AI in marketing is evolving at a rapid pace. Digital marketing teams are working with data more than ever before to deliver fresh, innovative customer engagement initiatives.
AI marketing tools used to offer users a novel way to understand customers and tailor marketing tasks accordingly. It's integral to how marketing teams operate and create fresh marketing solutions for current and future projects. With AI, you can shape your marketing strategy by analyzing audience data, predicting customer behavior, and developing products and services that align with future market trends.
Any strategy that uses artificial intelligence naturally needs AI PR platforms, such as CisionOne. In this guide we'll take you through the industry behind AI in marketing.
Learn about machine learning to create personalized content, what marketing programs are available today, and how things like sentiment analysis can transform your business.
From chatbots that boost customer service to automated bidding in digital advertising campaigns, AI can take on repetitive tasks, freeing you up to focus on creative and strategic endeavors.
AI assists by sifting through massive amounts of data and identifying the most effective content for different segments of your audience, ensuring that your message is relevant and timely.
The Fundamentals of AI in Marketing
Artificial intelligence has become a core marketing tool, transforming strategies with a data-driven and customer-centric approach.
Below is a brief run-down of the how AI marketing has developed over the years and what it offers today:
1. Defining AI Marketing
AI Marketing involves utilizing artificial intelligence technology to make automated decisions based on data collection, data analysis, and additional observations of audience or economic trends that may impact marketing efforts.
It helps save time and money by crunching unimaginable reams of data for you. By using an AI marketing tool you can decipher this data and understand what it all means.
Central to AI marketing is this ability to process vast amounts of data to identify patterns and insights. It leverages learning, natural language processing, and other AI technologies to optimize and personalize marketing campaigns at scale.
AI Tools: Your tech stack may include AI-based CRM systems, chatbots, recommendation engines, social media listening tools, and generative AI.
Evolution of Marketing Tools
Digital Marketing has undergone significant transformations over the past decade, largely due to the advent of AI.
While artificial intelligence was once the domain of mega search engines like Google, now even small businesses can harness the power of AI through tools and platforms.
Traditional tools for digital marketing have given way to sophisticated software capable of detailed analytics and real-time campaign adjustments.
You may use an AI marketing tool for improving your brand messaging, for streamlining your productivity, or both. The beauty of AI in marketing is you can lean on automated learning to help complete core tasks.
AI and the Marketing Landscape
The integration of AI in marketing has redefined the structure and operation of marketing teams and campaigns. Whereas before you might have an entire marketing team cold-calling customers to gauge brand sentiment, now an AI marketing tool can listen to social media responses and gather sentiment analysis in seconds.
Your effective marketing strategies should now be dynamic and data-informed, to be ahead in the changing marketing landscape.
AI helps with:
Customer Insights: Profound analysis of customer data leads to more effective targeting.
Market Research: AI streamlines market research, making it faster and more accurate to anticipate market trends and customer needs.
Content creation: AI can help you create killer content, whether it's imagery, video, or written text.
Data and AI
In the realm of marketing, the strategic use of data can serve as the cornerstone for informed decisions and cutting-edge customer insights.
AI elevates this by transforming data into actionable intelligence.
What's more, that data collection is often much quicker than human-led collection, which frees employees up to work on other aspects of marketing campaigns.
Importance of Customer Data
Your ability to understand and cater to your customers hinges on the quality of customer data you collect.
AI helps provide valuable insights that stem from high-quality data. This encompasses a range of data points from consumer behavior to purchase history.
You can use an AI marketing tool to set the parameters of your data collection and ensure you receive accurate, relevant, and actionable results.
More data means more opportunities to hone your marketing strategies, but quantity should never trump quality.
Prioritize proprietary data—information unique to your organization or brand that provides an edge over the competition.
Data Analysis Techniques
Now we know the importance of data, let's take a look at the techniques required to handle it. Data analysis involves dissecting big data to uncover patterns, trends, and correlations.
Techniques vary from simple data analytics, like calculating averages, to more complex data analysis procedures that involve sophisticated algorithms powered by AI.
Types of Data Analyzed:
Demographics
Online behavior
Purchase history
Market trends
Reactivity of audiences
Common AI Tools Used:
Machine Learning models
Natural Language Processing
Sentiment analysis
So, you might analyze the demographics of your target audience and use sentiment analysis to figure out how said audience reacts to a new product range. What do users like about it, and what do they dislike? Using AI means you can see this data in seconds and act fast to adjust your strategy, or perhaps even your product or service.
Leveraging Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics is a forward-thinking method that uses your historical data to forecast future trends and behaviors. You'll find this facility in most AI marketing tools.
It's an AI-driven approach that identifies potential opportunities and threats by recognizing patterns that are imperceptible to the human eye. It does so by assessing the entire digital sphere and listening to how audiences and competitors are behaving in real time.
Predictive Models Can Help to:
Forecast customer churn rates
Personalize marketing campaigns
Optimize pricing strategies
Predict competitor innovations
By harnessing the power of AI, you enhance your data analysis capabilities. This enables you to draw deeply personalized and relevant conclusions about your consumer base and broaden your digital marketing options.
This is not just about having more data; it's about having the right tools to make that data work for you.
AI Marketing Tools and Strategies
Embracing AI tools and strategies equips you with the analytical and automation advantages needed to thrive. This is vital in a world that is constantly evolving. Machine learning quite literally means industries are advancing all the time.
AI marketing tools serve both as a guide for your overarching strategies, but also as the fuel to push you to the next level. Below is an overview of what you can expect from such tools.
Overview of AI Marketing Tools
AI technologies are transforming marketing tools and strategies.
Your tech stack could include tools like AI writing assistants such as ChatGPT; image generators like Pixlr; media monitoring tools like CisionOne for informed PR decision-making, and social media listening tools like Brandwatch that track sentiment in real time.
Generative AI is particularly influential in creating content and design, ensuring that marketing content is both relevant and engaging.
Some tools available for AI marketing include:
Content Creation: AI tools such as ChatGPT can generate blog posts, social media content, or even code, enhancing your marketing capabilities. Just be sure to fact check before you publish!
Customer Insights: Automated learning algorithms analyze customer data to predict behaviors and preferences, allowing for more targeted marketing campaigns.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Acting as a first point of interaction, they provide instant customer support and can improve engagement rates.
Selecting the Right AI Tools
Choosing any successful AI tool for your marketing strategy hinges on several factors:
Alignment with Marketing Goals: Ensure the tools you select contribute directly to your KPIs and overall marketing objectives. If you want to gauge the impact of your marketing or PR campaign then CisionOne is the ideal tool for alignment.
Ease of Integration: Your marketing tool should seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack to avoid disruption and maintain workflow efficiency. Brandwatch, for example, allows full integration of social media accounts into your tech stack.
Scalability: As your business grows, your marketing tool should be able to handle increasing demands without additional complexity. An email marketing tool like Mail Chimp, for example, uses AI to help users scale and diversify their campaigns.
Tip: It's essential you leverage AI measurement tools that not only track the right metrics but also provide actionable insights for continual optimization. Otherwise you'll be left wondering what to do with all your data!
Incorporating Machine Learning and Deep Learning
Understanding the power of machine learning is important if you are to make full use of AI in your marketing efforts. AI marketing tools rely on machines to learn and help return fast, accurate data back to users. Deep learning is even more powerful. Here's what you need to know about both
Machine Learning (ML): This involves employing algorithms that can learn from and make predictions based on your data. Most top AI marketing tools have a strong level of machine learning software inbuilt.
ML can optimize ad spending, tailor content distribution, and improve customer segmentation. In an ideal world you won't even know the AI is learning as it goes.
MI Example:
You plan to intensify your ad spend on a digital marketing campaign but don't know where to look. Machine learning can help fine-tune your commercial decisions and, as the AI gathers more information, points you in better directions as you go
Deep Learning (DL): This more advanced form of learning uses neural networks to emulate human decision-making. It gives users access to multi-point data all at once.
Deep learning can dramatically improve visual content recognition, natural language processing, and even voice search optimization.
DL Example: You want to create a new visual campaign but need to avoid accidentally breaching copyright with a rival brand. By using a deep learning visual tool like Pixlr AI generator, you can create original imagery that doesn't cross over with your rival.
When employed thoughtfully, ML and DL can transform raw data into strategic insights, automating and refining your marketing processes for better results.
From analytics to generative AI, these powerful tools provide a competitive edge and so you can engage customers with the right content at the right time.
AI-Powered Marketing Campaigns
AI is transforming how we all design, deliver, and evaluate marketing campaigns. Generative AI not only makes it easy for those without design, editorial, and written skills to create content. It also helps streamlines processes and offers insights that can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your content.
Here are three steps to any AI marketing strategy. They are designed to help marketing teams deliver effective campaigns again and again.
1. Designing Effective Strategies
Through AI, you can more easily establish your marketing goals and craft a strategy that is tailored to meet those objectives. From here, you can begin to mould specific marketing campaigns.
Machine learning algorithms predict what marketing messages resonate best with target audiences. It's possible to use these data during your strategy creation, and then again for individual campaigns.
AI marketing tools can allow you to create all this in one place. You can share your plans with other AI marketing teams and colleagues, as well as key stakeholders.
