It seems like everywhere you turn these days, there's mention of artificial intelligence (AI).

As the AI algorithms improve, the technology gets even more efficient and eerily lifelike in its abilities. This has made the adoption of the technology widespread. Whether it's the promise of self-driving cars or fully autonomous customer support bots, AI has shown potential in almost every industry. 

AI's potential has reached past the tech world and is even impacting the marketing world. Don't worry. We're not all of a job just yet (or are we?). Today, we'll look at how AI is transforming modern marketing, some of its uses, and how your business might benefit from these technologies. Spoiler alert: it hasn't replaced us all yet, and a human touch is still required for the best SEO marketing campaigns. 

But AI technology is exciting and developing at a rapid pace. So, it's worth studying where we're at, so you can plan for the future. 

Big businesses were early adopters

Using any technology you can to gain an advantage is an obvious choice today. But that wasn't always the case. 

As computers and technology entered the scene, many didn't really know how to integrate them into their businesses. Sure, they might use a spreadsheet to track sales rather than writing things down. But past that, many lacked the vision to see the potential uses. Think of Blockbuster Video turning down Netflix's technology…most just couldn't see the full potential and missed significant opportunities. 

Cutting-edge technology, like AI, was often expensive and out of the reach of most small businesses. So, it was up to the big brands like Nike, Amazon, and Alibaba to pioneer the way forward. They initially used early, much simpler AI to push engagement and sales. The early attempts were often crude and obvious, but AI sped up smaller tasks like recommended products or price adjustments. 

As they found success, more people wanted in on the action, helping to lower pricing and widen the capabilities of the technology. Soon, chatbots and text-generation AI were finding their way to the masses, and it wasn't just large corporations looking to leverage AI for their businesses. 

The benefits of AI to digital marketing for all sizes of business

These days, everyone knows that the earliest adopters are the ones who benefit most from technology. So, unlike years ago, everyone is working hard to find ways to implement AI technologies into their businesses. 

Now's the best time to try it out for yourself. AI technologies have become more capable and affordable than ever before. If the thought of missing out on the next wave of advancement isn't enough for you, check out some of the benefits of AI in digital marketing.

AI can benefit you with:

• A better understanding of your audience

AI excels in synthesizing large chunks of information. It can learn to predict behaviors and purchasing decisions even better than long-time marketing professionals since the data doesn't lie. AI can help you target your marketing campaigns to reach the right audience, learn the correct times to run campaigns, boost engagement, and more. 

• An increase in your productivity

AI is also a godsend when it comes to automation. Instead of spending your valuable, limited time on repetitive tasks, AI can do the work for you. This frees you up to use your resources on more critical tasks. 

• Boost the efficacy of your campaigns

With AI, you're no longer guessing about what works. AI can study and learn your audience, so you can stop making assumptions about what will work or not. And with AI taking care of the early stages of a campaign, you're free to push your creativity even further. 

• Increase ROI

You can set AI up to work with all the data available for you. Over time, the AI gets better at predicting behaviors and learning what does and doesn't work for your customers. The longer you use the technology, the more accurate it gets as it's “trained.” This will help you see a more considerable ROI on campaigns as you get more targeted. 

• Improved user experience

Customers who are getting more targeted content are satisfied customers. Reports have shown that businesses implementing AI in their marketing campaigns are more successful in providing their customers with the desired user experience. 

How Businesses are Implementing AI into their Digital Marketing

Hopefully, you're more excited by the benefits of using AI in your business. But maybe you still don't know how you'd use the technology. Here are some of the more common ways companies are using AI:

Chatbots: Chatbots were the first taste of AI technology many companies played around with. The early chatbots were a bit clunky and needed a ton of manual input to set up, making many feel that the technology wasn't ready for primetime. Today's chatbots are nuanced and articulate and, in early conversations, almost eerily human-like in their replies. 

Personalized recommendations: eCommerce and retail brands love using this feature of AI technology. Where early AI recommendations were simple (this other person bought this product then this product, so surely everyone will do the same), the newer algorithms are much better at learning individual preferences. 

AI-empowered website creation: Know the right layouts and colors for your target audience? That's ok. AI might just know it for you. AI-powered build sites like The Grid, FireDrop, Wix ADI, etc., are still in their early stages but already creating exciting websites. And they're only expected to get more sophisticated as the technologies improve.

Augmented shopping experiences: This one is a bit more advanced and futuristic but fun for your customers. Many brands are using augmented reality to improve their customer's shopping experience. Maybe you've used one yourself? You can use an app or camera to “try on” products from home or without having to visit a dressing room. 

These are just a few examples of how businesses are implementing AI into their digital marketing strategies. As we've said previously, the best results are found by doing your own experimentation and finding unique solutions that aren't as common. We're still barely scratching the surface of what AI can accomplish. 

Are you ready to implement AI into your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Soon, we'll all take AI technology for granted. It's already growing in use and becoming an invaluable tool for businesses in the know. 

But it's not at the overhyped level many are claiming. As powerful as AI has become, it still often needs a human touch to get things right. So, most of our jobs are safe for now.

Please reach out to us if you'd like help knowing what technologies are suitable for your small or local business. We love helping people figure out the right digital marketing solutions for their needs.