11 Pitfalls in using AI within online marketing

Well, from me, it all doesn't have to be so overdone. Not so fast.

Rather, I believe in a sustainable strategy where you take steps every day or every week to implement AI into your online marketing or business.

Manageable, controlled and meaningful.

At OMA, we're working on that, too. And since we and some of our clients are using AI, we've seen it go wrong from time to time. And I'm happy to share those mistakes with you.

So that you don't have to make them.

Pitfall 1: Using prompts that are too short and simple

When people think of AI, they often think that with little input they can get a whole bunch of answers. That you can get a good piece of text written with one quick prompt.

But actually, it works the other way around. With a whole lot of input, you can get exactly the one bit of information you're looking for. And that it's also accurate.

So what should you think about in terms of input?

Well, for example, to:

1. Background information about you, your product or service
2. Information about your target audience
3. A framework you want to use
4. Tips and advice on how the tool should react or pretend to be like
5. Information about the pains and gains of your target audience
6. Your objective

And, of course, much more. The more valuable information you put in. The better the information that comes out.

So a good prompt can sometimes be hundreds of words long. And not the one sentence you normally use ;-).

Pitfall 2: Using output 1-to-1 for your online marketing

So. ChatGPT made a fantastic post. Better than I can normally do.

*copy*

*paste*

Please don't do this. You should always edit the text. Because the chances of your input being good enough are practically zero.

Because if you don't bother to edit the post, then I dare say with 99% certainty that you haven't bothered to write a really good prompt either.

All the tools on the market are great for saving time, coming up with ideas and doing research. But absolutely do not use the output 1-to-1.

Make it your own. Take out those standard AI words. And make sure the content fits your business and your target audience perfectly.

To get the most out of ChatGPT, you can read further in my blog on 12 smart applications for more results.

Pitfall 3: Thinking you should always come up with the prompts

I just told you to write an extended prompt. But what if you don't have the information for that (yet)? Or that you need to write a prompt about something you have no knowledge of?

Then that becomes difficult.

One would say ;-).

Because you can be helped with that too. In fact, ChatGPT also has plugins that can help you write a prompt for Midjourney, for example.

And you can also ask ChatGPT to help write a prompt. So if you don't know something about AI you can also just ask.

Pitfall 4: Forgetting that differences tools can reinforce each other

As I pointed out in error 3, differences tools can also reinforce each other. One tool can provide input for the other tool.

For example, we used ChatGPT for inspiration. We used a ChatGPT plugin to write a good prompt and then used it again for Midjourney.

Then we used the Midjourney images to create a video (although that didn't work as great as hoped).

But of course, with the latest update to ChatGPT, this can also work the other way. You can use your Midjourney image as input for ChatGPT!

Pitfall 5: Thinking AI is ChatGPT

When people talk about AI, they often mean ChatGPT.

Logic. That's the best known one. And ChatGPT has made incredibly nice strides. Especially with the latest updates. But there is so much more than ChatGPT. There are tools coming out every day that make the lives of us marketers easier.

So be sure to test with that. Keep yourself sharp and try new tools regularly to expand your horizons.

Disclaimer: many AI tools coming out are ChatGPT in a different guise. So don't pay €100+ for a tool that is really just ChatGPT.

Pitfall 6: Not using AI within your online marketing 😉

This mistake is a little lame. But the biggest mistake you can make is not using AI.

I get that it's scary.

I understand that you may not get it yet.

I understand your fear of losing your job.

But these are all precisely reasons to embrace AI. Because if you don't, you will lose ground in the short term. And even more so in the long run.

Because your competitor is going to use it. And they will do what you do in 4 hours in 10 minutes. So you're really going to have to keep up. Eventually.

My team and I tested all kinds of tools and these 11 AI applications are definitely worth trying.

Pitfall 7: Not considering other algorithms

I've had several conversations where people think ChatGPT is now the holy grail and is smarter than the rest of the world.

Yes, it's fantastic. But don't forget the other algorithms, either. Google has not fallen on its head either, and the past Google updates show that they are taking full advantage of AI.

Not only are they making strides to improve quality rankings, but they are also looking at many more factors (did someone say E-E-A-T?). So that soon your rankings will no longer depend largely on purely your text, but also a lot of things around it.

Pitfall 8: Sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right

If you do a lot with AI, you'll find that it doesn't go smoothly the first time.

But that's with everything. Cycling, swimming and also online marketing.

If you have tried a number of prompts without good results, go back to the drawing board.If necessary, look for some helpful sample prompts.

But also think out of the box. Or ask ChatGPT to write a prompt for you!

Pitfall 9: Not knowing if the version you're using uses completely up to date information

Since the launch of ChatpGPT, a lot of new versions have come out. Each version got better, had more features and the information was more up to date.

And that last one, that's kind of important. Because suppose you research your target market, it can change in a year. Just look at what we've experienced in the world over the last few years.

And, of course, this applies to any AI tool you use. If you are using an old version or one whose data is not up to date, you will also get answers that are out of date. You don't want that.

Pitfall 10: Sharing privacy-sensitive information in the prompt

Oops. This is perhaps the biggest mistake you can make.

You absolutely cannot and should not put information in ChatGPT that you do not want the rest of the world to get.

Consider privacy-sensitive information, but also, for example, information that is still secret and has yet to come out.

Because you don't think ChatGPT doesn't do anything with this information, do you ;-)?

ChatGPT actually feeds itself with all the input it gets. So also see ChatGPT primarily as that gossip aunt at your cousin's birthday party.

Pitfall 11: Not utilizing the full tool

Virtually all tools in the field of AI continue to be developed and gain new features. Often these are useful additions that can save you a lot of time and money.

Yet I often encounter it that these are not used. That people don't know how they work that they simply don't know this feature exists. So sign up for your AI tool's newsletter and keep an eye on any roadmap.

That way you know what to expect and always get the most out of your AI tool.