How Bloggers Can Use ChatGPT for Email Marketing
Can robots really help bloggers with email marketing? The short answer is: yes.
The longer answer is: also yes (see next 4,800 words for the expanded version).
And it may surprise you, but when it comes to using AI for your email marketing, ChatGPT (the current Alpha Robot) can do more than just draft email copy!
Pssst… yes, I've written a lot about Jasper – but I canceled that account and started using ChatGPT and RightBlogger exclusively.
What the Heck is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot designed to engage in natural language conversations with users. It is built using the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) technology, which is a deep learning model developed by OpenAI.
ChatGPT is trained on large datasets of natural language, allowing it to understand and respond to a wide range of queries, from simple questions to more complex conversations. It is also able to generate human-like responses, making it an effective tool for a range of applications, including customer support, information retrieval, and personal assistance.
As a language model, ChatGPT can be used for a variety of purposes, including language translation, content creation, and conversational interfaces. It is a powerful and flexible tool that can be customized to meet the needs of different applications and industries.
Yes, that was written by ChatGPT.
You think I can explain that shit? It's a robot. That writes things you tell it to. The end.
The end? Of course it isn't the end, or that promise of 4,800 words would be broken.
It's just the beginning.
*insert evil robotic laugh here*
Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I earn a commission when you make a purchase through them. 🙂 Click to learn how to increase your affiliate earnings on your own blog.
The truth.
Whew. You want the truth? You can't handle the truth. (+10 points if you get it)
I am full-on obsessed with ChatGPT. I literally can't get enough.
I talk about it all day every day to anyone who will listen.
My 17 year old was dealing with a refund for a digital product and, as a new store owner, he was frustrated. I told him he needed to happily give a refund, and send the customer a coupon code for a future order. That's the formula I use to turn every refund request into a happy customer for life.
He began to roll his eyes, so I knew his email wouldn't be as nice as it “should” be. I said, “you can pop it into ChatGPT and ask it to reword it in a nice way.”
He promptly replied, “STOP TRYING TO GET ME TO USE CHATGPT!” 😂
Safe to say he's not as excited as I am about it, so I'm just going to write a bunch of blog posts to get my obsession out of my system a little bit.
Or, maybe, this is the robot's plan to take over the world… have humans write about me, get more humans to utilize me in their daily lives, and then…?!?! Who knows what will happen, right? But I'm riding that wave til the end. 🌊
And, you've seen I, Robot, right? So if shit does hit the fan, at least Will Smith will be here to save us. From what I hear, he's got a mean right hook slap. 👋🏼
Anyway, how can you use ChatGPT in your business? That's what you're wondering, right? The first step is to make sure you prime the bot.
Priming ChatGPT
I'm not a bro marketer or a tech guru, I don't know how to program anything, and I still rely on my HTML skills from Lissa Explains back in 1998. With that being said, I do what I call “priming” with ChatGPT – what that means is giving context and important information to ChatGPT so it knows what type of output to give you.
For example, I can say “I am a blog success coach. Act as me and write a motivational Facebook post to my students in a ridiculously hyped up way.”
I'm trying to hold in my laughter, but I'm gonna show you what ChatGPT came up with:
Hey there, my amazing bloggers!
Are you ready to CRUSH your blogging goals and take the blogosphere by storm? I sure hope so because I'm here to give you a motivational kick in the pants and get you fired up to achieve your wildest dreams!
You know what sets the successful bloggers apart from the rest? They have a clear vision, unwavering focus, and a kick-ass coach to help them navigate the ever-changing landscape of the blogosphere. And that's where I come in, my fearless bloggers!
Together, we're going to turn your blog from a tiny blip on the radar to a powerhouse that commands attention, admiration, and ultimately, success! I'm not talking about mediocre success, oh no. We're talking about the kind of success that makes other bloggers' jaws drop, their hearts race, and their fingers frantically typing notes as they try to keep up with you!
So take a deep breath, focus your energy, and let's get down to business. I'm here to guide you every step of the way, to push you out of your comfort zone, and to help you unleash the full potential of your blog.
Let's make 2024 the year you turn your dreams into reality! Are you with me, bloggers?
