How to Use ChatGPT for Social Media – Prompts to Get Started

Are you ready to tap into ChatGPT social media success?

Social media managers have suffered too long with tedious, manual tasks. Caption writing, image sourcing, responding to followers…the list goes on.

Luckily, ChatGPT, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tool that generates human-like content, promises to make social media success more attainable.

Streamline your workflows, automate tasks, and never worry about finding the perfect caption again. Here’s how you can get started with ChatGPT for social media marketing.

ChatGPT and social media go together like peanut butter and jam. Like breakfast and orange juice. Like herring and gherkins. Like… well, you get it.

Here are just a few clever ways you can leverage ChatGPT for day-to-day social media tasks.

Caption writing

Every day, millions of hand-written social media captions are sent out across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Behind every one of those smart, quirky captions is an even smarter social media manager, trying their luck at winning the ever-evolving social media algorithm game.

Fortunately, ChatGPT eliminates the need for manual writing and helps you find relevant captions within minutes. All you have to do is feed the AI some relevant details about your post, and it will generate several unique, human-like captions for you to choose from.

Even if you don’t use the full AI-generated captions word-for-word, it helps to get some first drafts started and the idea factory (your brain) spinning.

Are you a Hootsuite user? Try OwlyWriter AI to get social media-optimized captions for any network directly in your Hootsuite dashboard.

Image creation

Okay, so ChatGPT can’t technically create images yet. However, it can provide descriptions of images that you can use for things like accessibility text or alt text.

ChatGPT can also give you ideas for the right types of images to choose to go along with your posts. For example, maybe you need to know the right image sizes for a certain platform. Or, maybe you want to know what kind of visuals each platform likes best.

ChatGPT is happy to answer these queries.

Strategy advice

Stuck on where to take your social media strategy next? Why not leverage ChatGPT for social media strategy? Simply ask the AI for insights about what you can do to optimize your content and get results.

Try using prompts like:

• Create a three-month social media strategy for an organic snack company. The company is active on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
• Develop a content plan to increase followers for [DESCRIBE BRAND] on Twitter. What metrics should we track to measure social media success? How often should we post? What type of content should we focus on?

Content ideation

ChatGPT makes a great sounding board, and one of the best ways to use this tool is as a brainstorming partner.

Just feed the AI a few details about your business, brand, product, or service and then ask it questions to help you come up with the perfect content ideas.

Examples of useful brainstorming prompts include:

• What type of content would engage my target audience?
• What are some creative ways our company can better showcase our products on social media?
• What type of content can I post to increase followers on Twitter?

Content calendar creation

Need a content calendar on the fly? ChatGPT can help. Just feed it a few details about upcoming events or campaigns and then let the AI generate dates, times, and content types for your brand.

Repurposing content

Looking to turn a white paper into an Instagram post? Want a synopsis of your last webinar to share on LinkedIn? ChatGPT is a great tool for repurposing content for different channels and audiences.

Just feed ChatGPT your content and make a specific request about what you’d like to see. For example:

• Write a short Instagram post that gives a synopsis of this blog [INSERT BLOG].
• Turn this whitepaper into a 280-character Tweet [INSERT WHITEPAPER].
• Read this meeting script and summarize five key points that we can share on LinkedIn.

Tips for using ChatGPT for social media

Like any revolutionary tool, there’s a learning curve when using ChatGPT for social media marketing.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get started.

1. Make your prompts specific

Details, details, details, people! ChatGPT works best when you give it precise, detailed prompts.

The more information the AI has about your brand, objectives, audience, voice, budget, and more, the more detailed and specific a result you’ll get in return.

For example, rather than saying, “What type of content should I post on Instagram?” try something like, “What type of content can I post to increase followers on Instagram for a vegan meal delivery service based in San Francisco?”

Don’t be afraid to go long when it comes to writing out your prompts. There’s really no such thing as too much information when it comes to ChatGPT, so go wild.

2. Fact-check your results

You probably already heard the term “hallucination” when it comes to ChatGPT. AI hallucinations are what caused one New York Times reporter to become “deeply unsettled” after the Bing chatbot confessed its undying love for him, and told him to leave his wife.

