Working smarter not harder: Four ways AI can support your business

May 17, 2024

There is no doubt that we’ve seen AI appear in the news and come up in conversation. But many people are working on how AI can help the average business owner.

In New Zealand, where the majority of businesses are considered small and medium-size, finding ways to work smarter, not harder is often a key priority. Alongside this, while there are plenty of AI tools out there, they can be rather overwhelming.

Here are four simple ways you can use AI in your business to help you save time on laborious tasks, increase your capabilities, or even reach new customers more effectively.

1. Leverage AI to bring your imagination to life

Today, the majority of us are discovering brands online and on social media. But for small and medium-sized businesses, it can be incredibly challenging and time consuming to balance always-on marketing campaigns while juggling other business needs.

This is where AI can really help to bring the most imaginative ideas to life. For example, if you need a suite of campaign images for an ad but don’t have the budget for photography, now AI tools, such as Meta’s AI’s image generation technology, can help you create an image easily.

We also know people are visiting social media channels more and more to watch videos, particularly short-form video. To put this into perspective, users are re-sharing Reels more than 2 billion times every day. AI can help businesses keep up – it can help come up with video content ideas, plan production and timings, generate visuals and even speed up the editing process.

2. AI can help you to stay on top of customer service

A happy and loyal customer base is the key to success for any business. It’s no longer enough just to provide timely replies to customer queries; the modern consumer expects personalisation.

This could include seeing promos and offers relevant to their interests and receiving a customer service experience that feels personal.

According to McKinsey research, businesses that get personalisation right drive 40 percent more revenue than other companies. Unsurprisingly, when companies fail to meet these expectations, 76 percent of customers express frustration.

Good communication is central to keeping customers happy. It can be as simple as using AI-powered chatbots on your website or enabling you to connect with customers across social media platforms to provide instant assistance and streamline queries.

These bots can handle routine tasks, freeing up precious time to focus on more complex customer needs. Additionally, businesses can leverage AI tools to personalise recommendations based on customer behaviour and preferences, creating a tailored experience.

3. AI can be your advertising ally

If you manage your marketing internally and need a faster solution to advertise your products or services, AI can be your most powerful ally and it could save you both time and money.

How important would it be to your business if you could save up to five or more hours per week by using generative AI? That’s equivalent to one month per year – valuable time you could spend on other tasks and priorities for your business.

But AI does more than just save time; it enables businesses to deliver personalised ad experiences to users, it tailors content based on preferences and ensures your content is delivered to the right audience.

We’ve found that 52 percent of consumers want to find brands and products they haven’t heard about but align with their shopping preferences. Meta Advantage+ can help you reach more people and inspire purchases. Advantage+ solutions can provide more relevant campaigns to the people who matter most to your businesses, maximising the performance of your ad spend.

4. Don’t miss out on AI-powered data insights

Imagine having a crystal ball that shows you exactly how your customers interact with your content, and what works and what doesn’t? Well that is exactly what AI powered tools can do for you.

The days of online surveys and customer feedback forms are long gone. AI tools can offer instant information by crunching the data and creating smart insights, allowing you to tailor your content using real-time data. For the first time, small businesses have the power to use big-player technology to get ahead of their competitors and make the most of the data and analytics they might have been missing out on.

By employing these strategies, you can captivate your audience, streamline processes, and take your business to the next level.