For decades now, Artificial Intelligence (or โAIโ) has been considered the ultimate in futuristic technology, something that felt like a powerfulโand sometimes scaryโtool that only ever existed in the realm of science fiction, destined to remain a computer engineering pipe dream.
But slowly over the years, often unpublicized and in the background, artificial intelligence has been coming to life in ways both large and small. While weโre likely a ways off from the ubiquitous โrobot butlersโ of books and movies, AI has been inserting itself into our lives with increasing frequency, often filling in the gaps to make our lives more efficient and helping us do the work that we donโt need to do ourselves, including in the world of digital marketing. But what is artificial intelligence, and how can it help you improve your marketing efforts in 2023?
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Most of us have a basic grasp of how computer software works, even if we canโt necessarily code it ourselves: Humans write lines of code, which โprogramsโ a software to function a particular way: We hit โrunโ and the computer then does its thing; calculating what we ask and outputting certain information. It can seem magical, but itโs functionally just a tool that we fully control with our inputs.
Artificial Intelligence takes computing to the next step: itโs code and software that can โthinkโ for itself; taking in information and using it to learn, adapt its behavior, and respond in unique ways that can extend beyond a predetermined range of human-encoded outputs. In more concrete terms, Artificial Intelligence comes in the form of AI software and tools intended to help us with basic-level calculation, decision-making, and data analysis. So what does that mean for your business and marketing? If AI is no longer a distant future, how can the tech that exists right now support you in 2023?
Chatbots help your customer support shine
Currently in 2022, the most popular and widely-used form of AI software for business is chatbot software. At this point, weโve all seen it before: You open up an app or website and are greeted with (or choose to navigate to) a chat window that starts a conversation with a basic question like โhow can I help you today?โ, ”what are you searching for?โ, or โdo you have any questions?โ From here, the chat progresses and branches in new ways depending on your responses, all without you ever engaging with a real humanโthe chatbot can help visitors navigate to a particular part of the site, answer common or simple questions, pick up on customer intentions.ย
While there will always be people that want the personal touch of interacting with a person on the other end, AI chatbots can be hugely beneficial by taking the pressure off your customer service staff. Rather than forcing them to respond with lighting speed to the same questions over and over, AI can automatically greet visitors, respond to their queries instantaneously, and answer the basic questions that make up a significant portion of customer service interactions, freeing up your staff to put their minds to work on more difficult and complex tasks.
AI improves your targeted marketing
One benefit of chatbots that we didnโt mention above is that when automating these conversations, AI can also gather and analyze data from each one: who are they, where is this person located, what are they looking for or asking about, how serious do they seem to be about purchasing, what reservations do they have, and so much more. As any digital marketer worth their salt knows, data is power, and by collecting and analyzing this data automatically, AI software can help identify interest, develop leads, and start you off with information thatโs closer to a sale than ever before.
The data collection benefits of AI arenโt just limited to chatbots: AI is foundational for digital marketing as it helps take consumer data from social media platforms, website cookies, and more and use it to generate consumer profiles, target likely customers, and create entirely new audiences for your products and services. And once you have those audiences identified, AI can help automate your CRM processes by retargeting interested consumers, automatically following up on leads, and handle the grunt work that moves leads further along into your sales funnel.
Augmented Reality is the next frontier for consumer goods
Of course, Artificial Intelligence isnโt all about efficiency, data collection, and micro-targeting; it can also be used to offer direct benefits to consumers that can help set your business apart from the competition. For example, augmented reality technology has been developing so rapidly, and itโs incredible to see what it can do now compared to even 5 years ago.ย
Augmented reality is, in essence, using camera systems alongside Artificial Intelligence software to overlay digital visualizations over our โreal life.โ Often, our first exposure to this is through games and silly distractions, like Pokemon Go or goofy โturn yourself into a dogโ-style Instagram and Snapchat filters. But it can be a powerful tool for businesses, as well: Apparel and furniture companies in particular are already using augmented reality tech to make the decision process easier than ever, especially for online-only retailers.ย
For example, IKEA has launched augmented reality technology that uses AI software to let customers seeโin real timeโwhat their furniture would look like in any given room. And if youโre an online clothing retailer, imagine the power and market advantage in allowing your customers to get a sense of a pieceโs fit using augmented reality rather than having to go through the process of placing orders, waiting for deliveries, and having to return anything that doesnโt fit.
Embracing the future of AI in your digital marketing
Even with far more attention and engagement, Artificial Intelligence still feels like the technology of the future, and that can make it understandably intimidating. If youโre curious about how AI can help your digital marketing in 2023 but arenโt sure whatโs out there for your industry or how to get started, Skol Marketingโs team is here to help. For one-on-one guidance or to discuss how we can help your business embrace the latest marketing technology, please donโt hesitate to contact the local digital marketing experts at Skol Marketing.
