How can small business owners use AI?

Artificial Intelligence isn’t just for large corporations; it’s a game changer that levels the playing field for small businesses. A few areas in which business owners can harness its power are improving efficiency and boosting marketing efforts. But how? Let’s take a look at some practical ways to implement AI.

1. Automate Operations and Product Tracking Tasks

AI-powered tools can handle repetitive tasks like data entry, invoicing, and project scheduling, freeing up time for business owners and employees to focus on strategic activities. Tools like Zapier and Trello integrate AI to automate workflows, allowing small businesses to manage operations more efficiently without straining limited personnel resources. Trello’s website states that their premium and enterprise plans feature AI (by Atlassian). It can automatically create lists, cards, and tasks based on goals and projects. Zapier has a host of productivity products and solutions to dig through. Plans for both start from free and go up to about $17 for Trello and $69 for Zapier.

2. Save on Customer Service

For businesses that need online customer support, Chatbots like Tidio or Zendesk AI can manage customer inquiries 24/7, answering frequently asked questions or directing users to the right resources. This ensures that customers get immediate responses without the need for constant human oversight. Not only does it free up employees to focus on other things like inventory, sales, or project management, but over time, AI chatbots can learn to provide more personalized support, improving overall customer satisfaction.

3. AI Can Help with Marketing

AI can optimize marketing strategies through data analysis and personalized recommendations. They might be spendy for some small businesses. Still, platforms like HubSpot or Hootsuite use AI to analyze consumer behavior to help small businesses segment their audience, deliver more targeted marketing campaigns, and generate leads. And Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media hub that allows businesses to see trends, get AI advice, and post on multiple platforms. AI-driven email marketing services like Mailchimp can automatically tailor messages based on customer interactions, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

4. AI as a Content Creation Partner

AI tools like Copy.ai and Jasper are affordable tools that generate written content for blogs, social media posts, and ad copy, saving small business owners time while maintaining a consistent online presence. AI also assists with scheduling posts, analyzing performance, and suggesting optimal times for engagement. Using these writing tools, the business owner or an employee transforms into an editor, revising text that the AI generates, saving a ton of time on those first drafts. Other tools for content creation are ChatGPT, which now generates images and written content, and Adobe Express (which uses their Firefly AI engine, but it is subscription-based).

Conclusion

Sophisticated technology isn’t just for big corporations anymore; the list of affordable tools is growing (we didn’t even talk about Grammarly). By integrating AI into everyday operations and marketing efforts, small business owners can enhance productivity and market reach without draining resources, overworking small teams, or staying up until midnight trying to get content written, tasks created, or social media updated.