The first time the Hydrate team built and used a Custom GPT, it felt like unlocking a cheat code. We prompted it, and it output brand-aligned strategy ideas, content suggestions, and messaging that actually sounded like us. Not generic. Not robotic. Just… right. In this blog, we explain how we achieved these results and how you can too.

Table of Contents

1. The Custom GPT Boom
2. What Is a Custom GPT?
3. Why Brands Are Embracing Custom GPTs
4. Practical Custom GPT Use Cases
5. Getting Started with Your Own Custom GPT

The Custom GPT Boom

After developing the Hydrate GPT, we were hooked. We started using it daily. It became our always-on behind-the-scenes strategist. Naturally, we also began building them for our clients.

One recent example comes from our partnership with the Boothbay Region YMCA. Their team needed a marketing and communications plan that aligned with their strategic goals and elevated their brand stories. Alongside a Marketing Strategy Roadmap and 90-day implementation calendar, we created a Custom GPT trained on BRYMCA’s existing collateral and the intensive research and discovery conducted by Hydrate. Now, their internal team can use it to brainstorm, plan, and draft in alignment with their brand voice and mission.

By no means are we the only business cracking this code! Many brands use Custom GPTs to scale content, automate operations, and maintain a consistent brand voice across touchpoints. Just two months after OpenAI launched Custom GPTs at the end of 2023, over three million had already been created, and this number continues to grow every day!

What Is a Custom GPT?

Regular ChatGPT is trained on vast amounts of information to answer almost anything. However, it doesn't know your brand, content, or goals beyond what’s public online.

Custom GPTs save you the time and effort of using lengthy prompts with background information every time. These tailored AI models:

• Are preloaded with custom instructions
• Pull their knowledge from purposefully curated uploads
• Remember your context across every conversation
• Deliver more consistent, brand-aligned output
• Can connect to outside tools for added functionality

Compared to standard ChatGPT:

• Custom GPTs reduce hallucinations by relying on your source material
• They’re more efficient, requiring less setup per prompt
• They evolve so you can refine them as your needs change

Think of it as hiring a strategist who already knows your brand inside and out and never sleeps.

By the way, “hallucinations” refer to moments when AI confidently provides an incorrect or made-up answer, usually because it lacks enough context.

Why Brands Are Embracing Custom GPTs

Here are a few big reasons why forward-thinking brands are exploring AI customization:

• Brand Differentiation – Your ChatGPT output sounds like you, not like everyone else using AI.
• Scalable Support – AI works around the clock, so you and your team don’t have to.
• Time Savings – Your team can offload simple yet repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on creative and strategic work.

Practical Custom GPT Use Cases

Custom GPTs can be particularly useful for B2B companies. Here are some examples of departments that benefit from this technology, and how:

1. Marketing Teams

• Generate blog outlines, captions, and emails
• Maintain brand voice in every campaign
• Quickly brief freelancers or internal teams
  

2. Sales Teams

• Answer product questions
• Respond to common concerns
• Personalize outreach at scale
  

3. Customer Support

• Act as a 24/7 knowledge base
• Reduce ticket volume with instant answers
• Train new support reps faster
  

4. Human Resources

• Automate onboarding and policy questions
• Train new hires with brand-specific content
• Provide internal FAQs for employees

Getting Started with Your Own Custom GPT

Launching your branded GPT doesn’t require a tech team. Here’s what the process looks like with Hydrate:

1. Discovery Session – Define goals, tone, and use case
2. Content Curation – Gather core materials
3. Prompt Design – Shape your GPT conversations
4. Build & QA – Assemble, test, refine
5. Walkthrough & Launch – Train your team and go live

Bonus: They’re cost-effective. Hydrate Custom GPTs start at $1,250. We also offer optional add-ons, such as CRM integrations and ongoing support.

Whether you’re scaling operations, improving customer experience, or differentiating your brand, a Custom GPT is a practical and strategic move. If you’re ready to explore what our Custom GPT Builds service could do for your business, now’s the time to act.