Lipstick, ChatGPT, and Your Social Media Brand

Two weeks ago, I posted a blog about lipstick. I discussed the history of the cosmetic application, the difference between lipstick and lip gloss, and the impact of iconic shades on popular culture. The blog had precisely nothing to do with job searching, career growth, personal branding, or any other topic I typically write about. It was completely out of place with my usual content. 

Some of the comments on that article included the following:

The rich history of lipstick shows how timeless beauty has evolved, offering endless possibilities for self-expression today.

Important topic and useful tips. Thanks, Debra!

It’s amazing to see how lipstick has evolved over thousands of years, from ancient rituals to a staple in today’s beauty routines.

Lipstick has a long and interesting history. I never knew it was used so early on.

Wow, that’s a fascinating piece of history. Thanks for sharing!

Obviously, in some circles, the history of lip cosmetics and their various shades is an important topic. But it is not at all germane to managing your career. Not a single commenter noticed or pointed this out. This post was a test, a test to determine whether or not those responding to my article actually read it before commenting! It would appear that most do not. This is a problem for you and your brand. 

I understand the desire to comment on posts to drive engagement and increase your presence on LinkedIn. But going about it with no plan and without bothering to read what you’re commenting on is a bad move. Many people are guilty of reading no more than a headline before commenting, but the advent of ChatGPT has made irrelevant, tedious, vapid comments more prevalent than ever. It is evident that many people who comment on content on LinkedIn simply paste the content into ChatGPT and then copy the AI’s response. 

Here’s the problem. A critical component of building your brand on social media is being relevant. You cannot be relevant if you’re not actually consuming the content and making some kind of informed response. An AI-generated response makes you look lazy, uninformed, and disinterested. 

ChatGPT can be a great starting point to spark ideas but should not be the endpoint. There are multiple limitations to ChatGPT, most notably its inability to craft a compelling narrative or demonstrate critical thinking. While the tool can generate coherent text, that text often misses the mark. Creative thinking remains the purview of human beings, not artificial intelligence. 

You are not doing your brand any favors by relying on AI to write for you. If you use AI, the best thing to do is evaluate the response you get, extrapolate the main points, and put it into your own words. AI-written content is easy to spot because it all reads the same. Your brand should be unique and specific to you, not generic and homogeneous. 

Please let me know in the comments that you actually read this!