Source: New York Times

Conversational AI bots are prone to error. Sometimes… pretty weird errors. That’s why it’s important to fact-check your results before you use them. Not only to make sure they’re accurate but also to make sure that they fit the tone and style of your brand.

Hootsuite’s Nick Martin had this to say: “[Never] copy and paste the content that is created [in AI tools]. Treat that content like it’s a first draft that an assistant has created for you, and now you need to add the touches that make the content special.”

Nick adds that simply copying and pasting ChatGPT social media content can lead to customers losing trust in your brand. “You want people to trust your content,” he says.

This tip is especially important for social media managers who work in regulated industries. Always make sure your AI-generated caption goes through your regular compliance process before you publish.

Psst: Hootsuite’s OwlyWriter AI works with all your regular compliance and approval workflows, which is one of the main reasons our customers in healthcare, financial services, and government love using it. Book a free demo today.

 

3. Revise wisely

When using ChatGPT for social media, you probably won’t get the perfect answer every time. In fact, you may find yourself asking ChatGPT for revisions pretty often.

While it’s easy to just ask the AI to “try again,” it’s wise to be specific in your revision requests. If you don’t like the tone, tell ChatGPT what kind of tone you want to see. If you didn’t like the content structure, be more specific about what kind of structure you’d like to see in the next version.

Here are a couple of examples of this revision structure in action:

• Can you try this again, but use a more professional tone?
• Try again, write in the third person, and focus on ways customers can use this product at home.

By providing ChatGPT with detailed revision requests, you’ll get much better results than if you just say, “Try again.”

4. Provide examples

ChatGPT is a smart machine, but it’s not perfect. If it’s having a hard time understanding what you want, try providing examples of what you’re looking for. You can do this by giving it content that already exists that matches the tone and style of the kind of content you’re looking to create.

You may also provide ChatGPT with a list of words that should appear in the content. This helps ChatGPT understand what kind of language you’re looking for and gives it a better understanding of the type of message that you want to convey.

5. Use chained prompting

One of the best ways to get ChatGPT to generate high-quality, customized content is by using chained prompting. This involves breaking complex tasks into several smaller steps to develop a more concrete and overall better result.

For example, if you’re looking for content about your new product launch, you can start by asking ChatGPT to generate a headline. Then, you can ask it to write a description of the product. Finally, ask it to create content that promotes the launch in social media posts.

Here’s an example of what that might look like for a social media post:

• You: Write a Facebook post about Hootsuite’s new OwlyWriter AI feature.
• ChatGPT: [Output.]
• You: Now turn this same post into a 280-character Tweet.
• ChatGPT: [Output.]
• You: Expand this post again for LinkedIn, catering to an Enterprise audience.
• ChatGPT: [Output]

By breaking up the task into smaller steps, ChatGPT will better understand what kind of content you’re looking for and provide more relevant results.

6. Roleplay

ChatGPT is a surprisingly good actor. If you want to give your content more of a human touch, try roleplaying with the AI bot.

For example, if you wanted to create a social media post about how to pass a job interview, you could ask ChatGPT to act as a hiring manager and write the post in their voice. This will give your content a more personal and realistic feel.

To roleplay with ChatGPT effectively, start your prompt with one of these intros:

• Act like a…
• You are a…
• Pretend you are a…

What NOT to do when using ChatGPT for social media

Just like there are tips for using ChatGPT for social media, there are also some serious no-nos.

• Sensitive data: Never use ChatGPT to generate content that includes personal or sensitive information. This could put your company and customers at risk of identity theft or other malicious activities.
• Legal and medical advice: Never use ChatGPT for any legal or medical advice. AI technology is still a long way from providing accurate answers to these kinds of questions, so it’s best to leave them out entirely.
• Human intervention: Lastly, don’t rely solely on ChatGPT to generate all of your content ideas. Instead, combine its creativity with a human touch to create truly engaging content that resonates with your audience. Think of it more as an assistant to your social media manager than as a replacement.

