Advocacy AI

Series: Leveraging Generative AI for Advocacy Campaigns

Introduction

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT, the adoption of AI has rapidly expanded, from writing blogs, to generating images of the Pope in a stylish puffer to generating constituent response drafts for congresspeople. As the technology gains traction, the opportunities it presents for teams large and small become increasingly apparent.

In this series, I'll outline how teams running advocacy campaigns can leverage generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, to scale content creation, outbound strategies, and document drafting. I'll go over where ChatGPT can provide the most value and how to work with its output to produce the best results. Throughout the article, I'll also provide ChatGPT prompts for advocacy uses and explain what makes them effective.

In this first blog post of this series, I'll show you how to unlock the potential of ChatGPT for content creation with a guide to prompt wiring.

Getting started, creating campaign pillar content with ChatGPT

Creating an effective prompt in ChatGPT is easier than it may sound. Even a prompt as simple as “Write me a blog about x” can produce an impressive response. But Large Language Models (LLM) like ChatGPT are using content from the entire internet to generate the response, so the more specific a prompt is, the better a prompt will be.

The golden rule of prompting: the more detail you add to a prompt, the better your results will be.

This is the result I got when I prompted ChatGPT, “Write me a blog about Carbon Capture.” The response is good, written in a formal tone, but ultimately it’s bland.

Title: Carbon Capture: A Game Changer in the Fight Against Climate Change

Introduction

Climate change poses a significant threat to our planet, and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), are one of the primary drivers. As global efforts continue to transition towards renewable energy sources and reduce emissions, carbon capture technology emerges as a promising solution to mitigate the impact of climate change. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of carbon capture and how it could play a vital role in combating global warming.

What is Carbon Capture?

Carbon capture, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is a process that involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources, such as power plants and factories, and storing it underground in geological formations. This technology prevents CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, helping to reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

Benefits of Carbon Capture

1. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The primary benefit of carbon capture is its ability to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By capturing and storing CO2, the technology directly tackles one of the leading causes of climate change. This, in turn, helps slow down global warming and its associated consequences, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity.

2. Complementing Renewable Energy

While the global transition to renewable energy is crucial, it may not be enough to meet the goals set under the Paris Agreement. Carbon capture technology can complement renewables by reducing CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel-based power plants and heavy industries. This approach can buy us valuable time while the world continues to transition towards a low-carbon economy.

3. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

Carbon capture can also contribute to enhanced oil recovery, a process in which CO2 is injected into depleted oil reservoirs to increase the extraction of crude oil. This application not only helps maximize the production of existing oil fields but also provides an economic incentive for companies to invest in carbon capture technology.

4. Job Creation and Economic Growth

Investing in carbon capture infrastructure can create jobs and stimulate economic growth in various sectors, such as construction, engineering, and research and development. This investment also has the potential to create new markets for low-carbon products and services, further driving innovation and economic development.

5. Ensuring a Just Transition

As the world moves towards a low-carbon economy, some regions heavily reliant on fossil fuel industries may face economic challenges. Carbon capture technology can help ensure a just transition by allowing industries to continue operating while reducing their carbon footprint, thus preserving jobs and supporting local economies during the transition period.

Conclusion

Carbon capture is a promising technology that can play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, complementing renewable energy, supporting enhanced oil recovery, stimulating economic growth, and ensuring a just transition, carbon capture has the potential to be a game changer in our fight against climate change. However, to fully realize these benefits, substantial investment, research, and collaboration between governments, industries, and research institutions are necessary to accelerate the development and deployment of this critical technology.

It’s impressive AI can produce such a response with so little to work off, but that impression shouldn’t be confused with thinking the output is good by the standard at which a writer can write. Here it's important to note that writing with AI is an iterative process. When an initial result is not satisfactory prompt again.

But with the output there are two ways to go:

a. Copy what you have into a new document and use it as a baseline

b. Refine your prompt to get a response closer to what you were expecting.

Refining a prompt

Refining a prompt is the process of adding context to a prompt. I'll provide some advice, but there's no set rules to this, a lot of prompt writing comes down to experimenting and finding what works.

Here are a couple examples of context you can provide to make your post better:

The medium the text will be shared in (blog, position paper, tweet, petition, etc.)
The reason for writing the blog post
The tone of voice and style to use or emulate (e.g. "Energized", "Worried" or try a personality such as "Joe Biden").
The intended audience
The role chatGPT should take one when writing the post (e.g. "Act like a social media manager")
Style options (using bullet points, no fluff, no echoing, well formatted)

So now instead of “Write me a blog about Carbon Capture.” our prompt looks like:

I want you to act like a marketing professional with 10+ years of experience working on advocacy campaigns. You are tasked with writing a blog post about carbon capture. The goal of writing and publishing this post is to raise awareness about environmental innovation and attract people to sign a petition on our website. The target audience of the blog post is college students in the United States. Use a tone and style that will appeal to this audience. Eliminate any fluff in your response, avoid cliches like “game-changing.” Write the blog post in well formatted markdown.

The result is already much better:

The Future of Carbon Capture: The Next Big Step in Environmental Innovation

This post is sponsored by [organization]. Join the movement, and sign our petition here[link]. 🌎✍️

Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a reality that affects us all. For our generation, it's crucial to embrace environmental innovations that can help us combat this growing crisis. One such innovation is carbon capture, a powerful and promising technology that can significantly reduce carbon emissions. In this blog post, we'll dive into what carbon capture is, why it's important, and how you can help support its development.

