Seattle AI Consultant

Tag: content creation

  • How Small Business Owners Are Really Using AI (According to Reddit)

    How Small Business Owners Are Really Using AI (According to Reddit)

    Every once in a while, I come across a Reddit thread that feels like a goldmine—and this one definitely fit the bill. Titled “How did you use AI to improve your small business?” the post sparked an open, practical discussion among entrepreneurs, freelancers, and solo founders. It wasn’t just theory or hype—it was real people using AI in the trenches.

    I wanted to summarize the most interesting and upvoted responses here because honestly, I think these ideas can inspire a lot of us running small businesses. AI can feel overwhelming at times, but this thread reminded me that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be impactful.

    1. Automating the Annoying Stuff

    Let’s start with the most obvious use case: automating repetitive tasks. One of the top comments came from a user who said:

    “I use ChatGPT to write email templates, generate marketing copy, and respond to customer inquiries. It saves me hours every week.”

    Another person added that they had set up an AI to summarize customer feedback from reviews and emails:

    “It pulls in all our feedback, highlights themes, and suggests changes to our FAQ and product pages. It’s like having a junior marketing analyst who never sleeps.”

    Honestly, this is one of the most practical ways I use AI in my own workflow too. Whether it’s summarizing meeting notes or writing social captions, tools like ChatGPT or Claude have quietly become my digital assistants.

    2. Content Creation & SEO

    Content is still king—and AI is helping folks crank it out faster than ever.

    One Redditor wrote:

    “We use AI to generate outlines for blog posts, then flesh them out manually. It speeds up the content process by about 70%.”

    Another chimed in:

    “I use Jasper to create product descriptions and landing page copy. Then I tweak it to match our tone. It’s a good balance of speed and human touch.”

    Several commenters emphasized the importance of not just copying and pasting AI output. They saw it as a starting point—a first draft that still needed a human to shape and polish it. That resonated with me. AI isn’t about replacing your voice—it’s about giving you a head start.

    3. Leveling Up Customer Support

    A few users mentioned using AI-powered chatbots for handling basic customer queries.

    “We implemented a chatbot for our e-commerce site. It answers common questions about shipping, returns, and sizing. Our support tickets dropped by 40%.”

    Another interesting use case: AI-generated video tutorials based on product FAQs.

    “I upload FAQ text and AI turns it into video walkthroughs with voiceover. It makes us look way more professional than we are!”

    The lesson here? Customers appreciate fast, helpful responses—and AI is giving small businesses a way to provide that without needing a 10-person support team.

    4. Boosting Social Media Output

    Social media was another big area where AI is making waves. One user shared:

    “I use AI to generate daily post ideas, write captions, and even suggest hashtags. It’s helped me be consistent, which is half the battle.”

    Another added that they used AI to turn blog posts into Instagram carousel slides and LinkedIn posts. Repurposing content is smart marketing—and AI is making it easier to do more with less.

    5. Data Crunching for Non-Data People

    This was probably one of the more underrated takeaways. Several commenters mentioned using AI to analyze business data they didn’t fully understand before.

    “I upload spreadsheets to ChatGPT and ask questions like ‘What trends do you see?’ or ‘Which products are underperforming?’ It’s like having a data scientist in my pocket.”

    This blew me away. So many of us sit on data but don’t know how to act on it. AI can act as a translator—turning raw numbers into insights and action steps.

    My Takeaway

    Reading through all these responses, what struck me was how many different ways people are using AI—even in tiny one-person shops. It’s not always flashy or futuristic. Often, it’s just about saving time, improving consistency, or helping us focus on the stuff that actually matters.

    What’s encouraging is that many of the most valuable uses for AI in small business don’t require any outside help. Tools like Gemini for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 Copilot are already built into systems a lot of us use every day. With a little exploration, business owners can automate emails, analyze spreadsheets, draft proposals, and more—completely on their own.

    That said, things can get more complex as your needs grow. Maybe you’re trying to integrate AI into multiple parts of your business, or you’re using a tool but feel like you’re only scratching the surface. When that happens—and it often does—that’s where working with someone like me can help.

    As an AI consultant based in Seattle, I help small business owners make smarter, more strategic use of these tools. Whether it’s improving workflows, creating custom AI-driven solutions, or just getting the most out of what you already have, my goal is to make AI feel practical, approachable, and impactful.

    And if you’ve already got an AI workflow that’s helping your business? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment or shoot me an email—I’m always looking for more real-world examples to feature.

  • Boost Your Writing with Multiple Personas: An Advanced AI Prompting Technique

    Boost Your Writing with Multiple Personas: An Advanced AI Prompting Technique

    As someone who works in AI communications, I’ve seen firsthand how generative AI is transforming the way we write. But here’s the secret sauce to taking your content to the next level: multiple personas. It’s an advanced prompting technique that taps into AI tools trained on different datasets to enrich your writing with incredible depth and variety.

    Think of it like having a team of co-writers, each with their own voice and expertise. One persona might specialize in data-driven analysis, another could channel a creative storyteller, while a third offers a casual, conversational tone (like this one). By blending these perspectives, you get content that’s nuanced, dynamic, and, most importantly, engaging.

    Why does this work so well? Because different personas bring different strengths to the table. As highlighted in this Forbes article, combining personas helps bridge gaps in tone and perspective, creating more balanced and versatile content. It’s like tapping into multiple viewpoints to ensure your message resonates with a broader audience.

    Here’s an example: Say you’re writing a blog on climate change. You could prompt one persona to take an academic approach, diving into hard data. Then, you could ask another persona to write a heartfelt call to action. Finally, a third persona might add practical tips for readers. Merge these inputs, and suddenly you’ve got a well-rounded, compelling piece that informs, moves, and inspires.

