With all of the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to integrating AI into your marketing strategy and processes. Here are six key considerations for using AI tools in your marketing.
Like anyone who doesn’t have their head buried in the sand, we’re exploring and leveraging AI here at Ascend. I have seen a lot of “Here is what you can do with ChatGPT,” but not a lot of “How to approach integrating AI into your business.”
I think that’s because it’s new. It’s easy (and understandable) to feel overwhelmed or intimidated.
But you know what? It’s also exciting to see this new wave of technology unfold in our lifetimes. At Ascend, we’re energized by all the possibilities.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the marketing industry as we know it. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing how businesses approach marketing, from content creation and analysis to customer service and engagement. But with all of the hype surrounding AI, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to designing an AI marketing strategy and how to begin integrating AI into your marketing processes. In this post, we'll explore key considerations and best practices for approaching and using AI in marketing.
Be Strategic
Take a thoughtful approach to implementing AI tools and technologies.
When evaluating a tool, ask yourself questions like:
- What problems will this solve for us and/or our customers?
- How will AI enable us and/or our customers to achieve greater results with more efficiency?
- How will AI help employees engage with their work in a more meaningful way?
Additionally, it's helpful to go on and answer:
- Can I commit to piloting this new tool for a set amount of time?
- What KPIs will I track to determine if the pilot is successful?
Most importantly, ensure your AI marketing strategy aligns with your business goals.
Vet Your AI tools
Not all AI tools are created equal, so it’s important to vet them carefully. Evaluate data and security implications before integrating any new AI tech into your martech stack. Specifically, look at what could be shared when hooking up a system to any app powered by OpenAI.
Pro Tip: Do not enter any proprietary or company-sensitive data as prompts into ChatGPT or any other open-source AI software. (In the meantime, we’re keeping close watch on OpenAI’s recent announcement about a new ChatGPT Business subscription for professionals who need more control over their data as well as enterprises seeking to manage their end users.)
We recommend testing new tools with your systems first to ensure that both your customers and your own sensitive or proprietary data are not funneled into any publicly-available AI tools. By prioritizing data security and evaluating and vetting any new AI tech you may add to your stack, you can ensure your AI marketing strategy is secure and stable.
Test and Measure
Once you have your strategic objectives and AI tools in place, execute several pilot programs based on those objectives. These programs should be measured regularly, and findings should be shared across the team, whether that’s through Slack, a knowledgebase, or your company Intranet. By creating a culture where the lines of communication around AI are open and encouraged, you can ensure that your team is working together to maximize the potential of your AI marketing strategy.
Be Transparent
While AI-generated content can be a powerful tool for marketers, it's important to be transparent about its use. Not only is it ethically sound to do this, but it will also help prevent your content from being penalized by Google. Don't copy and paste content from AI tools and pass it off as if you wrote it yourself. Instead, edit AI-influenced content to match the voice and tone of your brand, check for factual accuracy and avoid plagiarism.
Here are some tools to help you maintain transparency with AI-generated content:
Measure Effectiveness and Adjust
Measuring the effectiveness of your AI marketing strategy is key to determining if it's successful and optimizing its impact from there. As part of your pilot planning, you identified the metrics that matter most to your business and which KPIs to track. Continue to track them closely. This might include internal metrics around content production or time to close customer support requests. You could also consider specifically tracking engagements, click-throughs, and conversions of AI-influenced content. Use data to make informed decisions and adjust your approach as needed.
Keep Ethics In Mind
Finally, it's important to consider ethics when using AI in your marketing. This means ensuring your AI marketing strategy is transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with your brand values. Ensure that any data you collect or use is obtained ethically and that you are not infringing on users' privacy or using AI to manipulate their behavior.
Be honest, Anne - was this post written by ChatGPT?
The short answer is no. I came up with the topic, outline, and the majority of the text all by my little ol' self. And just for fun, I popped this post into the writer.com AI detector:
The long answer is this: While I came up with most of the content for this post, I did use ChatGPT to help me flesh out certain parts, which I heavily edited. All in all, ChatGPT saved me an hour or so of writing time. Perhaps even more importantly, ChatGPT was my “sounding board” for this post. It helped me form and refine my thoughts like a highly skilled yet junior-level editor or intern. (PS: Photo credit for our featured image here goes to DALL-E.)
This post is an extension of a shorter post I published on LinkedIn. Follow me for more thoughts on AI, marketing, and digital strategy.
