The ChatGPT Ads Prep Window: What B2B Teams Should Do Before the UI Exists
OpenAI has announced that paid advertising is coming to ChatGPT in the coming weeks. For most B2B teams, this creates a narrow but valuable prep window—the time between announcement and actual buying access.
Here's the counterintuitive insight: the biggest advantage right now isn't trying to get early access. It's using this window to build the foundation that lets you move fast when access opens.
Why preparation beats early access
Early access to ad inventory without preparation is just early spending. The brands that will win in ChatGPT advertising are those who've done the homework:
- Mapped their buyer problem-spaces
- Built answer-ready creative assets
- Established measurement scaffolding
- Published content that earns organic citations
All of this work pays dividends whether you're buying ads or not.
The B2B readiness framework
Step 1: Build your problem-space portfolio
Identify 30-40 buyer question territories you can credibly own. These aren't keywords—they're the actual questions buyers ask when they have the problems you solve.
Map each territory to:
- Your ICP (who asks this question?)
- JTBD (what job are they trying to do?)
- Buying triggers (what makes this question urgent?)
Step 2: Create sponsored-answer creative
Start building "answer blocks"—direct, helpful, evidence-backed responses that could work as sponsored answers. These should include:
- Clear, direct answers (not marketing copy)
- Proof points and evidence
- Honest constraints and disclaimers
- Comparison narratives where relevant
Step 3: Design landing experiences
Your landing pages need to "continue the conversation" that started in ChatGPT. Build:
- Decision tools (checklists, evaluation grids)
- ROI stories and use cases
- Clear next steps that match intent
Step 4: Set up measurement scaffolding
Don't wait for OpenAI to tell you how to measure. Build your infrastructure now:
- UTM conventions for source=chatgpt
- Weekly reporting cadence
- Incrementality assumptions you can defend internally
The checklist
We've packaged this framework into a practical checklist for B2B teams. It includes templates for problem-space mapping, creative asset inventory, and tracking setup.
Download it at /chatgpt-ads/readiness-checklist and start preparing today.
The bottom line
The prep window is real but finite. Teams that use this time wisely will have a structural advantage when ChatGPT advertising becomes broadly available. The work you do now compounds later.