How to use ChatGPT for social media: Expert tips + 75 prompts

The bots are popping off. Artificial intelligence technology is revolutionizing every industry, and digital marketing is no exception.

AI tools like ChatGPT are an asset for modern social media managers. Learning how to leverage ChatGPT—and recognizing the technology’s strengths and weaknesses—is a great way to help you work more efficiently while still producing content that is creative, personal, and authentic.

In fact, according to a Hootsuite LinkedIn survey of social media managers, 46% of respondents use ChatGPT for ideation, 39% use it for copywriting, while 4% use it for planning monthly content calendars.

For the best industry advice, we asked Paige Schmidt, Hootsuite’s Social Engagement Coordinator, how AI tech can best be used for social media marketing.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot. It uses a dialogue format (meaning the user interaction is conversational) and can produce human-like responses to questions and requests.

OpenAI created the tool and first launched it in late 2022, reaching 100 million users in two months—a record-setting success. As of January 2024, its web address (chat.openai.com) receives 485 million visits monthly.

How to use ChatGPT for social media marketing

Content ideation

Meteorologists say a brainstorm is coming. ChatGPT can assist you with coming up with ideas, and creates great starting points to inspire you.

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

Writing captions

Coming up with captions is tricky for even the best writers, and ChatGPT will do the work for you (or at least give you some appropriate language and ideas).

Feed the AI some relevant details about your post and it will generate several 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.

Curious? Try our free caption generator or free hashtag generator to start.

Brainstorming call-to-actions

It’s important to include a call-to-action whenever possible on social posts—it’s how your followers know what steps to take to further support your brand.

That said, coming up with a ton of creative ways to say “link in bio” isn’t thrilling work… so, let ChatGPT give it a try.

Creating a content calendar

Using ChatGPT is one way to create a content calendar (Hootsuite has lots of tips for this, too).

Just input a few details about upcoming events or social media campaigns and the tool will generate dates, times, and content types for your brand.

Proofreading

Paige Schmidt, Social Engagement Coordinator at Hootsuite, says she primarily uses ChatGPT for proofreading.

Once the copy is written, ChatGPT helps her with revisions. “It’s great to have that second pair of ‘eyes’ to read the sentences,” she explains, “and I mostly use it for rephrasing or shortening my sentences to make them clearer for the reader.”

Sentiment reading

Schmidt also uses AI for sentiment reading (in other words, determining the emotion or tone behind words).

This is helpful for addressing comments on viral posts. “Before responding, I like to get an objective view of a comment if I’m unsure of its tone,” says Schmidt.

She believes that ChatGPT can be an effective third-party tool to help understand a commenter’s intent, but context is everything: “It’s important to provide as much context as possible for the most accurate interpretation,” she shares.

4 tips for using ChatGPT for social media

1. Make prompts specific

For the AI to do its best work, specific prompts are required. You’ll need to tell ChatGPT about your brand, your products, the tone you want for the generated text, and any other relevant details.

For example, “Write me a caption for my Instagram photo” isn’t specific enough. However, “Write me a funny caption for my Instagram photo of my chocolate bagel. It’s for my Toronto-based bakery” is better.

“It’s all about being direct with what you want, and the system will adjust accordingly,” says Schmidt. “Even information you think may be irrelevant—it’s good for the program to know the context, and who the audience is.”

2. Be conversational

“When talking to ChatGPT, I treat it like a conversation,” says Schmidt. “For instance, if it rephrases a sentence but sounds too formal, I’ll ask, ‘Can you make it more casual?’”

Because the tool is designed to engage in dialogue and to use additional information to tweak the results, thus giving you the most optimal answer, you can offer more information to improve the results. Check out this prompt Schmidt feeds to ChatGPT:

Prompt: Fix the following caption to be short and sweet, I want it to sound playful yet informative because this is going out to my network of experienced social media managers:

“Social listening is one of the most powerful tools in a social media manager’s toolkit. By actively paying attention to conversations, comments, and trends, you can gain valuable insights into your target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points.”

The result:

Social listening is an SMM superpower! Stay plugged into comments and trends to uncover what your audience really wants. #SocialListening #SMMTools

Not thrilled with ChatGPTs result, “it sounds too much like a bot,” Schmidt explains, she added:

Prompt: This sounds a bit too playful and nonhuman.

And ChatGPT edited the result:

“Social listening is a must-have for SMMs! By keeping an ear on conversations and trends, you gain valuable insights into your audience’s needs and preferences. #SocialListening #SMM”

That’s more like it. “This was great, it’s short but informative,” she says. “I’m just going to remove the hashtags, fix up the emojis and send it off!”

3. Edit, edit, edit

See what she did there? Even after Schmidt was satisfied with the generated text, she made her own changes to make sure that the result matched her brand’s style and business goals.