Let's do this!
Obbvvviously (at least to my VIPs), that was not my writing, at all. But, ChatGPT understood the assignment with very little information given. I could always ask it to reword it and make it a little more Jillian Michaels and a lot less Mary Poppins. That would be more like my voice.
As you continue to work with ChatGPT and include your own voice in the priming, you will notice it starts to write more and more (and more!) like you do. It's some magic of the language learning robot thingie (I told ya, I'm not a techy) and I LOVE IT.
ChatGPT and Accessibility
I was talking to one of my VIPs today and she said that ChatGPT is writing like her so well, it's difficult to tell if she wrote something or if it did. That is excellent news; it means we have an assistant at our fingertips 24 freakin' 7 who won't complain about their workload or even expect to get paid (for now)!
What that means is the barrier to entry for making money online is now SO much lower: if you have a computer and internet, you can do it!!
Learning disabilities? Hearing or vision impaired? ADHD? Autism?
Ask ChatGPT to improve your writing, or install an extension to talk to ChatGPT and listen to its responses. Have ChatGPT prioritize your TO DO list. Not understanding something? Ask ChatGPT to explain it to a 5th grader (or whatever age/grade).
This is coming from someone who has ADHD, is Autistic, and lives with chronic illness: ChatGPT can lessen my workload by at least a third, if not in half, and as someone who has such limited energy, that is fucking priceless.
Of course it isn't foolproof, and there is a lot of room for growth in the accessibility arena, but the amount of people who can now DO THE THING is so much higher.
Gone are the days having to pay $100+ per month for Jasper, when ChatGPT can do the same thing for free. The financial barrier to entry: also lowered! BAM!
Prompting ChatGPT
Perhaps even more important than priming is knowing how to prompt ChatGPT. I'm going to tell you something right now: you do not need to buy a list of prompts. Don't do it. There are a gazillion resources for prompting AI online for free. Spend a little time searching for them.
Side note: the dark side of AI
Unfortunately, we are seeing what is just the beginning of the unethical side of working with AI. From men training it to be their robot girlfriends to far more nefarious things, it's going to get ugly. And then, people are going to panic.
My recommendation: when you hear the negative stuff, move on to something else and focus on the positive. I would much rather use AI in my business to save my sanity and energy so I can spend more time with my family – and traveling. Letting negativity get into my head about it won't do a damn bit of good.
Hacking ChatGPT
It's not really hacking, but it's a hack. 😉 You can have ChatGPT “act as” a persona, a celebrity, or any target market when responding to your questions.
For example, you can say “act as an email marketer and rephrase this paragraph” – ChatGPT will write it as if it's from an email marketer!
ChatGPT loves playing pretend! Which brings me to another point: ChatGPT is full of shit at times, and needs to be fact checked regularly. Don't ever take anything ChatGPT says as gospel the truth. Always fact check.
Use ChatGPT to Dress Up Email Marketing Templates
I'm a member of Liz's* email marketing membership, and I love it, but I notice everyone's emails are starting to look the same lately.
*Who's Liz? I refer to her by her first name only because she's kinda like Oprah to me: badass and deserving of a one-name title. See also: Cher. Her name is Liz Wilcox and she has a kick ass $9/month email marketing membership. Just keep reading.
To make sure my emails are completely unique, I can take Liz's template, pop it into ChatGPT, and have ChatGPT fill it in (after priming it with info about my business).
Then, I can have ChatGPT reword it – or even say “hype it up” to get a fresh spin on the text. By the time it's been worked on for just a few minutes, it's brand new and you can't even tell I used a template.
But why use a template at all, then?
Good question. You don't need to use email templates anymore, because ChatGPT can create amazing emails for you without them.
However, some people find it easier to start with templates instead of a blank slate. For $9 a month, it's worth keeping the membership just to keep your ideas flowing!
Liz's Template Example:
Here’s how to get in on the Flash Sale (before the clock strikes midnight):
- Go to LINK HERE
- Pick the products you’ve been dying to get for your THING.
- Enter discount code BCUZ at checkout.
- Badda bing. Badda boom. Your price will drop by 20%.
