Digital Marketing in the Age of AI
What is AI?
Demis Hassabis, Co-Founder and CEO of Deepmind, said, “AI is the science of making machines smart.”
It’s simplistic but succinct; AI is essentially teaching machines how to do human actions until the human hand is no longer needed. This might be a scary thought, but in truth it’s liberating. Machines executing redundant, simple tasks allow us to gain something valuable: time. In a world constantly in motion, time is precious, and automation can give us that extra time.
The theory of AI isn’t a new one, and it’s just now on the eve of breaking into multiple industries. Today, we see it daily in our own hands, from Siri recognizing our voice, to facial recognition used in lieu of a passcode, to that handy text fill-in when we’re sending a message.
But how does all this relate to marketing?
The Role of AI in Marketing
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, AI and other analytics are going to have up to a $6 trillion annual impact on marketing and sales. Here’s why:
AI reduces costs by doing repetitive, data-driven tasks for you
AI drives revenue by improving your ability to forecast and make predictions
80% of what marketers do will be intelligently automated to some degree in the next 3-5 years. Instilling AI in your business now will give you a head start on the industry.
What Tesla can Teach us about Automation:
AI works because it synthesizes masses of data through algorithms and iterative processes to forecast, make predictions, and take actions based on what it has seen and learned in the past. Tesla is a great example of this. Self-driving cars are possible because AI takes the data it gains from human driving and builds a mental framework to effectively predict how to navigate traffic, construction, and lane closures.
Compare this to an email newsletter. AI will start by being able to do simple things like creating a subject line and curating content. Given a little time, it will be able to write copy, personalize emails, and send them. After that, it will progress to advanced actions like generating a performance report with KPIs and improving content, design, and personalization based on performance data. In the last stage, AI will be able to execute an entire email newsletter on its own with no oversight, the same way a human driver will be able to sit back and watch the wheel turn in a Tesla.
AI in Marketing: Where We Are Today
The application of AI in marketing is still in its infancy. Insightful, successful AI will effectively link marketing professionals across all categories into one chain to achieve goals. Many vendors claim to be able to provide this kind of product today, but, in reality, this kind of overarching, hands-free AI is still some time away. That’s why it’s important for marketing professionals to learn about AI: to see the future of the industry, know when a vendor is overselling, and effectively use AI to help grow their business.
How to Learn More About AI
AI is always growing and changing, so it’s essential to find a valued resource to teach you the ins and outs of AI.
Need a place to start? AI Academy offers an awesome place for marketing professionals, providing over thirty courses, five professional certificates, insightful videos, a private community, Q&A sessions, and product demos. Join now to get a head start on the future.
