AI is everywhere now, and the race is on to declare a winner in the AI WARS!

Not really. I’m lying. Large Language Models, the most common form of AI you’re seeing hype about right now is everywhere, and will continue to get baked into practically everything you do online, for better or for worse.

In this post I’d like to explore some of the more popular tools, and their advantages or disadvantages in the ecosystem. Our subscription budget at VIA Studio/eResources has exploded in the last 6 months as we test and try out these tools, so here go some hot takes.

In what’s becoming myth and legend in this world, OpenAI added a “chat” interface to its LLM and immediate value was birthed. They launched early, to 

, but is always improving. I use OpenAI almost daily for certain tasks. 

OpenAI doesn’t have the baggage of the bigger players, so I hope to see them continue to innovate in user interface design.



OpenAI is likely to become somewhat of a utility, in that many, many startups will use OpenAI to power their business. Much like the big players have done over the years, they will have the insight to either purchase these startups and incorporate them into their business, or build similar functionality.



ChatGPT is TERRIBLE at being creative. Trying to get it to move away from cliches in writing and ideation is a barrier to some of the work that we do. Creating something unique and novel is still a human’s job.



Dall-E, OpenAI’s image generator, has caught up and surpassed MidJourney’s image generation in many ways. I absolutely LOVE Dall-E’s ability to take feedback and tweak a specific image. So much so that I used it to help write a fun little fable/comic. You can see it in 

 Google was an early innovator in this space, so much so that they had to fire one of their employees for claiming 

. Do I think we’ve created Artificial General Intelligence yet? No, I think that there’s just so much human language and sentiment now online that the models have utilized it to blaze past the Turing Test. Now we need new gauges of “intelligence” in these systems.

Google has access to your writing style, your email, your calendar, your search history, and a whole bunch more. Watch out, because once they create pipelines to connect these things, Gemini will become scary useful. This is the functionality that will both free up a lot of our time AND cost a lot of jobs in the information economy.



Gemini seems to be falling into their larger design patterns, so I worry that they won’t innovate in the user interface space as quickly as OpenAI.



Google Search SUCKS. As Google’s biggest cash cow, I wonder how fast they are transitioning to new revenue streams. Google’s SERPs are just a horrible mess these days, with ads everywhere and its usefulness waning. I’m dying to see if they evolve fast enough to keep from becoming a dinosaur.

As much as my design friends hate to hear it, I’m a Microsoft guy when it comes to computers. Ever since Adobe’s products have worked the same on Windows and Mac, it seemed absurd to own a Mac. Sorry, not sorry.

Microsoft has already integrated their Copilot functionality to the Windows operating system interface. They have access to millions, if not billions of computers, so their ability to integrate LLM into your workflow tools has high potential.



Lest we forget, Microsoft owns LinkedIn, XBox, GitHub, and more, so their ability to get to know you, your career, what’s hot in gaming, and coding models will continue to evolve and improve. I think they will stay near the top of the pack.



Microsoft owns a significant stake in OpenAI, and flexed their muscles wildly when the 

. Their influence over OpenAI will keep them as a key player in this space.

Midjourney is freaking awesome at generating all kinds of images and styles. I love it. However, it’s got problems.

I think MidJourney, unless it is purchased by a larger corporation, is ripe for class action lawsuits around copyright infringement. I personally believe that we will need new regulations around fair-use and trademark issues around LLM image generators, but it will take lawsuits to get Congress to figure this out.



Midjourney’s model of using Discord as their user interface is brilliant. Being able to watch people from all over the world learn their prompts in real-time is both educational and inspiring. I encourage you to watch and learn there.

 As a heavy user of Adobe, I also hate their monopoly power over creative tools. Their pricing model sucks as well. Other than that, Firefly is growing up quickly. I still prefer Dall-E and Midjourney, but I’m guessing Firefly will take off. The Firefly web interface is very compelling.

They have already integrated LLM/AI tools into their products. I’ve used Photoshop and Illustrator’s generative tools quite a bit already. They’re not great, but they can only get better from here. Expect to see more very quickly.

Currently our favorite AI note taker is MeetGeek, but Google Meet, Zoom, Teams and the rest are already starting to integrate this functionality into their tools. Here’s hoping these evolve quickly and let you tweak them to your needs, because they are already super-useful.

That does it for now. If you have your own hot takes, why don’t you 

hop over to my LinkedIn post and join the conversation

PS - I had Google Gemini review this post and it did NOT like my comment about search dying:

“Accuracy: Some claims, like Google Search dying, are debatable and require nuanced discussion.”

Artificial Intelligence

Content Strategy

Guidance

Navigating LLMs: Hot Takes on the Most Popular Large Language Models

One of the definitions of  ‘strategic’ in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is 

“of great importance within an integrated whole or to a planned effect.”

When you think about a social media strategy, what comes to mind? Do you think there’s little ROI? Do you wonder how your business can go viral on TikTok? What’s the most impactful way to tell your story? Do you wonder how it fits into your business goals? A winning campaign and an online presence that makes users want to convert and advocate for your brand are only possible with a plan.

