Digital Marketing 101: Proven AI Strategies to Stay Top of Mind

For small business owners who want to use AI to be remembered — not just seen.

AI isn’t a magic wand — it’s a set of practical tools you can use to show up more often, say the right thing, and free your team to do higher-value work. Below are proven, actionable AI strategies that combine what we already teach at Thryv with extra tactics many small businesses aren’t yet using.

1. Stop guessing — personalize at scale

Customers notice when communications feel like they were written for them. AI lets you personalize without manually editing every email or social post. Use your CRM data (purchase history, appointment type, location, referral source) to feed AI prompts that generate timely, relevant messages: service reminders, birthday offers, or “we miss you” incentives. Thryv’s AI features make it easy to automate tailored campaigns and follow-ups so messages arrive at the right moment. 

Action step: Build three audience segments (new leads, recent customers, lapsed customers). Create one automated email for each segment that includes a personalized variable (first name, last service, next suggested product).

2. Keep a steady stream of content — then repurpose it

Create one pillar piece each month (a how-to, customer story, or local guide) using AI to draft an outline and first pass. Then repurpose that pillar into:

• 3 social captions
• 2 email snippets
• 1 short video script
• Several FAQ answers for your website chatbot

This multiplies your reach without multiplying work. Thryv customers already use AI to generate social captions and marketing messages — take that a step further by batching and repurposing content for different channels. 

Action step: Set a 2-hour “content creation” block monthly: prompt AI for a 700–1,000-word blog, then generate the repurposed assets in the same session.

3. Automate reviews and reputation — consistently show up where it matters

Few marketing assets beat social proof. Use AI to streamline review collection and create thoughtful review responses quickly — then publish those responses publicly. Automating this process increases your volume of visible, positive interactions without sacrificing tone or quality. Thryv’s AI-powered review responses and reputation tools are built for this use case. 

Action step: Create an automated post-service workflow that includes requesting a review 48 hours after the service, sending a thank-you, and auto-responding to incoming reviews with a templated yet personalized reply.

4. Let AI qualify leads — don’t waste human time

Use chatbots and lead-qualification sequences powered by AI to capture intent and route only sales-ready leads to your team. A bot can collect key details (service needed, timing, budget), provide available appointment slots, and pre-answer basic questions — then hand off to a human when the conversation needs it. That keeps your brand responsive 24/7 and keeps staff focused on closing and serving. Thryv’s customer service workflows make this hand-off seamless.

Action step: Configure your site/chat widget to ask three qualifying questions, then link responses to a Tag in your CRM that triggers the appropriate follow-up sequence.

5. Test subject lines, offers, and creative automatically

AI can generate many variations quickly — but you still need to test. Use automated A/B testing for subject lines, SMS messages, or meta ad copy. Let AI produce 6–8 variants, run short tests, and have the system automatically scale winners. This speeds up your learning loop and keeps you top-of-mind with higher-performing creatives.

Action step: For each campaign, produce three AI subject-line categories (curiosity, urgency, social proof). Run a 24–48 hour test, then let the winner roll out to the rest of the list.

6. Predictive segments: reach the right people at the right time

Beyond simple tags, start using AI to predict who is most likely to buy again, who’s at risk of churning, or which lead is ready to convert. These predictive signals let you send fewer, higher-impact messages rather than blasting everyone. Thryv’s automation and CRM tools can be combined with AI scoring to create these targeted plays.

Action step: Create a “likely to return” segment using recency/frequency/value rules; try sending a targeted upsell or loyalty offer to that group first.

7. Add guardrails — protect brand voice and compliance

AI can produce content quickly — but you must ensure accuracy and maintain brand tone. Create a short “AI brand brief” that includes: tone (friendly, expert, casual), words to avoid, unique value points, and compliance notes (refunds, legal disclaimers). Use this brief in every AI prompt so that generated content requires minimal edits.

Action step: Store a reusable prompt template in your marketing automation tool so every AI-generated message follows the same voice and rules.

8. Use low-cost/free tools to experiment before you commit

There’s a robust ecosystem of free or low-cost AI tools for different tasks (content drafts, image generation, scheduling, transcription). Try a few to understand workflow fit before folding them into a paid platform. This roundup of free AI tools and guides are a great starting point for small businesses testing AI. 

Action step: Pick one free tool for copy, one for images, and one for scheduling. Run a two-week experiment and measure time saved vs. quality.

9. Measure what matters (and iterate)

Track open rates, click rates, booking conversions, review volume, and time saved. But also measure qualitative signals: are customers replying more positively? Are staff less stressed? Translate time saved into capacity for new business — that’s how AI becomes a revenue lever, not just a labor saver.

Action step: Create a simple dashboard (weekly) showing campaign engagement, leads captured, appointments booked, and hours saved.

AI + human = stickiness

AI helps you show up more often and with better messages — but human judgment keeps you believable. Use AI to automate the repetitive, generate options for testing, and free people to do the memorable work: follow-up calls, in-person service, and community engagement. When your automation is thoughtful and consistently helpful, you stay top of mind without being annoying.

If you want a practical next step, start with one play: a 3-message automated re-engagement sequence for lapsed customers (AI-generated copy + Thryv automation to send + manual check of the top performer). Small experiments like that compound quickly into hours saved, a stronger reputation, and more repeat business.