By Podium

Remember the good old days when we used to fantasize about robots, jetpacks and self-driving cars?

Well, the future is here. And while we’re not quite to the point of commuting by jetpack, artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, and the possibilities are mind-blowing. If businesses want to get ahead of the curve, they should embrace these tools and integrate them into processes where possible.

The AI revolution has begun

ChatGPT, a free, chat-generating AI tool, is making headlines. If you’ve spent any amount of time online recently, you’ve probably seen the chatter.

Podium asked the AI tool to write a 500-word blog post on how companies can increase customer retention in 2023. It produced what was requested.

The quality was… okay. Podium liked the post, but was looking for something a little wittier. So, it gave the AI tool another chance to impress, and the AI did a decent job.

Once you start using ChatGPT, it’s easy to see what all the hype is about—especially if you’re a small business owner or a one-person marketing team. A tool that can do work for me? Sign me up!

But, before you get ahead of yourself, it’s important to note that tools such as Hugging Face Open AI Detector, Originality.AI and Writer.com do a decent job of detecting AI-generated content. And if these tools can easily detect AI content, Google can too. And we’re all well aware of how much Google loves high-quality, original content.

So, if you can’t use AI to fulfill all your writing needs, what can you use it for? Don’t cancel your Jasper or Rytr subscription just yet. Let’s talk about how you can use AI tools to boost your marketing efforts and gain a competitive advantage.

Understanding AI: How does it work?

We get it. AI is still pretty new, and it can feel a little creepy—especially if you don’t understand how it works.

So, let’s talk about what’s going on behind the scenes. ChatGPT, in particular, uses a type of deep learning called the “transformer model.” This model has been trained on large datasets of text in the form of books, websites and articles.

Basically, AI tools such as ChatGPT are trained on a massive amount of data. When given a prompt, they scan the data they’ve been trained on and use a sort of predictive text to generate a human-like response. It feels like you’re talking to a real person, but you’re not.

Real-life examples: How marketers use AI

Next, let’s take a look at some real-world examples. Here’s how marketers are already using AI to get more done.

• Ryan Williams, senior demand generation manager at PhoneBurner, demonstrated in a LinkedIn post how he used ChatGPT to come up with different variations of email subject lines for A/B testing.
• David Hoos, B2B performance marketing manager at The Outloud Group, uses AI tools such as ChatGPT to quickly outline and map out the core points that he wants to cover in his articles. He said AI tools save him at least one hour per article. Read his recent blog post here, which he and his team crafted by using AI tools as assistants.
• Alex Garcia, CMO at The Kollective, mentioned in one of his Twitter threads that he uses ChatGPT to prevent blank-page syndrome while writing his landing page copy.
• Barrett O’Neil, in one of his Twitter threads, explained how marketing teams can use AI tools such as ChatGPT for finding long-tail SEO keywords.
• Kent McDonald, product manager and writer at KBPMedia, uses AI tools such as ChatGPT to generate rough content outlines that he uses as a starting point.
• Rachel MacFarlane, social media marketer and content strategist at Redfox Visual, uses AI tools to generate creative social media content ideas, generate captions and get more done in less time.

How local businesses can use AI to save time and get more done

You can use AI to speed up various tasks on your daily to-do list. Here are some use case examples to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Creating blog post briefs

Have a topic and a keyword? Let AI take care of the outline so you can spend more time researching and gathering your thoughts.

2. Suggesting social media captions

Do you waste an unnecessary amount of time coming up with quippy social captions? Let AI do the work for you.

3. Email marketing

AI is great at generating subject lines and can even come up with email copy. Just make sure you proofread and add your brand’s unique flavor to the copy before you run the email.

4. Writing video scripts

People on the internet love videos—it’s one of the most engaging forms of content. Let AI help you come up with quick video scripts if you’re fresh out of ideas.

Apart from using AI tools for writing and generating images, you can use them for several other purposes, such as: 

• Customer interaction;
• Lead generation;
• Target audience research;
• Behavioral analysis; and
• PPC advertising.

Note: As mentioned above, remember that AI should be used to assist, not replace. For example, if you are using an AI tool to create blog briefs, you should, of course, give the generated briefs a final proofread before sharing with your writers. Don’t be afraid to make some adjustments based on your expertise. AI is a tool in your toolkit. You’re the expert.

Some of Podium’s favorite AI tools

So, you’re ready to get started, excited to harness the power of AI. But, with so much chatter about various exciting tools, it’s hard to decide which one is right for your needs. Here are a few favorites Podium recommends trying.

• Jasper.AI: Generates content and speeds up your writing process.
• ChatGPT: Gives you written output based on prompts.
• ProWritingAid: Checks your grammar and enhances your writing.
• DALL·E 2: Creates realistic images based on written prompts.
• Wordtune: Gets your creative juices flowing by rewriting and rephrasing your copy.
• Canva Magic Write: Gives you inspiration that will kickstart your creative process.

Now is just the beginning

AI has made its grand debut. It’s shaking things up and changing the way we do things, and now is just the beginning.

As it stands, AI tools are here to assist us—not to replace us. While Jasper isn’t a replacement for a content strategist, it can greatly speed up the writing process. ChatGPT isn’t a replacement for talented developers, but it can greatly improve productivity. You get the picture.

Running a small business is hard work. Let AI help you speed things up and get ahead of the curve. If AI is the future of how work gets done (and it’s certainly looking that way), you want to hop on the bandwagon early and get comfortable using these tools now.

Podium is helping to change the way local business gets done. Whether it’s messaging your leads and customers, chatting in context with your team, SMS advertising, getting paid or getting reviews and actionable feedback to improve your business, Podium is here to handle every interaction, all in one powerful inbox. No more phone tag or unanswered emails—Podium powers interactions through simple messaging, so you’ll meet your leads and customers where they’re at.

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