What Most Subscription Box Owners Get Wrong About ChatGPT (and How to Fix It)

ChatGPT won’t work for your subscription box if it doesn’t know you. Learn how to train it to write copy that connects and sounds like you.

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of talk about ChatGPT by now.

Maybe you’ve even tried it. You may have typed in a prompt like, "Write a product description for my subscription box" or "Write an Instagram caption about self-care."

Chat GPT spits out a response that does what you asked. 

You copy. You paste. You hit publish.

But the results? 

Kinda meh.

Kinda generic. And more than kinda not sounding like you or your brand voice. 

The truth is, AI-generated copy that doesn’t sound like you – and therefore doesn’t connect with your audience – can hurt you. When messaging feels off, robotic, or generic, it doesn’t just fall flat. 

It can confuse your audience or even erode the trust you’ve worked so hard to build.

So if ChatGPT hasn’t quite worked for you yet, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. And it doesn’t mean it can’t work for you. 

It just means you haven’t taught it what it needs to know yet.

Let’s talk about how to use ChatGPT the right way to create copy that actually works. The kind of copy that attracts your ideal customer. The kind of copy that helps turn them into subscribers.

Messaging Matters More Than Ever

Your subscription box is more than “stuff.” It’s an experience, a connection, a small celebration arriving at someone’s door each month. 

And the words you use to talk about it? They matter.

Messaging that doesn’t feel genuine, that doesn’t feel “like you” can:

• Make your business feel less trustworthy
• Confuse loyal subscribers
• Send the wrong message to potential buyers
• Fail to attract your ideal customer 
• Undermine the community you’ve worked so hard to build

Clear, genuine, true-to-you messaging builds connection and trust. It turns browsers into subscribers. And it plays a big part in turning subscribers into raving fans.

That’s why putting a generic prompt (even if it’s one you got in a free opt-in from an online expert) into ChatGPT and pasting whatever comes back just won’t cut it.

It’s Not the Tool. It’s the Way You’re Using It.

ChatGPT isn’t magic. Yes, it can be a powerful tool, but only if you teach it what it needs to know. 

Would you expect a brand-new team member to write the perfect email about your subscription box without training? 

ChatGPT is the same. If you want copy that reflects your brand voice and speaks directly to your ideal customer, you have to teach it how.

Look at these two prompts:

• Prompt #1: "Write an email about this month’s box."
• Prompt #2: "Write a friendly, conversational email in my brand voice. This month’s box includes a personalized planner, a floral pen, and a tumbler. It was designed to bring joy to busy moms who rarely do something just for themselves."

See the difference? 

Meet Fran: Our Custom GPT for Framed by Sarah

Inside my subscription box business, we use ChatGPT every single week to write emails, ad copy, social media captions, launch messaging, and more.

But not just any ChatGPT.  My copywriter built a Custom GPT and trained it. We call her Fran.

We loaded Fran with the knowledge she needs to deeply understand Framed’s products, the kind of customers we serve, and what makes our boxes so special. She doesn’t have to be reminded of those things every time we use her.

That’s what makes Fran powerful. She’s not starting from scratch. She’s starting from a place of understanding. Instead of feeling like I’m working with a team member on her 1st day, Fran feels like a team member who has been around for a while. Someone who gets my business and what matters to us… and to our subscribers. 

The way Fran was built, with all that knowledge,  makes everything – from writing weekly emails to crafting sales page copy – faster, smoother, and way more on brand.

I talk about Fran and ChatGPT a lot inside Launch Your Box. Some members use it a lot inside their subscription box businesses, and others haven’t used it at all yet. 

ChatGPT can be a crazy valuable tool for subscription box owners, and really any small business owner. But… like with any business tool, it needs to be used the right way. 

Free ChatGPT vs. Paid + Custom GPTs

Fran is a CustomGPT. Those can only be created by people who have paid for ChatGPT accounts. You don’t need a paid account to use Chat GPT, but the free version does have limitations. 

If you’ve only used the free version of ChatGPT, you might be wondering why it can’t seem to "remember" you. 

That’s because it doesn’t.

The free version resets every time. It doesn’t retain your preferences or your voice. You have to teach it from scratch every time you open a new chat.

But with the paid version, you can build a Custom GPT that stays trained. That’s what my copywriter did when she built Fran.

A Custom GPT lets you:

• Upload brand voice samples
• Describe your audience and offers
• Store reusable instructions and writing styles
• Create messaging that truly sounds like you – and save so much time! 

Note: A free Chat GPT account does allow you to use a Custom GPT created by someone else. You just can’t build them yourself. 

How Can You Start Using ChatGPT the Right Way?

You don’t need to be a programmer – or even very tech-savvy – to get better results. Just start by giving Chat GPT more to work with.

If you’re using the free version:

• Go into your Settings and fill out "Custom Instructions."
• Tell ChatGPT who you are (your business name, values, and what makes your subscription box unique), who you serve (describe your ideal customer, their lifestyle, what they want, and what they struggle with), and how you want it to respond (for example: friendly but direct, helpful and encouraging, fun and conversational).
• Copy and paste writing samples it can model (emails, social media posts, landing pages, ad copy).
• Save your best prompts and reuse them.

If you’re using ChatGPT Plus:

• Consider building your own Custom GPT.
• Use the Configure tab to describe your brand and voice.
• Use the Create tab to upload writing samples and give detailed instructions.
• Expect to spend an hour or two gathering examples, writing your setup instructions, and uploading relevant info. Those hours will save you SO MUCH time going forward! 

If you’re not sure who your ideal customer is yet, or what they’re thinking, feeling, and doing, you need to start there. That’s exactly what we cover at the beginning of my FREE 6 in 60 Workshop. Before you can write copy that works, you need to know who you’re writing to.

Don’t Let AI Write Your Copy for You. Let It Learn from You.

Think of ChatGPT as a smart marketing assistant, not a replacement for your voice.

If you feed it vague prompts and expect magic, you’ll be disappointed every time. But when you train it well – with your brand voice, your customer insights, and your message – it becomes a powerful member of your team.

It won’t write for you. But it will help you write faster, stay consistent, and show up in a way that truly connects with your audience.

Take the time to teach it. Create a setup that reflects your brand. And then let it help you bring your message to more people. Without losing what makes it yours.

Because your subscribers don’t want a robot. They want you.