In short, a social media strategy is a piece of the puzzle in bringing your business goals and objectives to fruition. In today’s digital world, the question isn’t about if your business should be on social media — the question you should ask yourself is 

Social media may not be your primary driver of conversions, but it should be a part of your overall business strategy as social media poses unique opportunities that other forms of marketing don’t. It allows your business more visibility, networking opportunities, and can allow you to direct visitors to your website. Beyond that, the use of social media is growing and changing, and in such a competitive and oversaturated space, marketers and business owners have to consistently show the value of their offerings in relevant ways.

In January 2023, 

 released the following social media statistics:

4 billion people across the world use social media

Over 75% of the world’s population 13+ use social media

93% of internet users are social media users

Social media has become an integral part of most of our lives — people of all ages, from all walks of life, and parts of the world. Consumer behavior is changing more rapidly than ever, and

 many never interact with brands, products, and employees face-to-face, and instead rely solely on social media and websites 

for information, to build rapport, decide if they want to purchase a product or service.

Influencers and everyday people are sweeping the internet with brand and product reviews, and consumers no longer have to churn through four pages of Google reviews to get the scoop. Folks create and share

) interactions with a brand or product on TikTok, Instagram reels, Facebook and Instagram Stories, Reddit, and many other platforms. 

Not having negative reviews isn't enough when your competitors have built a network of loyal customers. 

The time to re-evaluate and build a meaningful social media presence is now, and our 

Social media strategy entails many moving parts, all of which are always evolving and changing over time. Before we get into those, remember that a strong social media strategy is consistent, integrated, and thoughtfully planned.

Use the following to guide the creation of your social media strategy.

Let’s start here because without clear goals or an objective in mind, you’re left without the key piece: strategy. The first step is outlining the result you want to achieve. Are you looking to build awareness of your brand? Do you want to establish yourself as a thought leader? Clearly define your objectives before anything else.

A tip to keep in mind when outlining your objective(s) is to keep them aspirational but achievable. You might consider starting with an objective for the first 3-6 months of your new or revised social media strategy, allowing you to measure your performance and make adjustments later.

The marketing funnel is a promising place to start.

This is a big one and a key piece to a larger conversation. You must figure out how your 

 and brand story will be expressed on social media.

. Social media KPIs might include impressions, click-through rate (CTR), video views, website traffic, and conversions.

This step requires you to analyze your current customers and conduct industry and market research. Tools like Google Analytics can help you uncover audience demographics, website entrances, most-viewed content, and more, to help you define your audience.

Your business probably has several audiences, but are all of them on social media?

You should assume that almost every step in developing a social media strategy warrants research. By 

conducting an industry and competitive analysis

, you can get a deeper understanding of what your competitors are doing and what your audience needs. Stay up-to-date on the latest social media trends (subscribe to free resources like 

), discover helpful existing or emerging tools, and more.

Depending on what product or service your business offers, it might not be lucrative to be on every social media platform.

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, probably isn’t fitting for a local clothing boutique, but TikTok or Instagram might be where their ideal customers and competitors are.

Content types go beyond images, blogs, and videos. They also come in the form of reviews, emails, user-generated content, case studies, PR, podcasts, webinars, and more. Consider which content types support your objective, product/tool, and audience needs.

Also, stay tuned into trending content and popular content types when planning and creating.

Money definitely talks when it comes to social media.

If you’re ready to pay to play, even if you don’t have a big budget, but you’re unsure of how to get the most out of it, consider partnering with marketers who do. Our strategy team is no strangers to planning and executing successful social media campaigns.

At VIA, we believe you must foster connections with clients and followers, and that looks like being personable and proactive.

If followers aren’t chatting with a bot, then be human. Be solution-oriented and engage with people in your business via DMs, a post, etc. Suggest quicker ways they can contact your business in the future, offer your business email, and more. Consumers and customers don’t want to feel like a transaction, but at the same time, they’re looking for an easy and intuitive shopping experience.

Refer back to your KPIs, get ready to roll your sleeves up, and dig into the world of Google Analytics, Data Studio Dashboard, Google Trends, and any other tools you’re using to measure performance.

Revisit your strategy to make adjustments that align with your goals.

There’s a lot that goes into social media marketing. If you or your business needs help creating a social media strategy, building one from scratch, or if you’re having difficulty getting your team started with the foundational pieces to build an impactful social media presence — your friends at VIA are around to help you reach your goals.

If you’ve been upping your strategy with our 

Social Media & Audience Development

11 Tips to Build an Impactful Social Media Strategy for Any Business

Web Design

Websites

User Experience

UX / UI

Neighborhood House Website

Custom Dev

Frontend Development

Ecommerce

Stave & Thief Society

Content strategy is the delicate art of deciding what to say, when to say it and where to say it. Contemporary audiences interact with your brand on many different platforms at different points in their journey to becoming a customer. Through our user-focused content processes, we can help you make informed decisions on what to say, when to say it and where to say it.

Content Strategy

Content Strategy: Case Studies

01

Neighborhood House Website

02

Stave & Thief Society

Content Strategy: Blog Posts

Navigating LLMs: Hot Takes on the Most Popular Large Language Models

11 Tips to Build an Impactful Social Media Strategy for Any Business