AI in Marketing: Three Key Opportunities and How to Maximize Them

AI is hitting fast and furious and it’s hard to keep up with all the buzz, let alone the business challenges it’s presenting.

There’s no doubt marketers are aware of the myriad of copilot AI tools being released every day for enhancing productivity and collaboration. Then there’s the excitement surrounding new ways of incorporating the technology into products and services through features like content generation and chatbots. And, do we dare think about how AI is impacting the way marketers are marketing?

There’s much to consider, but, the reality is, marketers may not have the bandwidth to adapt strategies, roadmaps, and resources to meet all the demands of this transformative technology.

A Strategic Framework

The most critical aspect of managing AI buzz is for marketers to take the lead on setting company-level business objectives to maximize impact.

To get you started with a playbook for AI integration, here’s a trifecta of opportunities AI presents — along with strategies for tackling each one.

1. Empower teams to use AI tools effectively. Equip your team with AI tools — like Gemini for research and content generation and @Supernormal for meeting transcription summaries, and action plans — that enhance productivity and collaboration, freeing up humans to focus on strategic thinking.
2. Adapt to AI-influenced shifts in customer behavior and communication channels. AI is reshaping how people (including yourself) receive information. As the landscape continues to change, it’s more important than ever for marketers to stay in tune with the way people are interacting with email, social, and search — and ultimately, marketing messaging.
3. Strategically integrate AI into products or services to align with customer needs. Avoid implementing AI just for the sake of it. Prioritize solutions that continue to address customer pain points and drive tangible business impact.

Turn AI Buzz into Business Impact

No matter which opportunity you’re seizing, here’s a roadmap for a strategic and effective rollout:

• Encourage experimentation: Let employees explore different AI tools.
• Invest in your people: Provide training and resources to ensure everyone fully understands and leverages these tools.
• Implement pilot projects: Start small with a targeted AI initiative to test the waters before going all in.
• Collaborate across teams: This ensures AI initiatives align with customer needs and broader business goals.
• Take a deep dive into insights: Conduct in-depth research to understand perceptions and expectations regarding AI.
• Iterate and optimize: Continuously refine and test based on real-world data and feedback to maximize performance.
• Stay informed: Monitor industry trends and competitor activities to maintain an edge.

Successful AI integration isn’t about blindly adopting the latest tools. It’s about thorough research and asking the tough questions like:

• What value does AI add that we aren’t already providing?
• How are we differentiating ourselves and not just following the crowd?
• How can we humanize messaging in a way that highlights our commitment to solving problems and not just adding technology?

Rallying the Company Around AI

Let’s be real: Every executive team has already heard plenty about AI’s wonders and benefits. Now it’s time to walk the walk and demonstrate the real value AI brings to the company. Remember when email and websites were the “new thing”? It took some convincing then, and it’ll take some proving now.

To build trust and excitement around AI…

• Share your AI strategy, progress, and results openly.
• Regularly gather feedback and input from your team and customers to improve and maintain open communication.

Let’s avoid the trap of incorporating AI for the sake of staying ahead, or chasing empty metrics to prove ROI. Instead, let’s leverage our marketing expertise and AI’s capabilities to create visible business impact.

Your turn… Calling all #marketing leaders: What are your biggest challenges in integrating AI? Share your thoughts and experiences (⤵).

Originally published at https://digitalmeaning.co on May 30, 2024.