Category: Business

Next week I have a speaking engagement to share with a room of professionals about ‘AI’. It is such a big subject and everyone seems to be talking about it. It reminds me of back in the day when the Internet was in its infancy. All talk but not so much action.

I thought it would be interesting for my readers to learn a little bit about what I have learned and how I am using AI to massively improve my productivity. I will split my presentation into sections on particular business functions. I will be focussing on:

“How do I grow my business cost effectively when I just don’t have enough hours in the day?”

Marketing – always more to do, never enough budget – and how do I stand out from the rest. AI is a game changer – especially for a start-up or Entrepreneur who is still trying to do a lot themselves.

There is still a place for experience, creativity, and human emotion.

When you think about ‘where should I start?’ consider what is the one bottleneck in your business that if you solved it – life would become easier.

Below, I explore look at how AI tools are revolutionising marketing strategies, with examples of well-crafted prompts that maximise potential – so you can give it a try for yourself. (I might have had AI help me some what with the below). The most important thing to remember is to review what comes back, based on your own experience and who your audience is. Not everything produced by AI is factually correct or right for your brand.

AI-Powered Content Creation

AI tools like GPT-4 by OpenAI are transforming content creation. These tools generate high-quality content quickly, reducing the time and effort required for writing and editing.

• Example Prompt: “Generate a 500-word blog post on the latest trends in digital marketing for small businesses, highlighting the impact of social media and SEO strategies.”
• Benefits: Saves time, ensures consistency in tone, and allows marketers to focus on strategic tasks – but always check it.

Enhanced Customer Segmentation

AI algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and segment customers more accurately. This enables personalized marketing strategies that resonate better with target audiences.

• Example Prompt: “Analyze our customer database to identify distinct segments based on purchasing behavior, demographics, and engagement levels.”
• Benefits: Improves targeting and personalization, leading to higher conversion rates.

Predictive Analytics for Campaign Optimization

AI-driven predictive analytics tools forecast future trends based on historical data, helping marketers optimize their campaigns for better outcomes.

• Example Prompt: “Predict the performance of our upcoming email marketing campaign based on past campaign data and suggest improvements.”
• Benefits: Enhances campaign effectiveness, reduces wastage of resources, and improves ROI.

Chatbots for Customer Engagement

AI-powered chatbots provide instant customer support and engagement, improving user experience and freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.

• Example Prompt: “Create a chatbot script that guides users through our product catalog and assists with common queries.”
• Benefits: Enhances customer satisfaction, provides 24/7 support, and reduces response time.

Social Media Monitoring and Sentiment Analysis

AI tools monitor social media platforms to gauge public sentiment and gather insights about brand perception. This information helps in shaping marketing strategies and addressing customer concerns promptly.

• Example Prompt: “Analyze social media mentions of our brand over the past month and provide a sentiment analysis report.”
• Benefits: Improves brand management, identifies potential PR issues early, and enhances customer relationship management.

Personalization of User Experience

AI personalizes user experiences by recommending products, content, and services based on individual preferences and behavior.

• Example Prompt: “Generate personalized product recommendations for each user based on their browsing and purchase history.”
• Benefits: Increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, boosts sales, and enhances user engagement.

Conclusion

And there is so much more!  There are tools that help you craft content specifically designed to optimise for search (SEO) perhaps you could get it to help you craft the perfect brand promise, edit images or create great designs… If it is a bottleneck in your business then there is probably an AI tool that is changing the way we do business.

It might be worth practicing. How you write / develop prompts is key… put yourself in the shoes of the reader.

For more insights on how AI is transforming marketing and other industries, visit NaomiSimson.com.

---

Also published on Medium.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, Capricorn Clark, told the court that the entertainment mogul threatened to kill her and also kidnapped her when he went to Kid Cudi’s house, where he threatened to kill the rapper who was seeing Cassie at the time.

