Where Could Your Business Implement AI?

It can often feel as though all of the communication around modern businesses is geared towards artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can be used. This is undoubtedly going to make your own business consider the same question. There is room to be both cautious and creative here, however. You do not want to assume that it is going to be a slam dunk success for you if that might not be the case – and you also want to be versatile in how you apply AI. 

Knowing where you could think about it is a good place to start – and where it might be more costly than you initially suspect. 

How Can It Be Implemented As A Worker? 

The conversation around AI can get contentious because of how it is perceived as often taking away jobs from human workers. This affects some industries more than others, but it is important to be aware of that perception when you start thinking of how it might be used in this way for your own business. 

It is also important to understand that this might not be feasibly possible often, either. If you are talking about generative AI, the kind of quality being output by it might not match the versatility of what humans are capable of, meaning that too rapid of a shift to this mode could backfire in more ways than one. 

How Can It Be Implemented As Security? 

One place where you might find it more generally useful is in an area like security, where it can be used to repeatedly scan and improve your defenses in such a way that improves on what came before. AI security can be leveraged in several ways, and working with experts, either in- house or outsourced, can help you understand which of these would best suit the structure of your business. This might also be something that you feel is a more natural extension of how you currently work, incorporating AI in the way that requires the least amount of structural change to your operations. 

As always, when it comes to anything with security, it is important to do your own research to see how such a thing could work for you – especially if you aren’t sure. 

To What Extent Can It Be Utilized As A Tool? 

If you do decide to use AI more directly in your work as a tool, there is a question of how far you want to go with it. Some people will want to take it as far as possible, trying to work out all the different areas that might benefit from it – testing their own use of AI and pushing it to its limits. 

However, others might want to be more conservative – there is not necessarily a right answer in general, there is only your business and your specific circumstances. That being said, it is important to understand where the skills of your team lay so that you can get a sense of how much training might be required to make this transition a successful one.

Tools For Improved Industrial Operations

Industrial operations today are undergoing a revolution as businesses adopt tools that enhance productivity, safety, and sustainability. While AI and software dominate many discussions, there is a growing focus on solutions that address practical challenges in manufacturing. From enterprise resource planning software to innovative odor control systems, these tools ensure operational efficiency while supporting a sustainable future. Keep reading to learn more about the tools needed to improve industrial operations. 

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software: Streamlining Operations 

ERP software is a cornerstone for modern industrial management. By integrating critical processes—such as procurement, inventory, production, and financials—ERP systems provide real-time data and insights. This centralization reduces redundancies, streamlines workflows, and enhances decision-making. 

Additionally, enterprise resource planning software fosters scalability, allowing businesses to grow without sacrificing efficiency. Its analytics capabilities can identify bottlenecks and optimize resource utilization, giving companies a competitive edge in a demanding marketplace. 

ERP systems also improve collaboration between departments by standardizing data and workflows across the organization. For example, production teams can coordinate seamlessly with procurement, ensuring materials are available exactly when needed, while finance teams maintain real-time oversight of spending. This unified approach not only boosts operational efficiency but also minimizes waste, supporting both profitability and sustainability. 

Odor Control Systems: Tackling Environmental Challenges 

An odor control system is vital for industries like waste management, chemical manufacturing, and food processing, where emissions can impact workers, communities, and the environment. These systems utilize advanced filtration, chemical neutralizers, and bio-based solutions to mitigate odors, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and improving air quality. Beyond odor reduction, these systems enhance workplace safety and community relations, helping businesses align with sustainability goals and regulations. 

During equipment maintenance, AR can visualize the inner workings of machinery, identify problem areas, and suggest corrective measures. The technology has the potential to reduce the likelihood of human error and extend the lifespan of machinery by ensuring thorough and proper maintenance is conducted. 

Modern odor control solutions are also increasingly automated, enabling real-time monitoring and adjustment of air filtration systems. Sensors detect changes in air quality and automatically activate mitigation measures, ensuring continuous compliance with regulations. By combining these technologies with environmentally friendly materials, industries can significantly reduce their environmental impact while maintaining smooth operations. 

