How do I use AI to think bigger about my business?

AI is literally everywhere right now. Every time I open LinkedIn, someone’s talking about how they’re automating their entire business with ChatGPT, or how AI has completely changed the way they work.

And of course, we all agree that AI is an absolute game-changer. I personally use it every single day in my business. But AI is only as powerful as the way you use it. And if you’re relying on it to do everything for you, you’re probably blending into the sea of AI-generated sameness out there.

My approach is that I like to think of AI as my assistant (not that I have an actual assistant yet, but hopefully one day!). If there’s something I’d delegate to an assistant, or would turn round in the office to ask the person sat behind me, then now I’ll pass it to AI instead.

Reviewing a pitch deck for clarity? AI can help. Brainstorming new ideas? AI is great for that too. But when it comes to writing website content, defining a brand’s tone of voice, or creating something that actually feels personal? I think that's where AI falls short.

So how do I currently use AI to think bigger about my business, and how can you do the same? Think refining your website, strengthening your business strategy, and ultimately helping you to grow your brand.

1. Using AI to improve your website content

AI is a horrible copywriter on its own. From a technical POV, it nails using the right grammar and sentence structures. But if you've spent any time on social media especially, you'll have noticed how an insane amount of brands are starting to sound exactly the same. Like they were all written by the same generic, polite, slightly robotic assistant. And spoiler alert - that's because they were. That’s what happens when businesses let AI write for them instead of using it to write with them.

So how do I use AI for website content?

• After writing website copy, I’ll ask ChatGPT to review it and tell me what’s missing. What questions might a customer still have? Does anything need more detail? This helps me refine the content to make it stronger. Or ignore it if I know that those answers would've already been answered in the context that someone would view that page from.

• If I’m writing FAQs for a website, I’ll ask AI what common customer objections or hesitations might be, and then I can address them proactively. I sometimes even give ChatGPT the link to my new webpage and ask it to act like my target customer to tell me exactly what questions they do have.

• I sometimes ask AI to suggest a different way to phrase something. I don't let it rewrite whole webpages, but we've all suffered from writers block and I get that sometimes you do need help with that starting point. But be careful taking its suggestions word for word, as that's when you can lose your own personality.

How can you try this?

• Instead of asking AI to write website copy from scratch, write a draft yourself first, then ask AI to point out weak spots.

• Use AI to brainstorm ways to make your content clearer or more engaging.

• Ask it to write an example structure for your content if you're struggling with that starting point.

• If you use AI-generated content, edit it heavily so it actually sounds like you. (Not every business is a "[insert business niche] machine that delivers stand out [service] and unlocks client success". I could cry at how many times this week alone I've seen a version of this sentence).

2. AI is a great strategy tool

Most people only think of AI as a way to generate content, but honestly, I think it’s way more valuable as a strategy tool. I use AI all the time to bounce ideas off and help me refine strategies I’m already working on.

For example:

• If I’m developing a website strategy for a client, I’ll ask AI to suggest key elements that businesses in that industry typically include. Sometimes it reminds me of things I hadn’t initially thought of!

• When I’m working on a pricing page strategy, I’ll ask AI how different industries structure pricing transparency. Again, you don't have to use AI's ideas, but it can be a really great sound board for you to come up with your own ideas off the back of.

• I also use AI to challenge my own thinking. If I have a strategic idea, I’ll ask AI, “What’s a potential downside to this approach?” It helps me see gaps I might have overlooked.

How can you try this?

• If you’re launching or refining a website, ask AI: What are 5 website features businesses in [your industry] should include? Use this as inspiration—not a rulebook.

• If you’re unsure how to structure a services page, ask: How do [your type of business] typically present their services on a website?

• Play devil’s advocate. Ask AI what potential weaknesses there might be in a strategy you’re considering.

If you're looking for help with your website and business strategy that's better than ChatGPT (if I do say so myself...) then this year I launched a new 'Business Blueprint' service and both me and my clients are loving it! You can find out more about Business Blueprint here.

3. Automate the things that don't need your personal touch

AI should be freeing up your time so you can focus on the parts of your business that actually need you. If you’re manually doing tasks that AI could handle just as well (or better), you’re making your life harder than it needs to be. Again, think about what you'd hand off to an assistant in an ideal world, and AI can then make that ideal world your reality!

What do I use AI for?

• Weekly industry updates. I use ChatGPT’s new “tasks” feature (still getting to grips with nailing this but loving it so far!) to send me a Monday round-up of interesting articles from the last week in the core areas I'm interested in (if you're nosey that's web strategy, AI, business strategy and business growth), so I stay ahead without having to search for updates myself. For transparency - it doesn't always bring me back articles from the last week, and they sometimes can be a month old, but I still find it super useful.

• Client onboarding emails. Instead of writing the same emails over and over, I use AI to generate templates that I personalise before sending.

• Summarising long reports. In case it isn't obvious from my blog posts, I write far too much. So if I need to quickly pull key insights from a document, I use AI to summarise the most relevant points or ask it to help me condense it down.

How can you try this?

• Instead of scrolling through news articles, ask AI to summarise the biggest updates in your industry each week.

• Use AI to draft client emails so you’re not starting from scratch every time. Or ask it to review your emails and condense it if you've an over-writer like me.

• If you need to analyse survey results or feedback, ask AI to pull out key themes and trends.

4. What I don't use AI for (and why you shouldn't either)

While AI is incredibly useful, I have some firm no-go zones where I refuse to use it. These include:

• Standalone copywriting. AI-generated content is too generic, and it removes the personality that makes a business unique.

• AI-Generated website imagery. Right now, AI-generated images still feel inauthentic to me, and I think using them for key website visuals can break trust with your audience.

• Personal brand voice. If you want to build a strong personal brand, you need to be the one shaping your messaging. Not AI.

Will these areas improve in the future? Definitely. Even in the last 6 months the improvement with AI generated imagery is huge. But for now, I think small businesses thrive on connection and authenticity, and those things shouldn’t be outsourced to AI.

Use AI as a tool to think bigger about your business

AI can be an incredible asset for your business if you use it the right way. Think of it as your assistant, not your voice. Use it to refine, optimise, and strategise, but don’t rely on it to replace the parts of your business that actually make you unique.

If you’re looking for ways to integrate AI into your website strategy without losing the human touch, let’s chat. I’d love to help you use AI the smart way. One that supports your business without taking it over. Get in touch here.