Role of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing

3,390 Views

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ custom_margin=”||-3px|||” custom_padding=”3px||4px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.7″ text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

As a result of the advancements in various Machine Learning techniques, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been playing a significant role in the field of Digital Marketing. A survey conducted by Salesforce showed that nearly 51% of the marketers are already usingAI, as of 2018. Many Marketers and Businesses have seen massive results by incorporating AI in their Digital Marketing Strategies. This led to Artificial Intelligence gaining more popularity in recent years. So, it is safe to say that AI and Digital Marketing go hand-in-hand.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial Intelligence provides machines with the ability to analyze data and perform cognitive tasks. It observes and thinks like a human to take relevant decisions, making the work of planning and execution quicker and simpler.

Although most people might argue that this will replace humans, AI actually helps them by streamlining the process. Once the requirements are set and the inputs are given, AI automates the whole mundane process. This ensures that humans are not burdened with any tedious work.

Benefits of using Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing

Like mentioned earlier, AI increases efficiency through automation. This leaves people with more time to focus on other tasks. But that is not the only advantage offered by AI. Here are some other benefits of using AI in Digital Marketing.

Increased Productivity and ROI

Using AI in Digital Marketing raises the level of productivity since the processes are automated based on the instructions given. AI is also capable of understanding which content performs better and helps with content curation. As a result, the right content reaches the right audience, thereby increasing the ROI.

A study conducted by MarketingProfs showed results that supported this fact. While surveying Businesses that implemented AI in their Marketing Strategies, they found that these Businesses had

59% Better Closing Rates
58% Increased Revenue
52% More Conversions
54% More Traffic and Engagement

These numbers convey the importance and necessity of using AI in Marketing.

Enhances User Experience

Artificial Intelligence uses the concept of Machine Learning (ML) to learn about its users. It is capable of studying their patterns to show content according to their preferences, keeping the audience interested and engaged. When people have a good user experience, they are more likely to buy the products or services.

Here are some examples of AI enhancing user experience.

‘Suggestions’ Tab in the Right-hand side panel on Youtube
‘People also buy’ Section on Online E-Commerce sites like Amazon
‘People also ask’ Section in Google Search Results

Predictive Analysis for Effective Marketing

Marketing, Digital or Conventional, requires some level of guesswork. When a new Marketing Strategy is to be implemented, certain assumptions are made to target the right set of audience. Artificial Intelligence does this guessing through a series of prediction analysis and algorithms. It analyses previously collected data to make corresponding predictions. This is beneficial to make appropriate decisions while carrying out marketing campaigns.

Predictive Analysis by AI is also capable of identifying future outcomes. An example of this would be the ‘Estimate’ metrics shown while drafting Ad Campaigns on Google and Facebook.These metrics show a prediction of how many people can be reached and how many people will respond to an ad campaign. This is derived through proper analysis of audience behavior from previous data.

Allows Real-time Tracking

Platforms that have incorporated AI allow users to track the performance of their content on a real-time basis. This means that somebody employing Digital Marketing for a business can view results instantaneously and plan their next strategy accordingly.

A digital marketer can also view the result metrics of multiple posts containing varying content at once. This allows them to view, analyze and compare the resultsand tabulate their findings. By doing so, users can identify the best and least performing content to promote the right content for their audience, thus saving money and time.

Insights Integration

One of the special features that Artificial Intelligence provides with respect to Digital Marketing is Customer Insight Integration. Many platforms that implement Digital Marketing Strategies have integrated ‘Insights’ to provide marketers with rich data of their customer’s behavior.Forrester predicts that Businessesand Organizations that primarily focus on insights will steal approximately$1.2 trillion per year from their competitors that donot.

Insights, in this context, refers to the metrics that determine how well a particular piece of content is performing. In the case of Instagram, it could be the number of likes and comments, along with the number of people who saved the post. On Facebook, it can also include the number of times a particular content material has been shared. This is done by using AI to study the pool of customers associated and monitoring their response to the digital marketer’s content. Therefore, insights not only convey how each post is perceived by the audience, but also act as a parameter to define future Marketing campaign plans.

How to implement AI to improve your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Since AI in Digital Marketing is growing drastically and will continue to do so, it is better to understand and implement it at the earliest to get a head start. Here are some AI-based Digital Marketing Strategies that can be implemented by Marketers and Businesses.

Website Builders powered by AI

A website is considered to be a virtual office through which people can contact a Business and learn about their services. Having a fully functioning, a designed website is highly essential for any Brand or Organization. In fact, a survey revealed that nearly 38% of the users stopped interacting with a website that was not designed well. This shows the importance of having responsive and presentable website.