According to Yahoo! News, during the tenth day of the explosive federal trial of Diddy, Clark shared how she was treated during her time as his assistant, giving details about the times the No Way Out executive had threatened her. During her testimony, she stated that when she was hired in 2004, she was immediately threatened on her first day once he discovered that she worked for his hated rival, Suge Knight, at Death Row Records.

She stated that on the night of her first day of employment, Diddy and one of his security guards took her to Central Park at 9  p.m. and threatened her.

“He told me that he didn’t know that I had anything to do with Suge Knight and if anything happened, he would have to kill me,” Clark testified.

Clark told the courtroom that in 2006, at his home in Miami, he told her that she essentially had no life if she wanted to work for him.

“See, your problem is you want a life, and you can’t have that here,” she alleges Combs said.

She also testified that in 2011, during the Kid Cudi fracas between Diddy, Cassie, and the rapper, she was kidnapped and forced to go with Diddy when he broke into the Day ‘n’ Nite rapper’s house.

“He just said, ‘Get dressed, we’re going to go kill [him],’” Clark stated. After telling Diddy she did not want to go, he forced her to accompany him and his security to Cudi’s place. He allegedly told her, “I don’t give a f**k what you want to do, go get dressed,” before they headed to the residence.

The former assistant also testified that she witnessed Diddy putting his hands on the ‘Me & U singer.’

RELATED CONTENT: Diddy’s $400M Net Worth Is At Risk If Government Seizes His Assets

In the early 1900s, as the automotive revolution reshaped industries, blacksmiths and carriage-makers struggled to adapt. More than a century later, we face a similar inflection point with AI. Just as horse-drawn carriages gave way to automobiles, entire industries are being redefined by algorithms today.

The question isn’t whether your company will adopt AI, but how. And the answer hinges on one critical factor: culture.

Related: How to Create a Workplace Culture That Supports Digital Transformation (and Why It’s Important)

What does an “AI culture” look like?

Building an AI-driven culture isn’t always about buying tools or hiring machine learning scientists. It’s about fostering a mindset where experimentation, learning and human-AI collaboration are core to your company’s DNA. Here’s how to start:

Model curiosity to dispel fear:

Leadership must champion AI, but grassroots innovation is what embeds it into real workflows. At CodeSignal, our engineering team doesn’t just use AI — they build with it. From leveraging GitHub Copilot for complex refactoring to fine-tuning custom LLM agents for internal tools, AI is part of their daily toolkit. And it’s not just engineering. Our marketers, for instance, prototype campaign ideas in Claude and validate messaging variations with Gemini.

The key? Leaders must model curiosity. Share your own AI experiments — and failures — with your team. CodeSignal has a Slack channel dedicated to experimentation with LLMs, where team members share how they’ve been using AI and what they’re learning (“productivity hacks” are a team favorite).

I have been studying AI technology and building AI-native products for over a decade, but this doesn’t stop me from continuing to learn. I regularly share my learnings, from using the latest LLM models for everything from code writing to email writing to image generation, and debate with my colleagues on how different models perform on complex math challenges.

The point of me doing this is to set the example that incorporating AI into your daily workflow doesn’t have to be intimidating, and in fact it can be quite enjoyable. It also reinforces that we’re all learning this new technology and figuring out how best to use it to do our work together.

Provide access to the right AI tools:

Today, tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney are free, yet many companies still gatekeep access. That’s a big mistake. We give every team member a ChatGPT Teams subscription, with the expectation that they’ll play around with it and even create their own GPTs to augment their workflow. In the past year, our employees have created over 50 custom GPTs that help them draft sales emails, gather market insights, extract data, answer HR questions and more.

Make AI literacy a core expectation — then build on it:

Giving people access to AI tools is necessary, but it’s just the first step. To create a meaningful impact, leaders must pair access to tools with training.

