AI in Marketing
A.I., or artificial intelligence, is a field that has been in development for decades but is now starting to come out with new developments and breakthroughs happening every day.
For marketing efforts, AI can help as an assistant tool for marketing teams who need help identifying customers, segmenting them based on data from purchasing habits and preferences, personalizing ads according to the customer's needs - all without having human input at any stage of the process.
Machine Learning
A.I. 's machine learning capabilities make it possible to predict what will happen next similar to how Google and its predictive analytics when you're going to finish typing your search.
This ability could give marketers more time and resources as they'll know which campaigns will be most successful before they're even launched.
Marketing using AI can connect better with their target audience and create personalized content. This can lead to new customers.
Artificial Intelligence will revolutionize the way marketing campaigns are executed, but there is a catch.
AI can help with a lot but they are only as good as their programming and if something doesn't work out quite right, such as algorithms being set for open rates when it should be set for leads, then you may end up with unexpected consequences that can make marketing more difficult than it need be.
What good is the data if it doesn't match your business and your goals?
Plus, marketing would not exist without humans in at least some capacity. Using AI can help marketers with marketing campaigns, but AI capabilities are contingent on human interaction.
AI technology can help save time by making the jobs of marketers simpler through automation.
Marketing automation can many marketers and have them focus on higher-level tasks such as strategy development or enhancing customer service initiatives.
Mixed together, these changes will result in a more efficient marketing and advertising industry. Digital marketing will never be the same.
Benefits of Artificial Intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence in marketing, ad targeting, and customer service is set to explode.
A recent study by Forrester found that 87% of executives surveyed believe their company will increase investment in AI over the next three years with 91% believing it will provide increased return on revenue for their business. In the future, many companies could jump on the AI train.
Companies will be able to generate text-based content faster than they would have been able to do without the help of A.I., freeing up their marketing team’s time for other tasks. This marketing automation could mean better quality content such as blog posts written with fewer spelling errors or a higher click-through rate on ads.
Machine deep learning has made this possible by creating intelligent systems that learn from data without being explicitly programmed to do so. This means AI can be trained on large quantities of data and natural language processing, then perform tasks based on what they have learned through these vast amounts of customer data.
Using AI will lead to more personalized marketing experiences for prospects and customers, as well as strategic insights that can be used in any kind of sales or marketing setting. An AI could predict future trends in real-time and make product recommendations.
If a company doesn't have the means, big data companies could start popping out with the technology and business acumen to help with automation.
The future looks bright for marketers using artificial intelligence tools. With the rise in digital technology over recent years, it was inevitable that new ways to streamline marketing efforts will appear.
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is using artificial intelligence to understand customer experiences and how a customer goes about their day. It uses deep learning via data points from social media posts, web browsing habits, mobile location tracking as well as purchase history.
It then uses artificial intelligence to paint an accurate picture of the customer experience which can better inform marketing and advertising decisions.
As customers use social media more often for day-to-day activities, they are giving away a lot of data about themselves through various posts (both public or private) that any company with access to this data could take advantage of by using it in CRM.
A major benefit is being able to pinpoint specific customer's needs much quicker than traditional methods. You'll have all the data needed in real-time without wasting company time or money.
Customer Relations
This personalized customer experience can result in increased sales and reduce wasteful business expenses.
AI helps analyze vast amounts of data that were once difficult or impossible to access and gain new insights.
For example, your business could find out what type of products your customer might be interested in with ease.
You can track a user on your business website and see what they click on and then create a new product.
This data can lead to more personalization because businesses will have immense amounts of data about specific needs and interests stored away.
Personalization can offer product recommendations without being intrusive.
The result is a customer being more likely to purchase from a business versus those who don't use artificial intelligence as part of business campaigns.
Content Creation
AI will be able to create content that is personalized for the desired customer and this could be done fast and on a large scale.
The personalization of the content is done by using data from past interactions with customers.
Machine learning will use this data and create different pieces of text that could be used in marketing campaigns, email newsletters, or any other type of digital advertisement to increase engagement rates.
These "recommendation engines" already exist in the form of YouTube and Google. Machine learning picks out what a user may like to watch via algorithms and recommends it.
A new breed of businesses is already popping up that use A.I., like Quip Marketing Agency or Geneomix, to create targeted messages for their customers because they know what resonates best with them based on data collected from social media platforms.