However, building a website from scratch requires technical coding skills and can be time-consuming. That is why, Artificial Intelligence was introduced into the field of Web-designing through AI-powered Website Builders, to help people who lack the needed skills. These DIY builders require no technical knowledge and are easy to use. They ask a couple of questions to understand the user’s style and preferences and set up a neat website according to their requirements.

Some well-known AI-powered Website Builders are

The Grid
WIX ADI – a product of WIX
Jumbo Dolphin
Bookmark AiDA (AI Design Assistant)
Impress.ly

Let us try using WIX ADI, to see how effective Artificial Intelligence is in building websites. Logging into their official website, we first land on their homepage. They also claim to have built their own site using WIX ADI, which is impressive. Their site looks well-organized and uncluttered.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Digitalscholar-Wix-WEbsite-Builder.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Digitalscholar – Wix Website Builder” title_text=”Digitalscholar – Wix WEbsite Builder” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DigitalScholar-Custom-Websites.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”DigitalScholar – Custom Websites” title_text=”DigitalScholar – Custom Websites” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

Once we have set up our Wix account and have successfully logged in, we are asked a few questions to understand our requirements. These questions ask us about the type of website we want to build, the features we wish to have on our website and the theme of the website.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Create-Your-First-Site.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Create Your First Site” title_text=”Create Your First Site” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Kinds-of-Website.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Different Kinds of Websites” title_text=”Different Kinds of Websites” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Content-on-your-website.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Content on your Website” title_text=”Content on your Website” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

Another alternate to answering multiple questions that Wix ADI offers is its ready-made templates. Wix offers thousands of templates for users to choose from. You can also select templates based on your style and Industry.

From using Wix ADI, we can conclude that it is very easy to build websites using AI. Anybody without web-designing skills who wish to have a website of their own can definitely opt for these AI-powered Website Builders.

Chatbots

A Chatbot is an Artificial Intelligence Software Tool that can simulate a human conversation through pre-defined sentences and phrases. Chatbots were initially designed to be interactive, by responding to trigger signals from the user. Nowadays, they are often used in places thatrequire very minimal interaction and direct answers that address specific queries. This enhances the user’s experience by saving them time.

Chatbots have become popular in the Marketing Industry, especially in the Customer Service sector due to their continuous operation throughout the day.In a survey conducted on American Businesses and Customers who have used chatbots, 64% Americans agreed that the best feature offered by chatbots is their availability 24 x 7, on any given day. Therefore, many industries such as Banking, Healthcare and E-Commerce sites have started adapting this incredible tool.

Let us look at a real-time example of implementing Chatbots in the Banking Sector. Introducing EVA, the Chatbot assistant of HDFC Bank. EVA is here to give instant answers to the question frequently asked by their customers

Let us try to interact with this chatbot to understand its functioning better. On clicking on the Chatbot, a pop-up appears, where EVA introduces itself and asks about our query.

A number of common queries that most customers have appear on the screen, making it easier for the customer to interact with the chatbot. Say we want to know about the process of making a deposit, we can click on the ‘make a deposit’ option to know more. The chatbot wants us to elaborate to give a more specific and relevant answer. By clicking on the exact query that we have, a list of instructions is displayed instantly on the screen, guiding the customers with the process.

If the customer is not satisfied with the instructions, they can also find the video embedded along side, explaining the process in detail. EVA also asks for feedback at the end of the conversation. This helps her improvise her interactions with the customers in the future

We can see that EVA is actually not replacing a human working in the customer sector, but rather filtering and streamlining repeated inquiries to lower the burden of the workers. This is why chatbots are preferred as an alternative, as they relieve humans from the monotonous task of answering repetitive queries.

Personalization of Content

According to a recent analysis, 60% of the marketers struggle with personalization of content, when it comes to content marketing.And according to a research by Salesforce, 52% of consumers are most likely to switch to a different brand, service or product if they do not receive a personalized message or communication from the company. This is a major concern for Marketers looking to have a deeper connection with their audience by providing them with a highly unique experience. Here is where AI comes to the rescue to aid Digital Marketers.

Artificial Intelligence uses Data Analytics and Machine Learning Algorithms to study user’s patterns, thereby identifying their interests. With thorough analysis, AI helps in Content Creation and Content Curation, suggesting what kind of content will be well-perceived by the audience. Therefore, Digital Marketers can personalize their content according to their audience’s interests to receive better reach and engagement. A study by Gartner in 2018 revealed that almost 20% of business-related content was generated by machines. This means that Marketers can utilize AI to generate better content pieces in the forthcoming years.

E-mail Marketing

E-mail Marketing is a concept that Digital Marketers have been using for a while. It gained popularity due to the convenience and cost-effectiveness it offers. Irrespective of which stage a person is on their customer journey, E-mail Marketing can be used to target audience by delivering relevant content through funneling. If Digital Marketers personalize E-mails according to their stage on the customer’s journey, the customer is more likely to take the next step of the journey and possibly convert into a potential client.

