Build Your Knowledge Base with AI

Written by Kelly Flynn

Frustrated, staring at my fifth Excel sheet of the day, I ask myself, 

"Why won’t this formula work? What am I missing?”

I’m one bad calculation away from frisbee-tossing my laptop across the room when suddenly; Eureka! 

“There has to be a YouTube video for this.” 

And there is. Problem solved… 

Until next month, when I forget what I’ve learned, repeat the same mistake, and start scavenging through YouTube digging for the exact video that saved me last time. 

Has this ever happened to you? 

If you’re anything like me, you rely heavily on YouTube tutorials—for everything from fixing a leaky faucet to working on that darn Excel sheet. But what if there were a way to actually keep track of the tutorials? To save notes, organize tutorials, and remember the lesson next time—without surfing the entirety of the internet again? 

Imagine becoming a pro without the monthly refresher course. 

Enter: AI-powered knowledge bases. 

As a promo distributor, you’re juggling a lot. From supplier updates to decoration processes, to customer service; it can be overwhelming. 

You need a searchable memory bank. That's where an AI knowledge base comes in. 

What Is a Knowledge Base? And why do you need one? 

A knowledge base is an organized place to store education materials like videos, articles, SOPs, screenshots, notes, examples, templates, etc.  

AI can turn this up a notch by:  

  • Summarize long videos (goodbye 30-minute tutorials) 
  • Automatically pull key steps and best practices 
  • Connect related ideas across different sources 
  • Answer questions instantly using your saved info 
  • Generate SOPs, checklists, and step-by-step guides 

Think of it as a personal assistant who knows your business inside and out. The promotional product industry moves fast. From trending products, to marketing your products, to client follow ups, an AI knowledge base can:  

  • Respond faster to clients 
  • Make fewer errors 
  • Train yourself and your team better 
  • Give yourself more time to focus on your goals 

AI can turn tutorials, supplier PDFs, and internal notes into digestible, searchable content. 

Upload videos, supplier guides, Zoom call recordings, and AI builds: 

  • SOPs 
  • FAQs 
  • Onboarding guides 
  • Product cheat sheets 

An AI personal knowledge base will give you time back, keep you organized, and extend your professional experience.  

Step 1: Collect Your Sources 

Gather what you already use: 

  • YouTube tutorials 
  • Supplier training videos 
  • Decoration walkthroughs 
  • Product explanation videos 
  • ASI/PPAI training content 
  • Internal Zoom recordings 
  • Your own notes 
  • Supplier catalogs or PDFs 
  • You already watch the videos—now start storing them. 

Step 2: Feed Them into an AI Tool like: 

  • NotebookLM 
  • ChatGPT with Memory or Custom Instructions 
  • Notion AI 
  • Obsidian + AI plugins 
  • Google Drive AI features 

Imagine uploading a 45-minute supplier webinar and getting a 2-minute cheat sheet. 

Why Does This Matter for Promotional Product Distributors? 

AI isn’t here to replace distributors—it’s here to help them aim smarter. You already consume all the content. Now let AI help you keep it, organize it, and use it. 

Your future self will thank you—especially during the next Excel crisis. 

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