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Scaling Smarter: The Modern Marketing Playbook

AI & Marketing, Growth & Optimization, Scaling Smarter: The Modern Marketing Playbook, Strategy Benjamin Blair AI & Marketing, Growth & Optimization, Scaling Smarter: The Modern Marketing Playbook, Strategy Benjamin Blair

Building Your Own Automated Marketing System with Agentic AI for Denver Small Businesses in 2025

Discover how Denver small businesses can leverage agentic AI to automate their marketing efforts. This guide walks you through setting up essential platforms like Mailchimp, Buffer, Canva, and Google My Business, laying the groundwork for a smarter, more efficient marketing system in 2025.

Welcome to the first post in our series on agentic AI for Denver small businesses! I’m Benjamin Blair, a 20+ year marketing veteran who’s passionate about helping local businesses thrive. Today, we’ll set up profiles on key platforms to prepare for automated marketing with agentic AI. Don’t worry—you can absolutely handle these steps yourself, even if you’re new to tech. Let’s get started!

Why Start Here?

Setting up profiles on the right platforms is the foundation for automating your marketing. These accounts will later connect to agentic AI tools that handle tasks like scheduling and personalization, saving you time while growing your Denver business.

The Platforms You’ll Need

We’ll use four free tools that are perfect for small businesses and ready for AI integration:

  • Mailchimp: For email marketing with AI-driven features.

  • Buffer: To schedule social media posts across platforms.

  • Canva: For creating visuals with AI assistance.

  • Google My Business (GMB): To boost your local presence in Denver.

You can set up all these profiles in under an hour—let’s walk through the steps together.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing platform built to help small businesses grow. From email campaigns to automations and audience insights, it makes it easy to connect with customers and drive results.

1. Mailchimp (Email Marketing)

Mailchimp’s free plan lets you manage contacts and send emails with AI help (e.g., optimizing send times). Here’s how to start:

  • Go to mailchimp.com and sign up with your email (e.g., yourbusiness@gmail.com).

  • Create a list called “Denver Customers” and add a few contacts (e.g., from your phone).

  • You can set this up in 10 minutes—I promise you’ve got this!

Buffer is a super handy social media management tool designed to help individuals, creators, and small businesses streamline their online presence. With Buffer, you can schedule posts across various platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, Threads, and even YouTube.

2. Buffer (Social Media Scheduling)

Buffer lets you schedule posts for up to 3 social accounts (e.g., X, LinkedIn, Instagram). It also has AI to suggest post times.

  • Visit buffer.com and sign up for the free plan.

  • Connect your social accounts (e.g., your X handle @yourbusiness).

  • Schedule your first post (e.g., “Excited to grow my Denver business!”).

  • You’re capable of this—it’s quick and straightforward!

Canva is a user-friendly design platform that lets anyone create stunning graphics, presentations, and social media content with drag-and-drop ease—no design experience needed.

3. Canva (Content Creation)

Canva’s free plan includes AI tools like Magic Design to create stunning graphics for your posts.

  • Head to canva.com and create a free account.

  • Search for “Social Media Post” and use the AI to generate a design (e.g., “Denver Sale!”).

  • Download your design—you can do this easily in minutes!

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that helps businesses manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps, making it easier for customers to find and connect with them.

4. Google My Business (Local SEO)

Google My Business helps Denver customers find you, with AI insights to improve your profile.

  • Go to business.google.com and claim your business.

  • Add your Denver address, hours, and phone number.

  • You’ve got this—it’s a simple way to boost local visibility!

Download Detailed Guides

Need more help? I’ve created detailed guides for each platform, with step-by-step instructions to ensure you succeed. Download them below:

These guides walk you through every click, so you can set up with confidence.

What’s Next?

Now that your profiles are ready, our next post will show you how to connect these platforms to agentic AI for automation—think automated emails, scheduled posts, and more! Stay tuned for the rest of the series, and let me know how this setup goes for you in the comments or on LinkedIn.

Let’s keep growing your Denver business together!

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