Read our take on the latest statistics around AI in marketing and how to use it effectively
In our ever-evolving digital world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we approach marketing.
Recent research carried out by SurveyMonkey highlights some of the key ways that businesses are using AI to enhance their marketing initiatives.
AI isn’t the answer to everything marketing-related though. The same survey revealed that, while GenZ are pretty positive about the benefits (66% were interested in AI that would help them through a product or website, 63% liked the idea of personalised deals, and 56% wanted tailored product recommendations), 90% of people prefer a human customer service representative, and 18% believe they can spot a chatbot.
Unsurprisingly, attitudes vary across generations, with 72% of over-65s reporting negative feelings about AI in customer experience, as opposed to only 41% of under-34s (though that’s still a fair amount of negativity there).
So what are the main ways that businesses are using AI in marketing? Here are our top ten:
- Personalised customer experiences
AI empowers us to create deeply personalised experiences for each customer. By gathering and analysing extensive data, AI identifies patterns and preferences, allowing businesses to deliver tailored content, product recommendations, and special offers to increase customer satisfaction and engagement.
- Customer segmentation
AI means you’ve run out of excuses for not segmenting your marketing. AI allows you to refine customer segmentation with precision, analysing their behaviour, purchase history, and demographics to target specific groups with customised messages.
- Email marketing
AI streamlines email marketing with precise segmentation and personalised content to enhance engagement and drive conversions. AI algorithms take the guesswork out of determining the best times to send emails to increase open and click-through rates.
- Social media marketing
AI simplifies social media management, from scheduling posts to analysing performance, identifying trending topics, and suggesting content ideas.
- Ad targeting
AI improves your targeting by analysing user data and predicting which ads will resonate with specific audiences, optimising ad placements, bid strategies, and creatives in real-time to maximise your ROI.
- Content generation
Creating high-quality content can be time-consuming, but AI can help you to generate engaging blog posts, social media updates, and product descriptions, saving you time while also optimising for SEO. By creating a short brief or proposal and including a handful of ideas, you can use generative AI tools to support your brainstorming sessions by providing new ideas.
- Predictive analytics
AI-driven predictive analytics enables us to use historical data to identify future trends and predict customer behaviours, demand, campaign success, and allow you to make informed decisions.
- Chatbots and virtual assistants
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide real-time customer support to customers, managing multiple interactions simultaneously, and gathering valuable data to improve future strategies. As we’ve already seen, though, while AI-driven customer interactions can help to increase customer satisfaction, they aren’t universally appreciated, so, depending on your customer base, you may need to consider an appropriate balance between AI and human.
- Visual Recognition
AI-powered visual recognition technology offers valuable insights by analysing images and videos to identify logos, products, and scenes in user-generated content, providing data on brand visibility and customer preferences.
- Automating tasks
Finally, when it comes to monotonous tasks, AI’s automation of repetitive actions is a powerful time-saving tool, allowing you to focus on higher-priority activities.
Embracing AI in marketing is more than keeping up with marketing trends; it’s about setting the stage for a future where you can connect more deeply with your audiences to achieve your business goals.
As it continues to evolve and adapt, the applications of AI in marketing will expand, offering even greater opportunities for growth and innovation.
By harnessing the power of AI, we can stay ahead of the curve, fostering a brighter and more connected future for businesses and their customers alike.
To discuss how we could help you to harness the power of AI in your marketing, get in touch with us. While we’re all in favour of using AI, we can promise you a human will respond.
tabitha@themarketingassociates.co.uk or call 01233 720379
At The Marketing Associates, we specialise in strategic freelance marketing support for professional service practices, providing excellent quality advice on your marketing strategy to develop and grow your business on a retained basis.