Unless you're living under a rock these days, you’ve probably heard the term “AI” mentioned in, well, just about everything. And as you probably know, it stands for Artificial intelligence. While it continues to transform how things are done across industries, marketing is no exception. AI-powered tools and platforms are helping marketers automate tasks, gain insights into customer behavior, and create more personalized and effective marketing campaigns.
Among the ways it can impact your small business marketing efforts is content creation. As they say, “Content is King”, and I’ll be the first one to say that “they” are correct. It can generate content in a flash such as blog and social media posts, newsletters, and even video and graphics. If you haven't had the chance to visit sites like Chat GPT, Google’s Bard, Copy.ai, or ContentBot, you should. It’s an amazing technology that’s evolving every single day- literally.
With the rise of AI in marketing and as a small business owner, questions you may be asking yourself can include “Why do I need a marketing person?” or “Do I need an advertising agency?”. Perhaps I can just use technology and save a few bucks!”.
As of now, consider pumping the brakes and giving it some further thought. I say that for no other reason than AI is still not at a place that’s “human”. What do humans add to the mix? Among other things, emotional depth, brand voice, cultural context, and what I consider to be the most important thing- creative flair.
Humans excel at creating content that resonates emotionally with a business’s customers. That’s something that AI can’t replicate. Whether you’re Coca-Cola or the flower shop on the corner, your content should speak to, and connect with your specific customer. Moreover, because of cultural differences that exist in every market, humans can create content that speaks to various audiences. Finally, and in my humble opinion, the key trait AI doesn't bring to the table right now is pure creativity. We possess the uniquely human traits of creative innovation. That in itself is tremendously powerful. Humans use creative innovation to pave new paths, take risks, and raise the proverbial bar. AI can't.
Please don't misunderstand me. I’m not discounting the benefits of AI in small business marketing, or the fact that it can impact your business for the better. I’m saying that right now you should consider AI as a useful tool. A tool that can help to make your brand stronger, your customer acquisition more efficient, and your business more successful. It’s not a system-wide solution for your small business marketing.
Making Your Small Business Marketing Better
How is it a useful tool? For starters, it makes handling repetitive tasks less time-consuming and offers creative suggestions, but the final creative touch remains a human job. For example, as you know, marketing data can be extremely valuable to your business. Using AI for analytical campaign assessments is great and certainly works well. However, you’ll need a human to step in and translate the insights into meaningful arguments and narratives.
From a creative production perspective, AI can quickly generate basic logos and designs but you’ll need a talented human to creatively align them with your brand and their intended use. They’ll still need to be crafted to convey the “vibe” that only your business has. Video production is not much different. You can use AI to streamline time-consuming tasks like post-production work but human creativity and innovation are required to craft a compelling story tailored to your customer’s emotions, challenges, desires, and product or service specifics.
Right now, AI in small business marketing is a tool. That’s all it is. It’s not an alternative to your Marketing Manager, Advertising Agency, or the time and effort you put into thinking about how you’ll drive customer traffic through your front door. Who knows, one day it may be, just not now. That’s just my two cents, and as always, thanks for listing. Now, please excuse me- I think The Terminator is on.
If you’d like to find out more about how AI in small business marketing can be a useful tool, consider aligning yourself with a small business marketing agency that can help you through the ins and outs. If you want to ensure your marketing is delivering the right message, to the right person, at the right time, we’d love to chat.
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