Each year, the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, as new tools become available to marketers and brands. One tool that is certainly worth watching this year is artificial intelligence (AI). Ranging from fully interactive virtual chatbots all the way to smart solutions that aid the decision-making process, AI can be a powerful tool to help you drive conversions and grow your results.

There is no doubt that consumers are becoming more and more digital-savvy every year. For brands and marketers wanting to leverage the power of digital marketing, this means that there is an increasing need to stay ahead of the latest technology. Consumers expect experiences that are not only smooth and seamless but also personalised in a way that captures interest and attention. With an increasingly large number of websites now using tools such as AI, it is even more important to take a deeper look at how you can use AI if you want to stay ahead of the competition.

While AI is not going anywhere anytime soon, it's not to say that it is not without its share of challenges. Problems typically arise when marketers and brands try to integrate AI without truly understanding its role in the digital landscape. When you also have too many expectations (most of them unrealistic), there is a very real risk of over-promising and under-delivering. Then, there are also potential risks such as data breaches and over-personalisation, which can end up having the opposite effect, putting customers off for good.

To get the most from AI, the first step comes down to understanding exactly how it can help your digital marketing campaigns. This will allow you to determine whether AI is a good fit. You can then determine the best way to integrate AI into your strategies for optimal success.https://grapevinegroup.co.za/tipsheets/the-innovators-guide-to-personalised-digital-marketing/

How Artificial Intelligence Benefits Digital Marketing

Ultimately, as surprising as this may sound, AI is not really about the technology. Instead, it is about how you use that technology. There is plenty of 'tech speak' surrounding AI – a lot of it confusing to those who do not have a technical background. The good news is that you don't need a degree in IT to use AI. You simply need to know how you can use AI as part of your overall digital marketing strategies. Once you start to see how it can help your campaigns, you will be able to work with your tech team to integrate AI within your channels. Essentially, you could think of it as identifying ways that AI can present opportunities.

AI can assist in just about every area of marketing, including the following:

‍Audience

‍AI allows you to gain critical insight into your audience, in turn, helping to refine segmentation and audience selection. AI tools can be used to identify target audiences based on previous behaviour, predict similar audiences that share traits with converted audiences, create personas for target audiences, and achieve many other similar tasks that help you define your ideal audience.‍

Message

‍AI is also very useful when it comes to refining your messaging. By applying machine learning to your content delivery and creating personalised messages that are tailored according to consumer choices and behaviour, you are able to create highly tailored offers and messages that are relevant to your target audience.‍

Analysis

‍AI is an excellent tool for data analysis. You will also be able to gain a deeper insight into what is working and what is not working, through tracked performance across your channels. This type of data is one of the most effective ways to continually adjust and grow your campaigns, improving performance and increasing your ROI.‍

Optimisation

‍Another major area that is greatly improved with the help of AI is optimisation. Machine learning allows you to constantly improve both performance and efficiency, in the short and long term. When you are able to quickly and easily analyse large volumes of data over time, you can learn and grow.

Real-World AI Application in Digital Marketing

Now that you have a better idea of how AI can benefit your digital marketing campaigns, how do you go about using AI as part of your strategy? Let's take a look at some of the ways that AI is used in the digital space.

‍Search

‍Many websites have begun to follow in Google's footsteps, using tools such as auto-suggest in their search boxes to make it easier for visitors to find information quickly and easily. Advanced search tools have also become par for the course. AI takes search to a whole new level, reducing the number of steps needed to access information. Auto-suggest is not only helpful from a usability point of view. It is can also be a fantastic conversion tool – especially if search results are displayed in a smart way or optimised carefully.

‍Content Curation

‍Content curation and recommendations are also made more effective with the help of AI tools. This allows you to group and display digital content in a way that is relevant to what audiences are currently viewing or seeking. For example, you could display a list of similar products or blog posts relating to a similar topic while the visitor is on the site. This helps to reduce bounce rates, increasing the time spent on site, offering value to visitors, and creating a better online experience.

‍Chatbots

‍The rise of chatbots shows no sign of slowing. These AI-based tools are effective for many reasons. One of the primary benefits is that they allow customers to make contact with your company instantly, while they are on the website. There are a number of ways to integrate chatbots, from marketing automation messages that offer tips and useful links all the way to a 24-hour service line that is constantly manned by a company representative. This helps to drive engagement, reduce bounces and increase customer retention as well. When customers have to be redirected to another page or they are taken to an email address, the chances of making contact begin to decrease. The easier and faster it is for customers to make contact, the more chance of conversion.

These are just some of the ways that AI can be integrated into your digital marketing campaigns. If you are interested in finding out how a comprehensive digital marketing platform can help you grow your business, get in touch today.