The Best Way to Use AI in Marketing (So Far)

AI. Everyone seems to be all a buzz about this and hailing it as either “the next best thing” or the devil incarnate. Reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan. In fact, I have written an article about it as well as shared my view publicly in an Instagram video. I like real human-human interaction (read: chatbots are annoying AF) and original thought.

Whether I like it or not, it’s here and it’s evolving. So that forced me to put my emotional brain on lockdown as I found at least one thing about this new tech that I could fully get on board with for small businesses.

Sure enough, I did.

Getting Started Faster with AI

There is a particular instance where AI serves every business owner well:

The first draft

While I am a writer at my core, and one who has trained for decades to hone my craft, I know how frustrating it can be to simply get ideas out of your head and onto a page in a cohesive fashion. (AKA writing)

You can have all of the best ideas for articles you want to write or videos you want to create or info, graphics or email campaigns, whatever. And then you sit down in front of a computer with a blank page and….

So incredibly frustrating. My professional experience has thankfully put this type of scenario mostly in the rear view mirror for me, but I can fully empathize with the simple fact that lightning does not always strike when we sit down at a computer.

Since my clients are event professionals and small business owners rather than professional writers, which is probably clear or they wouldn’t be my clients, I am always researching new ways to help them create content faster and with less stress.

One of those ways I documented in this video, walking through how to use voice dictation (aka “simple tech”) to write on the fly.

Another way is to harness the power of “new tech”, such as AI, to get the ideas out of their heads and onto paper, digitally or literally.

And fortunately or otherwise, AI can do just that.

Harnessing the Power of AI for Copywriting

Whether you choose to use ChatGPT or Bard, you can type your bulleted ideas, who you want to reach and the main point you want to make as a prompt and these AI services will spit out a rough draft.

Let me repeat that AI will spit out a rough draft.

Seriously y’all, I cannot stress this enough: AI is only providing you with a rough draft, a place to get started. You need to read through its response and make edits to both ensure your true points are made and it’s in your brand voice.

Even the least confident writer can read something and make edits so that it sounds more in their voice. That is what I want you to do here. (And if you are struggling, I can help you become more confident in your brand voice. Let’s talk.)

Take advantage of the first draft it can provide for you, which is more efficient than staring at your computer screen for two hours with nothing to show for it besides higher blood pressure, but make sure it is received so that it is your thoughts and your perspective and your voice.

Doing these edits also ensures that it becomes your intellectual property rather than that of whatever service you used. (Note: The laws around this are murky at best but it’s only a matter of time before they are more cemented so make sure you are covered now and make the copy your own.)

So yes, I have found a use for AI that I can champion…finally.