    The key to mastering this technique is knowing your audience and selecting personas that align with their needs. Whether you’re crafting marketing copy, educational materials, or storytelling, the multi-persona method adds layers of sophistication to your work.

    So, why settle for one voice when you can have a chorus? With AI personas, you’re not just writing—you’re orchestrating. And the results? Complex, captivating content that stands out.

  • Why Writing for Business Still Matters—Even in the Age of AI

    Why Writing for Business Still Matters—Even in the Age of AI

    When I first started writing content for Seattle-area professionals and small businesses, I thought I had it all figured out. I had excelled in English during college and grad school, and I was working as a technical writer at Microsoft. Writing was my thing—how hard could it be to write for local businesses?

    Turns out, a lot harder than I expected.

    Writing for business isn’t just about being good with words. It’s about capturing the voice of your client in a way that feels authentic and elevated at the same time. That takes time. Years, in fact. And with all due respect to the clients I worked with in the early days of my freelance career—thank you for your patience while I figured that out.

    What makes this kind of writing so tricky is the listening. To write well for someone else, I have to get to know them: their voice, their story, their values, the language they naturally use when they talk about their work. This isn’t something you can fully capture through a generic intake form. That’s why I still meet with clients one-on-one—whether in person at a Seattle coffee shop, on Zoom, or over the phone. Those conversations give me the raw material to write something that actually sounds like them, not like ChatGPT’s best guess at what a CEO should sound like.

    Now that I work as an AI consultant through my firm, Avanzar, I often get asked if AI can replace a skilled writer. The answer? Not even close. AI can help you write faster, sure—but only if you already know what you’re doing. If you don’t have a solid understanding of your subject matter or a good ear for language, you’ll just end up with fluff. Generic, lifeless content. The kind of writing that sounds like it was written by a bot. Because it was.

    But in the hands of an experienced writer, AI is a golden goose. Not just because it lays golden eggs (fast drafts, sharper headlines, repurposed content in seconds), but because it keeps laying them—consistently, reliably, and with surprisingly little overhead. It can transform a writing process that once took 10 hours into one that takes two. And that time savings means I can do more for my clients, more affordably, and with no dip in quality.

    Here’s a concrete example: I recently worked with a regional logistics company that had no online content strategy at all—just a static homepage and a contact form. I helped them build a lightweight content management system that fit their needs, then used AI to accelerate the production of blog articles that boosted their discoverability on Google. To make the content stand out, I interviewed the CEO personally—several times—to capture their vision for the industry, their long-term priorities, and the unique ways they were navigating supply chain challenges. We turned those insights into thoughtful, forward-looking articles that positioned the company as a leader in their space.

    Some companies might turn to an internal comms specialist or a PR agency to do the same thing, and that’s a valid approach. But those teams are often stretched thin. That’s where I come in. I build AI-powered systems that support internal teams, automate parts of the content workflow, and enhance what your staff is already doing.

    So no, AI won’t replace the art of good writing. But it can make great writing more accessible, more efficient, and more powerful—if you know how to use it. That’s the sweet spot where I work.

  • Why Small Business Owners Should Learn About No-Code Tools (Especially If You’re Using AI)

    Why Small Business Owners Should Learn About No-Code Tools (Especially If You’re Using AI)

    If you’re a small business owner thinking about automating your operations or speeding up content creation with AI, you’re on the right track. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can absolutely help you generate ideas, write emails, summarize reports, or even answer customer questions. But if you stop there, you’re only scratching the surface.

    To really take advantage of what AI and automation can offer your business, you should also learn about no-code and low-code software tools.

    What are no-code and low-code tools?

    In short: they let you build apps, workflows, or websites without needing to be a software developer. No-code tools like Zapier, Make, and Bubble use visual interfaces—think drag-and-drop logic or simple form builders. Low-code tools like Retool or SAP Build Apps are similar but allow for a bit more customization if you’re comfortable adding some code.

    These tools help you turn ideas into working software fast—like automating client onboarding, building custom dashboards, or sending personalized emails from an AI-generated spreadsheet. But don’t think they’re only good for prototyping—the best tools can do much more than that.

    Why do no-code and low-code matter alongside AI?

    Here’s the thing: AI tools are great at generating content, summarizing info, or making suggestions. But they don’t automatically know what to do with that output unless they’re part of a larger system. That’s where no-code and low-code tools come in.

    Let’s say you use ChatGPT to write a weekly newsletter. With Make.com, you can automatically:

    • Add the AI-generated content into your email template
    • Schedule it to go out every Friday
    • Post a version to your website and LinkedIn
    • Back everything up in Google Drive

    That’s a complete content pipeline—powered by AI, managed by no-code automation.

    You don’t need to become a tech wizard

    A lot of small business owners assume tools like this are too technical. I get it. I used to feel that way, too. But modern no-code platforms are built with non-technical users in mind. There are templates, tutorials, and communities ready to help you get started.

    Plus, even learning the basics will make you a smarter buyer. If you decide to hire someone to build your automations or internal apps, you’ll be in a better position to explain what you need and to understand what you’re paying for.

    And if you work with a consultancy like my firm, Avanzar AI, you can get the help you need to set everything up, and then get training to take over the app yourself so you can keep it up-to-date.

    Bottom line

    If you’re using AI to save time and grow your business, learning no-code and low-code tools will help you take things to the next level. They turn your AI ideas into automated systems, digital tools, and real-world results—without needing to hire a full development team.

    And if you’re not sure where to start? That’s exactly why I created SeattleAIConsultant.com to give you pointers and sound advice.