What does ChatGPT, AI, software, and technology have to do with your masonry business? A lot more than you might think! You don’t need to be a tech whiz to master these simple AI and technology hacks for your business. But first, let’s talk about why you might want to incorporate AI and technology into your masonry business at all.
Businesses are using AI and technology to:
- Save time. Anyone else so stuck in the daily grind that business administration tasks either fall to the ground or consume your nights and weekends? AI and technology can increase your productivity so you can do more with less.
- Build a brand. Depending on how you use AI and technology, it can increase your professionalism. Without learning any new hard skills or hiring marketing or design resources, you can create content that builds your brand.
- Improve customer experience. A frictionless customer experience is a better experience. AI and technology can help you stay organized, communicate with customers easier, and get paid faster in a market where digital payment options are often expected.
Before we dive into some specific tools you can use to reap these benefits for your masonry business, you might be asking, “What is AI”? AI is short for Artificial Intelligence. At its most basic level, AI was named because some of its earliest proponents, Alan Turing and John McCarthy, wanted to create just that: “intelligent” computers able to perform tasks that, previously, only an intelligent human could have performed.
You might be surprised to learn that the concept of AI has been around since the 1950s. By 1997, IBM developed AI that was able to defeat a grand master in chess for the first time in history. Fast forward to today, technology has not only advanced significantly, but the cost of technology has become affordable enough to commercialize and make accessible to everyone.
In fact, you’re already using AI. If you’ve ever played a game, like chess, “against a computer,” that’s a form of AI. Used Google search? That’s AI. Took Netflix’s suggestion to watch that movie they think you’d like? They’re using AI to predict your preferences. Used Siri or other voice command devices? They’re also AI.
How to Incorporate AI and Technology Into Your Masonry Business
1. Social media
Starting your business’ social media account is usually the easy part, but keeping it updated with new content can be extremely time consuming. Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI tools like ChatGPT to create awesome first draft social posts so you can save yourself hours of work each week. All you have to do is type in a prompt like, “Write a short, funny social media post about how, if your brick is crumbling, Mighty Masonry can help.”
2. Website
If you aren’t much of a designer and don’t have the budget to hire one, AI image generation tools like Midjourney will be your new best friend. Similar to chat bots, all you have to do is type in an image prompt. Suddenly, you have four options of uniquely drawn images to use on your website, add to the blog on your website, or any other piece of content your company creates. Let’s say we want to create an image we can use on the homepage of our website, try typing “/Imagine a newly remodeled, beautiful, brick residential home”
3. Advertising
If you don’t already know, video content can be very expensive to produce. That’s because it’s typically extremely time consuming. If you want a 30 second ad and go through an agency, you are looking at a several thousand-dollar project to hire a voice over actor, studio time, animation or filming, and editing. If traditional video isn’t in the budget, try Idomoo.ai. You can get a full ad with AI-generated voiceover, captions, and impressive on-screen animation for only $5 a video. And the best part? You can edit the script, add your brand colors, logo, set the call to action, and review the full video before you pay.
4. Sales and Lead Generation
The way you present your company at every stage of engagement is important to winning bids and retaining customers. Customers like working with companies that are easy to work with, so if you’re still using paper estimates, invoices, and paper check and cash payments, take this as your sign to consider a process upgrade with Project 2 Payment. Project 2 Payment makes it easy to take card or eCheck payments and send out digital, professionally branded estimates, invoices, and receipts with just a few taps on your phone, tablet or desktop. When you do find yourself using paper yard signs, business cards, or printing an invoice, be sure to use QR codes to help generate leads, and Project 2 Payment’s QR code payment links for faster and easier payment. You’ll thank yourself later!
As you can see, AI is more than just a buzz word; it’s a practical, affordable form of technology that can help your masonry business work smarter and not harder. By incorporating some of these simple hacks into your business processes, you’ll start to notice a dramatic increase in business productivity and time savings. Tasks that used to take hours, if they got done at all, will be done in a snap. So what are you waiting for? Go check out tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Idomoo.ai, and Project 2 Payment to see how easy incorporating technology into your masonry business can be.