What is Carbon Capture? 🏭💨

Carbon capture, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is a process that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources like power plants and factories. It then transports and stores the CO2 underground, preventing it from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.
This technology has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% from some of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. With the world seeking new ways to minimize the effects of climate change, carbon capture is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Why is Carbon Capture Important? 🌍

Here's a quick rundown on why carbon capture should be on your radar:
Curbing emissions: Carbon capture directly addresses one of the main causes of climate change – excessive CO2 emissions. By reducing these emissions, we can mitigate climate change and protect our environment.
Keeping up with energy demands: As the world's population grows, so does our need for energy. Carbon capture allows us to continue using fossil fuels to meet these demands while significantly reducing emissions.

A step towards a greener future: While transitioning to renewable energy sources is essential, it's also a long process. In the meantime, carbon capture can help bridge the gap and provide a cleaner energy option.
How Can You Help? 🙌

As college students, you have the power to create change, both on campus and beyond. Here's how you can help promote carbon capture technology:

Educate yourself: Knowledge is power. Learn more about carbon capture and its benefits, so you can inform others and inspire them to take action.
Join the movement: Sign our petition to raise awareness about carbon capture and encourage the government to invest in its development.
Spread the word: Share this blog post on social media, talk to your friends, and be an advocate for carbon capture. The more people know about it, the more support it will gain.
Participate in campus initiatives: Get involved with your college's environmental clubs or start a carbon capture-focused group. Organize events and campaigns to promote this technology and create a greener campus.

Together, we can make a difference and contribute to a healthier planet. Your support for carbon capture is an essential step toward a sustainable future. Remember to sign our petition and join the fight for a better tomorrow. 🌳🌎

Workflow

The real power of ChatGPT is that it remembers the previous messages you sent in the conversation. With this in mind, writing pillar content should be an iterative process in the chat.

A great technique for creating pillar content like a blog post in ChatGPT is to make the first message a prompt with dense context asking for an outline.

I want you to act like a marketing professional with 10+ years of experience working on advocacy campaigns. You are tasked with writing an outline for a blog post about carbon capture. The goal of writing and publishing this post will be to raise awareness about environmental innovation and attract people to sign a petition on our website. The target audience of the blog post is college students in the United States. Use a tone and style that will appeal to this audience. Eliminate any fluff in your response, avoid cliches like “game-changing.” Write the outline in well formatted markdown

Carbon Capture: The Innovative Solution Our Planet Needs

Introduction

The current state of our environment
- Briefly discuss climate change and its impact on our planet
- Importance of finding effective solutions
Introducing carbon capture technology
- Define carbon capture and its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Highlight the significance of carbon capture for college students and their future

The Science Behind Carbon Capture

How carbon capture works
- Pre-combustion capture
- Post-combustion capture
- Oxy-fuel combustion

Brief overview of the carbon capture process
Different types of carbon capture technology

Benefits of carbon capture
- Enhanced oil recovery
- Manufacturing applications

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Potential for repurposing captured carbon dioxide

Real-World Examples of Carbon Capture

Successful carbon capture projects

Highlight noteworthy carbon capture initiatives
Discuss results and environmental impact

Future potential of carbon capture technology

Mention ongoing research and development
Explore the scalability and economic feasibility

The Role of College Students in Advancing Carbon Capture

How college students can make a difference

Advocating for carbon capture research funding
Promoting carbon capture technology on campus
Pursuing relevant career paths and research opportunities

The power of collective action

Emphasize the importance of raising awareness and educating others
Discuss the potential impact of college students taking action

Call to Action

Sign the petition

Encourage readers to sign the petition on the website
Explain the purpose and goal of the petition

Share the blog post and spread the word

Ask readers to share the blog post with their networks
Encourage active participation in raising awareness and promoting carbon capture technology

Stay informed and involved

Provide resources and links for further reading
Invite readers to follow the campaign on social media and join the conversation

With the outline in hand you can edit it yourself to better match your objectives. Then in the next message to ChatGPT, give it the revised outline and ask it to write the first section and so on, giving feedback between each section. As you’ve already given context in the first message, there’s no need to give context again.

What to keep in mind while writing pillar content with ChatGPT:

ChatGPT does not have data from before 2021. To help it write more current items, context is even more essential than usual. One technique is to paste in parts of news stories, studies, or other documents for ChatGPT to work with.
Similarly, ChatGPT is known to make up information and data, a phenomenon known as "hallucination." It is essential you at the very least proofread and fact check what ChatGPT writes before publishing.
ChatGPT remembers previous messages, but its memory is limited to 4096 tokens. Each token is about 5-7 letters long, so the AI only “sees” the previous 20,000 letters. If a chat is running long you may need to re-input context and to keep chatGPT up to speed.

Conclusion- What's next

The same prompt-writing techniques shown here can be applied to social media posts, emails, petitions, position papers, even slogans to put on a sign. With this tool, even small teams to produce resources at a rate not otherwise possible.

Now you know how to generate great one off items, but the power of ChatGPT doesn’t end there. In the next section we’ll talk about how ChatGPT can help plan, strategize, and schedule advocacy efforts.

Read the second guide ->