This is my last email about the flash sale and then you + me go back to our regular Tuesday afternoon email correspondence.
Hope to see your name pop up in my inbox with a discounted purchase before then!
ChatGPT prompt: Make this email better, and hype it up without being salesy
Hey there!
Are you still on the fence about our Flash Sale? Time is running out, and I don't want you to miss out on this amazing opportunity to score your dream products at a fraction of the cost.
Imagine finally getting those products you've been eyeing for your THING, and saving big in the process! All you have to do is click the link below, select your items, and enter the code BCUZ at checkout to get a sweet 20% discount. It's that simple!
This is the last call for our Flash Sale, so don't wait any longer. Take advantage of this limited-time offer before the clock strikes midnight! I can't wait to see your name pop up in my inbox with your discounted purchase.
And don't worry, after this, we'll go back to our regular Tuesday afternoon email correspondence. But for now, let's make the most of this incredible opportunity to save big.
Click the link below and start shopping!
LINK HERE
ChatGPT prompt: Rephrase the above, shortening it, adding in details about my business. Act as if you are me. I'm a blog success coach who is selling a low ticket membership for my blog coaching.
As a blog success coach, I know how important it is to constantly improve your skills and knowledge to take your blog to the next level. And that's why I'm excited to offer you one last chance to join my low-ticket membership for blog success coaching at a discount with our Flash Sale.
Click the link below, choose the membership that suits your needs, and enter code BCUZ at checkout for a 20% discount. But hurry, the clock is ticking, and this is your final chance to access exclusive resources, personalized coaching, and a supportive community of fellow bloggers.
Don't wait any longer, take advantage of this incredible opportunity to boost your blog's success. Click the link below and join my community today!
LINK HERE
While these outputs are fairly basic, I've given very basic prompts and priming. You can get much, much more detailed. You can create buying personas and have ChatGPT tell you all their problems. It's amazing what can be done.
Outline Your Email Sequences
Whether you're working on a welcome, sales, or launch sequence, it can get a little overwhelming to figure out what to write, when to send each email without annoying your people, and on and on.
ChatGPT can not only help outline your email sequences, it can create a sending schedule for you as well.
When I have ChatGPT write my emails, I tell it to act as Gary Vaynerchuk. His voice resonates with me. I agree with almost everything he says, and find myself nodding along frequently. So, if I was to pick a celeb voice, it would be his. Unfortunately, ChatGPT won't say cuss words, so I have to add those in myself. 😉
Some other celeb voices I enjoy using include:
- Oprah
- Mel Robbins
- Jillian Michaels
If you're not getting the responses you expected when you ask ChatGPT to act like a celebrity, you need to prime it a bit more. Feed ChatGPT information on the celebrity as well as samples of their writing voice so it can try to emulate.
ChatGPT prompt: I am a blog success coach. I am launching my $7/month blogging basics membership called PIPs LITE (PIPs stands for my business name Passive Income Pathways). Can you please outline an email launch sequence with 3 emails? thanks!
I won't paste all of the emails here, just for the sake of keeping things to the point, but here is one of them, again with ONLY the input above – I did not prime ChatGPT beyond that and this was in a brand new chat.
I'm doing this on purpose, giving the least information possible, so you can see how easy this is. Don't get stuck in the weeds and say “I don't know what to use as a prompt” – talk to ChatGPT like you would talk to me. Keep practicing until you learn to “dance” with the AI.
Email 2: Launch Day Reminder Subject: Don't miss out! PIPs LITE is now live!
I wanted to remind you that PIPs LITE is now live! If you haven't already signed up, now is the perfect time to join.
For just $7/month, you'll get access to all the blogging basics you need to build a successful blog and start generating passive income.
Here are just a few of the benefits you'll receive as a PIPs LITE member:
- A step-by-step guide to setting up your blog
- Tips for creating high-quality content that engages your readers
- Strategies for promoting your blog and driving traffic to your site
- And much more!
To join PIPs LITE, simply click the link below:
Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your blog to the next level!
Yes, PIPs LITE is a real product – I could put my sales page information into ChatGPT and get even better emails written for me! Y'all. This is insane. The learning curve is SO SHORT compared to any other AI tool, because it's just wide open… you can talk to the bot like it's your assistant and you'll actually get useful answers. GAME. CHANGER.