Physical Innovations In Maintenance And Training 

While software solutions drive efficiency, physical tools like augmented reality (AR) devices are transforming maintenance and training. AR overlays digital information onto machinery, guiding technicians with step-by-step instructions for repairs. This reduces human error, speeds up maintenance, and extends equipment lifespan. 

In addition to aiding maintenance, AR tools enhance collaboration by enabling remote assistance. Experts can guide on-site technicians in real time, overlaying instructions or diagrams on the technician’s view through an AR device. This capability reduces the need for travel, saves time, and ensures quicker resolutions to complex problems, keeping equipment operational with minimal disruption. 

AR also brings significant value to safety protocols. Simulated training scenarios allow workers to practice handling hazardous situations without risk, ensuring they are well-prepared for emergencies. Moreover, the ability to visualize equipment components in 3D helps technicians fully understand machinery before performing repairs, reducing the likelihood of accidents. These innovations not only boost efficiency but also contribute to a safer and more prepared workforce. 

Overall, the future of industrial operations depends on a balanced approach that combines cutting-edge software with practical, hands-on solutions. By integrating tools like ERP software, odor control systems, and augmented reality into their operations, businesses can achieve new levels of efficiency, sustainability, and innovation. These technologies not only address the unique challenges of industrial environments but also pave the way for a more adaptable and environmentally conscious sector. As industries continue to evolve, the tools they choose will define their ability to remain competitive and responsive in a rapidly changing world.

How To Change Face In Videos Using AI Face Swap Tool

Use AI Tool to Change Face in Video and Fuel Your Video Creativity & Content!

Video content creation has become a cornerstone of success, particularly for creators on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The demand for captivating and visually stunning material is on the rise, leading content creators to explore innovative methods like face swapping to enhance their videos. 

Feel anxious but don’t know how to catch up with the pace? If you haven’t touched any face swap tool yet and don’t know about it, don’t worry; this article will lead you through the introduction, importance, and step-by-step guide. 

The Importance of Face Swap in Video Production 

First of all, it never wastes time to figure out why you need an AI face swap tool for your video content creating before choosing one. Using a face swap app when creating videos can firstly improve the visual appeal of the content, by pouring a touch of humor and novelty. This can attract viewers' interest. Therefore, turning to a good AI face swapping tool is quite a smart idea for refining your videos and captivating a larger audience. Then, which one should you use for your video? 

Discover the Best AI Tool for Face Swapping in Videos 

When it comes to reliable and user-friendly face swap tools, iSmartta stands out as a top choice. 

As a simple online AI tool, it requires no downloading and installing, but helps users effortlessly change faces in both videos and photos. This tool ensures smooth face replacements while maintaining natural lighting, skin tones, and facial expressions. 

Additionally, it is completely free, making it a cost-effective solution for creators seeking high-quality results. 

If you need an online free face swap tool for your advertisements, engaging social media content, or immersive storytelling experiences, choose iSmartta as your helper, and you won’t get let down. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Face Swapping in Videos 

With the help of this easy online face swap tool, everyone can easily change faces in videos without any difficulties. 

Access the Face Swap AI Tool: Visit the video face swap tool. 

Upload Your Video and Target Image: Click Free Video Face Swap and select your video file and the image containing the desired face. 

Initiate Face Swap: Click on the "Swap Face Now" button to initiate the face swap process. 

Within several seconds to minutes, you can check how the video is. With the detailed tutorial, you can get your video faces swapped now. If you have some more curiosity and related questions, move on and check the further related info about the face swap tool. 

How Does AI Video Face Swapping Work 

AI face swapping works by using sophisticated neural networks trained on large sets of facial images. These networks use image segmentation and feature extraction to identify important facial features and create a detailed map of the face. 

With this map, the algorithm can generate a realistic version of the target face and smoothly place it onto the original video frames. This creates a convincing transformation that fits naturally into the video. 

Legality and Commercial Use of Face Swap in Videos 

Is it legal to change faces in videos? Can you use face swap apps for commercial purposes? In most cases, swapping faces in videos is considered fair use for creative purposes. However, it is important to follow copyright laws and get permission if needed. 

