‘Tis Thursday! Today’s free newsletter contains great intel for all my marketing folks, small-business owners, salespeople and entrepreneurs. There’s so much AI can do to make your life easier — if you know the tricks.

⌛ Quick tip: Whether you're Team Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa, voice assistants can do more than tell jokes or play your favorite songs. Use them to set reminders, send texts or control your smart home devices. Start incorporating voice commands into your daily routines to multitask like a champ. — Kim

I read a stat that blew me away. HubSpot surveyed marketers and 78% say the industry’s changed more in the past three years than in the last five decades.

I agree, and it's even more challenging to stay up to date with how much there is on all our plates. That's where AI comes in.

Tools like ChatGPT can become your new MVP for tasks like customer service, inventory management and even digital marketing. The goal? To free up your time so you can focus on the core of your business.

There’s no ‘I’ in team

One size doesn't fit all. Personalize the content ChatGPT — or whatever bot you're using — generates by feeding it some of your brand elements. Have a slogan? Brand colors? Maybe it’s just a couple of sentences about what makes your company unique, but the more ammo you give, the better your results.

Pro tip: Start with seed phrases

These are specially crafted hints that give an AI chatbot an idea of the tone, style and topic you want. Don't go overboard with too many seed phrases, or you'll end up with a word salad. Here are some tone-related seed phrases I’ve found to be effective:

• "In a conversational tone …"
• "In a friendly voice …”
• “In an authoritative tone …”

Want help with social? Try this

Length matters with social media posts. Tell the bot not to go over a specific character count, or your results may be way too long (or way too short). Here are some current best practices:

• Facebook: You can go up to 63,000 characters (don't!). Mobile cuts you off at 150, though, so try to keep it short.
• X: Up to 280 characters, but 70 to 100 tend to perform best.
• Instagram: 2,200 characters max, but the first 125 are the most important.
• LinkedIn: Go long if you must, but the first 25 words must make an impact.

Don’t forget the calls to action

Sprinkle in some CTAs to make sure your audience knows exactly what to do next. Whether it's visiting your site, buying that super-cool fanny pack or subscribing to your newsletter, make it clear and compelling.

🙋‍♀️ What else can I help you within the AI realm? Drop me your questions here. (Solid CTA, huh?)

✅ Know someone who has too much on their plate? Share this great tip with them now using the handy icons below. They’ll thank you for sure!

Speaking of business … My neighborhood strip club has gone out of business. The sign on the door says, "Sorry, we're clothed." (Get it?)

Free VPN upgrade: ExpressVPN (my VPN of choice) is getting a big, free upgrade — an ad blocker, auto-update feature, adult website blocker and access to IPs in over 100 countries. Nice to see a company rewarding customer loyalty instead of jacking up prices. Use my link* to get an extra three months free — btw, I get no residuals if you buy.

😁 You’re making me blush: Google Meet will soon whiten your teeth or touch up your skin on video calls. The option is off by default if you’d rather go au natural. Bummer: It’s only for paid (business) accounts for now. Makes me think of a particular Carly Simon song.

It’s about time: ChatGPT no longer thinks time stopped in September 2021. A new update for $20-per-month users gives your bot friend up-to-date info from all across the web. I hope it stops telling me “Candyman” is the must-see movie in theaters.

🍿 Netflix is raising prices yet again: Its Basic plan went from $9.99 per month to $11.99, and Premium is now $22.99 instead of $19.99. The Standard and ad-supported plans will remain at $15.49 and $6.99 per month, respectively. I don’t think we’re saving money by cutting the cable anymore.

Phone a friend: It might not be "Jeopardy," but now you can try the new Consult-a-Friend feature in the Amazon app. With it, you can collaborate with fam and friends on shopping decisions. Select the Share link to poll pals about the sweater you can't get your mind off. They can answer with the 😍, ☹️ or 🤔 emojis and leave a comment. How about an option for sending 💰?

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Choose your platform below to listen:

We love free: Adobe Express is an in-browser design tool like Canva. Generate custom images and text effects, remove backgrounds, animate characters, and lots more — for free! There’s a paid version, but you can skip it.

💨 Bust the dust: Your laptop, desktop and TV gather dust like everything else. Do yourself (and your wallet) a favor and blow out all the junk. Compressed air does the job, but I prefer a reusable air duster.

Moneysaver: Printer out of black ink? Change the color to #010101. It’ll look black, but it’s really 99% gray. Knock down the font size while you’re at it and switch to a font like Courier New or Garamond; they use the least ink. You’re welcome!

🎉 We're giving away an iPad or Windows laptop (your choice, valued at $1,200) to one lucky referrer! Want to win? It's simple. Share your unique referral link with friends, family and anyone who would love our newsletter.

Each sign-up using your link equals one entry into the contest. The person with the highest number of referrals will win the grand prize. Start sharing and rack up those entries for a chance to bring home some fantastic tech!

❓ Have a question for me? Drop it right here, or leave me a voicemail at 602‑381‑8200 ext. 290.

You’re going to love this site! It has links to deals and freebies for products like snacks, over-the-counter medicines and office supplies. Offers are active only for a limited time, so try to catch the ones you want before they disappear.

See what treasures you can find. →

A weasel walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Wow, I’ve never served a weasel before. What can I get you?” “Pop,” goes the weasel.

My friend, Jo, asked me, “Would it be OK if I posted my newsletter referral link on Nextdoor?” Yessiree! Tell people about my free newsletter to win great prizes. Jo said she really didn’t want any prizes. “It’s such a great newsletter, everyone should read it!”

So be like Jo. (She really is an amazing person!) Copy your unique referral link below, then paste it into an email, text, social media post, DM, Nextdoor post or whatever you want. Every referral is one entry to win a $1,200 Apple or Windows device. Thanks for the help! — Kim