Okay, so back to the task at hand: I asked ChatGPT to outline a 3-email sequence for my launch. But, instead, it wrote the whole damn thing. Yes, that was way more helpful than I expected it to be, but for the purpose of this post, we need to try again.
ChatGPT prompt: give me a list of 5 emails to send to my people
It did almost the same thing, but created more of a formula than a copy and paste that is ready to go.
ChatGPT prompt: please give me 5 email subject lines to send to my people
- [Exclusive Offer] – Limited Time Only!
- Get Ahead of the Game with Our Latest [Your Business Niche] Tips!
- [New Resource Alert] – Download Now!
- You Won't Believe What Our Customers Are Saying About Us…
- Help Us Help You – Take Our Quick Survey Today!
Ah, much better. See? If you give the right prompt, you get the right response. Are these amazing? NOPE. Trying again.
ChatGPT prompt: please choose more engaging titles. remember, i am a blog success coach and i am promoting my $7/mo membership.
- Start Your Journey to Passive Income with PIPs LITE – Just $7/month!
- Master the Art of Blogging with PIPs LITE – Join Now and Get Access to All the Essentials!
- 7 Reasons Why PIPs LITE is the Best Investment for Your Blogging Career!
- Are You Ready to Create a Passive Income Stream with Your Blog? Join PIPs LITE Now!
- Level Up Your Blogging Game with PIPs LITE – Join Now and Start Building Your Passive Income Pathway!
Ahhhh, so. much. better.
With a little patience and practice, ChatGPT gets it right almost every single time. I have yet to see an email it couldn't kick ass at outlining – or writing.
Write Your Email Sequences
As you saw above, ChatGPT can write entire emails. If you prompt it to write an email sequence, it will. The emails flow seamlessly from one to the next, which I always struggle with when creating my own sequences!
New to email marketing? You can prompt ChatGPT to write using a sales framework like:
- PAS: Problem-Agitate-Solution (be careful not to be slimy with this one)
- AIDA: Attention-Interest-Desire-Action
and, I asked ChatGPT for some other framework ideas:
- SPIN Selling: This framework focuses on asking questions that help you uncover the prospect's situation, problem, implication, and need-payoff. SPIN stands for Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-Payoff.
- SNAP Selling: This framework focuses on four key elements: keep it Simple, be iNvaluable, always Align, and raise Priorities (SNAP).
- FAB: Features, Advantages, Benefits. This framework focuses on highlighting the key features of a product or service, explaining their advantages, and then translating those advantages into benefits for the customer.
- RACE: Reach, Act, Convert, Engage. This framework is a planning model that can help marketers optimize their digital marketing efforts across the customer journey, from building awareness to nurturing leads to converting them into customers and engaging them over time.
No matter which framework you try first, ChatGPT will help you walk through each step of it. If you don't understand something, ask ChatGPT to explain. If you want the text expanded, ask ChatGPT to expand it. Treat ChatGPT as a friend instead of worrying too much about the “right” way to do a prompt, for example.
Creating an email schedule with ChatGPT
ChatGPT prompt: I need to send 13 emails out over the next 2 months. Please create a schedule for me.
The bot returned a 13-email schedule but it was over the course of 3 months.
ChatGPT prompt: Please make a schedule that lasts no longer than 8 weeks. Please follow directions this time.
Aha! It worked!
I apologize for the confusion. Here is an updated send schedule for your 13 emails over an 8-week period:
Week 1: 1. Welcome Email and 2. Educational Email
Week 2: 3. Promotional Email and 4.Testimonial Email
Week 3: 5. Follow-up Email (to non-responders)
Week 4: 6. Reminder Email – Promotion ends soon!
Week 5: 7. New Resource Email and 8. Follow-up Email (to non-responders)
Week 6: 9. Promotion Extension Email and 10. New Testimonial Email
Week 7: 11. Follow-up Email (to non-responders) and 12. Last Chance Email – Promotion ends tomorrow!
