Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, allowing different forms of the technology to analyse data sets and make appropriate decisions for businesses. From booking flights to chatting with consumers about their insurance needs, AI is changing the way we work. Beyond the initial steps into voice recognition technology, AI is also affecting how marketers connect with consumers.
AI is the term used for technology that is able to ‘think like humans’. Below are four ways in which it is changing digital marketing, along with some of the applications that will soon become essential for any marketer wishing to stay ahead of the game.
AI for GDPR compliance
AI excels at gathering and analysing large sets of data to find insights. Much of a marketer’s job is to tailor advertising and digital marketing campaigns for specific buyer personas, segmented demographics, or on insights gleaned from the buyer journey. Given this information, AI is the perfect partner for these tasks.
Through the collection of data from a range of different platforms – like social media and a company’s own website – AI can be used to sift through the vast amounts of information. The technology is able to spot consumer behaviour patterns that will aid a marketer’s decisions when building a digital marketing campaign.
This is expected to help in a number of ways, from tweaking campaigns as they run to better engage an audience or even customising ads so individuals are more likely to take the requested action.
‘Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the web. It would understand exactly what you wanted, and it would give you the right thing…’ Larry Page.
Voice search and speech recognition
62 per cent of British people are already happily using voice operated technology for shopping, music, and searching the web. AI can enhance a range of different searches, including voice recognition, by remembering user history.
This impacts marketers in a number of ways. Firstly, voice searches often take a different form to typed searches. We tend to use a more conversational tone when speaking, whereas typed searches encourage economy with words. Long tailed keywords will become more useful as voice search becomes the preferred way to use the internet for getting information and shopping.
Speech recognition can also be used to heighten consumer security. Similarly to how the UK banking system has adopted a “my voice is my password” approach to phone banking, businesses can ensure purchases made from a customer’s account were in fact requested by them. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on complex passwords.
Generating new leads
It’s no secret that AI can be used to sort through the data you have already gathered and provide additional insights to support a digital marketing campaign. However, AI can also be used to find more ideal customers, new clients and even work colleagues.
For B2B communications and certain B2C interactions (depending on the individual EU country’s consent requirements), AI can save you copious amounts of time. When it comes to searching for new leads, advanced tech can provide you with more time to craft the best pitch or email outreach campaign you can. LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator and Node are two programmes which can be used to help generate new leads for your business.
AI is moving forward at a surprising speed. Understanding how to use the many applications of this technology ethically and effectively will allow marketers to remain on the right side of the law. It will also provide more opportunity to reach consumers in the ways they wish to connect with businesses.
This has been a guest post from Blue Label Labs.