7 AI Tools to Save Time and Boost Efficiency
IN A HURRY? HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE
AI tools offer many powerful benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes. I’ve discovered that there are so many ways to leverage AI to make our work more efficient as business owners without having to build processes entirely from the ground up. The top tools we use are ChatGPT-4.0, Grammarly, Gemini / Jasper, Perplexity, Microsoft Image / Canva AI, Riverside, and Zoom AI Companion.
GOT A MINUTE? HERE ARE THE DETAILS TO CONSIDER
Are you brand-new to using AI? Have you been dabbling in it but would like some ideas for using AI tools to better streamline your work? Either way, today’s blog is for you!
AI tools offer many powerful benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes. I’ve discovered that there are so many ways to leverage AI to make our work more efficient as business owners without having to build processes entirely from the ground up.
How My Team Uses AI (and how we DON’T use it!)
At Melissa Swink & Co., our team uses a wide range of AI tools to make our time more efficient and increase our capacity to support our clients better. We’ll get to those specific tools in a moment!
But first, I need to underscore the fact that AI is not about cutting corners or cheating clients out of their investment with us. We’re simply helping them make the most out of our team, since AI helps us do more work in less time! AI tools help us free up time, energy, and capacity on their behalf.
I also need to note that we never rely solely on AI tools. We never just put something into AI, copy and paste it, and call it “good enough.” AI isn’t advanced enough to cut out humans completely! All AI-generated content needs to be personalized and reviewed for accuracy. After all, it has been known to hallucinate!
AI is intelligent and getting smarter, but we also need a human to review it to make sure that the information is accurate and that any written content authentically reflects your brand’s voice and is relevant to your audience. This blog, for example, is based on a podcast episode. My podcast manager used an AI tool to generate a transcript from the podcast and sent it to my content writer. She turned that transcript into this blog.
Top AI Tools Used by My Virtual Assistant Team
Chat GPT-4.0
Use for research, content creation, and list building.
Handles more complex prompts with the paid version.
Assists with writing letters or emails.
Converts transcripts and notes into complete SOPs.
Saves time by providing a starting point for outreach projects and data collection.
Grammarly
Enhances spelling and grammar checking beyond basic autocorrect functions.
Improves overall writing tone and clarity, offering more concise alternatives.
Operates across various platforms, including desktops, documents, presentations, and emails.
Gemini / Jasper
Focused on targeted marketing campaigns for social media and blogs.
Refines and understands brand voice and writing style.
Continuously improves blog posts and marketing content, adapted from brief training sessions.
Perplexity
It functions as an answer engine that provides step-by-step instructions.
Effective for checking and verifying web developer code.
Assists in website updates, offering precise guidance, and maintaining web standards.
Microsoft Image / Canva AI
Utilized to create and edit images and graphics for marketing.
Accesses a variety of templates and high-quality stock photos with the Canva Pro subscription.
Allows specific image requests, such as a blue frog on a log, enhancing creativity and specificity.
Riverside
Records podcasts and generates AI-assisted show notes.
AI-generated notes are reviewed by a copywriter for accuracy and brand consistency.
Facilitates creating video clips for social media, saving time and effort.
Zoom AI Companion
Provides AI-generated meeting summaries and action items.
Supports effective communication and follow-up with clients and teams.
Enhances the clarity of meetings and next steps, though it remains AI-generated and may require human review.
Ready to Put AI to Work for You?
I hope you are inspired to try out at least one of these AI tools and save yourself tons of time in your business! And if you’re interested in having a team take that off your plate, too, I invite you to schedule a consultation.