Read this beginner's guide before you use ChatGPT for the first time. Make a success of your work with the popular AI chatbot created by OpenAI.
A Guide to Using ChatGPT
ChatGPT launched in November 2022 and entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts flocked to try it out. Created by OpenAI and led by CEO Sam Altman, it hit 1 million users in 5 days flat and by early 2024, the platform attracted approximately 260 million visits per month, with 100 million weekly active users, according to Altman. Current monthly traffic is around 600 million people. That’s big.
If you haven’t yet used ChatGPT, you might think you’re too late to the party. You’re not. The party is only just getting started. But a big mistake is rocking up to ChatGPT without knowing how to use it. The output is only as good as the input. Get to grips with the tool so you don’t waste time. Skip the learning curve for maximum business gain.
A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Using ChatGPT: 7 Key Considerations
1. Understand How It Works
ChatGPT is a fancy text predictor. It's been fed over 300 billion words from the internet and books. When you send something to ChatGPT, it essentially guesses what should come next based on all its training. It’s an educated guess. ChatGPT is not infallible. It's not conscious. It doesn't "know" things like we do. But it's really good at putting words together in a way that makes sense. ChatGPT’s output will be on the generic side. Why? Because those 300 billion words contain contradictions. Plus it’s fetching a wide range of sources from the rest of the internet. The strong opinions cancel each other out, so you’re left with the noncommittal middle. If you want spice, you have to ask for it.
2. Don’t Expect the World
“Can ChatGPT tell us where on this river to catch fish?” asked Kyle Balmer's dad on a fishing trip. But the computer said no. “Can ChatGPT predict next quarter's sales figures?” asked a hopeful CEO. But the AI couldn't deliver. Don't ask it to do something ridiculous. While newer versions of ChatGPT can access real-time information when specifically requested, it's still not perfect for everything. It can't make decisions for you, and its ability to answer highly niche or specialized questions depends on the available training data. Keep it realistic.
3. Learn How to Prompt
Garbage in, garbage out. Your question determines the answer. Be specific. Give context. Break big tasks into smaller bits. Learn the rules for effective prompting and use them every time. Instead of "Write me a business plan," try "Create an outline business plan for a pet grooming service with an audience of females in their thirties with more than two dogs. Include sections on target market, startup costs, and marketing strategy based on a budget of $5000." Once you’ve nailed the basics, you can go more advanced with your prompts.
4. Before You Publish Anything ChatGPT Has Written
Know the giveaway signs of ChatGPT generated content and have a ban list to hand. Start with your business. Got a work problem? Start there. Maybe you need help writing articles for SEO or coming up with product names. ChatGPT shines when you apply it to real-world tasks. Use it to draft emails, create social media posts, or brainstorm value propositions for your landing page. There are so many things you could use ChatGPT for. But stick to what you already do. Tie it into your current processes before you add new ones. Little and often is the winner at first.
5. Treat It Like an Intern
Smart and enthusiastic, but needs guidance. ChatGPT can research, draft, and organize. But you're the boss. Check its work. Refine the output. Add your expertise. It's a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. Similarly, if it gets something wrong, explain why. Think about how you best guide it to the right answer without getting annoyed, taking it personally or giving up entirely. It wants to do a good job.
6. Team Up to Succeed
ChatGPT plus you equals better results. Use it to spark ideas, then run with them. It might suggest ten marketing slogans. Pick the best one and make it your own. Let it do the heavy lifting, but add your creativity, logic, and human touch. Together, you can produce consistently. It’s there to cover your weaknesses, not replace your favorite work. You wouldn’t ask your Uber driver to make your biggest business decision. You wouldn’t ask your biggest investor to fetch you a coffee. Assign the correct level of task to ChatGPT, and keep your superpowers for you.
7. Look Out for Hallucinations
ChatGPT can make mistakes. It might provide outdated info or outright make things up. Always double-check anything important, especially numbers and dates. Don't blindly trust everything it says. Use your common sense. For something that’s like ChatGPT but grounded in data, give Perplexity a try. Copy entire chunks of your ChatGPT-generated output and fact-check right there. Edit accordingly, so you’re not caught out.
Read This Before You Use ChatGPT for the First Time: Beginner’s Guide
If you’ve never used ChatGPT before, you’re in for a treat. Avoid the beginner’s pitfalls by following this guide. Understand how it works, don’t expect the world, and learn how to prompt before you start typing. Start with your business’ existing processes to see what you can improve, then treat ChatGPT like an enthusiastic intern who wants to do a great job. Team up to succeed and watch out for it making stuff up. Supercharge your output and wonder what you ever did without it. Let’s go.
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Jodie Cook
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Jodie Cook,Senior Contributor