Key Takeaways from the AI Training Session on October 23

Best Practices for Using AI

• Start with One Tool: It’s best to stick to one AI tool while you're learning (I personally use ChatGPT).

• Jump In and Experiment: Don’t hesitate—begin, play, and experiment with AI!

• Consider the Paid Version: (While the $20/month plan may offer more features, I’ve used the free version of ChatGPT extensively and it has worked well for me.)

• Find a Use Case: Start with something practical, like asking AI to "Write a press release for our upcoming event" or "Create a Facebook post." You’ll discover more use cases as you continue to experiment (I often use AI to write press releases, social media posts, and even emails. It helps with grammar, spelling, and making content easier to read).

• Think of AI as a Smart Intern: Treat AI like a highly capable assistant that can support your work, but still requires supervision.

• The More You Use It, The Better It Gets: AI improves as you engage with it, learning your style and preferences over time.

• Always Double-Check: Especially for critical areas like legal advice or accounting, always review AI-generated content with a professional.

My Favorite AI Tip

AI can get you 80% of the way there. For example, if you ask, "Write a social media post for a special sale we're holding on Friday, November 15, encouraging local shopping before Black Friday," the result may not be perfect, but it will give you a solid start. You can then refine it or ask AI to add more specific details, like including your business name and specialty. The more you feed into it, the better the output becomes.

Using AI to Save Time

To get the best results, be clear with your prompts. Follow these steps:

1. Define the Role: Specify what kind of expert AI should act as.

2. State Your Goal: Clearly explain what you want to achieve.

3. Set Restrictions: Let AI know if there are any limitations or specifics.

4. Request Formatting: Clarify how you want the response to be structured.

Example Prompt: “You are a marketing and customer research expert. Compile these survey results into 10 main themes. Make it easy to understand and put the results in numbered format.”

This approach tells AI exactly what role it’s playing, the goal, restrictions, and format—leading to better results.

Another Example: Take a screenshot of your website analytics, paste it into ChatGPT, and say: “You are a search engine optimization expert. Analyze the data from the Traffic Acquisition report and make recommendations for optimizing website traffic.”

You can even ask ChatGPT to check spelling and grammar on your website or give optimization tips. (I’ve tried this and it works well for improving clarity.)

AI Image Creation

While I didn’t get much out of the AI image section of the presentation, here are some platforms mentioned for creating AI images:

• Canva (we use the paid version)

• MidJourney (requires a subscription; no trial available)

• ChatGPT (I use this, but I haven’t had much success with generating images on the free version)

• Adobe Firefly (new to me, still experimenting)

For platforms like Canva or MidJourney, you don’t need to tell the AI its role—it knows you're asking for an image. In ChatGPT, however, you might say, "I need an image of a female business owner with her team."

(I actually used Adobe Firefly to create the image included with this post. My prompt was simply "a business professional using technology" I originally asked it for "Business professionals enjoying lunch" and it gave me the usual penguin-fingers, extra arms, or funny shaped faces.)

(If anyone has tips for image creation with AI, I’d love to hear them!)

Final Thoughts

Here are some things AI can help you create:

• Blog posts

• Social media content (I use AI for this regularly)

• Marketing campaigns

• Product descriptions

• Copywriting

• Case studies

• Press releases (This was my first use of AI. It saves time, getting me 80% of the way there, and I tweak it from there)

• Guides

• Ebooks

• Video scripts

• Grant proposals

• Strategic planning

• Ad copy

• Speech writing

• Presentations

• FAQs and help sections

Remember, we’re not in school, and we’re not being graded—using AI is a resource to help us work smarter!

My Personal Experience with AI

Though I’m no AI expert, I’ve used it a lot for Chamber-related tasks, especially press releases. I recently asked AI to review my “How to Start a Business” web page for clarity and grammar. It added helpful bullet points, bolded key info, and corrected a few spelling and grammar errors.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want tips on how to use AI in your business!

Side Note: As some of you may know, my husband is a farmer, and AI means something entirely different in farming! He laughs every time I mention "AI."

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya

Happy Creating!