This article was updated in April 2023.
High-tech marketing trends can be a little intimidating at times. If you’re watching the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the marketing sphere, for example, you might wonder how you could make it work for your business. After all, AI technology is providing a multitude of new marketing strategies and options.
In this article, we’ll take a look at why AI might be worth using in your marketing campaigns. We’ll also go over three ways you can implement AI to improve your business. Fire up your chatbot and let’s dive in!
Why AI Is Worth Using as a Marketing Tool
It’s possible that you have already interacted with or implemented forms of AI for your business, and not even known it. For example, chatbots have become a common tool for marketing and customer service. Programmed and built on AI technology, chatbots can answer common questions, and prompt users to interact at specific points in their customer journeys.
Of course, chatbots are just one of several uses of AI that are already common in our everyday lives. Other forms of the technology include:
- Machine learning. As a kind of AI all its own, machine learning can process vast amounts of data very quickly. This helps to inform decision-making in finance, marketing, and more.
- Data analysis. Knowledge is power, and the capacity of AI to analyze information in order to produce products creatively is growing. IBM has Watson into ‘Chef Watson,’ for instance, and has programmed it to analyze available data in order to produce unique creations in the kitchen.
- Language processing. From Amazon’s Alexa to Hello Barbie, AI can power natural language processing. As a result, toys and devices can answer our questions and interact with us in ever-evolving ways.
Explore AI for Your Business
While the allure of AI is strong, especially when giants like Amazon can attribute much of their success to it, it’s important to note that it’s not necessarily a magic pill or a silver bullet solution. With that being said, it’s still very likely to have a starring role in upcoming digital transformations for many businesses, both small and large.
So, why might you want to explore AI for your own business? Let’s look at the market. Research indicates that millennials hold a collective annual buying power of $2.5 trillion. That’s a lot of spending money for a notoriously hard-to-pin-down market.
One thing we do know about this group, however, is that they prefer personalized experiences. AI has the potential to zone in on this element, and help marketers deliver those experiences.
3 Ways to Make AI Work for Your Business
AI holds lots of exciting potential for marketers and customers. From streamlining content creation to maximizing customer data, we’re going to take a closer look at three possible AI strategies you can implement.
1. Engage Customers in Experiential Campaigns
One developing trend in AI marketing is ‘experiential’ campaigns. This approach takes the concept of personalized content to an entirely new level. Operating on research indicating that customers hate interruptions, AI can be put to work creating content that viewers will actually enjoy.
Advertisers in China have long been doing this without AI, and it is sometimes referred to as ‘creative mid-roll.’ It is a bit more explicit than placing a branded soft drink can on the desk in someone’s office on Law & Order.
One example of this strategy in action is advertising content that includes the same actors or characters as the show a commercial is connected to. Storylines can be formulated with AI-processed data, and extend outside the traditional show structure to keep viewers interested. This technique can be used to create a seamless experience, rather than an interruption.
2. Maximize Campaigns Across Channels
Another powerful use of AI lies in the ability to leverage multiple channels simultaneously. We know that AI technology can process lots of data quickly. When that ability is applied to multi-channel marketing, AI can shine by making adjustments in real time based on gathered data.
Industry giants like Nielsen and IBM have already invested millions in developing technology in this sphere. In fact, when polled only a tiny sliver (one-fifth) of marketers said they do not plan on using AI-powered tools to develop ad spending strategies.
Instead of locking yourself into strict ad spends on specific channels, an AI-powered approach can adjust on the fly to market demands and customer behaviors. With this technique, ad spend could be applied fluidly to a variety of channels smartly and with agility.
3. Automated Content Creation and Optimization
Content creation can be seen as equal parts creative inspiration and hard science. While our human brains tend to be pretty good at the creative elements of storytelling and imaginative content, AI has the potential for speeding up the more practical aspects.
AI can be used in a number of ways when it comes to your content strategy, including:
- Identifying content that performs well
- Replicating and modeling content
- Creating email subjects that invite customer engagement
- Creating social media posts
HubSpot’s Content Strategy tool is one example of this emerging technology in action. It uses a combination of machine learning, data collection, and AI processing power to feed you real-time suggestions. This means no more agonizing over spreadsheets, checklists, or blog archives in order to figure out what your next content move should be.
Conclusion
You might think AI is out of reach for your business as a marketing tool. However, there are many ways to implement a solid strategy that makes AI work for your business, even if you’re not heading a giant corporation. Whether you’re looking to save time with automation or create highly personalized experiential marketing campaigns, AI might have what you need.
Are you excited to try some of these tools on your next campaign? Let us know what your favorite AI technology is in the comments section below!
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay