Episode 2
AI and the Future of Marketing: Transforming How We Connect
In this episode of Better Marketing, I’m diving into the transformative power of AI in small business marketing. As one of the world’s first CIM-certified AI marketing specialists, I want to demystify AI and show you how it can enhance your marketing efforts without replacing human creativity.
AI isn’t about taking over—it’s about working smarter. I’ll walk you through how AI tools like chatbots, predictive analytics, and AI-driven copywriting can streamline processes, improve customer engagement, and boost efficiency. Whether you’re exploring AI or looking for ways to integrate it into your existing strategy, I’ll share practical steps to help you get started.
We’ll also debunk some common AI myths and discuss how to train AI tools to align with your brand. By the end of this episode, you’ll clearly understand how AI can work for your business, not against it.
Remember to download my FREE GUIDE to get started.
Visit www.tracyheatley.com and use the code POD2025 to win a power-hour session with me!
Transcript
Foreign marketer Tracey Heatley and I really appreciate you tuning in to Better Marketing Marketing Magic in Minutes Today we're diving into AI and the future of marketing.
Speaker A:A game changer for small businesses Looking to work smarter, not Harder as one of the world's first CIM certified AI Marketing specialists, sharing the possibilities of AI and transferring my knowledge to small businesses like yours is a passion of mine.
Speaker A:We're living in very exciting times with lots of change.
Speaker A:And with that change comes enormous possibilities for small businesses.
Speaker A:If you have ever wondered how AI could enhance your marketing strategy, streamline processes, and help you connect with your customers more effectively, this episode is for you.
Speaker A:By the end of it, you will have a clearer understanding of what AI can do for small businesses and how to start implementing it into your marketing.
Speaker A:So let's get started.
Speaker A:What is AI Marketing?
Speaker A:Lets cover this first.
Speaker A:AI marketing refers to using artificial intelligence tools and machine learning to automate tasks, personalize customer experiences and improve marketing efficiency.
Speaker A:It is not about replacing human creativity, it is about enhancing what you already do.
Speaker A:Some of the most common AI marketing tools include chatbots for automating customer service and answering customer question queries, AI copywriting assistance helping with content creation and idea generation, predictive analytics analyzing customer data to improve marketing decisions and personalization software customizing emails, website experiences and ads based on user behavior.
Speaker A:That just about sums it up in a nutshell.
Speaker A:Now let's look at how AI is transforming marketing for small businesses.
Speaker A:For small businesses, AI offers opportunities that were once only available to large organizations with big budgets.
Speaker A:It gives you, as a small business owner or someone responsible for marketing within a small business, endless opportunities to boost your marketing success.
Speaker A:It's your time to shine.
Speaker A:I read an interesting statistic recently that 80% of marketers say AI allows them to do more marketing.
Speaker A:However, I know that as a small business this could be extremely overwhelming.
Speaker A:So we're not focusing on doing more marketing necessarily.
Speaker A:My theory is let's use it to do better marketing.
Speaker A:So coming back to what I was talking about in the last episode about strategy, imagine the possibilities if AI could assist you with all of that.
Speaker A:It truly is game changing.
Speaker A:So let's have a look what AI can do.
Speaker A:It can save you time by automating repetitive tasks like email responses and social media scheduling.
Speaker A:It can increase efficiency, analyzing data quickly to make informed decisions.
Speaker A:It can improve customer experiences offering personalized content and recommendations, and it can enhance content creation.
Speaker A:It can assist with blog posts, social media captions and email marketing.
Speaker A:Notice my emphasis is on assist there.
Speaker A:It's not to replace.
Speaker A:It's not to rely on 100%, it's to assist.
Speaker A:And that's what it should be used as an assistant.
Speaker A:So as we focus on some of the common myths about AI marketing, some of which you may recognize, there are a few misconceptions about AI that stop small business owners from using it or stops them using it effectively.
Speaker A:So let's clear some of them up.
Speaker A:First of all, you may have heard this, you may have said this.
Speaker A:AI is only for big businesses.
Speaker A:It's not true.
