Over the last few years, the marketing industry has witnessed a significant transformation due to the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. AI has brought in new tools and opportunities for businesses to engage with their target audience. However, it’s important to note that AI technology complements and enhances human marketing skills rather than replacing them. Together, they can create more effective marketing campaigns and stronger customer relationships.
One of the ways in which AI technology complements human marketing skills is by providing data-driven insights. AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of customer data to identify patterns and trends that humans might not be able to detect. These insights can then be used to inform marketing decisions such as product promotions and messaging. However, human expertise is necessary to ensure that the data is relevant and accurate, as AI algorithms are only as good as the data they’re given.
Another way that AI technology complements human marketing skills is by automating repetitive tasks. For instance, AI can be used to send personalized emails or social media messages to customers at specific times or based on specific actions. This frees up your time to focus on higher-level tasks like creating new campaigns and analyzing customer feedback.
An interesting experiment was done recently that really shows how AI can help with some of your automation. A local Saskatoon brewery used ChatGPT to generate a new beer recipe for their menu. While ChatGPT was able to quickly create several different recipes for them to try, it still required them to tweak the final recipe to something that was actually drinkable.
AI technology can also help improve customer experiences by providing personalized recommendations and real-time support. Some of the top use cases for this include suggesting products on e-commerce sites based on browsing and purchase history, recommending movies, TV shows and music based on history, preferences, and behaviour and social media platforms suggesting content based on interests and behaviour. However, human marketers are necessary to develop the strategy behind these initiatives and to ensure that the personalization is relevant and valuable to customers. Additionally, human marketers are needed to interpret the insights provided by AI technology and to use that information to create more effective marketing campaigns.
When thinking about the capabilities of AI, a common thought that crosses many people’s minds is ‘what are the risks?” Harvard Business Review has gathered information on AI-Powered Marketing and suggests some ways Marketers can lower risk. They state, “bringing any kind of AI into a workflow demands careful integration of human and machine tasks.” They also suggest thorough research and analysis before jumping into third party platforms as that can be tricky. With any level of AI integration, businesses must keep customers’ interests as the number one priority. Customers may begin to worry about privacy and security as more AI applications become smarter. Businesses need to make sure privacy and security controls are easily accessible to customers to lessen this stress.
In conclusion, AI is a powerful tool that can complement your marketing skills and enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, but people are still needed to develop strategies, interpret data, and craft messaging that truly resonates with your customers.
- Blair Maki is a Business Support Manager on the Revenue Growth and Digital Platforms Team at Directwest.
Sources:
https://hbr.org/2021/07/how-to-design-an-ai-marketing-strategy
