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Technology has become a huge part of our lives. As business owners, we have had no choice but to embrace at least some of it. After all, doing so is the only way a business can truly survive and thrive in today’s world. But how much technology is too much? Is it where we are now? Or do we keep going and completely embrace all the artificial intelligence, or AI, that is being created? The answer we are going to give you may surprise you when it comes to AI for small businesses.
AI for Small Businesses – Yes or No?
What is AI?
AI, or artificial intelligence, has had numerous definitions over the years. However, according to IBM and John McCarthy, “It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable.”
Current Types of AI
There are currently two types of AI. Those types include Narrow AI and Strong AI. Narrow AI describes most of the artificial intelligence you encounter today. This type of AI is also referred to as Weak AI. But it is important to understand that this artificial intelligence is anything but weak. There are a few very robust applications (Siri, Alexa) available to people who are willing to embrace this newest technology.
Strong AI is normally broken down into two categories. The first category is General AI. It is a theoretical form of artificial intelligence. It equates to a machine having the same intelligence as a human. This computer could learn, solve problems, and even plan for the future.
The other category is Artificial Super Intelligence or ASI. Computers with this type of AI would be smarter than a human. This type of AI is still a long way from becoming a reality. It is important to note that researchers are starting to consider how to develop ASI. So, it could be a reality sooner than we all realize.
How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Small Businesses
Now that you know what AI is, you may be wondering how it could help your small business. Or any business for that matter. Well, there are a lot of ways. Some are positive, some are negative, and a few fall in the middle.
Optimizing SEO for All Content
SEO, or search engine optimization, isn’t something you can learn and execute in a matter of minutes. It is a labor-intensive process that is continuously changing. What works one day may not work the next month.
AI is hoping to change how everyone optimizes their content with new tools. These tools can be used to optimize the content you create across all channels. The tools utilize machine learning algorithms to analyze content to determine how it will do in real time.
The result can be anything from what content to create to what time of day is best for posting content.
Creating Better Content
While we are on the topic of content, let’s chat about creating it. If you are like many business owners, you have no idea what you should be writing about, let alone what you should be posting online.
Nowadays, you can find an AI tool to assist with this process. The AI tool can recommend topics that are considered highly rated. The tool will also give you keywords.
The result will be content your audience will read and act on.
There are also AI tools that will write the content for you. While these may appear to be a one-size fits all solution, they are currently receiving mixed reviews. Some users have stated there is a lot of plagiarism within the writing. Others are saying there are no personal feelings in the content, which will be a drawback to any audience. Almost everyone has said they need to go back and rewrite a lot of the content before posting it online.
So, while it may be tempting to utilize an AI content writing tool, it may be better to focus on other AI tools that will give you a better ROI, or return on investment.
Extend Social Media Reach
There are not too many people who do not check postings on at least one social media site every day. This is why it is so important to make sure you are being seen on these platforms.
However, trying to find the right target audience, and figuring out how to optimize your posts, can be quite challenging. Short of interviewing thousands of people, you are just guessing at some of the steps you are taking.
Utilizing an AI social media tool will allow you to not only optimize your social media but streamline it as well. Artificial intelligence will be used to adapt your target audience, according to their changing needs. They can also help you create social media campaigns that will draw more people to your posts.
The result is a better social media presence across all platforms.
Real-Time Engagement Improvement
Trying to keep up with consumers is more than a full-time job. It is 24/7, as you respond to emails, answer questions, and interact on social media. No one has time for that. And no one wants to pay multiple employees to do that either.
This is where AI can be quite helpful for small businesses right now. Responsive chatbots have improved tremendously in recent years. These chatbots can answer questions, solve problems, and boost conversion rates. And they provide the information when consumers want it. Which is always ‘now’.
The downside of older chatbots were you needed to create a library that contained all the information the chatbot would use. That was a time-consuming task. Plus, you needed to add other items to the library as needed.
That is no longer the case with AI chatbots. They learn from the interactions they have, so they can answer even some of the most difficult questions.
The result of using AI for engagement is happy consumers, plus time and money saved in your business.
Enhance Your Website
Building a website takes time. Then there are always changes that need to be made to ensure it suits your target audience and converts to sales. Add in the fact that most readers only stay on a website for less than two minutes, there isn’t a lot of time to share information.
An AI tool can offer suggestions from what they learn from what visitors do when checking out your website. If your visitors are spending most of their time on a single page, an AI tool can recommend how to get them to stay on that page longer. Or how to get them to click to another page. And if visitors aren’t sticking around, AI can help you make improvements so they do.
Your website is like the front door of your business. It needs to be welcoming, informative, and ready to make the sale. AI tools can help you achieve this.
Artificial intelligence may not be for all small businesses. However, certain aspects of AI can be quite helpful for some small businesses. If you have been looking for ways to improve your ROIs, create better content, or keep up with real-time engagements, AI may be a good option for your small business. Our team at Centify is ready to help you determine what is best for your small business and can help you implement it quickly and efficiently. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