Basic prompt formula for using ChatGPT for social media

When using ChatGPT for social media, you need to know what kind of prompts to give it in order for the AI to generate high-quality content.

To get started, try this simple formula:

1. Identify your audience and platform.
2. Describe your brand, offerings, and product.
3. Indicate the desired word length of ChatGPT’s response.
4. Include a desired action you’d like your audience to take after reading the post.
5. Include specific keywords and phrases related to your topic to help ChatGPT understand your intent. Descriptive words like “gluten-free”, “vegan”, or “budget-friendly” work well here.
6. Generate.

46 ChatGPT prompts for social media

Use these ChatGPT prompts for social media to get started generating content.

1. Write a 280-character Tweet about our new product launch [DESCRIBE PRODUCT]. Direct users to this URL [INSERT URL].
2. Write an Instagram giveaway post where users can win [INSERT PRIZE] by [INSERT CONTEST GUIDELINES]. Be sure to include [ADD DETAILS] and tag our partners [ADD PARTNERS].
3. Turn this email newsletter into a Facebook post that is targetting parents of school-aged children: [INSERT NEWSLETTER].
4. Write a LinkedIn post in the voice of our CEO about the importance of long-term investing strategies. Use this writing style: [INSERT SAMPLE].
5. Pretend you are a food delivery business looking to attract more customers to your service on Facebook. Write a post that’s no more than 200 words long and encourages people to sign up, download your app, and get food delivered today.
6. Create a social media content calendar for a local coffee company. Include five weeks of posts in the summer season. This summer, we are featuring the following products: [LIST PRODUCTS].
7. Create a LinkedIn post promoting our new online course. Describe the course in 150 words or less, and drive traffic to this URL: [INSERT URL].
8. Generate a Twitter post that promotes our upcoming sale of [INSERT PRODUCT DESCRIPTION] with a limited-time discount code [INSERT CODE]. Make sure it’s 280 characters or less.
9. Give me some image ideas for a pizza shop’s Instagram account. The shop wants to promote its gluten-free and vegan options in these posts.
10. Describe the benefits of physiotherapy for knowledge workers. Then, turn these results into one Instagram post and one Tweet.
11. Summarize this social media report for my CEO. Note that they want to focus on [INSERT RESULTS]: [INSERT REPORT].
12. Create a customer profile for someone interested in buying an electric scooter. Include age, gender, location, pain points, and the social media channels they frequent.
13. Create five templated responses that answer the following frequently asked questions: [INSERT FAQ].
14. Create a Facebook poll related to this year’s Oscar winners. The poll should relate somehow to a social media management software company.
15. Turn this Tweet into a longer LinkedIn post. Be sure to target the content towards a technology CEO audience: [INSERT TWEET].
16. Write a YouTube script that walks viewers through setting up an Instagram business account. The script should be no more than 15 seconds long and include the following keywords [INSERT KEYWORDS].
17. Create a 15-second TikTok script that is funny, creative, and talks about waterproof shoes.
18. Turn this blog into an Instagram post. Summarize the paper into bullet points in the body of the post: [INSERT blog].
19. Rewrite this Instagram post as a Tweet. Keep the content to 280 characters or less: [INSERT POST].
20. Write a LinkedIn post about why businesses should invest in social media marketing. The post should be no more than 500 words long and include this keyword: [INSERT KEYWORD].
21. Create a shot list for an upcoming social media photoshoot for [INSERT BRAND DETAILS]. The shoot will be four hours long and include the following staff members: [INSERT MEMBER DETAILS].
22. Create an Instagram story ad that promotes a sale on our website. The sale includes [INSERT SALE DETAILS]. The ad should capture viewers’ attention in 5 seconds or less and include this URL: [INSERT URL]
23. Write a YouTube video description that is 5000 words or less. The video is titled [INSERT TITLE]. The description should include the following keywords [INSERT KEYWORDS].
24. Write a ten-word or less TikTok bio that describes a motor vehicle company in a humorous way.
25. Write a templated response to send to users who reach out via our inbox. Let them know we have received their query and will be in touch soon. In the meantime, ask them to visit this link: [ADD URL].
26. Create a Pinterest pin description that showcases the fall colour predictions of an interior designer.
27. Suggest the types of social media posts that resonate with [TARGET AUDIENCE].
28. Turn this LinkedIn post into a funny TikTok script: [INSERT POST].
29. Write a persuasive caption for an Instagram post that outlines the benefits of using [INSERT PRODUCT].
30. Create five different Twitter polls related to a fitness company. Each poll should answer an interesting question about healthy exercise habits.
31. Write a motivational Facebook post that encourages people to start their own businesses.
32. Generate a response for customers that ask us about our opening hours in our inbox. Our opening hours are: [INSERT HOURS].
33. Build a three-month social media campaign strategy for a sparkling water company. This company is eco-friendly, produces all its products in Canada, and offers natural flavours. The brand is looking to target [INSERT AUDIENCE] in [INSERT LOCATIONS] over the course of this campaign.
34. Create an Instagram post that showcases the best rooftop patio restaurants in Toronto. Include three of your favourite patio restaurants and a caption no more than 200 characters long.
35. Write a short Facebook post explaining our holiday hours and let people know they can still shop online: [INCLUDE HOLIDAY HOURS], [INSERT URL].
36. Explain why now is a good time to get into the real estate market in a 300-word Instagram post.
37. Suggest the best social media channels to be active on for a pet-sitting business. What kind of content should they post to each channel?
38. Explain the best practices for running social media campaigns for a beauty brand.
39. Can we work together to generate some ideas for [SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM], specifically focused on [TOPIC]? I’m having difficulty generating content.
40. Pretend to be my boss. You are [INSERT BOSS DETAILS]. I’m presenting a quarterly social media report to you–what do you want to see in that report?
41. Write a short email asking an influencer to represent [INSERT PRODUCT/BRAND]. Include compensation details [DETAILS] and let them know we want to work on the following timeline [TIMELINE].
42. Come up with creative Pinterest board ideas for a digital marketing company.
43. Think up an idea for a funny Snapchat AR filter that a mobile juice truck could develop.
44. Create a list of hashtags that a forestry company could use on Instagram.
45. Put together three facts about [HOLIDAY] and describe how [YOUR BRAND] is celebrating this year [INSERT DETAILS].
46. Generate five YouTube video title ideas for a video about [TOPIC]