2. AI and Customer Engagement
Your campaign needs to engage with customers or audiences, otherwise you probably won't hit your KPIs. By using the right measurement tools, it's possible for AI to facilitate your customer engagement and track reactions from your audience.
You might do this through chatbots or creating fresh content. What's great about AI for customer engagement is you can rely on the automated process of a machine to do the simple tasks for you, such as:
Automated interactions: Ensure timely, accurate responses to customer inquiries at any time of day.
Behavioral data analysis: Identify patterns within your audience or the market, which can lead to better customer engagement.
3. Measuring and Optimizing Performance
AI PR platforms like CisionOne offer real-time monitoring and analysis of campaign performance, empowering you to make data-driven decisions to optimize digital and non-digital campaigns.
Tools within CisionOne are available to not only track engagement metrics but also provide actionable insights to refine campaign strategies.
AI is instrumental in helping users achieve marketing goals with more precision and less manual effort. After all, artificial intelligence is designed to help us and free us up to do other things.
Through tailored content, enhanced engagement, and meticulous performance tracking, it's easier to run highly efficient marketing campaigns.
Enhancing Customer Experience with AI
Customers don't always want to speak to a robot. Research from the Alberta School of Business shows people are more dissatisfied when dealing with a customer service bot, even if the machine delivers the same service as a human being.
People feel they are not being taken seriously when they speak to robots.
It's therefore important to be smart when using AI in customer service. Artificial intelligence can engage much better with customers if it's armed with the right data.
In fact, AI facilitates deeper insights into customer behavior, driving both satisfaction and retention.
Yet any progress you make with customer-facing AI may be ruined if your audience suspects they are speaking to an an artificial face of your business. Here are so ways, then, to use AI in enhancing the customer experience.
1. Personalization and Customer Satisfaction
AI has the ability to analyze consumer data and craft marketing strategies to deliver personalized content with precision. This may be through targeted email campaigns, or perhaps even sponsored content on social media.
AI tools segment your audience based on their behaviors and preferences, creating a tailored experience that:
Increases engagement: Customized recommendations keep customers interested and engaged.
Enhances satisfaction: When customers receive relevant offerings, their satisfaction levels often rise.
2. Building Customer Relationships
Maintaining robust customer relationships is easier when you apply AI to:
Conduct customer feedback analysis: AI tools can swiftly deliver feedback for clear insights into consumer needs.
Predictive customer behavior analytics: Tools can also anticipate consumer needs to foster trust and strengthen connections.
By attentively listening and responding to valuable insights, it's possible nurture a bond that goes beyond transactions.
However, it's important to ensure customers don't feel as though they are simply being data mined, or being placed on hold when speaking to a generative AI bot instead of a real person. If they suspect this then your strong customer bonds will quickly break apart.
3. Improving the Customer Journey
AI is ideal for improving customer journeys. After all, every touchpoint in the consumer journey matters. From the first interaction to the last, utilize AI to smooth out any friction and streamline experiences by:
Automating repetitive tasks: This quickens response times, freeing your staff to handle complex issues.
Mapping out pathways: Recognize the most common customer routes and adapt your strategy to ensure a seamless flow.
By thoughtfully shaping the customer experience, you're likely to see not only repeat business but also enthusiastic referrals.
AI in Content Creation and Management
Leveraging AI when creating and managing offers you a significant competitive advantage. It streamlines your processes, enhances the relevance and customization of your marketing content, and ensures that your digital presence stays robust and impactful.
What's more, you don't need to sign up to expensive photo or video agencies if you can generate content yourself.
Here are three areas of AI can help:
1. Provide AI-Driven Content Strategies
Your marketing content can be elevated through the use of AI-driven content strategies.
AI tools analyze large volumes of data to establish trends and preferences, which allows you to tailor your content strategy to specific audiences.
For instance, the Pixlr AI image generator can produce visuals that resonate with your target demographic, so long as you input the correct commands.
Digital marketers, meanwhile, can employ advanced analytics found via a tool like SEMrush to refine the deployment of web pages and social media posts.
Below is an illustration of how AI integrates into content strategy development:
Data Analysis: AI analyzes user behavior and content performance.
Content Optimization: Tools offer recommendations to adjust content for better engagement.
Automated Scheduling: AI determines optimal posting times on social media channels.
2. Natural Language Processing and Generation
Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Generation (NLG) are at the core of AI's capabilities in content creation. It's no good having a generative AI machine write marketing material for you, if that machine can't get the tone and language right.
With NLP, an AI tool can understand and process human language, making it possible to sift through customer inquiries and feedback efficiently. You can quickly gain consumer insights that shape your future content decisions.
