Are You Creating Content for Your Small Business? If So, Take Advantage of this Feature.

January 21, 2025

Have you heard of automatic concepts on YouTube? If not, and you’re using the second largest search engine in the world to share business content, you need to know about this. It could be impacting your content through clicks and views.


Automatic concepts on YouTube are an experimental feature that automatically identifies key terms or ideas mentioned in your video and adds explanations of these concepts to your video description. This feature is designed to enhance the viewer's understanding of your content without them having to leave the video page. For instance, if you were a plumber and you referred to a science term as you were describing a process, YouTube might define this concept for the audience.


You may have noticed a similar “summary” feature on Google generated by AI like this one below that came up when I researched automatic concepts and asked if it was still in beta.




When YouTube first rolled this feature out, it was marketed as something they were implementing for explanation purposes in education videos . YouTube described it as, “…a new, automatic way to identify key concepts covered in academic learning videos and surface more information about these concepts in the form of images and short text snippets in real-time, directly on the video’s watch page. For now, this is being tested on a small set of English-language videos related to educational topics taught in schools (across subjects such as biology, physics and chemistry). The experiment will take place on mobile only, for a limited number of people watching YouTube.”


Why Should I Care? It’s Not That New



As a business content creator, you should take notice of automatic concepts for several reasons:


1. Easy definitions. They help viewers learn more about unfamiliar terms or industry jargon used in your videos, making your content more accessible and valuable. That’s the good news. The part to be leery about is that it assumes YouTube will get it right and summarize your concepts in a way you want it to.


2. Increased engagement. By providing additional context, viewers are more likely to stay on your video longer, potentially improving watch time and engagement metrics.


3. Improved discoverability. The added concepts in your description may help your video appear in more search results, potentially increasing your reach.


4. Time-saving element. This automated feature can save you time by eliminating the need to manually explain every technical term or concept in your video or description. However, it’s still in beta so you can’t rely on it to appear on your video, but you can control whether the feature is on or off (we’ll show you that in a sec). It is on by default.


5. Educational value. If your business creates educational content, this feature can complement your teaching efforts by providing additional information to viewers.


What If I Want to Shut Them On or Off?


To enable automatic concepts for your videos, you can follow these steps in YouTube Studio:


1. Open YouTube Studio and go to the "Content" tab

2. Select the specific video you want to optimize

3. Click on the "Details" tab

4. Scroll down and click on "Show More"

5. Enable/disable the "Allow automatic concepts" checkbox


If you don’t see what’s described above, it's worth noting that this feature is still experimental and may not be available for all videos or creators.


You can try it out on some of your videos to see if it adds value to your content and aligns with your business goals. Keep in mind, in some cases, while handy, it may deter viewers from watching your video. For instance, if your video is a short description of a concept in physics, for instance, and the viewer has access to a summary generated by YouTube, they may not watch your video. We’re seeing the same happen on Google with the AI content summaries keeping people from scrolling down the page if all they wanted was a simple answer to their inquiry.


These are the type of features that are changing search and that content creators and marketers will have to keep in mind when creating content for business.



--

Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle, rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

12 Easy Newsletter Formats to Keep Your Business Top of Mind

October 27, 2025
Simple Formats That Keep Your Customers Reading (and Buying)

