The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be stopped now. Within the past few months, there have been astronomical strides in AI. Most topical has been ChatGPT. However, you need to appreciate that lots more AI innovations keep popping up. These developments have led to more and more people at least knowing that there is AI. Zimbabwe is often left behind when certain trends become centre stage worldwide. This cannot continue to happen, especially in this day and age. Zimbabwean companies can and should now apply AI in their businesses. Here is how:
Digital Humans
As a business, you have or should have digital platforms you are actively operating on. This is essential to your digital presence or footprint. I am referring to a website, social media accounts, and instant messaging platforms. It is high time you start taking advantage of chatbots. Chatbots can be incorporated into websites, social media, or instant messaging platforms. You can use generic ones, or you can have custom ones done for your business. There are different types of chatbots. Rule-based chatbots are the most basic and common, i.e. that use predetermined responses. You can take a Zimbabwean startup called Magetsi as an example. It is a digital omnichannel platform that provides various payment services through the web, WhatsApp, Facebook, and other channels.
Save their +263785832033 contact number and WhatsApp Hi. You will see an example of how to apply chatbots in business operations. This is a striking example because you can instantly purchase and get what you purchased without a human involved. Another example is InnBucks’ dedicated WhatsApp Chatbot on +263 781 331 731. Mukuru also has a dedicated WhatsApp Chatbot on +27 860 018 555. Any business in Zimbabwe should jump onto this. Empirical studies have shown that chatbots can reduce operating costs by 30 percent. You get to focus on more pressing things as chatbots handle mundane or repetitive tasks for you.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
You can apply AI in your business in Zimbabwe by employing targeted marketing, specifically in digital marketing. A somewhat easy approach is to use paid social media ads. The broader application is in content marketing. Understanding and applying SEO are two-pronged. One, it is meant to produce content treated favourably by AI-driven platforms, e.g. search engines or social media platforms. Two, it is meant to produce content that appeals to what people truly want. Thus SEO is about killing two birds with one stone, i.e. appealing to algorithms and your target market. This means you must use keywords or strategic key phrases when creating and putting out content. SEO is an art and a science, and you must grasp its tenets. Not fully understanding it is why some businesses’ online presence is obscure. I highly recommend that you enrol for digital marketing courses or training programs. You will get to learn about SEO in-depth.
Predictive Analytics
This is a constituent of big data analytics. It is a form of advanced analytics that predicts or forecasts future outcomes based on historical data using statistical modelling, data mining, and machine learning. As you can see, it goes beyond assessing present or historical data. It helps you project into the future. This can help you in terms of accurate inventory management. You also get to manage financial and material resources better. You can even do risk modelling for various aspects of your business. You really need this for your business in Zimbabwe for our age. You can do predictive analytics with software like SAP Predictive Analytics, Tableau, and Analytica.
Document Analysis
Another interesting area to apply AI in Zimbabwean businesses is document analysis. Document analysis in AI is defined as using natural language processing and machine learning to automate, process, and draw insights from workflows that entail physical or digital documents. Examples of such documents commonly handled in business are resumes, contracts, proposals, etc. You probably have heard that resumes now need to be keyword optimized, right? It is because some recruiters or employers now use document analysis to filter the many resumes they receive. As a business, you also need to use such AI innovations. Some examples of AI-powered document analysis software are CVViZ (actually cloud-based), Freshteam, and Recruiterbox, amongst others.
Content Creation
AI applications in content creation are limitless. This generally entails the use of AI-powered tools to create content. Consider how ChatGPT-4 has and continues to revolutionize the world. In content creation, ChatGPT has infinite applications. The same applies to many other Large Language Models (LLMs). Countless other platforms are based on ChatGPT. A local Zimbabwean example is PenPal Playground. We also have AI image generators, e.g. Midjourney and Bing.
Such AI platforms are essential in creating original content. There are other AI tools, e.g. Grammarly (writing tool), Surfer (SEO writing), and CopyAI (copywriting). Many more are coming, so the options are infinite. Zimbabwean businesses can benefit a lot by using such AI-driven tools in content creation. Imagine, for instance, that you no longer necessarily have to hire a professional photographer. You can get high-resolution, original, real-life-looking images with ChatGPT-4 powered Microsoft Bing. Remarkable times we are living in!
I would encourage you to consider applying AI in your businesses in Zimbabwe seriously. Not many people are yet to catch on, yet AI’s business benefits are boundless. The subject of AI is voluminous; we barely scratched the surface here. However, if you grasp and run with the stuff we discussed holds tremendous value. It is time to level up!