Also, if you wonder if okay to use face changing tools for commercial purposes, yes, you can, but only if you have the necessary rights and permissions for the original material. 

Final Thoughts 

In a nutshell, changing face in videos can help content creators improve storytelling, engage viewers, and enhance visual appeal to access more audience. With AI tools like iSmartta, mastering face swapping and polishing your video content becomes achievable for everyone.

Unlock The Power Of Language Models: How GPT Integration Transforms Google Sheets

Language models have revolutionized a large number of industries. They provide powerful tools for natural language processing and generation. Among these models, GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) stand out for their ability to understand human-like text. 

The integration of GPT into Google Sheets has opened up a world of possibilities for users as it changes the way data is analyzed, interpreted, and acted upon. Let's explore how the AI tool for Google Sheets is empowering users to unlock new levels of productivity and insight. 

GPT Integration Context 

GPT integration in Google Sheets is an add-on to Google Sheets that takes the familiar spreadsheet interface to new heights by bringing the capabilities of language models directly into the interface. 

This integration allows users to seamlessly use GPT for a number of different tasks, including things like data analysis, text generation, and natural language processing (NLP). By simply typing a formula or command, users can access GPT's language generation abilities within their spreadsheet workflows. 

Enhanced Data Analysis 

With GPT integration, Google Sheets users can go beyond traditional data analysis techniques and tap into the full potential of natural language processing. 

For example, users can input complex queries or prompts in plain English, and GPT can generate relevant insights or summaries based on the data in the spreadsheet. This streamlined approach to data analysis enables users to uncover hidden patterns, trends, and correlations more efficiently than ever before and with less technical ability. 

Automated Report Generation 

GPT integration in Google Sheets enables automated report generation which saves users time and effort in creating and formatting reports. 

Users can simply input the desired parameters and criteria into the spreadsheet, and GPT can generate comprehensive reports complete with charts, graphs, and summaries. This not only speeds up the reporting process but also ensures consistency and accuracy across multiple reports. 

Smart Data Interpretation 

GPT's natural language processing capabilities make it adept at interpreting and summarizing complex data sets. 

Users can input descriptions or explanations of their data in plain language, and GPT can generate concise summaries or interpretations based on the information provided. 

This feature is especially useful for users who may not have expertise in data analysis or statistics, allowing them to gain valuable insights from their data with ease. 

Streamlined Collaboration 

GPT integration facilitates streamlined collaboration among Google Sheets users by enabling real-time communication and collaboration within the spreadsheet interface. 

Users can input questions, comments, or instructions in plain English, and GPT can interpret and respond to these inputs accordingly. This seamless communication fosters collaboration and enhances productivity among team members working on shared spreadsheets. 

Personalized Assistance 

GPT integration in Google Sheets provides personalized assistance to users by offering suggestions, recommendations, and guidance based on their specific needs and preferences. 

Whether it is suggesting formulas, providing data interpretation tips, or offering troubleshooting advice, GPT can help users navigate their spreadsheet tasks more effectively, empowering them to achieve their goals with confidence and AI tech. 

Future Outlook 

The integration of GPT into Google Sheets is only the beginning of spreadsheet technology. As natural language processing and AI continue to advance, we can expect to see further enhancements and innovations in the way users interact with and leverage data in their spreadsheets. 

With GPT integration, Google Sheets users have access to a powerful tool that empowers them to unlock new levels of productivity, insight, and innovation. 

GPT integration has transformed Google Sheets into a dynamic and intelligent platform for data analysis, interpretation, and collaboration. By harnessing the power of language models, users can streamline their workflows, automate tedious tasks, and gain valuable insights from their data with ease. As GPT technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the future, further revolutionizing the way we work with spreadsheets.

AI And The Future Of Mortgage Lending

Once upon a time (which is to say 10 years ago), the mortgage industry had an innovation problem. Brash fintechs were challenging incumbents, Silicon Valley was producing breakthrough technologies at scale but the vast array of lenders were still operating in the past, hesitant to abandon legacy systems, rote processes and an overreliance on manual labour. To capture the business of an increasingly sophisticated consumer and reduce turn times, mortgage providers would need to forge ahead and embrace a faster, more process-efficient and customer-centric business model whose engine was cutting-edge technology. 

