9 ways creators and influencers are using ChatGPT, from writing video hooks to drafting emails to brands

An illustration of the Chatgpt logo as a ring light. A phone at the center of the logo is recording an influencer speak to the camera.
Robyn Phelps/Insider
  • In November 2022, AI platform OpenAI released its chatbot ChatGPT.
  • Since then, some creators have been using it to make content creation easier and faster.
  • Here are 9 ways creators are leveraging ChatGPT, from finding content ideas to drafting emails.

Joseph Arujo says ChatGPT has been a "game changer" for his everyday content creation.

Arujo, who creates fashion and lifestyle content on TikTok, has found a variety of use cases for the artificial intelligence bot — from helping with content ideas, to drafting emails, to writing posts for LinkedIn.

Arujo is one of hundreds of millions of users who have tried their hand at using ChatGPT. The app had 100 million unique visitors in January, making it one of the fastest growing in history.

Companies in virtually every field have started experimenting with ChatGPT or similar products — from media, to health, to marketing.

Creators on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and more have also been flocking to the chatbot.

"ChatGPT has become an indispensable tool for my content creation process," said Eric Suerez, who has amassed about 4 million followers on TikTok with his challenge videos. "Its ability to spark ideas, enhance creativity, and automate certain tasks has enabled me to create high-quality content." 

Like Arujo and Suerez, almost all of the 12 creators Insider spoke with said ChatGPT had been helpful in providing them with dozens of content ideas they could draw inspiration from and adapt to their style. 

Most of the creators also said the chatbot has helped outsource tasks they normally would have to pay for, like brand outreach or scriptwriting.

Some have even used it to write first drafts of legal agreements, like contracts or NDAs.

"It's very accurate to what I've seen before," said creator Jade Darmawangsa, who used ChatGPT to help with putting together an NDA. She added that she'd still always have her lawyer check an agreement the bot wrote.

But while AI can be a valuable tool to increase productivity, the creators said that they generally would not take the content ChatGPT generates without fact-checking it and adjusting it to their style.

"As an influencer who doesn't have the support of a management team or an assistant, I use ChatGPT daily as I would Grammarly and Google," said micro influencer Tanisha Cherry. For her, it's a "supplementary resource," she said.

There are also functions that ChatGPT is not great at. YouTuber Marina Mogilko said she wouldn't use it to research people — when she tried to ask the bot "who is Marina Mogilko," the information it returned was incorrect.

Here are 9 ways creators say ChatGPT has helped them:

Coming up with ideas for content

Most of the creators Insider spoke with said they use ChatGPT to help with formulating content ideas.

Designer Noah Jennings feeds ChatGPT prompts that revolve around design to help him understand the direction to take his content, such as "List 10 article titles that someone would look for if they were a beginner designer."

"It helps separate out all of your ideas and distinguish things that are really important," he said.

Eric Suerez, who is popular for his man-on-the-street-type challenges in exchange for money, has asked the platform to create challenge ideas for these videos, as well as asking it to come up with rules for the challenges.

Similarly, Benjamin Poli has asked ChatGPT to provide "Five reasons why Apple is better than Android" to get inspired when filming a tech YouTube video.

Drafting email templates

Several creators told Insider they'd asked ChatGPT to draft emails for them, particularly when contacting brands for collaboration.

"You don't have to worry about the tidy work of writing a whole email, you fix up a few sentences and then it's good to go," Arujo said.

Arujo usually includes information about the brand he's contacting in his prompt, so that the text is not generic, but catered to the company.

Cherry said she recently used the platform to edit her outreach emails for Fashion Week events.

"One of the brands responded saying they loved my enthusiasm and would love to have me attend," she said. "It's challenging sometimes when you know what you want to say but don't know how to articulate it, so that response really made my day."

Giving guidance with scriptwriting

"I like ChatGPT because it can act as a creator's writer's assistant – getting them started with video ideas, catchy titles, opening hooks, and even first drafts of scripts," Matt Koval,  SVP of creators at Mighty Networks, previously told Insider.

Cherry has used ChatGPT to help with scripting, asking it to create an outline for a TikTok video about what she spent in New York during Fashion Week.

The chatbot came back with a suggested script for the intro and outro of the video, a breakdown of the expenses category — accommodations, transportation, food/drinks, activities and miscellaneous), and the type of B-roll shots to use. 

Suerez added that he had previously used ChatGPT to support him in writing a script for a pilot episode he pitched to an agency that's working with him to set up a TV show.

Supporting with content research, especially for niche topics

Alasdair Mann has used ChatGPT to help with research of topics he films videos about.

When he was writing a story about engineer Dennis Tito and how he became the first space tourist, he wanted to make the story interesting by mentioning the challenges he faced, but couldn't find helpful information on Google, he said.

He asked ChatGPT, "What do you think was the main challenge Dennis Tito had when he wanted to become the first space tourist?"

The chatbot replied with examples of what Tito's challenges might have been, and Mann was able to supplement the bot's reply with his previous independent research to help with scripting the video.

Helping out with brand research

Micro influencer and UGC creator Salha Aziz said she had used ChatGPT to help with research about brands she works with.

"I'll ask AI which hair brands on the market specialize in curly hair, then a second prompt would be to narrow the research by North American companies, or any that ship to Canada," she said. "Then another prompt, to narrow down to vegan brands, sustainable brands, and so on."

When she finds a brand that she thinks is suitable for her needs as a creator, she reaches out via email and uses the information ChatGPT provided to show she has done her research and knows the brand.

Crafting captions for Instagram posts

Creator and marketer Estella Struck said a big struggle in her content process is coming out with short and effective captions for content. 

To help with this, she asks ChatGPT to draft captions for her. She gives a detailed description of her picture or video, and later edits the response the AI gives.

A prompt she has previously used is, "Write a caption for a video that is making fun of big oil executives using a trending TikTok sound to be posted on Instagram."

Supporting with writing posts for LinkedIn

Arujo has found ChatGPT useful in drafting blog-style text content — like for LinkedIn posts.

"You could just tell it to write a heartfelt story about a topic and how it helped you in this scenario," he said. "And you could just edit it and change certain parts where it's more catered to your experience." 

The editing portion is key to Arujo, who uses ChatGPT's responses more as an outline. 

Providing examples of engaging hooks for videos

Mann has also been using the chatbot to write "hooks" for his short-form videos — the introductory sentence that captures the attention of a viewer and persuades them to keep watching.

When using ChatGPT this way, Mann includes in the prompt what his video is about and his current idea for a hook, and asks the bot to provide alternatives.

He then takes the options and combines them or edits them according to his style.

A prompt he's previously used said, "I'm writing a 60-second video script about how we use machine learning to identify deepfakes. The hook should tease the video, be a bit clickbaity, but not give too much away. My hook is currently: 'This is the best way to know if you're looking at a deepfake...' Give me 10 alternatives to the hook."

 

Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, has a global deal to allow OpenAI to train its models on its media brands' reporting.

Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, has a global deal to allow OpenAI to train its models on its media brands' reporting.

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