Marketers are starting to think big about AI in marketing. Different organizations will take various routes to achieve their goals. Some will hire expensive consultants and embark on a massive AI transformation.
Based on my experience watching companies undertake similar transformations, whether in agile marketing or digital transformation, this “big bang” approach is almost certainly doomed to failure.
Up to two-thirds of respondents (66%) say AI is either very important or critically important to the success of their marketing over the next 12 months, per the 2024 State of Marketing AI report. The organizations that make the most progress will think big about what is possible with AI in marketing, but they will start small, incrementally achieving success.
Though it seems modest, this approach is the key to building a solid foundation and gaining confidence in the potential of AI in marketing.
But where to start? Here are a few ideas to achieve some early wins by applying AI to marketing, building support for it and incrementally learning what works and what doesn’t.
4 use cases for applying AI to marketing
1. Content marketing
Most marketers start off using generative AI to help produce content in the form of blogs, emails, social media posts and other copywriting. There’s nothing wrong with using generative AI to create marketing copy. But remember, generative AI predicts an answer based on what has already been written about a subject. In other words, it is not original and unless it’s trained to do so, AI won’t generate content in your unique voice.
A better approach is to use generative AI as an assistant in the various stages of writing. For research, I prefer Perplexity.AI over ChatGPT or other large language models. It provides source citations for its answers. I often find myself reading the sources to get more context and detail than I get from the answers alone.
After completing my research, I outline the content by mapping out the key areas I want to cover and organizing my thoughts into a logical flow. Then, I ask ChatGPT to generate its own outline for the same topic. Comparing the two, I assess whether I’ve missed any important points or prefer the structure suggested by ChatGPT, making adjustments to my outline as needed.
My next step is to write a first draft without any help from AI. Once I have a first draft, I submit it to multiple LLMs (ChatGPT and Gemini, at the moment) and ask them, “How can this article be improved?” Based on the suggestions, I write a second, sometimes a third draft, which gets published.
Dig deeper: 6 ways to use generative AI for your marketing
2. SEO
AI can increase SEO productivity. Tools like ChatGPT generate keyword ideas and build content strategies. The key is to think of them as an add-on to your existing SEO tools, not as a substitute. ChatGPT does not have up-to-date information about search volumes and SERP results, for example.
For a complete guide to the different ways ChatGPT or any large language model can be used for SEO, check out “ChatGPT for SEO: Ultimate Guide, Tips & Prompts” from Backlinko.
3. Website audits
AI can be used to audit your website along a number of dimensions:
- Clarity and readability.
- Consistency.
- Copywriting persuasiveness.
- Design and layout.
- Navigation.
- Brand alignment.
- Tone of voice.
- Competitor benchmarking.
For a very useful overview of using ChatGPT or any large language model for auditing your website, check out “Does AI Like Your Site? 3 Turbo AI Website Audits.”
Here are three prompts you can use to audit your website:
Prompt for clarity, readability and tone
- “Analyze the site <insert URL here> for clarity, readability and tone. Suggest improvements to make the content more engaging, concise and aligned with our brand voice, which is modern and professional.”
Prompt for analyzing website design
- “You are an expert on website design. Based on the attached image, provide feedback on the visual appeal, layout, consistency and layout of elements, ensuring that they contribute positively to the user experience.”
Prompt for competitive analysis
- “Compare my site, <insert URL> with my competitors site, <insert URL> along the dimensions of clarity, readability, tone, user experience, copywriting persuasiveness, design and layout and navigation. Create a table with scores for each site on each dimension and suggestions for improvements to my site.”
Dig deeper: AI in marketing: Examples to help your team today
4. Synthetic user research
If done well, synthetic user research has the potential to be one of the most compelling use cases for AI. Imagine if you could put all of your voice-of-the-customer (VOC) research into a custom version of ChatGPT and do user research on that synthetic persona. Every marketer could test ad copy, images, pricing, special offers and much more against this synthetic persona.
It would solve the single biggest challenge to making VOC research actionable. Today, most of your information about customers is spread out in multiple locations: emails, memos, reports, databases, etc. Marketers also tend to fall prey to the recency effect, where they overemphasize the most recent research they’ve heard. AI considers all data, with more consistent ways of weighing older and more recent information.
The technology to do this is available today, but it’s difficult for most marketers to build. You will need help from IT to develop and maintain synthetic personas. However, once built, it is very easy to use. You can ask questions to the custom GPT much like you’d ask a real customer and receive instant feedback.
