If you’re a small business leader who wants to accelerate your organization’s growth, you’re in good company: 83 percent of the 1,003 U.S. small business owners included in an April 2023 GoDaddy survey expressed a desire to expand and increase revenue during the following 12 months. However, building up your business can be a challenge. Nearly half (42 percent) of survey respondents said attracting new customers is the most difficult aspect of running their companies.
Producing content in the form of press releases, blogs, social media posts, and other formats can boost brand awareness and pique the interest of prospective customers. However, finding the time to produce compelling marketing content can be difficult and stressful. That’s where generative artificial intelligence solutions can make a significant difference. It’s no surprise that the GoDaddy survey found 57 percent of small business leaders are interested in utilizing generative AI tools.
As we explored in a previous blog entry, “10 notable business use cases for generative AI,” this type of artificial intelligence can perform numerous tasks for your company, from sales and marketing content creation to basic customer service. However, before integrating generative AI into your daily operations, you should consider the following recommendations based on our team’s experience helping business leaders make optimal technology decisions.
1. Research the technology and how it compares to other types of AI.
While you don’t need to be a high-level generative AI expert, it’s wise to take some time to review essential information on how generative AI works and what differentiates it from other varieties (e.g., conversational AI). Gaining a deeper understanding of the technology will empower you to maximize your ROI as you leverage it to grow your business. To start, check out our previous blog entry, “Conversational AI vs. generative AI: What business leaders should know.”
2. Define your goals first.
You can’t hit the target if you’re not sure what it looks like. Before utilizing generative AI, identify specific objectives you’d like to achieve with the solution. For example, maybe you want to publish more blog entries and boost website traffic by 5 percent during the next six months.
3. Be aware of potential security risks.
Any information you enter into generative AI solutions could be exposed in a data breach. For example, earlier this year, ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, disclosed in a blog entry that a since-patched bug in an open-source library allowed some users to see part of others’ chat histories and also might have exposed snippets of some users’ payment information. On top of that, the cybersecurity company Group-IB found stolen credentials for more than 100,000 ChatGPT accounts for sale on the dark web after hackers stole login information via malware.
To reduce your security risk, educate your staff on best password practices and how to spot phishing messages, in addition to instructing them not to disclose sensitive information to the AI.
4. Ensure you understand the limitations of generative AI.
While its capabilities are impressive, generative AI solutions aren’t without their flaws. ChatGPT, for example, is prone to “hallucinations” (a.k.a. fabrications), repetitiveness, and lengthy answers, as OpenAI warns. A human should always edit AI-generated content before publication to ensure quality and accuracy.
5. Seek expert guidance.
Our technology consultants would be happy to help if you want advice on generative AI for small businesses. We have experience identifying the best AI solutions for SMBs based on their requirements, pain points, needs and goals. Our consultants also have access to exclusive research, analyses, and detailed comparison matrices to streamline the purchasing process. We typically save our clients dozens of hours they would have spent vetting their options independently.
Take the first step toward transforming with confidence today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
