords to boost your website’s ranking. The tool can also help develop captions for social media posts. It can even assist with visual designs through programs like Canva, generating a variety of templates based on your search.
   4. ChatGPT is an effective tool for compiling general research and learning about a certain topic, industry, or market trend.
   5. ChatGPT will even write code for your website or translate copy into another language.
4. How not to use ChatGPT? Chatbots should not replace human interaction. While they can help provide helpful information and tips, they are not designed to replace human contact. You or another person on your team should always review and reread the ChatGPT responses or conversations before publishing. It can be a complement to your business but not a replacement. You also must ensure user privacy for your customers and limit the personal information ChatGPT collects.

Overall, this tool, like most developing technologies, will still require fine-tuning, but it seems to have the potential to improve efficiency while giving your staff or yourself as a business owner time to focus on the critical thinking, personal interactions, and day-to-day business operations that only you and your team can do!

If you would like to discuss this topic further or have questions, please feel free to contact our Marketing & Communications Coordinator at rtclf-marketing@caclv.org.