AI is changing the game for small businesses, especially when it comes to marketing.
AI is making it quicker and easier for small businesses to create content, develop ideas, and even fine-tune your products and services based on what your customers actually want.
Whether you're stuck on writing, looking for smarter ways to manage your social media, or need insights into your customers’ behaviour, AI can help streamline those tasks and free up more time for you to focus on the bigger picture.
But it’s worth thinking about AI not just as Artificial Intelligence, but also as Augmented Intelligence, because most of the time, it’s not replacing your work; it’s helping you do it better, faster, and smarter.
Artificial Intelligence vs. Augmented Intelligence
So, what’s the difference? Artificial Intelligence can seem like it’s about computers doing all the thinking and work for you.
But in reality, most AI tools that small businesses use function more as Augmented Intelligence.
This means the AI is there to assist you, enhance what you’re already doing, and make processes more efficient. It’s your intern not your second in command!
Instead of replacing human effort, Augmented Intelligence gives you the insights or creative outputs you need to make better, faster decisions.
Whether it’s helping you come up with content ideas, automating customer interactions, or giving you data-driven insights to shape your strategy, AI tools work alongside you—not in place of you.
AI can generate and enhance content
One of the most popular ways AI can help your business is through content generation and enhancement.
Running a small business means you’re always busy, and sometimes finding the time to create and develop content can feel overwhelming.
AI can take some of the weight off by suggesting ideas, drafting content, or even generating complete blog posts or social media updates based on the information you provide.
For example, say you’re stuck on how to kick off your next newsletter or social media post.
AI can help generate a first draft, giving you a base to work from. Even better, it can tailor suggestions based on the tone or message you want to convey, helping you create personalised, engaging content.
The key here is that you’re still in control—AI provides the rough outline, and you get to tweak it to fit your brand voice and business goals.
AI features that offer insight and boosts performance
On the other side of things, some AI tools don’t just generate content—they give you insights.
These tools use AI in the background to help you analyse data and refine your marketing strategy. Instead of spending hours pouring over reports and trying to make sense of what’s working and what’s not, AI can automatically highlight trends, suggest improvements, and optimise your marketing efforts.
For example, AI can help you figure out when’s the best time to post on social media, what keywords will boost your SEO, or how to target the right audience for your ad campaigns.
AI features work by analysing past data, customer behaviour, and market trends, giving you suggestions to improve performance without needing a team of analysts.
Where can small businesses use AI in their marketing?
You might be wondering, “Where does AI fit into my marketing?” There are plenty of areas where AI can lend a hand:
Content creation: Use AI to draft blogs, newsletters, and social media posts. You give the context and direction, and AI helps you produce something faster, so you’re not starting from scratch every time.
[Want my list of AI prompts for content creation? Download my cheat sheet here]
Customer engagement: AI can assist with automating replies to customer inquiries via chatbots, responding quickly to frequently asked questions or guiding customers through simple processes—freeing up time for more personal interactions when needed.
Email marketing: AI can help optimise your email marketing by segmenting your audience based on their behaviours, predicting the best times to send emails, and even generating personalised content based on customer preferences. Many email marketing platforms now have built-in AI to do this for you.
SEO and advertising: Many SEO platforms use AI tools to analyse SEO trends, suggest keyword improvements, and target your ads more effectively. By analysing how people interact with your website or campaigns, AI can help you refine your approach and get better results.
Data insights: AI can track customer behaviour, sales data, and market trends, giving you actionable insights. This can help with decision-making, from improving products or services to knowing what content resonates best with your audience.
Product and service development: AI can help you develop customer profiles and research new products or services before you develop them. Helping you check feasibility and delivery without investing too much time or money.
Responsible AI use
AI can be a powerful tool, but it’s important to use it responsibly. Here are a few golden rules to keep in mind:
Never input private or sensitive information: Don’t feed AI tools confidential data such as addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses. Stick to general information—business type, industry, and non-sensitive details.
Always prompt AI and give it context: AI works best when you guide it with clear instructions and context. For example, if you’re asking AI to help you write a blog, provide background on the topic and the tone you want it to follow. The more specific you are, the better the results.
Always, always, always edit: AI-generated content isn’t perfect, and it’s crucial that you review and tweak the output to make sure it’s aligned with your brand voice, values, and message. Think of AI as your assistant—it gives you a first draft, but the final touches are all yours.
So, should you use AI to help market your business?
AI, or Augmented Intelligence (as I like to call it), is reshaping how we approach marketing by making it easier to create content, engage with customers, and make data-driven decisions.
The key is to treat it as a tool that enhances what you do—not replaces it. From content creation to customer insights, AI is there to help you work smarter, not harder.
Remember to always use AI responsibly, giving it the right prompts and editing its output to fit your unique business needs.
Give it a try, and see how AI can help you streamline your marketing while staying in full control of your message and strategy.