Beyond the Mixer: Maximizing Your Chamber Membership

October 23, 2025
If your chamber membership is gathering dust because you don't enjoy networking events, you're missing out on significant value hiding in plain sight. While mixers and ribbon cuttings get the spotlight, your membership includes strategic resources that can solve real business problems, even for those of us who hate “working a room.” Your Chamber as Problem-Solving Partner Before hiring expensive consultants or spending hours researching solutions or attending City Council meetings with time you don’t have, tap into your chamber's institutional knowledge. Most chambers field dozens of questions weekly from businesses facing similar challenges. Need a reliable commercial insurance broker? Wondering about local permit requirements? Looking for employee benefits providers? Your chamber staff has likely connected ten other businesses with exactly what you need in the past month alone. A simple phone call can save you days of research and connect you with pre-vetted resources. Leverage Collective Buying Power Your chamber membership often includes access to group rates on essential services. Health insurance, payment processing, shipping discounts, office supplies, and advertising opportunities frequently come with member pricing that can save thousands annually. Many business owners never explore these benefits because they assume switching providers is complicated. Start with one area—perhaps credit card processing fees or shipping costs—and request a comparison quote through your chamber's endorsed programs. The savings often pay for your membership several times over. - Medical Plan available to Chamber Members through Aetna Strategic Visibility Without the Small Talk Hate networking events but still need visibility? Most chambers offer alternative exposure opportunities: member spotlights in newsletters, social media features, directory listings with SEO benefits, an article in their destination guide, and quote opportunities for press releases. Volunteer for a committee that meets during business hours rather than evening mixers. You'll build deeper relationships with fewer people while contributing your expertise. Economic development, public policy, events, or education committees often need people and meet in formats more comfortable than cocktail parties. - Your membership comes with an online listing that has a customizable landing page, complete with ability to rate and review. However, if your current membership level does not include this, feel free to contact us to discuss an upgrade: Office@llchamber.com - Interested in volunteering? Let us know: Office@llchamber.com . We’re always looking for people willing to lend a hand! - We’d love to hear your praise for the Chamber—send us a short quote!. Interested? You know the email: Office@llchamber.com . - Join our 2026 Leadership class and spend time with a select group of up and coming community leaders. Currently accepting applications through December 1. Make Your Voice Count Chambers actively advocate on behalf of businesses with local and state government. Your membership gives you a direct channel to influence policies affecting your bottom line from zoning regulations to tax policies. Most chambers solicit member input on advocacy priorities but rarely hear from the majority of their membership. When your chamber sends advocacy surveys or requests feedback, take ten minutes to respond. Your specific challenges and stories give chamber leaders concrete examples when they're meeting with elected officials. -Check out our Government Affairs Committee or join them, second Thursdays monthly, 9-10AM, at the Chamber. Playlists of past events also available on YouTube ! - Check out our Military Affairs Council- they meet monthly, first Tuesdays at noon, at the conference room in Fairfield Inn & Suites. They also have quarterly MAC socials. Sign up for our December 10 th social (free!) or contact us to discuss hosting one: Office@llchamber.com. Your chamber membership is a toolkit, not a ticket to parties. Identify two or three benefits aligned with your current business needs and commit to using them this quarter. The return on investment is there. You just need to claim it. - We are also collecting survey answers to better serve our community- please let us know! It’s short (we promise!) and will enter you for a chance to win a “LeavenworthIt” Swag bag. Read More: - 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership - How to Build Business Connections (Even if You Hate Networking) - Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth - Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever! ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and is currently reading three books at once. _______________________________________ Medium: @christinametcalf Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Start Using AI in Your Small Business (Without the Overwhelm)

October 14, 2025
Everyone is telling you that you should be doing something with AI for your business. Every newsletter, podcast, and conference talk seems to assume you're already knee-deep in implementation. Meanwhile, you're stuck at square one (or just using it to write an email here or there), overwhelmed by options and uncertain where to begin. Welcome to AI paralysis—the small business challenge nobody's talking about. When we talk about AI paralysis, we’re not addressing the technophobe or those business owners who are resistant to change. It's understandable that they have their hesitation. But you’re different. You’re not against AI. You already use it a little but you’re not sure how to implement it in your business for maximum efficiencies. You’re just being a practical business owner and you don’t want to make an expensive mistake. But you're watching competitors post about their "AI transformation" and wondering if ChatGPT is even relevant to your industry. The fear of choosing wrong often feels worse than choosing nothing at all. Why Businesses Are Afraid of AI The paralysis typically stems from three sources. First, the options are genuinely overwhelming. Do you need a custom solution or an off-the-shelf tool? Should you be thinking about customer service bots, marketing automation, or operational efficiency? Second, the terminology is deliberately confusing. Companies slap "AI-powered" on everything, making it impossible to separate genuine innovation from rebranded software. Third, there's no clear ROI calculator for your specific situation. What works for a tech startup might be useless for a dental practice. You don't need an AI strategy with all the bells and whistles. You need to solve specific problems, and AI might be one tool in your arsenal. How to Use AI for Your Business Start by ignoring the hype entirely. Don’t just jump on the latest rollout. Instead, write down your three biggest operational headaches. Get clear on the tasks that waste time, create bottlenecks, or drive you crazy. Maybe it's answering the same customer questions repeatedly, writing product descriptions, or scheduling appointments. Don't think about AI yet. Just identify the pain. Now, for each problem, spend thirty minutes exploring if an AI tool exists that addresses it. Not researching broadly—specifically searching for solutions to that exact problem. You'll quickly discover that for many small business needs, purpose-built AI tools already exist and cost less than hiring additional help. The key is starting microscopically small. Don't implement an enterprise solution. Try one free or low-cost tool for one specific task. Use ChatGPT to draft email responses for a week. Test an AI scheduling assistant for a month. Let an AI transcription service handle your meeting notes. These tiny experiments cost almost nothing and teach you what AI can do. For most small businesses, AI's real value isn't in dramatic transformation. It's in recovering small pockets of time that accumulate into meaningful savings. Fifteen minutes saved on daily email drafts. Twenty minutes saved on social media planning. An hour saved on meeting summaries. It’s unlikely you’ll fall behind your competition because you haven’t built custom AI solutions. The businesses that will struggle in the future are those that haven’t experimented with anything at all. AI paralysis ends the moment you treat it like any other business tool: try something small, measure if it works, keep it or dump it, then move on to the next experiment. If you’re not sure where to start, check with your chamber of commerce. It’s likely they have resources, programming, or connections that can help you figure out how to use AI tools for greater efficiency. Further Reading: 5 Genius Ways AI Can Stretch Your Existing Content AI For Small Businesses: Practical Steps to Boost Efficiency and Customer Engagement AI Isn't Replacing SEO- It's Redefining It How to Win at Content With AI  ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith