It is the talk of the town and has been for more than a year now: ChatGPT, a conversational app powered by artificial intelligence.
Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT has experienced a meteoric rise and widespread adoption since its release in November 2022.
In just its first month, the software achieved an unprecedented milestone of more than 100 million downloads. This impressive feat surpassed the initial growth rates of many popular apps, highlighting the immense interest in AI in various fields, including hotel marketing.
ChatGPT is a beneficial tool that is not going anywhere anytime soon.
In fact, we are likely to see a rise in its utilization, from drafting copy to creating images to perhaps building entire marketing campaigns.
Hotel marketers can benefit from ChatGPT’s powers in many ways, but they should take care not to rely too much on it.
Inaccurate Source of Information
ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for generating marketing copy, but it should not be a primary source of information.
The software can make mistakes, fabricate information and overlook grammar and spelling errors, which can compromise the integrity of marketing materials. It is crucial to double-check any information provided by ChatGPT to ensure the accuracy of marketing copy.
Consider a scenario in which ChatGPT incorrectly suggestd that a local festival in the hotel’s destination is taking place in July when it has been rescheduled to September. This misinformation could lead to guests planning their visits at the wrong time. Additionally, ChatGPT could provide outdated information about public transportation options, such as a bus route that no longer operates.
Dilution of Brand Voice
Utilizing ChatGPT for drafting social media captions or promotional copy can result in content that lacks a distinct brand voice.
The output might use repetitive phrasing and fail to capture the unique tone and style of the hotel’s brand.
Recognizing this shortcoming, many renowned brands are turning to professional copywriters to create content that aligns with their brand identity and stands out in the market.
For example, a luxury hotel brand known for its sophisticated tone might find ChatGPT-generated content too generic, failing to convey its exclusivity. Similarly, a boutique hotel with a quirky brand voice might end up with bland social media captions that lack the hotel’s unique personality.
Search Engine Optimization Shortcomings
For hotel websites, it is essential that the copy is optimized for search engines to attract the right audience.
This involves researching relevant search-engine optimization keywords for target feeder markets, naturally incorporating the keywords and checking for keyword density. ChatGPT does not perform these tasks, resulting in non-optimized, AI-generated content that is less effective for driving website traffic and business. Hotel marketers must ensure website copy meets SEO requirements and reaches their target guests.
For instance, ChatGPT could struggle to maintain an optimal keyword density for important terms such as “spa services” on a resort’s web page, either by underusing or overusing the keyword. This misuse of keywords would affect the page’s search-engine ranking and visibility to potential guests.
Copyright Concerns
One final consideration is the risk of legal disputes.
Relying on ChatGPT for content creation can pose legal risks, especially when it comes to using extracts from books, quotes or other copyrighted material without first obtaining proper permission.
This can lead to violations of intellectual property rights.
To avoid legal complications, hotel marketers must ensure that all (non-original) content they use is properly licensed.
Ultimately, ChatGPT is a tool. AI is not intended to replace human expertise and creativity. Hotel marketers should leverage its capabilities while maintaining a hands-on approach and making sure that marketing content reflects the unique essence of their properties.
Miret Padovani is founder and CEO of Dubai-based business advisory Hotel Marketing Space.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.