The Best Way to Master a Tool...
The Copywriter Column #86
It’s been a little over a year since ChatGPT became available to the public. Since then, the language learning model (LLM) has flipped multiple industries on their heads while becoming an existential threat to numerous roles within those industries.
The marketing world has not been immune, to say the least. Copywriters in particular.
To be transparent, I was indifferent when the ChatGPT buzz started in my online circles. As both a seasoned and decently skilled copywriter, I knew it would take time before AI could catch up.
Others in the field disagreed entirely, especially as their roles were eliminated within months and replaced by AI.
Not one to miss out on a good time, I decided to see what the “hubbub” was about and created an account.
For almost a year now, I’ve taken courses, read blogs, watched YouTube videos, chatted with other marketers, and experimented HEAVILY with ChatGPT.
Turns out, it’s a really good tool and I’ve discovered some great ways to leverage its abilities to support my everyday work (more on that in a future TOOL-torial Tuesday post).
But like with anything, you get better with a tool by using it.
If you want to become a carpenter worth your weight, then you need to become an expert at using a carpenter’s square, a saw, a hammer, and other necessary tools of the trade.
If you want to become a chef who’s capable of whipping up delicious meals, then you need to learn how to leverage your cookware to sear, sauté, and braise with perfection (these pans make it easier – trust me).
If you want to get really good at getting your golf ball farther down the green when you tee off, then you need to master your driver.
If you want to become a better copywriter in the 21st century, then I might argue you need to buck up and start viewing AI as a tool that will help you write better (not as a job replacement, you lazy lot).
Again, you get better with your tools by using them.
Don’t fear them. Experiment with them. Mess up. Make mistakes. Along the way, you may just find the best way they work for you.
Recommended Reading (from Justin Blackman): Mastery is achieved not by using the tools you have, but by understanding how they work.
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