Helping side hustlers, solopreneurs and micro businesses conquer the world of online ads to supercharge the earning potential of their small business, Balloonary is an easy-to-use AI-powered tool to create, launch and manage digital ads across Google, Facebook, and Instagram in a matter of minutes.
The brainchild of founders, Brice Dondelinger, Bob Krier, Dylan Thompson, and Marc Donis, Balloonary gives small businesses the power to stand out and get noticed by the right audience by giving them the expertise and tools that larger companies use for sales success.
Here we talk to co-founder Brice Dondelinger about the opportunity AI presents to business owners.
Can you share the inspiration behind creating Balloonary AI’s tool, and how do you believe it can benefit businesses in achieving their goals?
Balloonary is the brainchild of Bob, Dylan, Marc and myself. The tool was created when we were trialling a couple of new business ideas to gauge whether they were worth pursuing. We had spun up a landing page that was capable of dynamically presenting these different ideas by asking users to sign up for a newsletter if they liked what they saw. We then added a way to easily run different Google Ads based on the content for each of our different tests.
Once the traffic started coming in, we could compare performance head on. And indeed, we found a couple of use cases that performed well. And quite a few that didn’t. But the most important insight for us was that this process that we had used actually worked well and had helped us to avoid an otherwise very complicated and painful journey. So, instead of pursuing one of the winning directions, we decided to make this testing machine that we had built along the way a new product.
That’s how that first version of Balloonary came to be. From there it took a few more iterations until we couldn’t resist the enormous potential in the rapidly progressing field of AI anymore. We dropped the testing part and decided to focus on using the power of AI to make the whole process of creating, launching, and analysing online ad campaigns fast and simple, giving businesses and founders the confidence to try online marketing, get their brand seen my more people, and know their campaign is being taken care of.
The goal should be to outsource 80% of a task to AI and use your founder creativity and know-how on the 20% where you can add real value.
What advice would you give founders considering adopting AI technology for their company?
Most entrepreneurs, at one point or another, have thought to themselves ‘I wish I had one more ‘me’ to carry some of this load!’ AI can add tremendous value to small businesses and start-ups, by automating routine tasks and providing valuable insights that can help businesses make data-driven decisions. AI-powered tools can help small businesses optimise their operations and streamline their processes, saving time and money.
For example, in Balloonary’s case, you aren’t spending time (or money on someone else’s time) to sign up to and set up multiple accounts on multiple ad platforms, and research and figure out proper ad setups, ad copy and targeting. With Balloonary you easily create, duplicate, tweak and run ads to test what works best. With Balloonary's AI and automated processes you are spending your valuable time picking the best setup based on your inherent founder knowledge of your customer and business.
Founders and smaller businesses owners can use AI to better understand their customers, personalise their marketing, and improve customer experiences. Additionally, AI can help small businesses compete with larger corporations by levelling the playing field and providing access to cutting-edge technology.
How do you see the role of AI in transforming business approaches, and how do you believe its usage can enhance business efficiency?
I envision AI as a transformative technology that reshapes business approaches across all industries with the capacity to revolutionise decision-making, customer engagement, and operational efficiency.
The tools available currently help businesses identify trends, anticipate market shifts, and provide valuable insights that enable startups to pivot and adapt with agility.
What the future looks like and how technology will evolve is impossible to predict, but in essence, AI's role in business transformation is profound. It empowers startups to operate smarter, adapt faster, and engage customers on a deeper level.
Balloonary's mission is to guide startups through this transformative journey, ensuring they unlock AI's full potential and secure their place at the forefront of innovation.
AI may present challenges, what advice do you have for overcoming these obstacles?
While AI offers immense potential, there are challenges that small businesses may face when integrating it into their operations.
Firstly, the challenge of cost can be mitigated by starting small. Begin by identifying specific processes where AI can make an impact, and gradually scale up as you witness the benefits. Secondly, the fear of complexity can be addressed by focusing on user-friendly AI tools. Look for platforms that prioritise simplicity and provide comprehensive training and support.
Data security is a big concern for many when it comes to AI, but this can be managed through meticulous vendor selection. Choose established providers with robust security measures in place.
Lastly, the challenge of employee resistance can be tackled through transparent communication. Involve your team in the AI adoption process, emphasising its role in enhancing efficiency rather than replacing jobs. Training programs can empower employees to embrace AI as a valuable tool.
For founders interested in adopting AI, what steps should they take to successfully this integration?
Adopting an AI-focused approach to running your business not only saves valuable time and resources for founders; but it frees up the space to maximise their founder-expertise in producing high-quality deliverables and focus on the longer-term goals that will drive their business forward.
The goal should be to outsource 80% of a task to AI and use your founder's creativity and know-how on the 20% where you can add real value.
It even opens more possibilities for people to flex their entrepreneurial muscle and create the side hustle they’ve been wanting to do for ages but haven’t found the time for.
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