7 ways to use your AI-generated free time

Now that the AI explosion has officially passed and settled into a reality, it’s time to talk about how we can utilize our new free time. If you’re like me, by using ai in digital marketing, you’ve cut many of your tasks by 60%+ and are excited to focus less on "busy work" and more on high-value work. 

If you haven’t created that free time yet, send me a message about how we can help you adopt generative AI marketing in your workflow. I know you hear it a lot, but it’s a game-changer.

Anyhow, here are my top 7 ways to elevate your game with your newfound time 

1. Did Somebody Say Strategy?

I mean, it’s pretty obvious. Strategy takes time. Now you not only have more time, but you also have more to work with. You are executing more campaigns at a larger scale. You have a PA to help you with research and reporting. Your new analysts can process the data faster than 1000s of humans. What’s really stopping you?

Also, now you can really think big with your strategy because with AI you can do more. Remember that wild campaign idea that just wasn't feasible due to lack of workforce? Not so far-fetched anymore … Which brings me to number 2:

2. Unleash Your Creative Genius

You know how they say to think outside the box?

It’s time for that. But the box has grown exponentially since you last checked. With the power of today’s technology, connectivity, and collaboration, the bar is high. For me, sometimes doing the “busy-work” helps my creative genius flow. At other times it’s that afternoon nap, a long walk, a brainstorming session, or standing on my head.

Whatever gets you going, make sure you are pushing yourself past your limits. It’s time for fresh campaign ideas, better storytelling, and captivating design. The time and technology barriers are gone. The world is your oyster.

**Sidenote: The origin of this phrase is attributed to William Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor." In Act 2, Scene 2, Pistol says to Falstaff, "Why then, the world's mine oyster, which I with sword will open." The implication here is that just as one can open an oyster with a sword to get the pearl inside, a person can use their will and determination to extract the best opportunities from the world around them. Over time, the phrase evolved to its current, more positive formulation, emphasizing potential and opportunity. - from ChatGPT

3. Humanize Your Brand

What’s the best way to make a connection? It sure as hell isn’t by broadcasting whatever comes to your mind into the digital ether and hoping the right people see it. Humans crave connections. Now it’s time to make them.

Reach out to your customers, leads, colleagues, and network. Spend time interacting with other humans and building that connection which leads to loyalty. It might be a challenge if you're as cynical as me, but it’s worth the effort in the long run. 

You’ll never guess how the first two clients for our AI services came in. It was through personal connections of mine, a former colleague and a former client, that I’ve kept in touch since we stopped working together.

4. Personalization, Personalization, Personalization

It's much more now than that token [FIRST NAME]. That just isn’t enough anymore. It’s time to make content variations like never before. Take your AI-powered insights and craft messages at the individual level. Keep your communication relevant. Keep your audience engaged.

But it’s not just content. We need to think of ways to take advantage of personalization in all we do. You know about sending emails by time zone, right? Well, now you can send emails based on someone’s previous behavior. Do they open emails on Tuesdays or Wednesdays? At 1:00PM or 10:00AM. No more one-size-fits-most. It's ‌time for this size fits you.

5. Invest in Yourself

You need to stay ahead of today’s fast-paced world to maintain your edge. With a new trend each week and another tool launched to take your job, you can’t afford to fall behind. 

But don’t fall into the trap of being sucked into LinkedIn posts and a narrow group of opinions from your favorite creators. Beware the echo chamber and make sure to branch out beyond your inner circle. There is a lot out there waiting to be discovered even if you don’t agree with it at first. 

6. Invest in Your Water Cooler

You know how marketing and sales are often at each other’s throats? You are stronger when you work together. One of the best things I ever did was to make a daily walk around the office, visiting various departments and getting to know my colleagues that I only saw inside meetings. The more we got to know each other, the better we worked together.

Every company is stronger when its departments work well together. Different perspectives help you round out your knowledge and inspire new ideas for taking your work to the next level. Who knows what challenges they will solve for you and you will solve for them.

But it doesn’t end there. Working together across the entire company will create that oh-so-elusive unified brand experience for clients.

7. Enter the World of Endless Testing

With AI shouldering the load, you can test, test‌ and test again. Experiment with different campaigns, learn, and improve. You’ll be amazed by what you accomplish.

A/B testing can easily now become A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H….. testing. Tests can be smarter with more variables, and results can be calculated automatically. Just think of the possibilities…

What's Next for AI Marketing?

Many people out there fear AI. Many are concerned that AI will not only take their jobs but also destroy the human touch. Embracing AI isn't about replacing a human with a machine. It’s about humans working with machines to improve their work and create the opportunity to do more with less.