Mortgage Processing: Problem, Meet Solution 

The mortgage process has historically been defined by paperwork—a dizzying amount of it. Ploughing through required documentation and verifying data is not just laborious, but because it relies on manual processes it can potentially produce errors that result in additional delays and customer distress. By introducing smart technology into certain time-intensive processes, tasks can be automated, manual labour can be saved or directed elsewhere and turn times can be shortened—a result that will put a smile on your face and delight your lender as well. 

Innovative Solutions Across The Mortgagesphere 

In reducing industry pain points, automation was heralded as the key optimizing factor—but you can’t automate simply by “going digital.” You need smarter technology. The inherent innovations in both AI and machine learning (and to a lesser degree, robotic process automation) allow for time-consuming activities to be completed largely without human involvement. This means the gathering, reviewing and verifying of critical mortgage-related documents can be effectively undertaken and resolved by leveraging AI and deploying it across the enterprise. 

It is about reducing friction for all parties throughout the lifecycle of the transaction customer, lender, investor, everyone. Introducing automation into the mortgage process leads to a superior borrower experience and a cost reduction model available to all participants. 

Let's Take A Closer Look At The Big 3 

- AI (Artificial Intelligence)* AI is typically defined as the ability of a machine to perform cognitive functions we associate with human minds, such as perceiving, reasoning, learning, interacting with the environment, problem solving, and even exercising creativity. “Reading” and extracting information from a mortgage-related document, for example, would be considered an AI function. 

- Machine-Learning* algorithms detect patterns and learn how to make predictions and recommendations by processing data and experiences, rather than by receiving explicit programming instruction. Working in predefined areas, machine learning yields results that are: 

• Descriptive—it describes what happens 

• Predictive—it anticipates what will happen 

• Prescriptive—it can provide recommendations on what to do based on past experience (historical data) 

- Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a productivity tool that allows a user to create scripts (which some refer to as “bots”) to mimic or emulate selected tasks within an overall business or IT process. Unlike AI and machine learning for mortgages, RPA tasks need to be explicitly programmed by a human. Chat bots are an example of RPA that you are likely familiar with from a host of online retailers. 

Taken together, these advancements can provide measurable value to help automate mortgage processing—and bring more value to you and your lender by: 

1. Reducing costs for everyone involved 

2. Closing loans faster 

3. Eliminating mistakes throughout the process 

4. Enhancing customer experience 

Mortgage Platforms With Machine Learning Capabilities 

There are some players such as Tomo or ROSHI which have emerged as innovative players in the mortgage industry with plans to leverage cutting edge tech to help measurably improve how borrowers experiencing the loan buying journey, their data is extracted, read, understood and classified. Ultimately, this means bringing clarity, eliminating pain points, closing loans faster while serving more customers. 

It is the type of technology that can ultimately transform an industry. These startups are confident next-level efficiencies will help all lenders accelerate growth, reduce turn times and improve their ability to scale, leading to lower costs and fewer errors. 

By automating a slew of repetitive, manual tasks that are built into the mortgage origination process, lenders can accelerate certain loan-closing and post-closing processes more quickly and better scale their capacity. 

If you are looking to compare the best refinance home loans or find the best home loans rates go and check out these startups for yourself.

What Is Streamlining In Logistics?

Streamlining logistics is a process that automates mundane tasks. For large eCommerce companies, this means using robotics and AI to streamline their processes. However, small and medium businesses may not have the budget to adopt such technology. In these cases, inventory scanner systems may be a better option. 

Earn Major Money Online Right Here Today

Managing Reverse Logistics

Managing reverse logistics is an increasing necessity in many industries. This process involves creating value for customers, products, and carriers. According to Remcoda, companies need to be mindful of their impact on these ecosystems to ensure they continue providing value to customers and businesses. Managing the process correctly can lead to significant benefits for companies and customers.

Reverse logistics involves tracking products throughout their life cycle and provides opportunities for supply chain optimization. It also helps businesses improve profitability by controlling supply chain expenditures. In addition, the inbound flow of returned products can be managed effectively by implementing a return policy and procedure. Such a policy will help businesses determine how to best use end-of-life products and may involve refurbishing or remanufacturing.

