How I Use ChatGPT in My Writing Process (Hint: Not as a Writer!)

Hi there 👋

Welcome to the CopyStash Newsletter. I'm Charu, and in this edition, I'll share how I integrate ChatGPT into my daily content marketing workflow. (I have recently started posting on ​Instagram​. Let's connect there!)

Let's get real about AI writing tools. ChatGPT isn't my ghostwriter—it's more like my hyper-caffeinated ☕, always-on creative assistant who handles the groundwork while I craft the final piece. Here's how I use AI to improve my content without surrendering my soul to the algorithm.

1. Defining the ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

Understanding your audience is the first step to creating content that resonates. ChatGPT helps me build detailed profiles of my target audience, including:

Personas: I generate at least 2-3 distinct personas to ensure I’m addressing different segments of the audience. These personas go beyond demographics, covering behavior, preferences, and motivations.

Pain Points and Challenges: I ask ChatGPT to brainstorm what might frustrate or challenge these personas in their personal or professional lives.

Desires: What are they aspiring to achieve? Knowing this is key to crafting a message that inspires action.

Once I have these personas and insights, I cross-check them with my product’s offerings. This helps me connect the dots between the audience’s needs and the solutions I’m presenting. This step ensures that every piece of content is relevant and deeply aligned with the audience’s expectations.

Do you use ChatGPT or any other AI tools in your daily workflow?YesNoEdit

Pro Tip: Even if you have an established understanding of your audience, try asking ChatGPT to highlight nuances or unexpected insights—it can be surprisingly effective.

Prompts: Defining ICPs

• "Describe the typical demographics and psychographics of [industry] customers."
• "Identify common pain points and challenges faced by [specific persona] in [industry]."
• "What are the primary goals and motivations of [specific persona] when seeking [product/service]?"
• "How does [specific persona] prefer to consume content online?"
• "List the top factors influencing purchasing decisions for [specific persona] in [industry]."
• "What objections might [specific persona] have against purchasing [product/service]?"
• "Suggest effective communication strategies to engage [specific persona] in [industry]."
• "Identify the most popular social media platforms used by [specific persona] in [industry]."
• "What are the key values and beliefs that drive [specific persona]'s behavior in [industry]?"
• "Describe the typical buying journey of [specific persona] when considering [product/service]."

2. Drafting Content Briefs

Creating a clear, actionable content brief is half the battle. Here’s how I involve ChatGPT:

• Basic Structure: I ask it to create an outline, suggesting topics, subheadings, and even a call-to-action.
• Tailoring for Relevance: I refine the brief to ensure it aligns with my ICP and the product I’m featuring. ChatGPT gives me a foundation, but the real work lies in customizing it to resonate with the audience and meet business goals.
• Efficiency Booster: This process saves hours while maintaining strategic focus.

A well-crafted brief ensures clarity and consistency in the final content, reducing iterations and making collaboration with other stakeholders smoother.

Prompts: Creating Content Briefs

• "Generate a content brief for a blog post targeting [specific persona] about [topic]."
• "Outline the key sections to include in an article about [topic] for [specific persona]."
• "Suggest five engaging headlines for a blog post on [topic] aimed at [specific persona]."
• "What are the primary keywords to target in a content piece about [topic] for SEO purposes?"
• "Provide a list of subtopics to cover in a comprehensive guide on [topic]."
• "Identify potential sources and references to include in a content piece about [topic]."
• "Suggest a compelling call-to-action for a blog post about [topic] targeting [specific persona]."
• "What tone and style should be used when writing for [specific persona] about [topic]?"
• "List common questions [specific persona] might have about [topic] to address in the content."
• "Provide a brief overview of the competitive landscape related to [topic] in [industry]."

3. Acting as My Editor

While I trust my instincts as a writer, I also value having a second set of eyes. ChatGPT serves as my virtual editor, offering:

• Grammar and Clarity Checks: It identifies awkward phrasing, passive voice, or other stylistic issues I might overlook.
• SEO Recommendations: From suggesting keywords to refining meta descriptions, ChatGPT helps me optimize content for search engines without compromising readability.
• Content Polishing: I ask for suggestions to improve tone, flow, or structure, ensuring the piece feels cohesive and engaging.

For SEO, I sometimes prompt ChatGPT to generate schema markup or answer boxes based on the content, which can help improve discoverability. For edits, I prefer asking targeted questions like, "How can I make this introduction more engaging?"

Prompts: Enhancing Content Through Editing and SEO Optimization

• "Review the following paragraph for grammar and clarity: [insert paragraph]."
• "Suggest improvements to enhance the readability of this sentence: [insert sentence]."
• "Identify and correct any passive voice in the following text: [insert text]."
• "Provide synonyms to replace repetitive words in this paragraph: [insert paragraph]."
• "Suggest a more engaging opening sentence for this introduction: [insert introduction]."
• "Rewrite the following sentence to be more concise: [insert sentence]."
• "Check the following text for adherence to AP Style guidelines: [insert text]."
• "Provide feedback on the overall tone and style of this content: [insert content]."
• "Suggest ways to improve the flow and coherence of this article: [insert article]."
• "Identify any clichés or overused phrases in the following text: [insert text]."

SEO Optimization:

• "Analyze the following content for keyword density and suggest improvements: [insert content]."
• "Provide meta descriptions for a blog post about [topic]."
• "Suggest internal linking opportunities for the following article: [insert article]."
• "Identify potential external sources to link to in a blog post about [topic]."
• "Generate alt text descriptions for images related to [topic]."
• "Suggest ways to optimize the following content for featured snippets: [insert content]."
• "Provide a list of long-tail keywords related to [topic] to target in the content."
• "Analyze the readability of the following text and suggest improvements: [insert text]."
• "Suggest ways to improve the mobile-friendliness of the following content: [insert content]."
• "Identify any duplicate content issues in the following text: [insert text]."

Thanks for reading this edition. I hope you found something valuable. I would also love to know how you use ChatGPT or any other AI tool in your daily workflow.

See you in the next edition!