A realistic approach to AI and how it can truly benefit your business. Learn practical ways to use artificial intelligence for content, sales, customer support, and more.
Table of Contents
Content Creation: More Accessible than Ever Before
Customer Support: Faster, Smarter, and More Personal
Sales and Marketing: Turning Insights into Action
Project Management: Simplifying the Complex
Introduction
AI, AI, AI… you hear about artificial intelligence everywhere. Business gurus praise it to the skies, and you can’t scroll through LinkedIn without every other post being about AI. But all too often, it’s just talk – words, predictions, and hype – with nothing practical to take away.
That’s why we wanted to approach it differently. Practicality is the word we’ll focus on in this article. We’ll explore exactly how AI can be used today, what it can truly help us with, and where its limitations lie. No fluff, no empty promises – just actionable insights and the exact tools you can use to make it work for your business.
Content Creation: More Accessible than Ever Before
According to recent data, 43% of marketers identify content creation as the most popular application of AI in their field. Whether it’s writing, designing, or even generating video content, AI is helping businesses deliver better results while focusing on strategic goals.
Content creation is the backbone of any modern marketing strategy, but let’s face it—it can be a grind. The process often demands more time and resources than most businesses can spare. AI is making content creation faster, smarter, and, yes, more accessible than ever. How exactly? Let’s have a look.
Automation That Saves Hours
AI excels at taking care of the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that can slow down your day. Writing blog drafts, generating email campaigns, or crafting social media captions? AI can give you a solid starting point in seconds. But remember, while it’s great for volume and efficiency, the output often needs refining to match your voice or brand personality.
Tools we recommend:
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HubSpot AI Content Writer: Delivers SEO-ready content that’s solid for quick turnarounds.
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Jasper: Great for producing both long-form and short-form content
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Copy.ai: Perfect for generating short, snappy copy like headlines or email intros.
Brainstorming Fresh Ideas
We’ve all been there – staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. AI is a helpful brainstorming partner, throwing out ideas and directions you might not have thought of. It probably won’t come up with the next big campaign on its own, but it’s a solid way to get the wheels turning.
Tools we recommend:
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Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator: Quickly surfaces relevant topics tailored to your audience.
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ChatGPT: A flexible brainstorming assistant that can help you with ideas or explore new angles.
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Ideamap AI: Great for organizing scattered thoughts into clear, actionable concepts.
Visuals and Videos
For a long time, issues like generating people with too many fingers or creating unnatural movements made much of this content essentially unusable. However, things are changing. The results from some of the tools below are now exceeding expectations and often leave us questioning whether the footage is real or AI-generated. Flaws still exist, but it’s important to remember that this technology is evolving rapidly and will only continue to improve from here.
Midjourney 1 year apart. Source
Tools we recommend:
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MidJourney: Known for creating detailed and artistic visuals, though best suited for creative and conceptual projects.
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Canva AI: Makes designing graphics simpler with automated suggestions for layouts, branding, and visuals.
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DALL-E: Generates creative and realistic images based on detailed prompts, but results can vary depending on input.
Customer Support: Faster, Smarter, and More Personal
Customer support has always been about finding the right balance between efficiency and empathy. With AI stepping in, businesses now have a powerful way to handle common tasks faster and with ease. On the other hand it is important to keep in mind that AI isn’t about replacing human connection. It’s here to support your team, not to take over completely.
How AI Makes Customer Support Better
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Quick Answers to Everyday Questions: We’ve all been there – waiting for a response to a simple question like “Where’s my order?” AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants are great at tackling these queries instantly.
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Smart Routing for Faster Help: Tools can analyze customer messages, figure out what the problem is, and send it to the right person or team. Need a billing issue resolved? The system makes sure it gets to the finance team, not a general agent.
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Support That Never Sleeps: Your customers are busy, and their problems don’t stick to business hours. AI tools offer 24/7 support, making sure someone (or something) is always there to help, whether it’s midnight or Sunday morning.
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Reaching Out Before There’s a Problem: One of AI’s coolest tricks is spotting patterns and predicting problems. For instance, if a customer’s behavior suggests they’re struggling with a product, AI can flag it and prompt your team to reach out proactively, solving the issue before it turns into a complaint.
Where AI Falls Short
AI can do a lot, but it’s no substitute for human connection. When emotions run high, or a situation is too complex for a straightforward answer, customers need the reassurance and understanding only a real person can provide. Relying too much on AI for these moments can backfire, leaving customers feeling unheard. The best thing to do is to aim for the sweet spot. Let AI handle the routine tasks and let your team step in when empathy or creativity is required.
Tools we recommend:
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Zendesk: Combines AI-driven chatbots with live agent tools to keep things seamless and efficient.
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Zoho Desk: Features Zia, an AI assistant that automates ticket sorting and provides customer insights.
