MarketingProfs — How U.S. Small Businesses Are Using AI (2024)
TL;DR
- Popular uses: content creation, ad optimization, analytics.
- Reported outcomes: faster cycles, improved performance, time saved.
- Recommendation: pilot with clear KPIs and continuous testing.
Highlights
- Highlights adoption rates by function and perceived impact among SMBs.
- Content, ads, and analytics dominate early usage and results; support assistants follow.
- Iteration/testing cadence is the driver of ROI—more tests and faster deployment win.
- Teams that document prompts and keep a backlog of test ideas improve learning rate.
- Most effective adopters tie creative testing directly to KPIs like CPA, ROAS, and retention.
Case study anecdote
A small DTC brand used AI to produce ad variants and landing copy weekly. Testing velocity jumped, edit time fell, and CPA improved as best‑performing angles were scaled. A shared prompt library captured winning angles and voice rules; a weekly review retired weak variants and prioritized next tests.
Guidance for SMBs
- Start with a weekly cadence for prompts, drafts, and A/B tests; measure CPA/ROAS and time saved.
- Build a prompt library and QA steps to keep creative on brand.
- Track learning rate: how many tests per week and how quickly winners are deployed.
- Keep a “creative changelog” to connect prompt tweaks with performance shifts; share highlights with sales/support for message alignment.
Lessons & metrics
- Cycle time from brief → draft → test is a controllable lever.
- CPA/ROAS and edit time reveal impact; look for week‑over‑week improvement.
- Secondary indicators: scroll depth, time on page, and post‑purchase engagement for winners.
Learn more
Read the full article: MarketingProfs — SMBs and AI
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