Artificial intelligence in marketing: application, benefits, tools
Artificial intelligence creates personalized content, accelerates the analysis and exchange of data, and optimizes complex work processes. How marketers benefit from it in their everyday work: We have summarized practical examples and tools.
Artificial intelligence is an integral part of our everyday lives: Smart algorithms show us personalized advertising offers as well as individual music, movie and series suggestions. Chatbots provide advice in real time, 24 hours a day. In short, artificial intelligence knows our preferences, what we want, what we need and what we don't need. Personalized campaigns and individual customer journeys are increasingly replacing generic advertising messages. Individuality is the order of the day. The catch: creating personalized offers, content and customer journeys for every customer requires time and resources in marketing - unthinkable without smart algorithms. The good news is that artificial intelligence offers a wealth of opportunities for customer-centric marketing, from automated customer contact to precise data analysis.
Artificial intelligence in everyday marketing: typical areas of application
Artificial intelligence not only speeds up previously time-consuming processes, it also offers completely new possibilities when it comes to interacting with existing and potential customers. Today, people want to help shape things - whether it's their own Instagram account or that of a company. They want to comment, create and be heard. It's not for nothing that content from influencers and user-generated content are currently among the most important marketing formats. From AI filters on TikTok, in which users virtually make themselves up with beauty products from well-known manufacturers, to campaigns in which creatives use GPT-4, DALL-E and the like to create their own works of art with brand assets. One example of this is the Coca-Cola advertising campaign, which brings together artists from all over the world under the motto "Create Real Magic. At createrealmagic.com, participants can use artificial intelligence to create their own works of art and integrate brand assets such as the Coca-Cola bottle. Extraordinary creations appear on large advertising displays in New York and London, among other places. But smart algorithms can not only support the creation of image- and video-based content for marketing purposes, but also when it comes to project management, target group segmentation and personalized customer journeys.
Content creation including text, image and video production
Qualitative and useful content is one of the most important components of the modern marketing mix. For high visibility - for example, on social media channels - this is needed at a high frequency. Artificial intelligence helps marketing departments to generate texts, images and videos more quickly, edit them and play them out in a targeted manner. Although AI-generated texts, for example via ChatGPT Plus, still require thorough revision, they nevertheless provide the basis for efficient creation of a wide variety of content - from short advertising texts on the website, product texts to detailed blog posts. You generate images and videos using Runway or Midjourney, which create images, graphics and videos based on text commands. Editing images also takes less time thanks to intelligent extensions, such as in Adobe Photoshop. Use AI voiceover and intelligent voice recognition to quickly create accessible video formats with audio or subtitles.
Automated search engine optimization (SEO)
A good SEO strategy is also crucial for visibility and reach. To stay one step ahead of the competition in this regard, detailed keyword analyses, knowledge of how and what target groups search for, and topic clusters tailored to this are needed, which companies use to orient their content. Artificial intelligence facilitates and accelerates this process by identifying relevant keywords and sorting them according to performance. In addition, smart algorithms support the discovery of industry-relevant topic clusters and match keywords with the search intentions of users. Intelligent SEO tools then automatically suggest improvements that match the target group's search behavior.
Target group segmentation, data-based buyer and candidate personas
According to a BCG survey, 41% of marketers use artificial intelligence for better targeting. For this purpose, target group segmentation using artificial intelligence analyzes large volumes of customer data in comparably short periods of time. This data can be used, for example, to create data-driven personas . They are the basis for tailored campaigns and thus increase the return on investment (ROI). While so-called buyer personas are representative of certain buyer groups, data-based candidate personas contribute to personalized employer branding - and marketing. This gives companies an advantage in their perception as an employer and thus in recruiting. Would you like to learn more about artificial intelligence in recruiting? Then get your free whitepaper now.
Personalization
Personalized content and an individual customer journey that corresponds to the consumer and media usage behavior of the target group are mandatory today. data-driven personas provides the right foundation for this. Artificial intelligence then makes it possible to make individual recommendations, create personalized customer journeys, and adapt content to the individual needs of the target group. AI-supported tools such as Revealbot, for example, help to optimize ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads. To do this, it analyzes the performance of existing ads and makes automated recommendations regarding budgets, bids, and targeting.
Customer communication
Customer communication - be it with personalized newsletters or chatbots - is also an essential component of customer-centric marketing. While intelligent chatbots provide customer-specific product recommendations or individual advice, customers receive personalized offers, tailored content and more in the newsletter. With the help of AI, both chatbot communication and the newsletter can be individualized.
AI along the customer journey: tools and when to use them efficiently
In marketing, companies create individual experiences for their target groups. The high variety of tools based on intelligent algorithms support every phase of the customer journey: Awareness, Consideration, Conversion, Service, Loyalty.
1. awareness (attention)
At the beginning of the customer journey, it is important to attract the attention of potential buyers and to be remembered in the long term. In order to achieve this, companies today must consistently produce high-quality content that brings maximum added value to the target group. In this phase of the customer journey, companies therefore rely primarily on tools to produce content efficiently and on applications that handle publishing, planning, and targeting.
Text generators (for blog posts, social media posts and emails)
Image and video applications (for blog posts, ads, social media, videos ect.)
Tools for segmentation and specific targeting
2. consideration (deliberation, weighing)
When potential customers are weighing up whether your offer is the right one, valuable content and ad formats continue to help. In this way, you increase your brand presence and ensure that your target group remembers your company positively. Additionally, chat bots and personalized mail campaigns at this stage ensure that a personal connection is created. Predictive engagement applications track users' movements on the website or in the online store in real time, evaluate this data, and provide insights into when, where, and how you can best make contact with the potential customer. Artificial intelligence provides tools that automate these processes as much as possible, leaving more time for campaign design and strategic decision-making.
AI-based chatbots
Mail and Marketing Automation
Predictive engagement
3. conversion (purchase, acquisition)
The past sections show: AI-based tools accelerate processes, create awareness and can positively influence purchasing decisions. But even if the purchase is imminent or already underway, smart algorithms remove the last obstacles. They thus ensure a fast and smooth conclusion. For example, tools for intelligent data analysis (predictive analytics) calculate the probability of customers buying products in the online store. AI-based propensity models recognize whether and which incentives are needed for potential customers to become buyers. For example, if a certain product is in the shopping cart, companies can send automated emails with a personal discount code.
Predictive Analytics
4. service (customer care, service)
Customers must continue to be satisfied both during and after the sale. Smooth purchase processing, personalized emails about the status of the order, as well as reliable customer service and structured complaint management create a holistic customer experience. AI-based tools for email automation, chatbots and automated internal mail management then help to answer customer inquiries even faster and to process orders and complaints easily.
5. loyalty (long-term customer retention)
Once the purchase has been finalized, it is important to retain customers in the long term. In addition to personalized content, including social media posts, advertisements, and e-mail campaigns, behavioral pricing is a strategy to encourage customers to make further purchases. Prices are automatically adjusted to competitors and the consumer behavior of users within defined rules. Intelligent couponing has also proven its worth in this context. The company automatically grants discounts that appear in the shopping cart or are sent as individual discount codes by e-mail.
Behavioral / Dynamic Pricing
Intelligent couponing (discounts, loyalty programs and co.)
Would you like to use artificial intelligence to make your marketing strategy more efficient and the customer journey more individual? Then take the first step with the Persona Institute's data-based personas and get a no-obligation consultation.
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