Importance Of Process Review

A process review is an important part of a business's strategic planning. It can help you identify your operations' weak spots and potential improvements. It can also reveal best practices. For example, a process review can be useful for new-hire training programs or activity flow mapping. It can also prove beneficial if a long-time supervisor leaves the company.

It can also serve as an opportunity for a strategic audit, leading to a logistics system redesign. It can help you align your logistics efforts with corporate needs and goals. The process can also help you formalize your strategy so that logistics considerations are included in your overall strategy formulation.

Importance Of Automating Mundane Tasks

Automating mundane tasks in logistics can increase efficiency and allow employees to focus on high-level tasks. For example, automating back-office processes helps companies track customer information and offer faster service. Automation also helps businesses minimize costs and improve ROI. Robotic process automation (RPA) automates repetitive tasks like order processing and waybill printing.

While many people associate automation with large robots on assembly lines and self-driving trucks, automation is often used to assist with smaller tasks. For example, tracking shipments is a tedious task prone to human error. With RPA, logistics companies can easily automate these routine tasks, resulting in reduced human error.

Importance of a TMS system

A TMS system is a powerful software tool that will allow you to streamline your logistics operations. Automating the necessary tasks will save you time. It will streamline the process of comparing rates and booking shipments, eliminating the need for human error that can result in mistakes. In addition, it will integrate with your ERP system, allowing you to view all your options on one screen.

Another important benefit of a TMS system is that it will allow you to manage and monitor your carriers' performance. Real-time tracking data provides the information you need to hold carriers accountable for their delivery times and keep your customers happy. It will also allow you to view the status of a shipment's arrival at its final destination and help you avoid delays due to traffic.

Importance Of Automating Order Forms

Automating order forms in the logistics sector can be very beneficial for many reasons. For starters, it can help streamline the process by reducing the time required for each step. This way, the process of fulfilling orders can be reduced from hours to minutes. It also helps improve the customer experience since there will be no delays and errors. Furthermore, it will help businesses improve customer satisfaction, visibility, and accessibility.

Another important benefit of automated order processing is the reduction of fulfillment costs. Automated order processing eliminates manual processes, including order entry and tracking. It also streamlines the process by automating tasks such as printing shipping labels and verifying orders. Automation will also save valuable time that would have otherwise been spent on the process.

Importance Of A Historical Database

Historical data is an important part of logistics and can help determine the current status of your supply chain and identify areas for improvement. It is also important for evaluating the overall performance of your logistics operation, and it can help you identify areas for future savings. If you can gather historical data from various sources, you will be better able to evaluate your logistics processes and identify opportunities for improvement.

Historical data can also help you plan your shipping strategy. For example, if you need to deliver products from a certain region to another, a historical database can help you model the costs of transporting the goods. This can help you determine the location of potential suppliers and distribution points to optimize costs. It can also help you know the effect of changing shipping rates on the costs of the goods.

4 Tips To Improve Website SEO - Simple Suggestions To Grow On Google

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a never-ending challenge to rank for keywords and earn organic traffic from Google. Without organic traffic, your website and business could flame-out and fail. With Google's search algorithms constantly changing, you need all the tips you can get to help stay on Page 1 longer or climb higher in the SERPs. 

Here are 3 simple tips to improve your website SEO results:

1. Improve SEO On Google By Embracing Modern Trends And Tech Like AI

Learn how to use social media data for SEO You’ve heard to no end about how powerful and sophisticated Google’s search AI is, from BERT to TF-Ranking to Google RankBrain, and how difficult it makes SEO for the average marketer. How do you keep up? How do you fight for SEO results when bigger competitors can afford to leverage millions of dollars in technology and people to build their own AI-powered SEO? 

We've written many articles and blog posts to show you how to work around many of these problems. Lean Startup Life SEO outlines a solution for modern SEO when you don’t have your own AI engineers or millions of dollars to invest in building your own sophisticated AI: optimizing SEO using social media data. Think of it as data for humans, by humans - and it’s data that will help your SEO efforts improve substantially. 