Speaker A:Many AI marketing tools are affordable and accessible.
Speaker A:Second one, AI will replace marketers.
Speaker A:I hope not, because that means I'm out of a job.
Speaker A:It's not true.
Speaker A:AI supports marketing efforts, but it still needs that human input.
Speaker A:It still still needs that creativity, it still needs that guidance and it still needs that verification.
Speaker A:It must be checked and therefore it has to be checked by somebody that knows what they're doing, by somebody that knows what the strategy is within a business, but somebody that knows the realms of and the intricacies of everything to do with marketing, but also someone that knows your brand voice.
Speaker A:So will it replace marketers?
Speaker A:No, we need to adapt.
Speaker A:But it's not there to replace, it's there to support and assist the next one.
Speaker A:And I hear this a lot, AI is too complicated.
Speaker A:It scares me.
Speaker A:Many AI tools are so user friendly and designed for business owners with no technical background.
Speaker A:Plus, if you know what you're doing, you can actually use the AI to teach you things.
Speaker A:It's incredible.
Speaker A:I've used it recently to learn some new web development things that I didn't know about before.
Speaker A:For example, don't worry because you've got an AI certified marketing specialist to train you and you'll soon be flying solo.
Speaker A:Once you pick it up, you'll be amazed at what you can do with it.
Speaker A:And you can just build and build and build on your AI skills.
Speaker A:Now let's look at how you can start using AI in your marketing today.
Speaker A:How you can get started immediately.
Speaker A:If you're new to AI, start small and build from there.
Speaker A:So here are three ways that you can begin implementing AI into your marketing.
Speaker A:Number one, use AI powered email marketing tools, automate email sequences and personalise messages for better engagement.
Speaker A:Number two, explore AI driven social media scheduling.
Speaker A:Save time using AI tools to schedule and optimize your post with you, not for you, with you.
Speaker A:Make sure that you're checking everything.
Speaker A:Please don't just do something with AI.
Speaker A:Let it generate something and post it out on social media without checking it.
Speaker A:First, you have to manage your AI, experiment with AI copyright and assistance.
Speaker A:So test AI generated content ideas, refine them, tweak them, and make sure that it's with your brand voice.
Speaker A:It's absolutely essential that you get the right training to effectively train your AI.
Speaker A:So let me explain.
Speaker A:I like to use the analogy of dog training.
Speaker A:When someone gets a dog, they take the dog to dog training classes and we know them as dog training or puppy training classes, but it's actually the owner of the dog who learns to train the dog.
Speaker A:And that's what you need to do with your AI.
Speaker A:It's no different.
Speaker A:You, you need to train your AI to understand your business, understand your brand tone, understand your brand voice, understand your goal, give it parameters to work within, guide it, train it so it becomes improved.
Speaker A:It can get better and better all the time.
Speaker A:Learn to train your AI properly and it will change the way you do your marketing forever.
Speaker A: my website using the code POD: Speaker A:This will also enter you automatically into my monthly competition to win a free power hour with me worth £275.
Speaker A:So to sum up, AI is not just for big businesses.
Speaker A:It's absolutely not.
Speaker A:It is an accessible tool that can help you save time, improve efficiency and enhance your customer engagement.
Speaker A:It's about working smarter, not harder.
Speaker A:And more importantly, it's about doing better marketing, not necessarily more marketing.
Speaker A:Take that pressure off yourself, just do it better.
Speaker A:If you found this useful, remember to subscribe, leave a review and download my free strategy guide from my website to help you start implementing AI into your marketing.
Speaker A:Plus, you could win a free power hour with me.
Speaker A: Just use the code POD: Speaker A:I'm Tracey Heatley, a small business marketing and AI specialist.
Speaker A:I'm a consultant, mentor and trainer and I'd like to thank you again for tuning in to Better Marketing Marketing Magic in minutes.
Speaker A:Next time I'll be talking about digital marketing mastery and the tools that you need to succeed.
Speaker A:So make sure that you don't miss it.
Speaker A:Tune in.
Speaker A:Until then, remember, Better Marketing, Better Business SA.
