If you’ve been playing around with ChatGPT to write a few social posts or even draft a blog, congratulations—you’re off to a good start. But let’s be honest, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In this conversation with Stephen Lewis, a seasoned marketer and head of Sydney-based agency Tailist, we explore how to make ChatGPT your marketing partner rather than just a copy assistant. With insights drawn from years of experimenting with AI tools, Stephen shares practical advice on turning ChatGPT into a research powerhouse, a strategic consultant, and a creative collaborator for your business.

Here are a few key takeaways from our conversation:

ChatGPT as a Research Tool: Most people think ChatGPT just mimics human writing, but it's also a brilliant research assistant. Since it has "read" countless blog posts, forums, and articles, it can provide deep insights into audience preferences, fears, and motivations that people might not even admit in a traditional interview.

Ask Better Questions: If you want valuable answers, start asking ChatGPT more thoughtful questions. For example, don't just ask why your target audience might want to buy your product—ask about the reasons they wouldn't admit to their friends or the hidden objections holding them back.

Turn ChatGPT into a Consultant: Instead of treating ChatGPT like a task-driven assistant, let it ask you questions. Stephen emphasizes how this two-way conversation can reveal what's missing in your messaging and strengthen your overall marketing strategy.

Synthetic Data for Customer Personas: ChatGPT can simulate interviews with your ideal customers, offering insights that are surprisingly comparable to real-life focus groups. This synthetic data can help you craft more accurate and compelling customer personas.

It's a Partnership: AI isn’t magic—it’s a partnership. To get the most out of ChatGPT, you need to know what to ask and be ready to collaborate actively. Stephen describes this approach as "working in partnership" with the tool rather than expecting it to hand over all the answers effortlessly.

Ready to take your AI game up a notch? Stephen even offers a resource called the "Clarity Engine" to help business owners solve their biggest marketing problems with ChatGPT’s help. It’s a great next step if you’re eager to see just how much more this tool can do for your business.