CodeSignal does this by asking every team member to complete AI literacy training, where they build skills in using and interacting with LLMs with hands-on practice. Our team recently finished a “spring training” in generative AI literacy, where everyone at the company (even me!) completed a series of experiential learning courses online and shared our learnings, questions and ah-ha moments in a Slack channel. We boosted motivation for completing the training by setting up a goal of 95% participation — rewarded by cool new swag when we met the goal.

Next, we’re building on this foundation of AI literacy by running an AI hackathon at our next in-person meetup. Here, team members will break into teams based on how they use AI and their depth of knowledge. Some teams will explore using LLMs to draft creative campaigns and set project timelines, for example, while others will be building custom GPTs to automate actual parts of their job. The machine learning experts on our team, meanwhile, will be working on building innovative new AI applications from the ground up.

The goal here is to set the expectation that everyone uses AI, yes — but more than that, to give team members ownership of what they do with it and the freedom to choose which parts of their job can best be complemented by AI.

Related: AI is the Coworker of the Future — 3 Ways Employers Can Get Ready

The stakes have never been higher

For some organizations and teams, adopting AI will be uncomfortable at first. AI tools raise a range of new technical, regulatory and ethical questions. Many employees fear that AI will displace them from their jobs. That discomfort is real — and it deserves our attention.

As leaders, our responsibility is to guide our teams through uncertainty with integrity and transparency by showing how embracing AI can help them become even more impactful in their jobs. I do this by modeling AI use in my everyday work and openly sharing my learnings with my team. This gives team members permission to experiment on their own and helps move them from a mindset of fear to curiosity about how AI can be a partner to them in their jobs.

To return to the analogy of the automotive revolution: We’re teaching our carriage-makers how to build self-driving cars.

If you’re a business leader, ask yourself: Am I modeling what it looks like to learn and take risks? Am I giving my team the tools and training they need to build AI literacy? Am I fostering a culture of exploration and experimentation on my team?

The AI revolution is already here, and the future isn’t going to wait for companies to catch up. Neither should we.

The speed with which AI entered our lives is phenomenal. 

(more…)

I used to think building a community just meant “posting consistently” and praying someone commented. Spoiler: it doesn’t work that way. Whether you’re a startup founder, a SaaS marketer, or a creator trying to keep your small community of audience from turning into a ghost town, community management is hard.

Before I got into content marketing, I dipped my toes into the community world and quickly realized that building real connections takes more than good vibes and emojis. So, I did what marketers do best: I over-researched like crazy. I compared 20+ tools to find the best online community management software to keep people engaged, active, and actually coming back.

Of course, there’s Slack, Reddit, Discord, and even Facebook Groups, but most of those weren’t built to scale or support the kind of branded, intentional community experience I was after.

In this list, I’m breaking down the standouts, from sleek all-in-one platforms to lightweight tools perfect for early-stage communities. Whether you’re focused on user growth, member retention, or just want a place your community actually wants to hang out in, there’s something here for you.

(more…)

HP Inc. HPQ will release its second-quarter financial results after the closing bell on Wednesday, May 28.

Analysts expect the Palo Alto, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at 80 cents per share, down from 82 cents per share in the year-ago period. HP projects quarterly revenue of $13.15 billion, compared to $12.80 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

On May 21, Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring maintained HP with an Equal-Weight rating. He also raised the price target from $25 to $29.

With the recent buzz around HP, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends. Currently, HP offers an annual dividend yield of 4.09% — a quarterly dividend of 29 per share ($1.158 a year).

To figure out how to earn $500 monthly from HP, we start with the yearly target of $6,000 ($500 x 12 months).

Next, we take this amount and divide it by HP’s $1.158 dividend: $6,000 / 1.158 = 5,181 shares.

So, an investor would need to own approximately $146,830 worth of HP, or 5,181 shares to generate a monthly dividend income of $500.

Assuming a more conservative goal of $100 monthly ($1,200 annually), we do the same calculation: $1,200 / $1.158 = 1,036 shares, or $29,360 to generate a monthly dividend income of $100.

Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as the dividend payment and the stock price both fluctuate over time.

The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend payment by the current stock price. As the stock price changes, the dividend yield will also change.

For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and its current price is $50, its dividend yield would be 4%. However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield would decrease to 3.33% ($2/$60).

Conversely, if the stock price decreases to $40, the dividend yield would increase to 5% ($2/$40).

Further, the dividend payment itself can also change over time, which can also impact the dividend yield. If a company increases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will increase even if the stock price remains the same. Similarly, if a company decreases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will decrease.

HPQ Price Action: Shares of HP gained by 1.3% to close at $28.34 on Tuesday.

Read More:

Image: Shutterstock

There is so much conversation about how marketing professionals are using AI to augment their productivity, but it takes time to get it right. Whilst we are loving NLP – NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING we still need to become familiar with what works best for us (and our need).

Here are five of the best ways to use AI for marketing. And then below I have provided a list of sample prompts to help you get started.

1. Write prompts as short as possible
2. Be specific – is it an email? A blog post? How my words do you want it to be?
3. Offer context – who is the audience, where will it appear, who will read it?
4. Use follow up prompts to help fine tune your query
5. Experiment! You’re getting to know each other and the way we work best.

Educational Prompts

1. Introduction to Topics
   • “What is [topic]? Write a blog post of [number] words introducing the reader to [topic].”
2. Stage Explanation
   • “Briefly explain the stages of the [topic].”
3. Key Elements
   • “List the key elements of effective [topic].”
4. Comparative Analysis
   • “What is the difference between [topic 1] and [topic 2]?”
5. Trend Impact
   • “Outline how [topic] trends have influenced [another topic].”

Informative Prompts

1. Help Page Content
   • “Create content for our help page that explains how [popular software feature] works.”
2. Competitor Insights
   • “Explain what [your company] can learn from [competitor] optimization of its user experience.”
3. Myth Busting
   • “What are some popular myths about [topic]? Write a strong essay under 1,000 words that dispels all myths.”

Listicle Prompts

1. Tools for Beginners
   • “List [number] must-have tools for beginner [topic] enthusiasts.”
2. Blog Post Titles
   • “List [number] blog post titles on the benefit of an effective [topic].”
3. Customer FAQs
   • “List [number] frequently asked customer questions about our [topic]. Provide answers under 100 words to each question.”

Technical Prompts

1. User Manual
   • “Write a [user manual] for [item details] that guides users through its use.”
2. Data Analysis
   • “Analyze the survey data and outline the key findings.”
3. Business Proposal
   • “Create a business proposal for a new content management system in a hypothetical company. Address costs, timelines, and expected benefits.”

Lead Generation Prompts

1. Product Launch Ideas
   • “Generate ideas for a new product launch in [month] that incorporate the theme of [season] and [tone].”
2. SEO Optimization
   • “Suggest high-volume keyword clusters for [topic] to optimize search engine rankings.”
3. Marketing Campaign Strategies
   • “Generate ideas for an upcoming marketing campaign about [new product] with a marketing mix comprising , [price], [place], [promotion channels].”

Social Media Prompts

1. X (Tweet) Promotion – if anyone still uses it
   • “Write a tweet promoting a new product suited for a target audience in [industry] and [location].”
2. Instagram Testimonial
   • “Generate a post for Instagram featuring a customer testimonial about in under [number] words.”
3. LinkedIn Job Post
   • “Create a LinkedIn post promoting a new job opening in [number] words or less with a strong call-to-action at the end.”

Podcast and Video Content Prompts

1. Podcast Episode
   • “Draft a podcast episode about the latest [industry] trends and innovations that contains [number] minutes of dialogue.”
2. Video Series Ideas
   • “Produce [number] topics for a video series featuring interviews with thought leaders in [industry].”