NLG, on the other hand, enables the automatic generation of coherent and contextually relevant text for web pages, newspaper ads, social media posts, emails, or whatever you may need. Using NLG is ideal if your target audience crosses multiple languages.
To appreciate the advancement in this technology:
NLP can identify the sentiment behind user comments, highlighting areas that require attention.
NLG can create first-draft articles or product descriptions.
3. Social Media and Digital Presence
Maintaining a social media and digital presence is crucial for keeping your audience engaged. It's possible to use AI marketing tools to create and oversee the success of all content.
AI fosters this engagement by:
Generating Timely Content: Creating topical social media posts quickly.
Audience Insights: Offering a deep dive into the preferences of your followers.
Content Consistency: Ensuring a steady stream of quality content across platforms.
In-built AI such as the technology available in the Meta Business Suite is ideal for generating quick, consistent content while keeping abreast of audience reactions.
In essence, AI simplifies the management of a diverse online footprint, ensuring your digital marketers can focus on strategy over routine tasks such as those detailed above.
Digital Marketing and Search Optimization
Using AI in digital marketing has never been so relevant. Search engines like Google run their own artificial intelligence systems to unearth relevant content for readers, based on their search terms and their past search history.
Search engines seek to root out unhelpful AI-created content and often champion human-created articles, images, and videos that fulfil SEO best practice such as Google's Experience-Education-Authority-Trust guidelines (also known as Google EEAT).
Still, that doesn't mean you can't use AI in your SEO strategy. You just need to make sure the content you create is genuinely helpful and provides a good user experience. Here are some of the ways AI can be harnessed in marketing.
1. SEO and AI Marketing
AI significantly impacts search engine optimization, enabling digital marketers to refine and personalize their strategies.
Through machine learning algorithms and data analytics, AI identifies patterns and insights from large datasets, helping you tailor your content and search strategies to what really engages and converts your audience.
Key AI SEO applications include:
Keyword analysis: AI tools can process linguistic data and suggest keywords that optimize your content for search engines.
Content optimization: Some tools provide feedback on content quality and SEO-friendliness, potentially increasing your search rankings.
However, you can't be fully reliant on AI to succeed in Google. Search engines still champion the "human touch" and other factors, such as author profile, readability, and timeliness of articles, factor into an overall AI SEO strategy.
2. Programmatic Advertising and AI
Programmatic advertising is another area where AI has been transformative. You can automate the process of buying digital ads and optimize your advertising efforts for maximum reach and engagement.
AI enhances programmatic advertising through:
Automated real-time bidding, making ad placement more efficient.
Predictive analysis to target ads to users more likely to convert, increasing ROI.
3. Marketing Platforms and AI Integration
AI integration into PR platforms such as CisionOne brings a level of sophistication to marketing efforts, making it easier for teams to execute comprehensive strategies.
Features of AI-integrated platforms:
Automated insights: AI provides real-time data analysis, supporting data-driven decision-making.
Customer segmentation and personalization: Predictive analytics help in creating personalized campaigns for distinct customer segments.
Remember, whether you're looking to boost your website's SEO ranking or planning to conduct a new digital marketing campaign, it's important to use AI alongside your own expertise.
Artificial intelligence cannot operate successful campaigns on its own. It needs smart users to oversee everything from strategy development to content publishing, and data analysis.
Forward-Thinking with AI Marketing
The AI marketing industry is still in its infancy.
Over the next few years machine learning is expected to grow exponentially and marketing teams will need to be ahead of the curve in order to exploit the true potential of artificial intelligence.
AI's role in marketing isn't going away. It's reshaping strategies and operations, promising to elevate our ability to understand and engage with consumers.
In the future we'll be able to:
Make More Data-Driven Decisions: Use AI to analyze even bigger datasets to predict trends and customer behavior. This will refine marketing strategies with accuracy.
Improve Customer Experience (CX): Boosting CX by personalizing interactions and content.
Deepening Efficiency: Automation of repetitive tasks will free users to focus on more innovative projects. This will amplify creativity and strategic thinking.
The future of marketing also looks healthy thanks to AI, with developments on the horizon such as:
Hyper Personalization: AI will help anticipate customer needs, offering personalized recommendations and services with remarkable precision.
Real-Time Insights: Adapting to market conditions will be easier with AI's capability to monitor and analyze data in real-time.
Ethical Marketing: As AI advances, users will ensure their strategies align with ethical standards and respect consumer privacy and data protection laws.
CisionOne's AI powered PR platform can help you create data-driven campaigns, zero-in on the best contacts to reach your target audience, and earn you the media coverage you seek. Interested in learning more? Speak to a Cision expert.
