Have you ever received a notification from one of your social media accounts suggesting you take a look at one of your friend’s posts? A seemingly innocent notification pulling at your attention and drawing you to their status update. Well, have you ever wondered how Facebook, Instagram, and other digital platforms choose what notifications to send you? Did you know that how they pick the notification is not random? Artificial intelligence in digital marketing has become more and more personalized to meet individuals’ wants, needs, and habits.
In a world that revolves around technology, social media, and the internet it is no mystery that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology will continue to alter the landscape of digital marketing. Here are 5 types of AI and how they impact the marketing realm.
Leveraging data to improve marketing campaigns and define target audiences have long since been a part of the marketing world and the use of AI is not the newest concept. However, artificial intelligence continues to advance over the years. The capacity at which AI-powered tools can consume and interpret large quantities of data has grown exponentially. Marketers can now better understand consumer behaviors and trends, predict future shifts, and plan effective campaigns using the data collected by AI and learning machines.
For example, AI will be able to predict future customer purchases, and who future customers will be. Predictive modeling is likely the most valuable innovation of AI.
Yes, those little chat pop-ups you see when you enter a website are a form of AI. They are already being utilized by many websites and are typically used to answer customer questions. AI chatbots are seen as a helpful tool because they create an inviting and personalized experience the minute you enter a website. They also save businesses valuable time and money. Instead of having real-time employees answer basic customer questions, artificial intelligence is able to be programmed to answer those questions for them. In a society that values instant gratification, chatbots have the ability to respond to customers quickly and efficiently. The future of chatbots is fairly unlimited. They someday could be used to engage in sales, generate leads, and become furthermore useful with customer service.
- Hyper-Segmentation & Customer Profile Building
As previously mentioned, AI can collect and analyze huge amounts of data in a short period of time. So, when you need to define a target audience, AI is a powerful tool to have in your corner. Artificial intelligence can be taught to sift through data and learn about individual’s buying tendencies and searching habits. In addition, it can find patterns and connect data points about consumers that were previously unknown. It can define your interests, predict your behavior, and know more about your online shopping tendencies than you. This hyper-segmentation leads to personalized advertisements and content recommendations. So, if you still wonder how Facebook knows what post to show to draw you into their app, this is how. Their software is designed to analyze your behavior and find patterns in order to put content in front of you that you’ll engage with. Pretty crazy right?
- Voice Search: Alexa, Siri, and Google Home
Voice searches allow users to perform searches by verbally asking questions to a smart speaker or smartphone. This voice technology has already been widely adopted when it comes to text messaging, directions, and playing music. Today there are approximately 1 billion voice searches being made each month and about 25% of Americans own at least one smart speaker. Twenty five percent may not seem like a large enough percentage to adjust your entire marketing plan for, but it’s predicted smart speaker owners and voice searches will continue to increase. As consumers change the way they search for products, services, and information the landscape of SEO and how to reach consumers via voice will change dramatically.
The Google Image/Visual Search feature has been around for about 20 years. Visual image searches use AI technology to scan real-world images and find related results for the user. The benefits of visual searches can clearly be seen in the eCommerce space. Finding the perfect outfit for your friend’s wedding on Pinterest, but the image isn’t linked to a website. With image searching technology you are able to search that outfit, find, and then purchase real-world items. Although visual searches most likely have the longest way to go, as the technology and ease of use increase, it could be a powerful feature in the future.
AI has grown exponentially, but it has yet to make its full impact on the marketing world. Its key attribute is its ability to create a personalized experience and profile for every individual consumer. Personalization is a powerful driver of conversion rates and AI technology is the best at personalization. Essentially, the future of AI technology is limitless. So, what do you think about the use of Artificial Intelligence? Is it helpful, manipulative, or a little bit of both?