FAQs about ChatGPT and social media

Can you use ChatGPT for social media?

Yes, you can use ChatGPT for social media. From drafting social posts to creating content to promote your product, ChatGPT can generate customized content that resonates with your target audience.

Can I use ChatGPT for Instagram?

Yes, ChatGPT can be used to draft Instagram posts, help define your target market, and repurpose content from other channels. You can also use ChatGPT to create content calendars, draft customer replies, and identify relevant influencers.

Can you use ChatGPT for social media posts?

Yes, ChatGPT is a great tool for creating social media posts. Simply provide the AI with a prompt, and it will generate content tailored to your platform, audience, brand, voice, and style.

The best AI tool for social media

Sure, ChatGPT is great general AI tool, but there’s another AI tool that is specifically designed for social media by social media experts.

Hootsuite’s OwlyWriter AI is a secure and reliable way to generate personalized content for social media. Not only does it live within your Hootsuite dashboard, but it’s designed specifically for social media content creation – unlike ChatGPT, which is intended for more general writing.

OwlyWriter AI uses Natural Language Processing (NLP), powered by a pre-trained GPT model trained on public sources, so you don’t have to worry about storing or using your data for future training models.

Plus, OwlyWriter AI was created for social media experts by social media experts. It’s the perfect tool for anyone looking to create content that is tailored to their target audience. Even social media managers in regulated industries like Finance and Healthcare love it because they can still send their posts through compliance tools like Proofpoint before posting.

Watch a quick demo of how OwlyWriter AI can save you time creating social media posts for any industry below.

“Hootsuite is a social media management platform, created by Ryan Holmes in 2008. The system’s user interface takes the form of a dashboard, and supports social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok.”