New Year, New Technology

Unless your head’s been buried in the sand, you know that artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the limelight for good and bad reasons. One of the things that sets businesses apart is their ability to innovate which often means embracing new technology; In this case, AI. At The Flamingo Project, one of our core values is being curious. We also believe in sharing generously, which is why we want to help you understand how to harness the power of AI to help you win work differently.?

2024 Will Be The Year AI Hits Marketing Hard

AI is becoming more common, and many marketing platforms are already integrating artificial intelligence in their own software. For example, many softwares allow you to use AI to write, or streamline marketing workflows. But, instead of viewing this as a scary or intimidating fact, we’d encourage you to view it as an opportunity. An opportunity to start thinking now, about how you can utilize AI to become more productive and/or efficient. Because, like it or not, the odds are, that AI is the new internet. Everyone was skeptical at first, but now it’s hard to even imagine a world without it. Artificial intelligence will likely be the same way; it will be everywhere and therefore unavoidable if your business wants to continue to grow. Fear is a natural response, but don’t lean into it, or you’ll be left behind.

How can I use AI in my AEC business?

New technology can be overwhelming, but there’s a simple way to stop this; Start small. A simple framework for integrating AI without the overwhelm looks like this:

1. Consider the parts of your business you’d be willing to use AI in - Think about the parts of your business that really drain you. Those are the first places to start with. OR consider the things you do every single day/week that you can simplify with AI.
2. Think about new tasks you’ve already committed to - If you’re having to start or learn something new anyway; Why not learn it while incorporating AI??
3. Pick one thing per month (or quarter) you’d like to integrate AI into - For example, “We’re going to try writing RFQ responses utilizing this AI platform, and we’re going to focus on getting really good at prompting.”?
4. Make time for reflection - After integrating AI for a specific amount of time, put time on your calendar to debrief what’s working and what’s not before repeating the entire process again.

Christopher S. Penn, co-founder and chief data scientist of Trustsights.ai, a marketing and management consulting firm, relies on a classic 2x2 matrix to aid in making decisions concerning when/how to use generative AI:

Not only does this help businesses more efficiently categorize their AI wants/needs, it also serves as a communication tool within your organization. Giving internal stakeholders insight as to why AI is being used in the manner it’s being used in (which of course is more likely to lead to buy-in). Then, once you’ve completed your matrix, decide how urgent and important the tasks within the matrix are and make decisions about where to start.?

Is AI going to replace jobs?

There’s a narrative circulating that AI will replace jobs, particularly in realms like AEC marketing. Again; leaning into the fear that this new technology will steal your relevance, means it will. Don’t let yourself go there. If you’re already planning on growing, grow WITH this new technology instead of without it. There’s no surprise that even tech giants like Microsoft are launching AI programs like Copilot, which will help automate tasks such as writing, editing, and data visualization. Adopting these new technologies early will help you become more productive and efficient in your job. The other important thing to remember is that many AI generated tasks will still need human oversight and people to prompt it. Therefore, if you can learn to prompt AI very well and/or understand what parts of AI may need that extra human oversight, your relevance will only increase. GET TO LEARNING!

What else do I need to know about AI?

ICYMI, we sat down with Kristin Kautz, CPSM and co-founder of JAM Idea Agency to chat about all things AI related. She has some particularly insightful facts on data and privacy that anyone using (or thinking of using) AI should be aware of. The last important tidbit concerning artificial intelligence is understanding that what you post on your websites, on your businesses’ social media handles, even internally will become more and more relevant particularly in regards to generative AI. Because artificial intelligence looks for patterns. When search engines like BING begin relying more on AI than SEO, the patterns your content are following will become even more relevant than now. Making sure your branding, visioning, messaging and overall online marketing strategy align with your services will be even more important.

If you’re ready to grow your business even further, but aren’t quite sure where to start (including where to potentially bring in AI) be sure to hop on our Head Bird, Sarah Kinard’s, open office hours. In just an hours’ time, she’ll help you gain clarity concerning where your business should START to see exponential growth.