Personalization
AI can recognize patterns and trends in real-time and can create content that is relatable, persuasive, and tailored for a customer.
The way A.I. is applied to marketing will change the types of content that are produced, and it will also impact the writing styles used by marketers in this realm.
The problem-solving aspect can be both positive or negative depending on how you look at it-- machine learning may not always make decisions a human would make or have natural language.
This could lead to new problems arising with customers who don't understand why they're being targeted in certain ways. Human-like isn't exactly human, and that could put people off.
New customer engagement rates should increase because more marketers will now have access to data about user interests and past interactions.
But some companies worry that too much personalization might feel invasive for potential customers who aren't interested in hearing from them yet.
Overall, artificial intelligence has the power to completely transform content marketing, but it will be some time before the world sees just how much of an impact this new technology has.
Personalized Messaging
Personalized marketing has been around for many years, but personalization will be taken to the next level.
AI in marketing ensures customers get a personalized message.
It's not about sending out an email or post without any thought put into who might receive it, instead of how can your marketing campaign reach people based on their interests.
Brands won't need to make their extensive database filled with customer data.
Instead, marketers will use artificial intelligence to gather data on their customers from different sources like social media.
As mentioned, A.I. can process big data amount to find patterns and do this faster.
This new level of personalization has many benefits: it's more engaging, offers a better overall user experience (UX), helps you target customers who are likely to be interested in what you offer, and reduces bounce rates when someone visits your website.
New Digital Marketing Strategies
In the age of artificial intelligence, marketers must find new ways to reach customers.
According to Google Trends, a newfound interest in artificial intelligence and voice search has seen a rise.
Voice search is gaining popularity thanks to mobile devices and home assistants such as Amazon Echo or Google Home which allows a user to simply speak out loud about what they're looking for rather than typing it into a device.
With more than a quarter of internet users now using voice search on their mobile devices, it's important that companies have strategies for marketing campaigns in this environment.
The same goes for new platforms like chatbots, virtual reality, or augmented reality.
Marketers need to be present on these new frontiers and engage with content creators to build relationships.
We also know from psychological research that people find computers more credible sources of information when they are perceived like a human.
Chatbots may represent an opportunity for companies to better personalization efforts by building relationships with potential customers.
As AI in marketing approaches ubiquity, marketers need to see whether these new pieces of technology will lead to user privacy issues.
Personal data collected through digital channels can be analyzed via algorithms without explicit consent.
Some have perceived this technology as invasive and led to more people being concerned over their privacy.
Many companies now make the commitment to not sell personal data.
Challenges
AI has the potential to disrupt marketing at a fundamental level.
There are major challenges associated with integrating this technology into a marketing campaign because marketers must be able to understand what makes each customer unique in order to tailor their digital experience accordingly.
Data-driven decisions might mean more work up front, but if done correctly they will result in better experiences across platforms that cater exactly to every person’s needs without ever having been asked beforehand.
Automation of this magnitude can change a lot and lead to more sales.
The future may also be more automation-based and less human.
Gone are the days when business owners can get away with being emotionally driven in their advertising efforts. Now, it's the age of personalization; to appeal to customers directly.
AI helps marketers take into account customer feedback, purchase histories, and browsing behaviors to make sure that ads are reaching those who have shown interest or responded best in the past.
This means that advertisements won’t just appear based on items a customer purchased over time but rather they might show up as soon as new articles about a particular industry.
This content marketing will make a customer feel like they're learning themselves and not being advertised to.
It's a new type of personalization.
Some people might be afraid of change due to uncertainty or fear it will take away from jobs traditionally done by humans.
There doesn't seem to be any evidence this is happening yet but it still could.
It's important not to overlook these fears as they can lead to employee disengagement and decreased productivity.
A lot of current jobs may become obsolete such as those who create ads but these positions would probably go towards other aspects like content creation.
AI can help marketers by taking a lot of the monotony out.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is one of the most exciting developments in marketing that we’ve seen in years. The technology can be used to better your marketing, provide more personalized ads and change customer relationship management. AI algorithms can see sales increase in real-time.
AI has a lot of benefits but there are downsides as well so make sure you do some research before deciding whether or not to implement it into your marketing strategy. If you need help with content marketing, advertising campaigns, or even AI in marketing, be sure to contact us! We'll be happy to work on it for you.