In our blog posts you’ll learn: How search engine AI has evolved (in layman’s terms) How search engines learn (especially Google) How to use social media monitoring data to refine your SEO efforts How to use social media monitoring data to inform content marketing format choices How to blend search and social data together to find the right time to roll out new content. The SEO articles are free here on The Lean Startup Life Blog. 

2. Improve Your SEO Writing For Google Greatness

SEO writing isn't all fun and games. It requires strategy, keyword research, and productive systems to keep you on track if you are writing high volume or long form content. Here are some simple tips to write better for SEO:

- Take your time on the research portion of the writing process. Read and digest the seed articles before crafting your own content. A well-thought-out and researched article is instantly elevated over one compromised with filler and high-level facts. 

- Take five-minute breaks every hour or so during the SEO writing process. Give yourself an opportunity to get away from the screen. A little break is a great way to recharge.  

- Take your time on the research portion of the writing process. Chances are, someone has at least touched on the very same topic you’re writing about. 

- Take the time to read and digest similar articles before crafting your own content. You may be able to write a few paragraphs freestyle without pre-planning, but it will show in the quality of your work. A well thought-out and researched piece is instantly elevated over one comprised of mostly filler and high-level facts. 

- Take your time on the research portion of the blog writing process. Chances are, someone has at least touched on the very same topic you’re writing about. 

- Work somewhere where you have to be "presentable". Pajamas on the couch won't cut it. If you go to a coffee shop or at least look the part, you'll feel more productive. 

If you add these to your SEO writing repertoire you will get better results in no time!

3. Optimize Your Website For Voice Searches  

With the massive growth of audio assistants (Alexa, Google Home, Cortana, Siri), there as been an explosion of voice searches. These audio searches are eating up a small portion of the search market, so you want to make sure you optimize your posts for voice search as well so your websites aren't missing out on traffic. 

Make sure you include plenty of helpful long-tail keywords and question - answer terminology. Think about how voice searches are different than typed search queries and your content will be more successful. 

Not all businesses need to prioritize voice search the same way, so make an overall assessment before investing too much time and money into voice SEO. 

4. Increase Your Traffic From Non Search Engine Sources 

Increasing your website traffic from sources other than search engines like Google and Bing can help improve SEO indirectly. But before we get into this further, let's first start with a ma thematic principle first:

One of the most overlooked basic mathematical concepts in marketing is the logistic function. Mathematically expressed, it looks something like this: dP / dt = rP (1-P/K) 

Now, that may not mean a whole lot, but it’s a way of modeling things like population carrying capacity. A logistic function looks like this: Basic logistic function At this point you may be saying, “This is too obscure, what’s the point?” Logistic functions help us to understand the upper bounds of what’s possible, what’s probable. In some pitch decks for startups, you’ll see hilarious charts that always show a hockey stick of growth for whatever product or service is being marketed to investors. 

The reality we face is that we don’t have an infinite audience for our sales and marketing efforts. Depending on what we sell, there may be very strict limits as to how quickly we can market. 

For example, suppose we have an email list like this newsletter. How much email could you send before people start getting irritated and unsubscribing? You can’t send infinite amounts of email and expect never-ending performance growth from it. You’d want to track your data to find out when you were hitting diminishing returns. In the beginning of a logistic function, the speed of your data is flat. Then it grows and picks up speed, like in the early part of an ad campaign. For a while, growth is steady and solid. Life is good. 

Then you start noticing performance slowing down. Ad spend goes up. Clicks drop. And finally, you hit a point where you’re getting less and less while spending more and more, be it time, money, or effort. Why? Because you’ve hit the saturation point for that particular audience, strategy, and set of tactics. There may not be any more people who are valid, attainable customers in that particular segment of your market. How do you know when you’ve hit that point? The math behind it is startlingly easy. Suppose you have some data, like website visitors: 

Charts of growth Website visitors are your data. How much your website visitors increase or decrease over any given period of time is the velocity of your website traffic - and that rate of change is the logistic function you’d be wanting to measure, dividing your change in a metric over a period of time. When your rate of change slows down, you’ve lost momentum and it’s time to switch up strategies and tactics. That kind of thing isn’t easy to eyeball, so if you look at the rate of your rate of change - essentially, an acceleration or deceleration number - you can know with mathematical certainty whether or not you’re speeding up or slowing down. 

