Marketing is a challenging industry, as customer expectations and technological tool availability has risen to new levels. In the struggle to keep up with a changing world, companies are looking at artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool which can not only improve their efficiency, but also provide consumers with a more satisfying experience.
The use of AI is already well-established in marketing and sales industries. The use of chatbots in marketing and sales has allowed large companies to field incoming calls, provide common help center answers, and direct consumers to obtaining answers to problems based on set data. Segmented email campaigns and Google search were later AI tools that have not only been proven successful, but simply integrated into our online experience.
“Social” Artificial Intelligence?
At its most basic definition, social AI is a method of collecting and sifting through customer data and history, user-generated content and consumer history on social media channels. The purpose of all this data is, of course, to create better content, engage and expand audiences, and increase brand awareness. Social experiences build more social experiences—so it can be a positive cycle!
Success Stories
- Facebook is the first successful company that comes to mind when one considers social AI use, and their use of facial recognition is an outstanding example! Taking advantage of the exploding number of photos uploaded by users, Facebook has stepped up the game with its algorithm.
- Consumers are becoming accustomed to receiving suggestions on what to view, eat, or purchase next, and Netflix took hold of this idea with movie and television content. Using what viewers like about previously viewed content, recommendations can be made based on the theory of “neural networks,” which mimic human brain learning. Heavy stuff here!
How to Use Social AI
Save time monitoring—increase automation. As we have mentioned before, much of a marketer’s time has traditionally been spent gathering and reviewing data, searching for patterns and ways to target potential customers. With software available (and affordable) to create metrics and analyze data, marketers can spend more time responding to the data gathered by creating better content and looking for additional ways to engage audiences.
Improve customer service abilities. There is pressure to provide instant support to today’s consumers. Social AI can help improve your customer service abilities by weeding out bot (fake customer) accounts and creating a queue prioritizing customer needs. Additionally, with companies participating in several social media platforms, AI can assist companies in finding followers who engage in brands consistently, ensuring they can be communicated with. This enables customer experiences to be personalized, increasing satisfaction.
Virtual Assistants for all companies! Remembering when Siri and Alexa were first introduced, it is easy to believe that virtual assistants will continue to grow in use. Also called “conversational technologies,” Facebook messenger is a platform many companies would like to tie into, or even mimic. It is crucial to utilize tools where your audience is hanging out at. Further, although consumers expect to encounter virtual assistants in the buying process, they expect personalized human interaction at some point of their journey. You can focus your marketing efforts on this step.
How Marketing Strategy Is Affected
In a recent survey by Demandbase, 80% of all marketing executives reported that AI will revolutionize marketing by 2020. However confident they feel in the future of marketing, only 10% are using it today. Although each company will have unique processes for incorporating AI into their marketing plans, there are a few general points which affect nearly all companies.
- Universal data collection—across all devices. You will now have much more data at your fingertips.
- More focused branding—with an even greater ability to reach customers in several social media channels, you will be able to create consistent messaging wherever your audience is.
- More personalized messaging—with the dramatic increase in data and focused branding, you can provide a memorable experience for your targeted audience.
With the rush to incorporate Social AI, don’t be left behind, fearful that you won’t be able to fully utilize the tools available. Concentrate on where the returns are greatest; you can always expand your use, and the technology will simply improve over the years.