Week 8: 13. Survey Email
ChatGPT Prompt: Thanks. That is much better. Now please use the jab jab jab right hook framework by Gary Vaynerchuk to rewrite the above.
It generated 9 “jab” emails and 1 “right hook” email. Not gonna work.
ChatGPT Prompt: Please rewrite the above, replacing jabs #4 and #8 with right hooks.
For the sake of space, again, I'll shorten this one and just share the first 4 emails.
Jab 1: Week 1 – Welcome Email: Use this email to introduce yourself, your business, and what you stand for. Share a story or a personal experience that shows your expertise and how you can help your subscribers.
Jab 2: Week 1 – Educational Email: Use this email to provide valuable information or resources related to your business niche. Offer tips or insights that can help your subscribers improve their skills or knowledge.
Jab 3: Week 2 – Promotional Email: Use this email to promote your $7/month blogging basics membership, PIPs LITE. Highlight the key features and benefits of your membership, and show how it can help your subscribers achieve their blogging goals.
Right Hook 1: Week 2 – Limited Time Offer: Use this email as a “right hook” to urge your subscribers to take advantage of a limited time offer for PIPs LITE. Highlight the benefits of the membership, and show how it can help them achieve their blogging goals.
Beautiful. Now, if you want to take it another step, you can.
ChatGPT Prompt: Please write email jab #3, including benefits of PIPs LITE
I didn't give ChatGPT any priming on the benefits of PIPs LITE. I could feed it my sales page and get better responses, but I want you to see how freaking easy this is from a basic input point of view! Amazingly, ChatGPT was pretty spot on:
Subject: (Name), How PIPs LITE Can Help You Create a Successful Blog
Are you struggling to get your blog off the ground? Do you feel like you're not making progress as quickly as you'd like? I understand how frustrating it can be, but I have some great news for you. PIPs LITE is here to help!
PIPs LITE is the low-cost, high-value blog coaching membership designed to help you create a successful blog. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced blogger, PIPs LITE has everything you need to take your blog to the next level.
Here are just a few benefits you'll enjoy as a PIPs LITE member:
- Affordable coaching: PIPs LITE is priced at just $7 per month, making it an affordable option for bloggers on any budget.
- Comprehensive resources: You'll get access to a range of resources that cover everything from setting up your blog to driving traffic and generating income.
- Expert guidance: As a PIPs LITE member, you'll have monthly access to expert guidance from Sadie Smiley, a blog success coach who has helped countless bloggers achieve their goals.
But don't just take my word for it. Here's what some of our members have to say:
“(Testimonial from member)” “(Testimonial from member)”
If you're ready to take your blog to the next level, I highly recommend joining PIPs LITE today. With our low cost and high-value resources, you'll be able to create the successful blog you've always dreamed of.
Damn. I am gonna fire my copywriter.
Just kidding, I never hired a copywriter (except for this page – which I love) so there's no copywriter to fire. But I did pay someone $1,000 to set up my email and welcome sequence once. Definitely wouldn't have done that if I had ChatGPT. Sheesh.
Side note: Active income idea… you could offer emails like this for clients who aren't using ChatGPT. Great service to offer, low cost to your clients and low energy for you because you let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting.
Creating an email freebie
There are so many things I can teach you how to do with ChatGPT, but now we are going to talk about creating an email freebie!
This is by far one of the coolest things I've had ChatGPT do: I set it up to walk through my entire PIPs framework (blog, freebie, membership – in that order). So now my VIPs can see their task is to “create a freebie lead magnet” – and they can use the prompts I've given them to create the whole darn thing!
ChatGPT Prompt: Please give me a list of 10 freebie lead magnet ideas for my ideal audience (new or intermediate bloggers)
- Ebook: “The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog”
- Checklist: “10 Essential Steps to Set Up Your Blog for Success”
- Workbook: “Discover Your Blogging Niche and Create a Winning Content Strategy”
- Templates: “5 Blog Post Templates to Jumpstart Your Writing”
- Swipe File: “101 Blog Post Ideas to Help You Never Run Out of Content”
- Video Series: “The Top 5 Mistakes New Bloggers Make (and How to Avoid Them)”
- Toolkit: “10 Must-Have Tools for Every Blogger's Toolkit”
- Infographic: “Anatomy of a Perfect Blog Post: The Key Elements Every Post Should Have”
- Quiz: “What's Your Blogging Personality Type? Discover Your Strengths and Weaknesses”
- Challenge: “30-Day Blogging Challenge to Help You Consistently Create Great Content”
I lovvvvve doing free challenges, but my team hates them because they're so much work. Maybe I love them because they do all the work? Either way, I wonder if “we are going to do another challenge because ChatGPT said so” would work with them. Hmm.
