WHY MARKETERS MUST UNDERSTAND AI TO BUILD CONTENT
Early in my career, I can remember hearing people say that social media was a fad. Now, those same people are trying to desperately improve their following and engagement on channels like Facebook, which nowadays comes at a cost. Imagine where they would be if they would have evolved with the world around them. Instead of playing catch-up, they could be elevating the relationship between the brand and the consumer by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).
Because of the digital revolution, I can also remember a time when journalists moved into content marketing because the newspapers and legacy media outlets left many of them out of work. I can remember hearing some of those people talk about how search engine optimization didn't matter. Now, those same people are trying to figure out how to use Google Analytics and incorporate keywords into their copy. Imagine if they would have looked at the channel they were using to communicate. They could be leveraging Google's RankBrain technology to their advantage by creating pillar pages, content clusters and more.
DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND
According to Forbes Insights, 47 percent of companies agree that those who don't invest in AI are at risk of being pushed out by competitors. This is the time for marketers to embrace AI by using it to fully understand data and increase their personalization efforts. A report from BrightEdge states that 60 percent of enterprise marketers plan to use AI in their content marketing this year, and 32 percent said marketing technologies must integrate.
This is the time for marketers to get back to their creative roots by leveraging AI to help them to increase productivity and provide better performing content. The marketers of tomorrow are going to have to possess creative problem-solving skills to understand the patterns in data and create more engaging campaigns that will promote excitement. They cannot be afraid of the unusual, and they must be willing to take risks.
For example, the collection, interpretation and analysis of data from social media channels is important to a marketer's campaign success. There are AI algorithms being used today to do just that, which saves on the manual work of a human to make predictions on limited data interpretation methods. Facebook has its own range of AI-powered marketing tools to help with advertising.
AN INCREASE IN PERSONALIZATION
The demand for personalized service has increased, and brands who meet customer expectations will be the ones who survive. AI is used to track and predict behavior. Therefore, with this information, companies will be able to make persona-driven customer journeys that are unique to each person.
Too many hours are spent attempting to gain insight into a target audience, and consumer insights are key to strategic marketing. I know that I've personally had to deal with analyzing overwhelming amounts of data to find the story and customer journey. AI is simplifying the process by reviewing the data gathered to help provide deeper insights into the ever-changing needs and desires of a company's different personas.
It's time for marketers to get with the program – literally. The rise of machine learning isn't going anywhere. If marketers embrace the technology, they will be able to develop highly insightful campaigns. This is the time to fully utilize creativity and strategy. Tomorrow's marketers will need to be strategic and creative to be competitive since AI is impacting various aspects of business. Those who fail to embrace it will be left behind with the horse and buggy.
