Should I Use AI to Help with Marketing My Small Business?

As a sole trader running a successful web design business, I know how many different hats you’re wearing and the demands on your time. Marketing can often feel like a task that gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list, especially when you’re already juggling so much.

You’ve probably heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and might be wondering if it’s something that could actually help your business, or just another complicated bit of tech.

The good news is, AI can indeed be a very useful tool for small businesses like ours, but it’s important to know how it can help and where its limitations are...

Let’s break it down in simple terms, without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

How can AI help with my marketing?

Think of AI as a helpful assistant, not a complete replacement for your skills and experience. It can take on tasks that take up a lot of time, which frees you up to focus on the parts of your business that you enjoy most.

Here’s how AI can make a difference:

• Content Creation: Coming up with fresh content can be tough, but AI can help you brainstorm ideas, create outlines, and even write drafts of blog posts, social media updates, and newsletters. It’s a great way to overcome writer’s block, as long as you always add your own personal touch to make sure your brand’s unique voice comes through. For example, AI can help you create content for a service page, or generate topics and outlines for blog posts. It can also help you come up with ideas for short videos.

• Social Media Management: Keeping up with different social media accounts can feel like a full-time job. AI-driven analytics tools can help you track how well your posts are doing, suggest the best times to post, and even identify your most influential followers. This helps you engage more effectively with your customers and create content that is targeted and effective. Tools like Sprout Social, HootSuite, and Buzz Sumo can be useful here.

• Email Marketing: Email is still a really powerful marketing tool, and AI can make it even better. AI can help you write emails that are personalised to your customers, so they are more likely to be opened, as well as segmenting your audience and sending emails at the most effective times. This can improve customer lifetime value. Tools like High Level can help with AI-driven personalisation.

• Local SEO: If your business depends on local customers, AI can help you make your Google My Business listing more effective, which can help you get found more easily in local search results. Tools like Moz Local are useful for this.

• Customer Service Chatbots: Answering the same questions repeatedly can take up a lot of your time. AI chatbots can be added to your website to instantly answer common questions at any hour, which frees you up to do other things. Chatbots can also help qualify leads and guide customers through the decision making process.

• Personalised Marketing Plans: Knowing where to put your focus in marketing can be difficult. AI can help you create a marketing plan that is specific to your business goals and challenges. The 01 model in Chat GPT is an example of a tool that can help with this.

• Competitor Analysis: AI can collect data on what your competitors are doing, such as their marketing tactics, advertising spend, and customer feedback. This helps you to improve your own strategy and get ahead of your competition. Tools like SEMRush, Spyfu and Contintino can help with this.

• Custom GPTs: Some of the sources mention custom GPTs, which are like having your own AI assistant that’s been trained for specific tasks. For instance, a financial advisor could use a custom GPT to give personalised budgeting advice to potential clients. You could offer this kind of tool as a lead magnet to grow your email list.

Important things to keep in mind:

AI is an assistant, not a replacement: AI is a great tool, but it shouldn’t be used to run your whole business. You should always check and adapt the content that AI generates, to make sure it represents your brand and expertise.

Always fact-check: AI can make mistakes and might give information that is wrong or out-of-date. It’s essential to double-check everything before you share it.

Start small: You don’t need to change your entire marketing approach all at once. Choose one or two areas and try out AI to see how it can help.

Don’t just automate, strategise: Use AI not just to automate tasks, but to gain knowledge about your business and customers, which will help you create a more comprehensive and effective marketing strategy.

Prompt Engineering: The quality of the output you get from AI tools is heavily dependent on the quality of your prompts. Learning how to ask the right questions is key. For instance, telling the AI who it is writing for and what tone of voice to use is very important.

Actionable Steps You Can Take Today:

My Conclusion

AI offers great potential for sole traders and SMEs, especially those who have limited time and resources. It can help you work smarter, not harder, without taking away from your skills and expertise. Why not give it a try and see how it can help your business grow?

What do you think about using AI for marketing? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

Source Video Titles & YouTube Links:

5 BRAND NEW Digital Marketing Strategies for 2025 (BIGGEST Change Yet!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Uj08-oX0k

AI Tools for Small Business – 7 Ways Small Business Can Use AI Today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7wlbX7Y6p0

Beginner’s Guide to AI Marketing (AI Marketing 101)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG_sJm4-7vQ

Marketing Your Business with ChatGPT! FULL Masterclass for Beginners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-3H9P7-h60