Home

10 Best AI Tools for Startups & Small Businesses in 2023

by Alex York for ClickUp Believe it or not, the term “artificial intelligence” (AI) dates back to 1956 when John McCarthy, an American computer scientist, coined the term during the first-ever AI conference. Fast forward to 2023, and we’re in an exciting new era where AI, fueled by powerful machine learning algorithms, is on everyone’s minds. AI has gone from being a tech buzzword to a real-game changer in people’s lives. More small businesses and startups are embracing AI technology to propel their growth and success, and you don’t want to be left behind.  If you’re on the lookout for the…

Read More

Should you block GPTbot?

by Kevin Indig for kevin-indig.com 84% of sites are likely to block ChatGPT. 790 of the top 1,000 sites have a business model that’s not incentivized to give generative AI their data. 🗺️Context: An analysis of the top 1,000 sites on the web from Originality AI shows 12% already block Chat GPT’s crawler. (source) The number jumped from 9.3% on August 22nd to 12% on August 29th. Since then, I found more sites, like Amazon, blocking Chat GPT in their robots.txt. It’s unclear how Originality AI put the list of top 1,000 sites together, but the biggest ones are on…

Read More

7 AI Applications for Small Businesses to Use in 2023

Posted by Tim Ito for marketing nice guys There is no doubt in our minds that 2023 is the year of the machine. This isn’t just big business using artificial intelligence and machine learning for deeper data discovery, it’s everyone. With the spread of AI to common applications such as ChatGPT, the technology is now more accessible than ever. What are some applications to take advantage of if you’re a small business? Here are 7 suggestions to start using today. No. 1: Chatbots (Website) Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially on a business’ website. They can be used…

Read More

4 Effective Ways Small Businesses Can Leverage AI

By: Jacqueline Medina for the US Chamber of Commerce Business is more digital than ever, and small- and medium-sized businesses are finding new ways to optimize their operations with artificial intelligence (AI) tools. “Artificial intelligence is the future,” said Rick Stanbridge, chief information officer of Marco’s Pizza. “It will become a mainstream element of enterprise-level and cloud technology platforms along with machine learning. The companies that will succeed will be the ones that are able to balance the value of AI with the value of 'human' resources, connections and interactions.” Using AI, businesses can manage and improve products, automate services and be proactive…

Read More

Ecommerce marketing next year: 5 ways to set up for success

by Becky Simms  for Search Engine Land Q4 is almost here, along with the holiday shopping season. Rather than focus on ecommerce holiday SEO strategies and campaigns – which you should (hopefully) already have nailed down – now is a good time to start thinking ahead to next year. 1. Learn from last year Start by reviewing last year’s campaign wrap-ups to identify any missing data or insights. One big change from last year is that you’re likely now fully using Google Analytics 4. This requires rethinking or reevaluating your reporting. Revisit your past reports. Can you report on all the data you have before?…

Read More

Direct Mail Marketing’s Top Advantages and Challenges

by Ayaz Nanji for MarketingProfs Senior marketers say the biggest advantage of direct mail marketing is its personalization options and the biggest downside is its audience targeting/data limitations, according to recent research from SeQuel Response. The report was based on data from a survey conducted in April 2023 among 250 marketing leaders in the United States. Respondents say the top advantages of direct/offline mail marketing are the channel's personalization/customization options (40%), ability to integrate with digital campaigns (36%), and the flexibility it has with volume and budget (36%).  Senior marketers say the top challenges they face with direct mail marketing are audience targeting/data access limitations…

Read More

How B2B Marketers Can Shift to Buying Groups in Three Months or Less

by Nikki Candito for MarketingProfs Last year, my team ran a series of tests to see whether we could reach multiple people at an organization with coordinated messages. The result was a strong YES. Creating marketing messages for a specific group was not only a possibility but also a better approach because we could have more control over our ABM campaigns. I'm now in charge of orchestrating a transition from individual lead-driven marketing to buying-group marketing, and I've given myself and my team three months to do it. Why Switch to Buying Groups? First and foremost, marketers need buy-in from their…

Read More

My Colleague Thinks Working From Home Means I’m Available 24/7

How do I get her to back off? BY ALISON GREEN for Inc. A reader asks: I work at a small company, almost completely from home. I go into the office about twice a month, and for the most part, it's been a dream. I am vastly more productive and have found that my mental health has improved drastically. Since the transition, I have done everything I can think of to set clear expectations as far as when I am available. I have specific, set hours when colleagues can expect me to be at my desk. I use away messages to…

Read More

PEELING BACK THE LAYERS: THE ONION APPROACH TO B2B CONTENT

by MessageUp The onion is a simple, yet powerful ingredient found in countless cuisines worldwide. It is also a very popular metaphor for just about anything that has layers—like your B2B content strategy, for example. In the content analogy, each layer of the onion reveals a different perspective, a different story, and a different opportunity to connect with your target audience. If coming up with B2B content topics is making you cry, this model could be for you! Let's examine this content onion together and see what we can cook up. Contrary to many onion metaphors, I’m going to assume…

Read More

Imagine the possibilities

by MARK DANCER for Mark Dancer on Flourishing Business Consider what’s possible Reid Hoffman’s new podcast, Possible, is on a mission to explore the brightest possible version of the future. His latest book, Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI, written with GPT-4 as an author’s co-pilot, explores how we might use AI on a quest to “make life more meaningful and prosperous,” to “help solve our hardest challenges,” and to “expand opportunities for self-determination and self-expression.” I love it. All of this is the right stuff for supply chain innovators as we seek not just to fix what’s broken but to build…

Read More