On the top-most chart, your acceleration number in the growth section would be positive. Your acceleration number in the slowdown part would be negative, and it would be flat - zero - in the flat sections. When your acceleration goes consistently negative for more than a couple of time periods, you’ve probably hit the upper part of your logistic function. You’ve hit diminishing returns, and it’s time to change things up. This is something you can do in a spreadsheet. 

You don’t need fancy code or a data scientist, just basic subtraction and division. But measuring your marketing data and seeing if logistic functions are at work is a great way to avoid overspending time and effort on tactics and strategies that aren’t delivering for you any more.

Get Growing On Google 

Nobody said SEO would be easy, they just said it would be worth it! Keep these 3 simple search engine optimization tips in mind to keep growing on Google year after year despite the ever-changing SEO industry.

AI And A/B Testing For Social Media Advertising

Since www.LeanStartupLife.com was founded, we’ve prided ourselves in using cutting-edge AI to drive success for our customers. We use a combination of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Models to inform everything from audience targeting to post text generation. We’re constantly running tests to see what works and what doesn’t. Recently we ran an interesting experiment with post text and AI, that I think anyone running ads on social will find useful and enlightening. That’s what I want to talk about today, so let’s dive in. 

More Than A Buzzword 

Confession time: Before starting Lean Startup Life I was fairly dismissive of AI for a couple of reasons. First, it seemed like every Tom Dick and Harry in the tech world claimed to use it. Second, most of the real-world applications I saw that claimed to use it were underwhelming at best. In a previous role I’d seen several attempts at using AI to generate text, and the results were usually grammatically incorrect nonsense. Adding to that the cultural references from Skynet to the Matrix, I basically put my fingers in my ears and walked on. 

My mind has definitely been changed in the last year. The advances that The Lean Startup Life Blog has harnessed to inform our technology have made it so that we can generate text that is effective, while also being able to predict its performance relatively well. It’s made me a believer. 

We consistently run sanity tests to make sure our models work, and we ran a test recently that wasn’t only helpful for us, I think it’s helpful for anyone wanting to create effective post text (whether that’s using AI or just your own wits and creativity). In all earnestness, it also taught me a bit about both the potential and the limitations of AI. 

Setting The Stage 

Our AI has been trained on millions and millions of social media posts, so the assumption is that it should know both what to write, and how well that writing will do. For this test, we specifically wanted to see whether we were good at predicting performance. Our performance predictor basically gives post text a score between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the better it should perform. We chose 30 articles, ranging from sports, to cooking to politics, and ran A/B tests on those. The only variable we changed was the post text. The headlines, images, targeting, and bidding remained the same. In short - the test was run in a completely sterile environment. 

For each article, we tested two post texts with a difference of at least 20 points between them. So a low performer with a grade of, say, 40 would compare to text with a grade of 60 or higher. 

For example, an article about hiking horror stories, we used these texts: 

Post Text  /  Predictive Performance Score 

You never know what lies beyond the woods  /  59 

These stories are terrifying  / 95 

We wanted to see if our grading system held up, and to hopefully learn more about what texts work and what texts don’t. 

We used CPC and CTR as indicators. 

Low CPC = Win 

High CTR = Win  

Top Takeaways 

Let’s start with the headline from the results: Post texts with the higher performance score had an average of 18% higher CTR, and 14% lower CPC. Looking at the example from above, the actual result was that CPC was about 12% lower on the high-scoring text, and CTR was about 11% higher. 

We also wanted to truly put our AI through the paces, so we gave the post texts to our own team - who are masters at Facebook - to predict which ones they thought would do better. They got it right about 50% of the time - a coin toss. The AI did measurably better. 

Here’s my key takeaway here: AI is not perfect. It will probably never be able to write text that is as good as a talented human writer will. However, when it comes to taking data and turning it into something coherent and useful - there is nothing better. The Lean Startup Life team isn’t “worse” than the AI. The difference between them is that the LeanStartupLife.com team doesn’t have the ability to crunch millions of numbers and build out probability scenarios. We’re human, for better or worse. I see AI as a helping hand, never a replacement. Using AI for text generation is akin to using Photoshop to create an image. The human spark is still there. 