Content Promotion Prompts

1. Press Release
   • “Write a press release announcing a new product launch geared toward [target audience] that sounds confident, exciting, and interesting.”
2. Outreach Emails
   • “Generate ideas for outreach emails to promote a new product, including [number] of attention-grabbing subject lines and [number] of clear calls-to-action.”

By integrating these AI prompts into your marketing work you’ll become more efficient, have time for creativity, and more time to results. Experiment with these examples to find the best fit for your specific needs. Remember you must read what is produced, make sure it delivers on your tone of voice and that it is factually correct.

Dawn Richard is responding to ex-boyfriend Que’s shocking claims of her drugging him at the request of their Bad Boy boss Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The Danity Kane singer shared a since-deleted statement on X denying the Day26 singer’s claims, which he revealed on Aubrey O’Day’s Do You Believe Me Now? podcast.

“I want to be unequivocally clear: I have never drugged anyone, nor have I ever given anyone pills to take,” she wrote in the post captured by Onsite.

Richard said Que’s claims are “categorically false” and don’t coincide with their continued relationship after the alleged drugging took place.

“If such a belief were genuine,” she wrote, “it would be inconsistent with the actions that followed—like inviting me into your home, introducing me to your family, and continuing a relationship.”

Her statement has faced backlash online, with many siding with Que and pointing to her recent court testimony against Diddy as a reason to question her denial.

“Her response makes no sense,” one critic wrote. “She said she didn’t drug him, and if she did, then why would he continue the relationship, but she didn’t she just testify how she watched Diddy abuse Cassie multiple times and she continued working with him?”

As details of the horrors surrounding Diddy’s behavior continue to emerge in his trial for federal sex trafficking and RICO charges, many of his artists and affiliates are receiving added attention on what they might say or reveal about the disgraced music mogul.

Que claims Richard gave him what he believes was a horse tranquilizer, which triggered a psychotic episode that took time to recover from.

“Whatever ritual, spell, or manipulation that pill carried, it hijacked my autonomy,” Que shared in a lengthy Instagram caption. “I began isolating myself. Sleep became my only escape from the pressure in my skull. I truly believed it was orchestrated by her boss—a display of power meant to destabilize a ‘weak’ mind and instill fear.”

Richard said she remained silent about their breakup out of respect and is now calling for compassion toward everyone affected by Diddy’s alleged abuse. “This isn’t about one person,” she wrote. “My intention has always been to move forward with integrity.”

RELATED CONTENT: Former Danity Kane Member Dawn Richard Sues Diddy For Sexual Assault

Starbucks is hiring a “Captain – Pilot-in-Command” for its company Gulfstream aircraft.

According to the job posting, the role pays between $207,000 and $360,300 a year. (Business Insider notes that the average airline pilot earned around $250,000 in 2024.)

Related: Starbucks’ New CEO Can Make Up to $113 Million in His First Year

“The captain is one of the company’s most visible representatives to the passengers and serves as a Starbucks ambassador both at home and abroad,” the listing reads. “They model Starbucks’ guiding principles and act with tact and decorum, while providing the utmost in service and safety.”

Starbucks reportedly has at least two Gulfstream G550 jets.

While the job description doesn’t specifically say you’ll be helping the CEO get to the office so he can comply with the company’s return-to-office policy standards, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea. It’s been widely reported that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol commutes over 1,000 miles multiple days a week from Newport Beach, California, to Starbucks’s headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

^{A Gulfstream G550 from a private company (not Starbucks) lands at Barcelona airport in Barcelona, Spain, on August 30, 2024. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images}

The pilot role has numerous responsibilities, including managing the flight and crew. Applicants should have a valid Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, a current 1st Class Medical Certificate, an FCC Restricted Radio Operator Certificate, and other FAA-based requirements.

Candidates should also have at least five years of experience operating as a captain with a corporate flight department and at least 5,000 hours of flight time, plus other certificates. See the job listing for the full slate of required items.

Related: ‘We’re Not Effective’: Starbucks CEO Tells Corporate Employees to ‘Own Whether or Not This Place Grows’