Can your business grow and profit using Artificial Intelligence? YES!
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is topping the news.
From fears about how AI will take over jobs to the joy of handing off repetitive tasks, everyone seems to be searching for ways to incorporate AI into their business.
I have been using AI primarily in content creation.
Need a dozen ideas for a blog post?
Want some captions for a social image?
AI is great.
AI's strength is information gathering.
AI's weakness is information accuracy.
But used with care and attention, AI can be a game-changer for small businesses.
Here are proven ways to harness AI's power to grow your business and your profits.
For most small businesses, the most helpful use AI for marketing.
Using AI in your marketing will be a game-changer for most small businesses.
You can create emails, blog content and research your competitors easily. A word of caution: Much of what AI (such as ChatGPT) spits out is stilted and repetitive.
Rather than use what AI spits out as-is, use AI as a jumping-off point for ideas, outlines, and first drafts.
Nothing that AI creates sounds like you – and your customers will notice if your previously breezy, chatty emails suddenly sound like a high school term paper.
AI is a game changer for your small business – when you deploy it correctly.
How you can deploy AI in your business - the PROS
Fast, targeted content creation
Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools for small businesses. But endlessly churning out content takes time, money, or both. Use AI tools to create ideas and outlines for marketing copy, blog posts, or reports. This saves time on content creation and gives you fresh ideas.
AI can help give you ideas for creating targeted messages for your audience, answering questions, and overcoming objections to turn cold leads into warm prospects.
AI can boost your content strategy and creation.
Would you like to look over the shoulders of your customers – and leads – and see what they are searching for or asking questions about?
You can find trending topics and customer queries from search engines and social media with AI. This lets even the smallest of businesses create content aligned with what their audience is actively seeking, which increases relevance and engagement.
AI-powered tools can generate content outlines, suggest headlines, and even draft initial versions of content, significantly speeding up the creation process.
Enhance your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with keywords and content updates.
SEO is crucial for online visibility and site ranking. AI can analyze keywords, suggest content tweaks, and optimize for search algorithms to keep your small businesses competitive in search rankings.
AI-driven content tools can also ensure that the content remains evergreen, suggesting updates as market trends evolve.
Increase audience engagement by analyzing content.
AI doesn’t just create content; it can also assess its performance. Analyzing user engagement metrics can enable businesses to refine their content strategy over time.
This analytical approach ensures that content is created and deployed as part of continuous improvement.
Here are the downsides of using AI - the CONS
Bias and Ethical Concerns.
AI can perpetuate and even amplify biases present in the data it is trained on. This can lead to unfair treatment of individuals and damage your company's reputation.
You may not accurately target your audience if you are not vigilant about the quality of AI's information.
AI does not have your voice.
Nothing that AI creates sounds like you – and your customers will notice if your previously breezy, chatty emails suddenly sound like a high school term paper.
You need to be cautious about copying and pasting whatever AI gives you. Rewrite and edit so that it sounds (and feels) like you and your brand voice.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks:
The regulatory landscape around AI is still evolving. If your business has specific regulatory or compliance rules, using AI may expose your business to risks.
Fixing problems caused by AI can be costly and can lead to legal and financial penalties.
Inaccuracy and Unpredictability:
AI systems can sometimes produce unpredictable or incorrect results. If something needs to be 100% accurate, do yourself a favor and double-check what AI spits out.
Steven A Schwartz, a New York lawyer, learned this the hard way when he submitted a brief to the Manhattan Federal Court citing legal cases that did not exist. The judge, P. Kevin Castel, said the attorneys abandoned their responsibilities to their client.
So...should you use AI in your business?
Yes.
AI is a game-changer for small businesses. When you work inside the boundaries of best practices, AI can save you hours and dollars.
Focus on using AI to generate ideas, help you research your audience and your markets, and help clarify your thinking.
It's an on-demand brain-storming partner.
Download the worksheet: AI and Business Operations
Taken from Profit-ize your Business Book Five: Prospecting, Client Acquisition, and AI for Your Business
Like this post? It was taken from the Profitize Your Business series