“As people become more familiar with AI-generated text, it’s important to maintain a human touch to make the content feel more authentic,” she says. “Using ChatGPT is a great starting point, but you must take it and make it your own.”

4. Fact-check your results

Besides editing for style and tweaking results to suit your brand, it’s also important to double-check that the information ChatGPT writes for you is actually true.

“It’s always a good idea to verify the sources and cross-reference different sites to ensure the data or information is correct,” says Schmidt. “Keep in mind that ChatGPT isn’t perfect, and can be influenced by the tone or structure of your prompt.”

What NOT to do when using ChatGPT for social media

Like a hammer, AI is an effective tool when used properly. To prevent PR injuries, keep these “don’ts” in mind:

• Don’t make it the primary creator of your social media content. “ChatGPT is helpful for brainstorming and content planning, but the content creation should still come from the social media manager,” says Schmidt.
• Don’t forget to proofread. Whether or not ChatGPT wrote your content, you are the human that is responsible for it: ultimately, if AI generates content that has factual errors or other issues, it’s up to you to edit it.
• Don’t input 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.
• Don’t use it for 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.

75 ChatGPT prompts for social media posts

13 ChatGPT prompts for Instagram

1. Generate a 200-character Instagram caption for a dentist offering two-for-one dental hygiene services.
2. Use this email newsletter to create text for an Instagram carousel post. Divide the text into ten short paragraphs. [INSERT NEWSLETTER]
3. Create six poll questions that ask users about their spending habits around the holidays.
4. Write a 150-character Instagram bio for a [INSERT INDUSTRY] company that offers [INSERT SERVICES].
5. Give me some image ideas for a cake shop’s Instagram account. The shop wants to promote its gluten-free and vegan options in these posts.
6. 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].
7. Describe the benefits of physiotherapy for teachers. Then, turn these results into an Instagram post.
8. Turn this blog into an Instagram post. Summarize the paper into bullet points in the body of the post: [INSERT blog].
9. Create an Instagram story ad that promotes a sale on our website. The sale includes [INSERT SALE DETAILS]. The social media ad copy should capture viewers’ attention in five seconds or less and include this URL: [INSERT URL]
10. Write a persuasive caption for an Instagram post that outlines the benefits of using [INSERT PRODUCT].
11. Create an Instagram post that showcases the best underground bars in New York. Include three of your favourite bars with live music and a caption no more than 200 characters long.
12. Explain why now is a good time to get into the real estate market in a 300-word Instagram post.
13. Create a list of hashtags that a forestry company could use on Instagram.

12 ChatGPT prompts for TikTok

1. Write a one-minute script for a TikTok video that captures attention in the first five seconds. The video is about skincare routines with multiple steps.
2. Generate photo ideas for a TikTok slideshow that shows behind-the-scenes of a food photoshoot.
3. Write a 30-second TikTok script with as many references to pop culture in 2024 as possible.
4. Create a TikTok script about how important it is to get enough sleep.
5. Give me ideas for a TikTok video about sustainable clothing retailers.
6. Take this webpage and turn it into a 30-second TikTok script. [INSERT WEB PAGE]
7. Write out a shot list for a TikTok video promoting a new mocktail company.
8. Tell me about how listening to music affects babies’ development. Then, use the information to create a TikTok script promoting a band that creates music for babies.
9. Make this TikTok script shorter and more to-the-point. [INSERT SCRIPT DRAFT]
10. Write a TikTok script that explains why we can’t just print more money.
11. Create a 15-second TikTok script that is funny, creative, and talks about waterproof shoes.
12. Write a 10-word or less TikTok bio that describes a motor vehicle company in a humorous way.

10 ChatGPT prompts for Facebook

1. Write a Facebook post that promotes my company’s end-of-season sale. The deals available are [INSERT DEALS HERE].
2. Come up with topic ideas for Facebook posts relating to mountain biking.
3. Create a Facebook Shop description for a company that makes water bottle accessories.
4. Write a heartfelt Facebook post thanking the employees of a candy shop for their hard work.
5. Give me ideas for things to include in a Facebook bio for a florist.
6. Turn this email newsletter into a Facebook post that targets parents of school-aged children: [INSERT NEWSLETTER].
7. Pretend you are a food delivery business looking to attract more customers to your service on Facebook. Write a 200-word post that encourages people to sign up, download your app, and get food delivered today.
8. Create a Facebook poll related to this year’s Oscar winners. The poll should relate somehow to a social media management software company.
9. Write a motivational Facebook post that encourages people to start their own businesses.
10. Generate a response for customers that ask us about our opening hours in our inbox. Our opening hours are: [INSERT HOURS].

