I’m not sure what I’d use them for, except maybe tag generation? Encoders of this size usually outperform by a wide margin on tasks they would overlap with.
Edit - I should add, currently the model I'm using is Gemini Flash Lite through the Gemini API. It's a really good combo of fast, follows instructions, gives correct results for what I want and cost-effective. I still would love a small open model that can run on edge though.
Use a large model to generate outputs that you're happy with, then use the inputs (including the same prompt) and outputs to teach 270M what you want from it.