Have you considered how AI can improve your business or are you still skeptical of this technology?
Consider AI your wingman. Making you feel more confident as you go after the girl of your dreams. The correct use of AI can propel your business to heights that you could only have imagined. Remember, we are not saying that AI should take over marketing for your business. It should be a tool to make the process better and smoother. You don’t let your wingman do all the talking, or do you?
This article gives an overview of AI in digital marketing, why it is important and some tools that can help your business.
But first, what is AI?
Artificial intelligence(AI) is computer software with the ability to imitate human-like behavior such as problem solving, learning, and decision making.
In digital marketing, AI analyzes user behavior, interests, and demographics to deliver personalized content to users most likely to engage.
Common types of AI are machine learning(ML) and deep learning.
Machine learning is common in business and helps to process large amounts of data quickly. Just like its name, it involves teaching machines. How? Through data. The more data you feed a ML algorithm, the better it gets.
Example:
In a manufacturing facility, the machinery likely runs from a central system. The connected devices constantly share data about functionality, production and more. But, this is too much for a human to go through and they might miss important patterns from the same.
On the other hand, a machine can analyze the data as it comes in, identify patterns and anomalies, and notify relevant people about downtime or maintenance requirements.
What’s the difference between automation and machine learning?
The two sound similar but are not. Automation is focused on repetitive tasks, while machine learning adds a layer of prediction. ML is a step higher than automation.
Benefits of AI in Digital Marketing
AI has revolutionized digital marketing. AI empowers marketing in businesses making it more effective and efficient. By studying insights about customer trends and behavior, one can create targeted campaigns that resonate with the target audience.
So how does AI help in digital marketing?
Personalization
With AI, you can deliver personalized content to each user. AI will analyze user behavior, preferences, and past interactions. Then, it will create customized solutions that increase your customer engagement and conversion rates.
By speaking to your customer’s challenges or aspirations, your content will appeal to their emotions and compel them to engage with your business.
Imagine sending a 20-year-old male offers about recipes that cook in seven hours. What is the likelihood that they will buy? What about sending the same person offers on your latest 20-minute recipes? Young adults don’t have the patience or the need for hours of cooking. They want quick recipes without many ingredients and steps.
For example, Twiga Foods, an e-commerce and fresh produce distribution platform in Kenya, uses AI to analyze small-scale retailers’ purchasing patterns and preferences. With this information, the company can recommend the right products to stock. Because the retailers stock what the customers need, sales have increased while the dead stock has reduced.
Chatbots and Customer Service
AI-powered chatbots offer instant customer support and guide users through their journeys, increasing engagement and customer satisfaction. The bots can handle multiple requests simultaneously, ensuring your customers will always receive responses in real-time and without human intervention.
They are accurate and consistent in their responses. Users will get uniform and similar answers. In turn, your brand is perceived as consistent, and this builds trust and reliability.
Another plus is optimizing your resources by reducing your operational costs. How? You need fewer customer service agents. The ability of bots to handle multiple requests simultaneously eliminates the need for several customer agents to respond to customers.
Dial Afrika is a company that provides customer engagement platforms to African businesses, and they know all too well the power of AI in businesses. The company uses chatbots to handle user inquiries, offer product information, and help with troubleshooting. This guarantees efficient and timely customer service.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics predict future outcomes using historical data and machine learning. AI will analyze vast amounts of data and help you predict future trends and customer behaviors. With AI, you can forecast sales, identify patterns and potential leads, and optimize your marketing campaigns.
With data, you can make decisions, assess risks, plan and allocate business resources more efficiently. This enhances your overall business performance and competitiveness.
For example, you may have noticed that your restaurant gets a lot of catering business towards the end of the year. Predictive analytics will help you assess how to prepare for this peak season. With the right information, you can calculate how much more resources you need and for how long. This will help you prepare well and optimize your resources.
SunCulture does this perfectly. The company uses AI to provide precision irrigation systems to farmers. AgOptimized is a system that gathers local soil and weather data, combines it with meteorological and satellite data, and predicts the best times for activities like planting or harvesting.
Content Creation
AI tools can help businesses create content for various channels such as social media, blogs or emails. Emphasis on help. AI-generated content should not replace humanized content but should help smoothen the process. You can use it to create outlines, flesh out statistics, summarize texts, proofread content, or create writing prompts, saving you time and effort.
ZaidiLab, a Kenyan tech firm launched the Zaidi Creator Lab, an innovative platform that offers businesses affordable and accessible artificial intelligence tools for content creation.
AI Tools and Technologies in Digital Marketing
AI is empowering marketers to connect with their audience in more meaningful ways. Integrate these advanced tools into your marketing strategy and you’ll stay ahead of the competition and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
- Content creation and optimization
Jasper: Creates content for blogs, social media, and more.
Surfer SEO: Analyzes top results in search engine result pages and then optimizes content to rank higher in search.
2. Customer service
Chatgpt: Offers conversational AI for customer support.
ManyChat: A chatbot platform for automating social media customer interactions.
3. Social media management
Hootsuite: using AI, this tool schedules posts, analyzes performance and suggests the best posting times.
Buffer: offers insights to improve business digital marketing strategies.
4. Email management
HubSpot: comes with AI driven tools that improve email open rates and engagement.
MailChimp: with AI, this tool optimizes email campaigns, segments audiences, and personalized content.
5. Ad campaigns
Google Ads: uses AI for advertisement targeting, bidding, and performance optimization.
Facebook Ads: optimizes ad delivery and audience targeting using machine learning.
6. Predictive analytics
IBM Watson: forecasts trends and customer preferences using AI.
Salesforce Einstein: gives businesses insights to predict customer behavior and improve decision making.
7. Image and video creation
Canva: a tool that helps businesses create design templates that improve the visual identity.
Synthesia: an AI powered tool for video production and editing.
Integrating AI into your digital marketing strategy will improve efficiency, help you personalize customer experiences, and stay ahead of your competition. Explore and experiment with AI to find the best fit for your business needs.
At Iconick Digital Marketing, we understand the power of AI and leverage it to make your business shine online. Call us today for a customized digital marketing solution that will wow both you and your customers.