Fun Facts From Findings 

Other than the above, I wanted to mine the data to see if there was anything actionable that everybody can use to inform their own campaigns, AI or no AI. Here are a few things I discovered: 

1. Post Text Matters 

I mean, we knew that because otherwise we wouldn’t have built a whole AI infrastructure around it, but it’s always a good reminder. The top performing posts had a CPC that was 14% lower on average, and a CTR that was 18% higher on average. These types of margins could be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful campaign, no matter what business goal you’re optimizing for. If you’re not testing multiple variations of post text, you really should be. 

2. Word Count Matters! 

There are different schools of thought when it comes to post text. The test we ran definitively proved that shorter texts performed better. For our purposes, “short” was around 5 words on average. Of course, there will be situations where more is better, which is why A/B testing continuously is so important.

When it comes to content, lose the CTAs. About ⅓ of the text variations had a call to action in them - i.e. “Read this”, “Learn how” and so on. Those lost out to more editorial texts 60% of the time. 

AI + A/B Testing Takeaways

I think it’s often easy to get complacent when it comes to post text, and even if we got some clear-cut conclusions, it doesn’t mean that they are set in stone. If nothing else, I hope sharing some of this data encourages you to test more often.

How Robots Are Helping To Save The Planet

Our planet is in a perilous place. Earth is dealing with climate change, pollution, overflowing landfills, depleted fossil fuels, disease, animal extinctions, nuclear arms, and food scarcity on a large scale due to global industrialization and a population approaching 8 billion people. With climate change in particular, if we don't make major changes to our energy use and carbon footprints in the next few decades then we could do irreparable harm to the world.

The situation is dire indeed and the scientific community is looking at any and all possible solutions to our wide variety of planetary problems.

Luckily, robots, robotic technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are all increasingly effective tools to combat our planetary problems. Innovative robotic tech and machinery can be the key to saving our planet from serious imminent threats.

How Robotic Technology Can Help Protect The Planet

1. Reduction In Energy Use 

One of the biggest problems facing our planet is energy use and everything related to it. We are running out of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal, etc) and our world's growing use of energy has been creating serious pollution and climate change. 

Robots and robotic technology can help to: 

- Reduce energy use with efficiency and AI
- Research and test newer sustainable forms of energy
- Refine existing forms of sustainable energy such as biofuel, electric, hydrogen, solar, and wind 

Visit Machine Vision Systems to learn more about how robotics can help to reduce our energy use, cut pollution, and improve sustainability.

2. More Humans Focused On Problem-Solving

With less humans doing mundane or tasks that can be automated, we can continue transitioning our focus to data, research, and solving our biggest global problems. If we have more minds focused on fixing our world's problems instead of doing manual labor or tedious tasks, we'll make faster advances in all areas.

3. More Robots And Less Employees Mean A Lower Corporate Carbon Footprint

Robots and Artificial Intelligence can help to replace unnecessary manual laborers or unskilled employees at your company. While that isn't always a win overall from an economic standpoint, from an environmental standpoint it is usually positive. Your company will then have a lower carbon footprint since there are fewer employees commuting to work and using your oil / gas / coal / heat / water / electricity. Robots don't need heat, water, room lighting, and they certainly don't have to add to the smog by commuting to work!

4. Every Little Bit Helps

Whether robots help moderately or massively to improve our planet, every little bit helps. Any modicum of pollution that can be prevented or research that can be conducted could be the different between peril and prosperity for the human race and every other life form. While we can't responsibly measure the exact benefit that robots will have on our planet's health, it's pretty safe to say that it will be significant enough to make a difference. Any improvement is better than none at all!

Robots Can Help To Power & Protect Our Prosperous Planet

Our planet is at a crossroads with growing environmental threats popping up each year. Every solution should be explored and utilized to the furthest extent to protect our world. Robots and robotic technologies are currently some of the most effective solutions to our problems, and will continue to be as technology advances over time.