For a primer on how to build a synthetic user, check out “Creating Synthetic User Research: Using Persona Prompting and Autonomous Agents.”
These are just a few use cases for achieving early wins with AI in marketing. Think about your own business and where you most need help, and then consult AI to see how it can help.
The potential is huge, so think big. But start small and get early wins with convincing business results documented before trying to embark on an AI transformation.
Dig deeper: How wisdom makes AI more effective in marketing
The post 4 ways to achieve early wins with AI in marketing appeared first on MarTech.
**4 Strategies for Rapid Success with AI in Marketing**
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the marketing landscape, offering businesses unprecedented opportunities to enhance customer experiences, optimize campaigns, and drive growth. However, leveraging AI effectively requires more than just adopting the latest tools; it demands strategic planning and execution. Here are four strategies that can help you achieve rapid success with AI in marketing.
### 1. **Leverage Predictive Analytics for Targeted Campaigns**
Predictive analytics is one of the most powerful applications of AI in marketing. By analyzing historical data and identifying patterns, AI can predict future customer behaviors, preferences, and trends. This allows marketers to create highly targeted campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments.
For example, AI can analyze past purchase data to predict which customers are likely to buy a particular product. Marketers can then tailor their messaging and offers to these customers, significantly increasing conversion rates. Additionally, AI can help identify the best times to send marketing communications, ensuring that messages reach customers when they are most likely to engage.
**Actionable Tip:** Start by integrating AI-driven predictive analytics tools with your existing customer relationship management (CRM) system. Use these insights to segment your audience and personalize your marketing efforts.
### 2. **Implement Chatbots for Enhanced Customer Engagement**
AI-powered chatbots are transforming customer service by providing instant, personalized responses to customer inquiries. These chatbots can handle a wide range of tasks, from answering frequently asked questions to guiding customers through the purchasing process.
By implementing chatbots on your website or social media platforms, you can engage with customers 24/7, providing them with the information they need when they need it. This not only improves the customer experience but also frees up your human agents to focus on more complex tasks.
Moreover, chatbots can collect valuable data on customer interactions, which can be used to further refine your marketing strategies. For instance, if a chatbot frequently receives questions about a particular product feature, you can use this insight to create targeted content that addresses this topic.
**Actionable Tip:** Deploy a chatbot on your website or social media channels and monitor its performance. Use the data collected to continuously improve the chatbot’s responses and identify new opportunities for customer engagement.
### 3. **Utilize AI for Content Creation and Optimization**
Content is king in the world of marketing, and AI is making it easier than ever to create and optimize content that drives results. AI-powered tools can generate content ideas, write articles, and even optimize existing content for search engines.
For example, AI can analyze your website’s content and suggest improvements based on SEO best practices. It can also identify trending topics in your industry, helping you create content that is relevant and timely. Additionally, AI can assist in personalizing content for different audience segments, ensuring that your messaging resonates with each group.
AI can also be used to automate content distribution, ensuring that your content reaches the right audience at the right time. By analyzing user behavior and engagement metrics, AI can determine the best channels and times to distribute your content, maximizing its impact.
**Actionable Tip:** Experiment with AI-powered content creation and optimization tools. Use these tools to generate content ideas, optimize your existing content, and automate content distribution.
### 4. **Adopt AI-Driven Marketing Automation**
Marketing automation is not a new concept, but AI is taking it to the next level. AI-driven marketing automation platforms can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, allowing marketers to create highly personalized and dynamic campaigns.
For instance, AI can analyze customer behavior on your website and automatically trigger personalized email campaigns based on specific actions, such as abandoning a shopping cart or browsing a particular product category. These automated campaigns can be highly effective in re-engaging customers and driving conversions.
AI can also optimize your marketing spend by analyzing the performance of different channels and campaigns. It can automatically allocate your budget to the most effective channels, ensuring that you get the best return on investment (ROI).
**Actionable Tip:** Invest in an AI-driven marketing automation platform that integrates with your existing tools. Use it to create personalized, data-driven campaigns that adapt in real-time based on customer behavior.
### Conclusion
AI is a game-changer for marketers, offering new ways to engage with customers, optimize campaigns, and drive growth. However, achieving rapid success with AI requires a strategic approach. By leveraging predictive analytics, implementing chatbots, utilizing AI for content creation and optimization, and adopting AI-driven marketing automation, you can unlock the full potential of AI in your marketing efforts.
As with any technology, it’s important to start small, experiment, and continuously refine your strategies. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to achieving rapid success with AI in marketing.
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