AI is far past the point of being a new or emerging technology, especially in the world of digital marketing. A global survey in 2022 found that roughly 90% of marketers across 35 different countries use AI in some way in their digital marketing strategies.
With so many free and low-cost tools available, replacing or supplementing human marketing workflows with AI is the #1 way to become (a) more productive and (b) better at understanding your audience and how to reach them.
Trends: AI in Digital Marketing
This article explores three exciting trends and best practices for implementing AI within your organization.
1. Generative AI
Thanks to ChatGPT, generative AI might be the hottest topic in marketing right now. Generative AI involves using AI to create content from existing data and inputs. Examples of GenAI marketing tools include:
- Content creation tools that use AI to write blog posts, product descriptions, and other written collateral
- Software that generates images and videos for branding for explainer videos, social media posts, and blog graphics
- Chatbots that carry on conversations with customers through SMS, email, or a social media app
As many as three-quarters of today’s marketers use generative AI in some way, whether that’s to supplement their content creation workflow or as a lead generation tool.
2. Personalization
AI increases personalization in marketing by pulling content and data in real time to craft individualized, data-driven experiences for each target customer. Across the omnichannel, businesses can use AI to trigger personalized emails, social media messages, website popups, and even entire offers based on what a customer is browsing or has already bought.
With AI, marketers can also analyze vast amounts of data about a customer’s behavior. They can use this info to develop better products, improve their targeting and messaging for future campaigns, and meet ever-changing customer demands.
3. Voice Search Optimization
Voice search has risen in popularity as a way for consumers to quickly find information and make purchases through their mobile devices. Optimizing content for voice search is 100% crucial for businesses that want to stay relevant and accessible.
AI plays a critical role in optimizing content for voice search. Businesses can use it to analyze speech patterns using natural language processing (NLP) to understand how people speak and the specific phrases they use when making voice queries. With this data, you can create content with a more conversational tone and structure, while incorporating the words that make it easy for voice assistants to understand.
Best Practices for Using AI in Digital Marketing
How you apply AI to your workflow determines whether you produce great marketing content that converts customers or mediocre content that turns them away.
- Don’t replace humans with AI: While the low cost makes it tempting to rely heavily on AI for your marketing efforts (especially content marketing), AI lacks the human ability to communicate with your target audience. Your USP, branding, and voice all come from your human writers and designers.
- Use AI to automate marketing tasks: For example, CharGPT isn’t great for writing marketing content, but it is capable of searching the web. Use it to cut your research time down by hours (or days).
- Hire industry experts: Outsourcing your marketing efforts to a team that knows the ins and outs of AI can help you implement the technology in a way that aligns with your business’s goals and target audience. Make sure they have hands-on experience in your industry (such as a credit union marketing agency for credit unions).
AI in digital marketing is no longer something to speculate on for the distant future. It’s essential for any business that wants to compete on quality, targeting, and efficiency in 2024. By staying informed on the latest trends and best practices, you can effectively incorporate AI into your marketing workflow and see tangible results.
