WOW #014: AI Marketing Guidance for One-Person Business Owners

Quote of the Week:
"AI won’t replace marketers, but marketers who use AI will replace marketers who don’t."
- Marketing AI Institute

I often find myself on the receiving end of shiny object syndrome. 

Last year after Open AI released Chat-GPT 3.5, I enrolled in a class and certification (AI for Marketers), and devoured as much information as I could.    

At that time, a lot was being written about how the “bot overlords” would be making Marketers obsolete, eradicating jobs, and overhauling the way business operations would function going forward:

• Programmed Learning and Problem-Solving vs. Creativity and Perception
• Data, Instruction, and Algorithms trumping Consciousness, Logic, and Emotion

How do you react when science and imagination begin to eclipse the normal day-to-day tasks of the real world?

Answer: Give yourself some grace and remember that with all of the talk and headlines surrounding AI for Marketing, it’s still early. Right now, you’re either winning, or learning (not losing).

That said, for one-person businesses (particularly those operating with a middling of marketing knowledge), AI tools and software are more than just shiny new objects (read: we have to be in the know as business owners)

Personally, I believe in 2 truths about Marketing AI tools (so far):

1. They do a solid job of creating a framework and initial outline
2. They make for a terrible reading experience that no one wants to engage with

All that said, how can one-person businesses best leverage AI tools today?

2 Takeaways:

1. Focus on Shiny Outcome (vs Object) Syndrome: I mentioned AI isn’t a great reading experience (content marketing), but there are other areas within Marketing where AI can help. There are so many AI tools in the marketplace now (with new ones popping up all the time). Ignore the cool names, logos, and slogans. Instead, focus on critical Marketing outcomes for your business: Production, Performance, Promotion, Planning (an AI twist on the 4P’s of Marketing). If you feel that investing in new tools will help you automate some of the aforementioned processes, reduce cost, and free you up to focus on other business needs - it just may make sense. 
   
   
2. Trial → Commitment → Decision: After you’ve identified a few Marketing outcomes that you want to achieve for your business - sign up for a few trials of AI tools that can help. I would recommend going past the 14 day or 30 day trial and pay for a month or two. Really use them. Leverage them in a way where they are completely taking the place of your previous process. Commit to something beyond an initial trial and find out if the outcome is greater than the object. Think of the before and after and run them through the time and money exercise. At that point, you’ll be able to make a prudent decision on whether or not to continue or cut bait.

1 Action:

Take inventory of your Marketing activities: Social Media Posts. Email Marketing. Website Content. Video or Imaging Production. Create a quick pie chart and hone in on the largest slice. Sign up for a trial (or two) with a Marketing AI vendor to help you.   

Kick the tires. See what happens.

See you next Wednesday,

Hubert