What is Artificial Intelligence?
Oxford Languages defines AI as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
For those of us working in the realm of digital marketing, the impact has become even more clear over the last few years. To put things into perspective, 61% of marketers say AI is the most important aspect of their data strategy, according to MemSQL.
Improving personalization for targeted content marketing
Have you ever searched for a particular product and then all advertisements you see after that search are for similar products? That’s AI at work. The power of DMPs (Data Management Platforms) allows AI to gather data from across the Internet – not just a particular website. This data then fuels predictive analytics, which empowers digital marketers to truly personalize their marketing campaign strategies to ultimately generate high-quality leads. Stronger leads = stronger ROI.
Netflix’s most recent algorithm update has brought this into play with the thumbnails that are displayed to each user. Their algorithm collects data based on your search and watch patterns and determines what thumbnail is most likely to capture your attention. When running your own digital campaigns, don’t be afraid to trust the data! Through routine monitoring, your campaigns will be set up for success – whether it’s through these automated or manual optimizations.
This AI-powered approach to personalized marketing goes a step further by creating different audience segments. There are several ways to segment your audience; it could be via traffic source, new or returning customers, demographics, location, time spent on your website, average order value, and many more. By narrowing down your audience into smaller and smaller segments your marketing strategies become smarter and impact the return seen from every campaign. A Campaign Monitor report found that marketers saw a 760% increase in revenue from segmented campaigns.
Enhancing data processing
We are currently in the age of Big Data, which consists of multisource content, such as images, videos, audio and text. Despite Apple’s latest iOS 14 update, which requires permission from the user before tracking them across websites and apps, the amount of data that is available to marketers is still massive. It is far too much data for any human or organization to properly analyze. This is where AI tools and algorithms come into play.
Some of the tools that make processing this massive amount of data include computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), social computing, speech recognition, data analysis in the Internet of Vehicle (loV), and real-time data analysis in the Internet of Things (loT).
While the specifics of how these tools work is a bit complex the important thing is recognizing as these tools continue to grow, so will marketing personalization.
Transforming user experience
All this AI development is being done to make user experiences easier across the board. What’s one AI tool we all encounter on a regular basis? Chatbots. These are used for everything from customer service to driving sales. Chatbots are becoming so sophisticated that according to a study done by Marketing Insider Group, two-thirds of consumers don’t know they’re interacting with these AI tools vs. actual humans.
In an eerie experiment, Researchers at the Facebook AI Research Lab (FAIR) found the chatbots had deviated from the script and were communicating in a new language developed without human input. These examples show just how powerful this kind of technology can be and that it’s continuing to advance before our eyes.
Another rapidly evolving AI-powered technology enhancing the user experience is voice search. According to a study from Bright Local almost 60% of consumers have used voice search to find business information in the last year. As the world has become largely mobile, voice search enhances the user experience, unlocking hands-free access to accurate data and results. Google’s algorithms can understand human speech with 95% accuracy which is nearly equivalent to human-to-human interactions. With this in mind, embracing a humanistic SEO strategy is more important than ever before. In addition to considering traditional search keywords, digital marketers must also lean into an approach that keeps voice searches front and center. Google’s algorithms can understand human speech with 95% accuracy according to Vox.
As AI tools and software continue to evolve, so will digital marketing strategies. Strategies will become much more focused and personalized to enhance user experiences through content and targeted marketing. Customer support will continue to improve with evolutions in chatbots and real-time support. Despite privacy issues, data processing will become more precise, which will lead to more intelligent audience segmentation.
If your business has not yet started to embrace the power of AI, then you need to start now.
Author Bio
As a Paid Search & Digital Marketing Specialist, Ryan Solecki supports Franco’s clients in creating targeted and integrated digital marketing strategies and programs. From managing and optimizing digital advertising campaigns to developing creative and engaging copy, Ryan’s digital programs support a variety of integrated B2B, B2C and nonprofit communications strategies. His expertise in digital analysis and reporting help put metrics in context and show the true value of digital communications.
Before joining Franco, Ryan began his career in the automotive industry as a social media specialist with FCA before holding positions in social media, website management, and digital marketing in the retail and healthcare industries.
An avid golfer and comedy fan, Ryan finds inspiration in self-improvement, both personally and professionally. When he’s not working, you can find him on the golf course or relaxing at home with his dog, Charlie, a cup of tea and his favorite podcasts.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history from Central Michigan University, as well as several digital marketing and advertising certifications through Google and HubSpot.