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Freshdesk: Freddy AI powers conversational support, offering smarter responses and predictive analytics.
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Intercom: Integrates AI with human support, making it easy to switch between bot assistance and real conversations.
Do you want to choose from more customer support tools? Then here we have a comparison of the most popular tools on the market!
Sales and Marketing: Turning Insights into Action
Sales and marketing have always been about understanding your audience and delivering the right message at the right time. But keeping up with customer behaviors, data points, and channels can feel like chasing a moving target. This is what AI can help with, not as a replacement for human strategy, but as a tool to amplify it.
Personalized Customer Experiences
Personalization is what customers expect. AI works well at analyzing data to craft tailored experiences, for instance recommending a product, sending a targeted email, or showing relevant ads.
Imagine a customer browsing an online store. Instead of offering generic recommendations, AI tracks their preferences like past purchases, browsing habits, and even how long they linger on a page to suggest the exact product they’re likely to buy.
Smarter Lead Scoring
Not all leads are created equal. Instead of wasting time chasing every prospect, AI helps prioritize the leads most likely to convert and creates a clear picture of who’s ready to buy and who might need more nurturing.
Predicting Trends and Behavior
By examining patterns in historical data, AI can predict trends, customer needs, and potential challenges. For example, if sales for a particular product spike every holiday season, AI can forecast inventory needs, recommend the best time to launch a campaign, or even flag complementary products to promote.
Optimizing Campaigns in Real Time
Marketing campaigns aren’t static, and neither is AI. Let’s say your email open rates are lower than expected. AI can suggest tweaks to your subject line, timing, or audience segmentation to improve engagement, all while the campaign is still running.
Tools we recommend:
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HubSpot CRM: A user-friendly CRM that uses AI to track customer interactions, automate follow-ups, and prioritize leads.
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Salesforce: Known for its advanced AI tools, including predictive analytics and lead scoring, ideal for larger teams.
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Klaviyo: Perfect for personalizing email marketing and building targeted campaigns based on customer behavior.
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Google Analytics 4: Offers advanced insights into customer activity, helping you refine your strategies in real-time.
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ActiveCampaign: Simplifies email sequences and uses AI to identify opportunities for nurturing leads.
Project Management: Simplifying the Complex
Clear instructions usually lead to successful projects. When everyone knows what’s expected, timelines stay on track, resources are used wisely, and surprises are kept to a minimum. But keeping everything clear and tidy isn’t always easy. Luckily, AI can help with this.
Turning Chaos into Clear Instructions
AI can take a vague idea or a broad goal and break it down into actionable steps. Tools like project management platforms with AI capabilities analyze timelines, workloads, and resources to suggest how best to structure tasks and delegate responsibilities.
Centralizing Information
AI-powered tools help organize and centralize project data, so everyone has access to the same up-to-date information. No more lost emails or outdated spreadsheets, AI keeps everything in one place.
Automating Reminders and Updates
Forget manual follow-ups and progress reports. AI tools can send automatic reminders for upcoming deadlines, update stakeholders on project progress, and flag any risks or delays.
Tools we recommend:
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Monday.com: Simplifies task tracking, resource allocation, and communication in a visually intuitive platform.
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Trello: Uses smart triggers and reminders to keep teams aligned and workflows smooth.
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ClickUp: Combines task management, team collaboration, and AI-powered automation to maintain clarity at every step.
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Zoho Projects: Helps streamline project planning with AI-driven scheduling and progress tracking.
Conclusion
While we’ve focused on key areas where AI can make a significant impact, we know there are plenty of other applications out there. Tools in fields like predictive maintenance, advanced robotics, and AI-driven design tools are also valuable but often cater to more specific, niche needs.
If you’re curious about other tools that could make a difference, don’t miss our article on the Top 20 AI Tools You Need to Know.
We hope this guide gave you a clearer picture of what AI is capable of. If you’re thinking about incorporating AI into your business but unsure where to start, or which tools make the most sense for your unique needs – we’re here to help.
Book a free consultation with one of our AI experts today, and we’ll work together to find the right solutions for you.
FAQ
1. How can AI help my business grow?
AI can boost your business by automating repetitive tasks, analyzing data to provide actionable insights, personalizing customer interactions, and streamlining processes like marketing, sales, and project management.
2. Is AI suitable for small businesses, or is it only for large enterprises?
AI is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Many AI tools are scalable and affordable, making them accessible to small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you’re automating customer support with chatbots or personalizing marketing campaigns, AI can fit your budget and business goals.
3. Are AI tools easy to implement?
Most AI tools are designed to be user-friendly, with intuitive interfaces and integrations for popular platforms like CRMs, email marketing tools, and project management systems. However, proper planning and training are key to successful implementation.
Topics: AI
