The first real blog we dedicated to whether law firm owners should incorporate AI into their firms was posted in October 2023. The date is only important as it shows how much the conversation around AI has changed since then. We’re no longer focused on whether you should use AI but on how AI impacts legal marketing.
It’s too simple to say that AI is reshaping how we interact with anything digital. Look at what ChatGPT has become. In November of 2024, we published a blog about how ChatGPT had a strange impact on SEO. Now, ChatGPT is becoming people’s go-to for answers.
Yes, AI is a powerful tool, and many people and industries are becoming reliant on it.
No, this blog is not about how we must rise against it. Instead, we can see how similar powerhouses like Google and Facebook developed and monetized their platforms. If ChatGPT becomes the next Google, you can take advantage of new opportunities by studying past behaviors of the other platforms that revolutionized our world.
Whether your firm is publishing content, running digital ads, or trying to appear in organic searches, it’s important to follow AI’s trajectory. Wherever AI goes, businesses will follow it.
What ChatGPT Could Become
Google began as a research project at Stanford, conducted by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996 while they were graduate students. (Fun Fact: The project was initially called “BackRub.” The name, which may seem odd, was derived from the fact that they analyzed backlinks to determine a website’s importance.)
The key element of that story is that they began in 1996 and launched their first ad by October 2000. In that time, they’d built an empire around search. Facebook, conversely, had a social network. Initially, businesses leveraged Google’s search and Facebook’s social network because each platform gave businesses a massive organic reach. And don’t forget about the costs! Before 2010, businesses could post in their followers’ Facebook feeds without paid promotion.
Similarly, decades ago, businesses that followed the best and basic optimization practices ranked highly in Google’s search results without paying for ads. However, organic reach dropped, and more access came at a cost. This is when small businesses and law firms began to feel they were getting priced out of a crowded market.
AI platforms could end up following the same path as Google and Facebook. Arguably, they’re moving at an even faster pace than their predecessors. ChatGPT has hundreds of millions of users. If you look at their retention rates, they’re as good as Facebook’s. Businesses are building tools and providing services because they have access to AI..
- 78% of companies globally use AI for at least one thing
- 76% of SaaS companies are actively using or exploring AI features in their products
Based on all assumptions, OpenAI is actively encouraging this growth. They’re offering APIs and integrations to attract more users and developers. They are opening the door and letting people in because they know how many want this product. The next step for any platform this large is monetization. This will include sponsored placements, preferred integrations, and ad-like recommendations inside AI responses.
Google is already incorporating ads into AI-generated answers in its search results. (You can see these when you’re in “AI Mode.”) ChatGPT and any other AI platform will likely do the same at some point in the future. The good news is that while AI is evolving, keep using it to fuel your marketing efforts and in any other way you want to incorporate it into your firm’s operations.
Use the reach AI offers now to bring people into your channels—your website, e-newsletter, and other resources. Even if every AI platform begins limiting your access or raising prices to a point that doesn’t make sense (again, absolute worst-case scenario), they can’t take away the progress you’re making or the audience you’re building.
Build a Marketing System That Works—With or Without Algorithms
Spotlight Marketing + Branding helps small firms create consistent, long-term growth with content and paid ads. That means more visibility, better leads, and a strategy capable of evolving with Meta, Google, and ChatGPT. Give us a call, and let’s discuss your growth goals and whether we can help you achieve them.
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