We’d forgive you for immediately imagining a character out of I, Robot when we mention the term ‘artificial intelligence’, but it does in fact describes when a machine perceives its surrounding environment and takes actions accordingly.
Sound familiar? Well, that’s exactly what we do in the digital marketing world when we test and improve our campaigns. Here are a few examples of how you could use artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline your data collection and improve your strategies:
Personalised Content Suggestions
Once upon a time digital copywriters would write their own calls to action at the end of blog posts and direct users towards relevant blog content that they might be interested in based on the article they had just read. Why? Well, personalised calls to action convert 42% better than generic ones.
Now content suggestions can be computer generated and personalised to each reader based on their internet history, in the same way similar products may appear at the bottom of a product page. You’ve probably noticed this after viewing a video on Facebook.
This personalisation not only provides relevant content, but the material the reader is most likely to enjoy or find useful, therefore increasing your chance of a conversion.
AI is also used to generate and optimise ads, and has the capability of generating content for ads or business information. In fact, Gartner predicts that 20% of business content will be authored by machines by 2018.
Sales Forecasting
Forecasting can be extremely difficult, especially as there are so many variables, but artificial intelligence can help. Forecasters can use AI in a number of methods, including the analysis of inbound communications, and interpret these to make appropriate actions based on previous behaviours. Machine learning can help filter through mass amounts of data to highlight the likelihood of a conversion, something that would take a human considerably longer to do.
Virtual Shopping Assistants
More and more brands are recognising the importance of excellent user experience and reactive customer services, and as a result are using AI-inspired virtual assistants to help customers find specific products, answer queries or simply teach users how to navigate the site.
This is not only providing customers with 24/7 self-service and customer care, but reduces the number of phone operatives required to answer query calls and therefore outgoing costs as a result.
Programmatic Ad Buying
Automated planning, buying and optimising are all an essential part of programmatic advertising and it is quickly becoming popular among marketers looking to target specific customer persona groups efficiently.
Learn all about this in the Figaro blog post: Leading Gift Retailer Uses Programmatic Buying to Boost Efficiency
However, some argue that this artificial intelligence can lead to customers being spammed by ads or the exact opposite – not seeing any at all due to the use of ad blockers.
Artificial Intelligence and Your Marketing
Do you use artificial intelligence for your digital marketing? Then we’d love to hear all about it. Tweet your thoughts to @Figaro_digital.
Read more:
How Digital Assistants Are Shaping the Way We Search Online
How Technology is Disrupting Customer Experience
Video Presentation – Artificial Intelligence: Adopting IBM Watson for Brand Marketing
(main image: Tej3478 under CC BY-SA 4.0)