AI marketing tips for small businesses

3 Simple Ways to Use AI in Your Marketing

Marketing is getting faster, smarter, and more competitive — and small businesses are finally able to use the same AI tools that big brands rely on every day. The good news? You don’t need a huge budget or technical experience to benefit from AI. A few small steps can make your marketing easier and more effective.

Here are three simple ways to start using AI in your marketing this week, plus a real example of how we’re doing it at 800.com.

If you are new to AI and would like a full break down of what tools you can use check out our Best AI Tools for Small Businesses.

1. Use AI to Generate Content Ideas in Minutes

If you’re struggling with what to post, write, or send to your customers, AI can help you create fast, relevant ideas and images.

  • Need social posts? Ask AI to provide relevant social media post ideas for your industry or customer base.
  • Planning a promo? Get quick headline, subject lines or offer ideas. You can even ask if a % off or $ amount would work better for your customer base. You can be as broad or specific as you want.
  • Writing a blog? Start with an AI-generated outline to speed things up. Just give AI your blog idea and ask for an outline or blog draft to get started. Then edit as needed before sending it out to your customers.
  • No idea where to start or what type of content to create? Ask AI which topics your customer base would respond to and then have AI format it for email, social media, website content, etc.
    • Example of what to ask AI: “I am writing a blog for my HVAC company based in Tampa Florida, my main customers are local homeowners. What are some topics that my customers would be most interested in?” Your AI tool will do it’s magic, and provide you with relevant topics. Then just ask AI to expand on the ones you like and format it to what you need. Last step is to copy the text and add it to any editor you use (google docs, word, etc) to customize it.
  • Need images or visual content for emails, social media or marketing pieces? Use your recently generated ideas or topics from above, and ask AI to generate an image that matches your topic, promo,blog,social media, etc. You can also ask

Why it helps: You save time, stay consistent, and always have something valuable to share.

Best Tools for Small Businesses: Chat GPT, Google Gemini. Visuals: Canva, Adobe FireFly, HeyGen

2. Improve Campaign Targeting With AI Insights

AI tools can help you understand what your customers are looking for and when they’re most likely to take action. So next time you want to send an sales email, promo, or announcement, considering asking AI for recommendations.

Ask AI things like:

  • What’s the best time of day to send texts or emails
  • Which topics would homeowners in florida respond to most
  • Which offers drive the highest conversions

Why it helps: You spend less time guessing — and more time getting results.

Best Tools for Small Businesses: Chat GPT, Google Gemini, Google Performance Max, Your own CRM AI features (Hubspot, MailChimp, Constant Contact AI)

3. Use AI to Understand Customer Intent From Calls and Messages

AI can analyze patterns across your customer conversations and show what people really want, what’s confusing them, or what they want more of. If you have 800 Intelligence enabled, this is all done for you.

This leads to better:

  • Messaging
  • Offers
  • FAQs
  • Sales scripts

Why it helps: You make decisions based on real customer data — not assumptions.

Best Tools for Small Businesses: 800.com, Your own CRM AI features (Hubspot, MailChimp, Constant Contact AI)

💡 How 800.com Is Using AI in Our Own Marketing

We recently used AI in one of our holiday campaigns to help build out and design a talking santa that could answer kids calls for Christmas. Check it out HERE.

  • Design – Animated and talking Santa
  • Scripting – Ideas for the santa talking script for setting tone and prompts for ai to respond to the kids
  • Automation – Prompts so santa can respond on his own and then ai in our own 800.com system to send text messages back to the parents with a transcript of what the child wanted

Wrapping Up

AI isn’t here to replace your creativity or people — it’s here to make your marketing easier, faster, and more effective. Start small, experiment, and build forward from what works. Even one tiny improvement can have a big impact when you apply it consistently.