How to Implement AI on a Budget

Artificial intelligence is currently booming in the business and technological worlds with experts predicting that it will be the main progress engine, unlocking great value in sales and marketing. And while some people say that AI has gained too much hype, being overly expensive, it actually has a lot to offer not only for large enterprises but also for medium and small-sized businesses. With a good plan and careful budgeting, every company can make use of AI and its tools.

Let’s look at some steps to implement relevant AI technologies on a budget along with some useful tools to help businesses accomplish it.

Define the Problem That Needs to Be Solved

The trick to an AI implementation strategy is, first of all, pinpointing problem areas in the company’s workflow. Start with breaking apart each process on the steps required to accomplish it, note the amount of time spent, and it will be easier to see those that ask for AI solutions. If you have a focused strategy, it will be your first step to cost savings.

As a rule, it is easy to identify time-intensive tasks that slow down many processes and do not let the company focus on important projects to deliver high-quality results on time. But the truth is that people get so used to their everyday work routine that they stop noticing how time-consuming it is. It can be anything, from tagging images to content distribution, from setting up paid advertising on social media to measuring ROI. Once you have a bigger picture, it will be easier to choose the strategy and implement relevant AI tools.

Research the Tools That Are Already There

Although some AI tools may seem pricey, there are quite a lot of them on the market, either affordable or completely free of charge. They are efficient and help to save time on many marketing-related tasks.

There are tools you might not be aware of, while some of them are already in your everyday use. Let’s look at the list of the existing AI-powered tools to get you started.

Grammarly

It is an amazing tool that recognizes mistakes in grammar and spelling when you are writing emails, working in Google Docs, or posting on social media. The software has a free version, with an opportunity to upgrade to a premium plan. It is great both for individuals and companies as it helps to track the writing and ensures its best performance. Grammarly also has a feature that can identify the emotional tone of the message and customize it depending on the initial goals. The software will be useful for big teams as it allows for unlocking editing features that are customizable and can be adjusted to provide suggestions for the company’s branded language.

Frase.io

The AI-powered software features a bot and a research assistant that answer questions and analyze search data on the website. Frase.io is good at optimizing content and suggesting relevant amendments and most searched keywords. On another note, the software’s bot is great for helping site users navigate it and get fast answers to their queries. Machine learning helps to identify the searched phrases and match them with relevant content on the website relating to existing pages or articles.

Google Analytics

There is hardly anyone who hasn’t yet heard about Google Analytics but there are more of those who haven’t started using it to their benefits. The platform is absolutely free of charge and is capable of providing detailed insights into the website’s data. Besides, it can integrate with other products like Search Console, Google Ads, and Data Studio.

Most of the marketers feel slightly intimidated by setting it up as it requires some time and effort to organize all the information and make it understandable. Nevertheless, Google Analytics is a leading platform with integrated AI tools to help companies get the best out of their website’s data.

Ahrefs

Another helpful tool for businesses who want to understand their web pages rank and make use of keywords. Ahref analyzes data from various search engines, defines how often people look for specific words, and identifies whether a company’s site is on the list when users look for things related to a specific industry. Getting an insight into the most used keywords will allow brands to generate relevant content that will resonate and attract more site visitors. Ahref has different plans to offer depending on the required features and the number of people who will be using it.

Hubspot

The platform offers free CRM with a list of great features to make use of. It features several AI tools that help optimizing posts in terms of SEO, auto-generating captions, and meta descriptions, and eliminating duplicates in contacts by scanning an existing list every time the company has a new client or subscriber. Besides, Hubspot is amazing at notifications. It can automate them, letting you know who checked your website the other day, providing a detailed report on the pages they visit. From setting annual goals to tracking sales activity and revenue, Hubspot covers it all.

Start Small

AI can bring a lot of benefits, but only if used in the right way. In order to eliminate any possible mistakes, it is better to start from low-risk AI tools. It can be data classification or workflow organization software that is easy to implement and comes at a relatively low cost.

If you are planning to invest a good chunk of your budget into AI-based software, make sure to check the feedback of active users or those who had previous experience with it. Knowing the value of the outcome can save you money and help with making the right decision.

Consider the Costs

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the costs are not limited to software purchases. Adoption expenses may be overlooked yet required. Depending on the software, companies need to invest in integrating it with other applications, redesigning workflow, training and licensing. To avoid surprises at the implementation phase, it is crucial to consider the future costs from the very beginning.

Wrap Up

Despite being complicated and somehow intimidating, AI has already entered the technology world and keeps expanding. It is a great tool for optimizing many work processes, eliminating hitches, and speeding up the everyday routine. However, before diving into AI implementation, it is vital to study the examples, define existing problems that ask for solutions, and consider the costs. Good research and thorough preparation have never proven wrong, so take your time and invest in them to get the best out of AI.