Whether you operate as a service-based business or an eCommerce storefront, the notion of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your website may a discomfort. Machine learning algorithms have advanced to a point where the end-user simply cannot discern whether they are chatting with a sales representative or an AI while shopping.
According to studies published by Venture Harbour, 85% of customer interactions will be handled without a human intermediary by 2020. This is followed by a statement from 80% of business leaders who expressed that they have already implemented AI into their companies in some capacity and have experienced productivity growth as a result.
The data clearly shows that AI does impact everyday workflow for numerous companies across the globe. But how does this technology revolutionise digital marketing specifically? Can AI handle the marketing of your brand to potential customers like an advertising agency would be able to?
Automated Content Generation
While it may seem far-fetched, AI algorithms are already capable of generating content for online publishing. The technology is already so far ahead that you may not be aware that an article was generated by an AI. A perfect example of this practice can be found in Forbes which uses its own artificial intelligence algorithm to create news articles.
The AI collects relevant information from across the web and generates unique blog posts based on what it gathered. Results of AI-generated content are created in mere seconds, something which would take actual writers and journalists hours or days to do correctly.
However, without source materials to look through, the technology simply cannot keep up with actual writers as of yet. Even though AI can’t generate content without raw data to work with, it is still a great addition to small companies with little in terms of resources to spare for hired writers.
Content Curation
One of the best reasons to consider implementing AI in your digital marketing is due to content curation. Customer bases are often comprised of people from different professional backgrounds, generational gaps and lifestyle choices. The same type of marketing content simply won’t appease every one of your followers no matter how well you curate it.
However, an AI might be able to curate the content depending on who accessed your website. According to Martech Advisor, Netflix managed to make up for $1 billion in lost revenue by implementing AI curation on their streaming platform.
The result of content curation is better targeting and management of what content is displayed to which user that engages with your website. The same principle can be applied to your online store, blog archive or forums which will make the content more appealing for new visitors.
Indefinite Customer Support
Machine learning algorithms can often be seen in the form of chatbots across the web. These specialised AI algorithms serve the purpose of customer engagement and personal marketing. According to Chatbots Magazine, over 100,000 bots operate on Facebook Messenger alone in hopes of engaging new customers with popular brands. Setting chatbots up on your site and social media pages is quite easy and can introduce a new layer of digital marketing to your brand.
Best of all, however, is the fact that chatbots work overtime and are functional 24/7 while also learning new information which each individual conversation. This means that the longer a chatbot is active, the more fluent it will be in whichever language and industry you operate in.
You can implement professional platforms such as Pick Writers and their content localisation services to your products available to as many people as possible. While they still can’t fully replace live customer support agents, chatbots provide enough incentive for implementation for both small businesses and large corporations
User Experience Advantages
Graphic and web designers often struggle with User Experience (UX) research and design. After all, it’s difficult to cater a single website to millions of users despite extensive customer profiling. AI algorithms introduce a new level of curated design to the web.
Menial tasks such as data research, A/B testing and visual style generation can all be handled by AI algorithms. These tasks are technical and focus on repetitive, time-consuming tasks which take away precious work hours from the design team.
Despite the troubles in pinpointing the right balance of UX, it is still an important element of a design process in terms of digital marketing appeal. By splitting the workload between web designers and AI algorithms, users will be presented with more appealing websites and be incentivised to engage with your content more frequently.
High RoI Incentives
While the notion of cost-cutting in terms of manpower may seem counterintuitive, AI can truly transform your business model if you allow it. We’ve already covered the topics of customer support and UX research, but how far can AI really go?
These two segments alone would cost a small company a fortune if they opted for third-party outsourcing. AI algorithms are arguably cheaper and faster in terms of presenting actionable results but they do lack in terms of human touch. According to statistics published by Adobe, 38% of consumers actively seek to talk to an AI instead of a human representative which drives the point further.
It’s important to create a good balance between AI implementation and actual professionals working in your company. No matter how extensive your AI implementations are, the return on investment, as well as the revenue growth you will experience, will be worth the trouble.
The Future is Artificial (Conclusion)
It’s easy to see the appeal of implementing artificial intelligence into existing content marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. However, companies should tread lightly in terms of delegating important tasks to AI algorithms.
Weigh your company’s needs for automation and AI before investing too much capital in a technology still in development. If balanced correctly, AI can transform the way you operate online and help you reach more customers and clients in a relatively short time.