Business Sense | AI offers marketing opportunities – Times-Standard
In 2024, every business must embrace artificial intelligence (AI) in their marketing. AI marketing strategies have revolutionized customer interactions while giving businesses that adopt them a competitive advantage in today’s digital-first environment.
AI in marketing leverages sophisticated software to create content, repurpose existing content, update website experiences, assess customer behavior, and automate marketing decisions. This can result in faster, customized content creation, personalized customer experiences, efficient campaigns, and insightful data analyses for small businesses.
To leverage this technological phenomenon, it is important to pick one area of your marketing strategy, like email marketing, that needs support, find two or three tools to test, and then use the one that works best for you and your business.
Tools transforming small business marketing
Personal email marketing >> Small businesses can automate and customize email campaigns using AI-powered solutions like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to customize campaigns to each of their customer profiles; for instance, a boutique in Humboldt County could send tailored product suggestions based on customers’ recent purchases or online store search history.
SEO optimization >> AI tools such as MarketMuse or BrightEdge provide AI insights for SEO optimization that assist small businesses in ranking higher in search results — this is particularly vital in rural regions to reach wider audiences online.
Chatbots for improved customer service >> AI-powered chatbots can answer questions on your website. Applications such as ManyChat or Drift are revolutionizing customer service for local artisan shops or restaurants that value personal interactions but don’t want their customer to wait hours on end for assistance with inquiries and basic transactions. These solutions can make an invaluable difference.
In Humboldt County, where tourism, agriculture, and small-scale manufacturing make up a strong part of our economy, AI marketing tools can substantially affect marketing campaigns. A bed and breakfast can use AI tools to analyze customer reviews and adapt its services according to customer preferences; similarly, a craft brewery can use it to monitor trends and preferences before adapting its offerings according to consumer desires.
Overcoming barriers
Although AI offers numerous benefits for Humboldt businesses, adopting it may present unique obstacles. One such barrier is often the perceived complexity or cost of AI technologies — although many AI tools now provide user-friendly interfaces and cost-efficient pricing models designed specifically to support smaller organizations. Many tools offer free options for life or free for a testing period so you can validate the claims and assess how helpful the tool is to you.
As we look ahead, AI in marketing will only become increasingly crucial. Small businesses in Humboldt County that embrace AI today in marketing campaigns will position themselves for future success. They can leverage its technology to gain deeper customer insights while automating routine tasks and developing more impactful marketing strategies while maintaining that personal touch typical of small business operations.
A few AI marketing tools I use are:
• ChatGPT: content calendar ideas and initial copywriting
• Stockdreams.ai: image and icon creation for content marketing
• Magicstudio.com: image editing, including background removal
• Clipscribe.com – video interview editing and titling
To stay current with the tools and advancements in AI marketing, make sure to subscribe to the gpte.ai and futurepedia.io newsletters.
Conclusion
Integrating AI into small business marketing heralds a new era of efficiency, personalization, and expansion. Humboldt County boasts an eclectic range of businesses for which AI adoption could prove transformational: helping local enterprises thrive in an increasingly competitive digital marketplace.
Good luck, keep experimenting with AI in your marketing, and enjoy the wild ride!
Emanuel Rose is a marketing expert with over three decades of experience in direct-response advertising and content marketing. Rose is the author of “Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI,” a guide that provides insights into effective marketing strategies in the era of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of authentic customer engagement. For more information, contact him at emanuelrose.com.