Once ChatGPT gives you the ideas, now it's time to pick one. If you don't love any of the ideas, get specific and ask for more.
ChatGPT Prompt: I would like to create Toolkit: “10 Must-Have Tools for Every Blogger's Toolkit” – please outline this freebie for me.
Here are the first two tools ChatGPT gave me:
Tool #1: Blogging Platform
- Explain the importance of choosing the right blogging platform
- Discuss the benefits of popular blogging platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, and Medium
Tool #2: Hosting Service
- Explain what a hosting service is and why it's important for bloggers
- Discuss the benefits of popular hosting services such as Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator
ChatGPT did the entire 10 tools, and they were all awesome ideas. The best part about this? Many of these bullet points naturally lead to affiliate products (like hosting services, keyword research tools, etc), which are the bread and butter of my blogging income.
While affiliates aren't my #1 earner (my memberships are), they are by far the most passive and I enjoy writing blog posts about them… so they're a good fit! Being able to work them into a freebie is even better. I love when freebies earn me money.
It's best if you finish up in Canva or another program to make your freebie pretty, but you've got the bones and can just save as PDF in a Google Doc if you want!
The next step would be to create a tripwire. If you follow my framework, that tripwire would be a low-ticket membership. After those are created, you've got recurring revenue that continues to build to six figures – all with part-time work!! I'd love to have you in my coaching program to help you along this path! 🙂
Learning from ChatGPT
One more thing you can do in regards to email marketing is ask questions and get answers. While I'd prefer to learn from a human, sometimes I pop these questions into Google and YouTube and don't get a straight answer. So, I ask my buddy…
ChatGPT Prompt: How can I increase the open rate of my emails?
- Craft compelling subject lines: The subject line is the first thing your subscribers see when they receive your email, so it's important to make it compelling and relevant. Use attention-grabbing words or phrases, and keep it short and to the point.
- Segment your email list: Sending targeted emails to specific segments of your email list can help improve open rates. This is because subscribers are more likely to open an email that's relevant to their interests or needs.
- Personalize your emails: Personalizing your emails by using the recipient's name or other relevant information can help improve open rates. This is because personalized emails feel more like a one-to-one communication, and are more likely to catch the recipient's attention.
- Send emails at the right time: Timing is an important factor in email open rates. Experiment with different send times to see when your subscribers are most active and engaged. It's also important to consider time zones and the type of content you're sending.
- Optimize your preheader text: The preheader text is the small amount of text that appears in the preview section of an email. This text can be used to entice readers to open the email, so make sure it's clear and compelling.
- Test and measure: A/B testing can help you optimize your email open rates by testing different subject lines, send times, and other variables. Monitor your open rates and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Remember, sometimes ChatGPT is full of shit… but I know a lil' somethin' about email marketing and I'll say this bot got it right. This is solid advice for improving the open rate of your emails.
One thing important to note: The bro dude marketers who are selling ChatGPT “prompts” are largely recycling the same version of a bunch of questions to ask ChatGPT. Those are not prompts to me. They're questions. Prompts are like templates you can use, which are far more helpful for my use case.
Saving ChatGPT Prompts
When you find prompts that work well, save them.
Create your own little library – either a spreadsheet, Google Doc, or text file on your computer – wherever they need to be so you can refer back to them frequently.
Moving forward with ChatGPT
I am writing a series of posts on ChatGPT, so get on my email list here if you want to be notified when they're published.
I dove head first into utilizing ChatGPT in my coaching business: I'm working on a hand-holding prompt path for my VIPs to walk through when they join my program. This means lots of front-facing ChatGPT (and AI) content. I hope you love it as much as I do!
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