Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been reshaping the face of digital marketing for several years. AI technology can help speed up and optimize many different marketing tasks, improve customer experiences, and drive higher conversion rates.
If you’re a digital marketer, there’s a good chance you’re already using some type of AI solution in your work. Whether you’ve neglected to embraced AI yet or just aren’t sure what it is, you’re not the only one on the fence. Committing to new technology and solutions can be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be.
Here’s what you need to know about how AI can work with digital marketing and several ways you can leverage this technology to improve your results.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is essentially teaching a machine to think and react in the same way a human would. The goal is to imitate how the human brain works.
This is an area of computer science that focuses on specialized areas like speech recognition, robotics, image recognition, problem-solving, natural language processing, and so on. AI systems have become more mature thanks to detailed algorithms that have allowed the field of AI to make significant strides in research and other useful areas.
AI systems obviously aren’t human beings. They aren’t perfect by any means. But many can perform useful functions and can even process at a level that exceeds human intelligence.
The Relationship Between AI and Digital Marketing
Over the past several years, marketers have been hesitant to use AI to advance their digital marketing strategies. But, those attitudes have changed. Now, many of the world’s most successful brands are using AI solutions for marketing. Some examples include Amazon and Spotify.
Amazon uses AI to put relevant products in front of shoppers based on their search and purchase history. This increases the likelihood of additional purchases and increases customer satisfaction. Spotify uses AI in a similar way to create personal playlists for members such as “Release Radar” and “Discover Weekly.”
10 Ways Your Business Can Use AI in Marketing
Using AI as part of your digital marketing strategy can transform how you engage with your audience and create better efficiencies within your organization. Here are some of the ways you can leverage AI to meet your customer’s needs and improve your results.
1. SEO
More and more consumers are using AI-powered devices for their internet searches, such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, Microsoft Cortana, and Apple’s Siri. These voice searches are different because they use conversational language.
And Google is interpreting these searches with its own AI-powered device called RankBrain, which is meant to deliver the most relevant results to searchers. Brands need to use this knowledge to optimize their SEO for this different type of search.
2. Digital Advertising
When you use the right AI tools, you can set aside a lot of the guesswork that goes into paid ads. For example, AI can help you choose the right audiences to target with your message (i.e., demographics and interests) and then assist with honing the message that produces the best conversion rate.
3. Predictive Analysis
Effective marketing is challenging without the right type of data and plenty of it. Predictive analysis makes use of statistical algorithms, data, and machine learning techniques to identify possible future events.
AI makes predictive models possible for marketers in a variety of areas. These include things like pricing models and conversion rates.
4. Content Marketing
In some places, AI is being used to create small snippets of content. But, we aren’t at a place where you turn a machine loose for the creation of your landing pages, blog posts, or newsletters.
Where AI does shine is in its ability to help your team find the best ideas for new content. It can also show visitors personalized content recommendations that will keep them engaged longer, improving your digital SEO results.
5. Email Marketing
Similar to those personalized content marketing experiences, AI can be incredibly useful for improving the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. Specifically, a machine learning solution can analyze where a consumer is at in their buying journey and send them the appropriate email to get them to the next stage. This level of personalization goes far beyond just adding a prospect’s [FIRSTNAME] in the subject line.
6. User Experience (UX)
The increased personalized delivered by brands like Amazon has given consumers a desire for a better user experience. Fortunately, AI is available to even small businesses through plugins and other technology solutions, allowing brands to give consumers timely recommendations, relevant content, and friendly service.
7. Social Media Listening
Brands have been monitoring social media for years, recognizing the power of quickly engaging with consumers that mention their name or products. Doing this manually is time-consuming and invites error.
AI can monitor all of your social media channels at once to “listen” for mentions of your brand, track competitors, predict price changes, and let you know if your reputation might be in jeopardy.
8. Web-Accessibility
A site that is accessible for all users can increase your customer base as well as improve your brand’s reputation for inclusivity. If your company isn’t compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it could get sued. But it is also missing roughly 15% of a potential audience. AI solutions like accesiBE can make your website complete accessible using something called “contextual understanding.”
9. Enhanced Security
Consumers care deeply about security and will even refuse to do business with brands that don’t take the matter seriously. A biometric authentication technique that uses AI technology makes it safer to capture and share information across the web. This same technology also makes the sharing of large amounts of data more efficient, allowing for faster decision-making.
10. Chatbots
Many brands have begun communicating with consumers using messenger apps like Slack, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. These are fast and simple ways to be responsive.
Chatbots on the brand’s website are almost expected by consumers today as a way to quickly contact a company to ask a question before or after the sale. These AI-powered tools are a powerful way to let consumers know you are dedicated to service.
If you’re interested in learning more about how AI can help your business, let’s chat. Connection Model specializes in developing customized strategies for clients that outline the various ways we can increase brand awareness, traffic, and results. Contact us today to get started.
Written By: David Carpenter
