For many, the thought of artificial intelligence can conjure images of sentient robots and self-flying spaceships shuttling people to faraway destinations. And while such notions may still seem like science fiction, our growing reliance on voice-operated devices and AI automation tools may indicate that that future is closer than ever. 

The fact is, AI is no longer a distant fantasy; it’s a modern-day reality with a significant and wide-ranging impact not only on consumers but on nearly every function and type of business. This includes digital marketing, where AI is now leveraged in a number of ways to reach customers and maximize the brand experience. 

Many digital marketing teams now use AI machine learning to predict consumer behavior, generate insight, and optimize marketing strategy performance. From processing data to creating content, AI-powered tools are now essential for improving visibility and compelling brand interaction – must-haves for building a competitive advantage on the web. 

Here’s a look at how companies are using AI to power up their outreach:

Optimized targeting

AI tech allows marketers to gather and analyze consumer data faster than ever, and to utilize that information to precisely pinpoint or predict buyer behavior. With data-backed predictions at their fingertips, marketers can refine brand messaging to make a bigger impact at crucial legs of the consumer journey, delivering more targeted ads where they’re most likely to compel further action. 

By collecting detailed info on prospect behavior (blogs read, pages visited, searches entered, etc.), AI provides a roadmap marketers can use to shape and deliver content more effectively. This not only helps optimize marketing efforts on email, social media, and search platforms but can drastically improve marketing ROI, reducing waste while increasing campaign efficiency across the board.

Content marketing

For years, content marketing has dominated the digital marketing landscape, serving as the go-to for marketers aiming to satiate consumers’ rising demand for online content. With the help of AI, digital marketers can now determine the types of content customers are looking for and the most effective ways to get it in their hands. 

Speedy AI content tools can now provide fast, in-depth analysis of anything from headlines and subheadings to metadata and other critical content elements, helping businesses instantly identify what’s working and what’s not. Such automated, data-based analyses allow marketers to separate the wheat from the chaff and structure blogs, emails, and landing pages for maximum performance.

Additionally, some AI tools now provide start-to-finish content creation, delivering personalized AI-generated short- and long-form content based on little more than a few keywords. Some of the more prominent names in AI content generation include Jasper, Anyword, and Copymatic, though new names are popping up at a staggering rate. 

Managing customer relationships

Keeping existing customers engaged and happy is key to maintaining customer loyalty and a healthy bottom line. That makes customer relationship management (CRM) a crucial part of the marketing process, and it’s here that AI tech is making a huge splash in and across the digital marketing universe. 

Many businesses now leverage AI-infused CRM tech to identify behaviors and patterns that commonly lose a customer’s attention and, by extension, repeat business. This info is then leveraged to target existing customers with personalized messaging and promotion that restores focus on their brands. Ideally, this reduces bounce rates and “churn” while reinforcing the relationship critical to customer loyalty.

More digital marketers are also relying on AI chatbot platforms to facilitate conversations and improve the customer experience. Supported by natural language processing, AI chatbots intuitively categorize and process existing customer questions and concerns, ensuring customers get the right answers quickly. 

While not always perfect, today’s chatbot technology is both powerful and effective enough to deliver fast, accurate, and expected responses at often far less cost than person-to-person interaction, maximizing customer satisfaction without breaking the bank. 

Specialized influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is having a moment, with more companies than ever partnering with social media trendsetters to expand brand awareness, credibility, and impact. And with AI tech at their fingertips, marketers are taking those branding opportunities even further, leveraging the power of AI algorithms to identify specialists that strengthen bonds between buyers and their products.

AI now allows brands to locate so-called “micro-influencers,” people with specialized knowledge related to their industries and the niche audiences most likely to care about what they do. Though these micro-influencers tend to have smaller followings, they come with the target audiences and specialized know-how that provide brands a distinct advantage in the marketplace, lending a level of trustworthiness and relatability hard to find elsewhere.

AI-boosted influencer marketing not only gives marketers the chance to zero in and connect with specific, motivated prospects. It also helps narrow their marketing spend, ensuring each partnership is delivering maximum impact and getting the most out of each dollar. 

AI IS already changing the world of digital marketing

But it’s certainly not the only thing that matters, at least when it comes to building a better brand online.

From AI and SEO to content marketing, content creation, and social media management, digital marketing takes the perfect mix of tools and expertise to create a competitive advantage on the web. 

Want to learn more? Visit my award-winning online marketing and branding team today.   

blog-image

Brand Perception in Fashion: How to Build and Maintain a Positive Reputation

In the ever-evolving world of fashion, the shimmer of your brand reputation can either attract a loyal following and make you the hit of the show or knock you off the runway, nudging potential customers closer to the competition. As entrepreneurs and business owners in this vibrant industry, understanding the nuances of brand perception in […]

Read More