Following the introduction of advertising to eligible Free-tier ChatGPT users, businesses in the UK have started gaining access to a self-service advertising platform. Although still limited, advertisers can now create campaigns designed to appear within the ChatGPT experience, marking the beginning of a completely new digital advertising channel.
Like most new advertising platforms, the initial rollout is gradual, with features expected to expand significantly over the coming months.
What Do Chat GPT Ads Look Like?
At first glance, the advertising interface is refreshingly simple. Rather than overwhelming advertisers with endless campaign types and targeting options, the platform focuses on getting campaigns live quickly.
Currently, advertisers can:
- Set a minimum daily budget of £15
- Choose between Reach or Clicks campaign targeting options.
- Set their own maximum Cost Per Click (CPC) or Cost Per Mille (CPM) bids, with default suggestions of £2.60 CPC and £45 CPM.
- Must target the entire UK, with no regional or postcode-level targeting available just yet.
One noticeable omission is conversion-based optimisation. While the platform indicates that conversion objectives are "coming soon," they're not yet available, meaning campaigns are currently focused on driving awareness and traffic rather than automated lead generation.
As with any new platform, there are a few limitations.
Conversion tracking has improved since the initial rollout, with clearer instructions now appearing inside the platform, making setup more straightforward than it was during the first few days.
There is also currently no dedicated agency or enterprise account structure. This means agencies managing campaigns for clients will need each client to create their own advertising account before inviting agency users to manage campaigns on their behalf.
Despite these early limitations, initial performance has been encouraging. Early campaigns have already generated genuine, qualified leads, suggesting that users are engaging positively with advertising in this new environment.
Are ChatGPT Ads Worth Trying?
It's still far too early to compare ChatGPT Ads with established platforms like Google or Meta. The targeting options remain basic, reporting is still evolving, and many expected features are yet to arrive.
From a personal standpoint, I’d say yes, I like the way they are appearing, I like the relevance from query to product/service. I think this will work well, particularly with the time being spent within AI tools by users. My biggest concern under the current format is the location targeting, if you are a local/regional business, then there would be too much wastage. But this is likely to be one of the first kinks to be ironed out.
BUT lets keep in mind, every major advertising platform started somewhere. Businesses willing to experiment early often gain valuable insights before competition increases and costs inevitably rise.
At FUZE, we're always testing emerging digital marketing opportunities so our clients stay ahead of the curve. If you're interested in exploring ChatGPT Ads or want to understand whether AI advertising could work for your business, get in touch with our team. We'll help you navigate this exciting new platform while it's still in its infancy.