10 ChatGPT prompts for LinkedIn

1. Write a LinkedIn post advertising that my company is hiring and outlining the benefits of working here. The company name is [INSERT COMPANY NAME] and the benefits are [INSERT BENEFITS].
2. Brainstorm Linkedin poll questions related to dress codes at work.
3. Create a LinkedIn post that describes why proper grammar is important on a resume.
4. Come up with a list of skills that a social media manager needs to have. Turn this list into a job description for LinkedIn.
5. Write a humorous LinkedIn post comparing a good company to a good breakfast.
6. Turn this TikTok script into a more serious post for Linkedin. [INSERT TIKTOK SCRIPT]
7. Write a LinkedIn post in the voice of our CEO about the importance of long-term investing in social media strategy. Use this writing style: [INSERT SAMPLE].
8. 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].
9. Turn this tweet into a longer LinkedIn post. Be sure to target the content towards a technology CEO audience: [INSERT TWEET].
10. 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].

10 ChatGPT prompts for X (Twitter)

1. Create a 280-character Tweet about how to take care of a cast-iron pan. Also, advertise why cast iron pans are great.
2. Brainstorm hashtags that an art supplies company can use on Twitter.
3. Generate a Tweet that promotes veganism. Make it funny and 280 characters.
4. Write a Twitter post that explains our store’s holiday hours. The hours are [INSERT HOURS HERE].
5. Generate ideas for topics that can be discussed at a conference about the retail industry. Then, turn the topics into tweets that promote the conference.
6. Suggest a Tweet that prompts our audience to share one life skill they wish they had learned sooner? Direct users to include the branded hashtag, #LifeSkills.
7. Write a 280-character Tweet about our new product launch [DESCRIBE PRODUCT]. Direct users 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. Rewrite this Instagram post as a Tweet. Keep the content to 280 characters or less: [INSERT POST].
10. Create five different Twitter polls related to a fitness company. Each poll should answer an interesting question about healthy exercise habits.

10 ChatGPT prompts for Pinterest

1. Take this email newsletter and turn it into a Pinterest pin description. [INSERT NEWSLETTER]
2. Proofread this Pinterest recipe and tell me if any parts of it are unclear or confusing. [INSERT RECIPE]
3. Write a Pinterest pin description for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that has only five ingredients.
4. I am hosting a book launch. Generate ideas for Pinterest photos that include a book.
5. Create a Pinterest bio for a recipe tester that posts lots of dairy-free recipes.
6. Use the same tone as this web page to describe a new skincare product that hydrates dry skin. [INSERT WEB PAGE]A
7. Brainstorm a list of items to include on a Pinterest board about bathroom renovations.
8. Write a Pinterest pin description for a post about how to get affordable flowers for a wedding.
9. Create a Pinterest pin description that showcases the fall colour predictions of an interior designer.
10. Come up with creative Pinterest board ideas for a digital marketing company.

10 ChatGPT prompts for YouTube

1. Write a YouTube script that teaches viewers how to change the tire on a car. The script should break the instructions down into 10 steps or less.
2. Brainstorm ten YouTube video ideas related to training a puppy.
3. Write out a shot list for a YouTube video that promotes a new footwear brand. The shots can contain a maximum of three people.
4. Create an inspiring YouTube video script that encourages beginners to try yoga.
5. Give me a call-to-action for the end of my YouTube video about home security systems.
6. Write a YouTube bio for a video creator that reviews camera and film equipment.
7. Create a YouTube video script with an exciting hook. The script should talk about the five rules of lab safety, which are [INSERT RULES].
8. 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].
9. 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].
10. Generate five YouTube video title ideas for a video about [TOPIC]

The best AI tool for social media

ChatGPT is a versatile bot, but this jack-of-all-trades isn’t specifically designed to help social media managers. For social-focused AI, Hootsuite’s OwlyWriter answers the call.

OwlyWriter generates content ideas, captions, and ad copy, edits writing and helps you repurpose top-performing posts for more organic reach.

“OwlyWriter streamlines content planning and saves time during brainstorming sessions,” says Schmidt. “It’s a lifesaver for social media managers who need quick content ideas.”

To use Owlywriter AI, go to your Hootsuite dashboard and select Start with AI.

Next, select what you want to use Owlywriter for. For this example, we chose Start from Scratch.

Then, you’ll be prompted to choose what social media platform and style you want the tool to write for. We chose a HOOK post.

The tool prompts you to describe your brand, product, or service (for example, hand-knitting fruit-shaped hats for cats).

Describe, hit Create Caption and you’re ready to rock.

Click Create post to start the next step scheduling your content.

Psst: You can edit the generated text later if it’s not exactly what you want.

Pro tip: For more digital marketing life hacks—including caption, hashtag, and bio generators—explore Hootsuite’s free social media tools.

Save time managing your social media channels with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can create content with an AI assistant, publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage the audience, measure results, and more. Try it free today.

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