With the power of AI-enabled Automation, E-mail Marketing has become a more personalized, easier and faster way to connect with consumers on a one-to-one basis. AI also lets Marketers schedule their e-mails. The frequency and time-schedulingoption ensures that the intended people are given enough time to interact with the brand and are not spammed with E-mails instead.

Let us discuss an example of how E-mail Marketing can help a brand. Sorav Jain is a Digital Marketing Trainer, Speaker, Author and Consultant. He also runs a Digital Marketing Agency called “EchoVME”, a company based in Chennai. Sorav constantly interacts with his audience who are looking to learn more about the latest trends in Digital Marketing, through Webinars and Podcasts. Here is how he uses E-mail Marketing as a medium to reach out to his audience.

The E-mail is very elaborate, talking about his upcoming Webinar in detail. He has also included the agenda, cost and the registration link within the E-mail. This makes it easier for the end receiver to make a quick decision and register right away, if interested.

Given that he has a very huge following, it can be a tiring task to individually send an e-mail to each of his audience member. But, by utilizing AI tools for his E-mail Marketing Strategy, Sorav is able to send a personalized note to all of his audience, without missing out on anybody.

Broadcast Messaging

Similar to E-mail Marketing, AI also lets Business Entities and Marketers send broadcast messages through Facebook, SMS and other such platforms to their target audience. This brings the brand to the customer’s attention and entices them to respond. These messages can be scheduled in such a way that they reach the audience at a particular time frame.

Another advantage of using AI in Digital Marketing to send broadcast messages, is the option of drafting and framing several follow-up messages in advance and setting necessary triggers. When the customer responds with the trigger message, the pre-set follow up messages immediately reach the customers, without any wait-time. These tasks, if done manually can be extremely time-consuming and may contain errors. But thanks to AI, these tasks are automated and accurate, with no error.

Let us again look at the same case of Sorav Jain, a Digital Marketer, talking about a webinar to his audience. By the power of Artificial Intelligence, he is also able to send Broadcast Text SMS messages to his audience. He firsts collects their mobile numbers with their consent, prior to the webinar. Then, he sends personalized text messages, updating and reminding them about his upcoming webinars.

He also sends a follow-up acknowledgement message with a ‘Thank You’ note to those who registered for his webinar. He embeds the Webinar Link in the message, so that people can directly join the webinar.

Broadcast Messaging is not just limited to SMS messages. Platforms like Facebook also enable AI-based Broadcast Messaging to let brands and Digital Marketers interact with their online audience. Sorav Jain has also used this platform to effectively reach his desired audience.

With over 72K likes on his Facebook page, Sorav Jain has a solid audience base who keenly follow his work. Since Sorav wants to interact with the people who continue to show interest in his projects and seminars, he uses Facebook as a medium to send Facebook Broadcast Messages to his followers. These messages include updates, current and upcoming trends, Book releases and Webinar alerts.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Broadcast-Message.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Broadcast Message” title_text=”Broadcast Message” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Broadcast-Message-with-Details-1.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Broadcast Message with Details” title_text=”Broadcast Message with Details” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

Sorav also has a very successful Digital-Marketing Blog – soravjain.com, where he writes about all things Digital. He uses Facebook Messaging to let his audience know when a new blog is up. He adds the link of the blog to the message and directshis followers to the corresponding blog post.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ custom_padding=”||1px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://digitalscholar.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Message-with-Blog-Link.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Message with Blog Link” title_text=”Message with Blog Link” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.7″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”0px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

conclusion

If you are looking to learn digital marketing, check out the online and offline courses offered by Digital Scholar, India’s premium digital marketing training institute. At Digital Scholar, we adopt the agency-based training methodology, providing students with on-field, real-time experience.

Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly growing technology and its use in Digital Marketing will only continue to increase in the years to come. From the above discussed case studies, we can see that it is already being implemented by several Brands and Companies. Since research in this field is still under progress, AI will soon become a more powerful tool, armed with more features under its belt. Plenty of Business Entities are looking to equip themselves with Artificial Intelligence to meet the demands of their Online Market. With the rise of the Digital Era, using AI for Marketing will give people and brands the upper-hand that they need over their competition.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Written By
Digital Scholar

Digital Scholar is a premier agency-styled digital marketing institute in India. Which offers an online digital marketing course and a free digital marketing course worldwide to elevate their digital skills and become industry experts. Digital Scholar is headed by Sorav Jain and co-founder Rishi Jain, who are pioneers in the field of digital marketing. Digital Scholar’s blogs touch upon numerous aspects of digital marketing and help you get intensive ideas of different domains of digital marketing.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing

Table of Contents

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?