I’m an Email Marketer. Will AI Replace Me in 2024?
Four tips for email marketers to stay relevant during (and after) the generative AI boom
The answer is both yes and no.
AI — and specifically generative AI — couldn’t be buzzier. Just keeping abreast of the latest developments is a herculean task, even for the erudite among us.
AI is poised to make a major impact across industries, from the mundane (email marketing) to the godly — saving lives by improving lung cancer detection and accelerating drug development. Even though it may feel overwhelming to keep up, once you mute both the hype and fear, you’ll find AI to be so intrinsically interesting that you can’t help but stay informed. And that’s precisely how you’ll remain relevant — and even vital — to your organization.
In the email marketing sphere, we hear platform leaders triangulating around particular tactics where AI can have an impact, especially subject lines, content creation, and segmentation. Not far behind are supercharged analytics, data modeling, and image creation.
The assistance generative AI will provide for the creation of content for subject lines and emails will shrink time to market.
AI-powered segmentation is being billed as a way for marketers to no longer need complex code to create segments or having to drag and drop multiple fields in a user interface. You’ll simply type your segment into existence using natural language even simpler than this sentence.
So, time to mosey over to LinkedIn Jobs for a new gig? Back to school to train for a new profession?
The hard truth is that — hype notwithstanding — there remain very open questions around consumer trust, the quality of content that AI produces, and (crucially for those in marketing) the contextual quality and tone of voice woven into its outputs. Even the subtlest departure from closely guarded “brand voice” will be a nonstarter for some CMOs, whether it’s a $7MM Super Bowl ad or a lowly email subject line.
However, there’s more good news: even as the quality of AI improves, email marketers will continue to perform vital oversight and strategic functions.
So, how do you prepare for these changes and stay valuable to your profession and the organization where you work? Below are four tips.
1. Be a pro prompter
The outputs from generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard are only as good as the inputs you feed them, otherwise known as prompts.
For example, if you need a subject line to promote a sale on shirts, the output from a prompt “I need a subject line for my email marketing newsletter to promote a 20% off sale on our shirts” will get you something basic such as “Hurry! Limited Time Offer: 20% Off All Shirts.” However, the prompt “I need a subject line for my email marketing newsletter to promote a 20% off sales message for our male clients who live in urban areas and like dress shirts” should result in something much more specific, like “Urban Elegance Sale: 20% Off Dress Shirts for Him!”
You can learn how to write prompts by taking courses on Udemy, browsing YouTube, or using your favorite search engine for other free resources.
2. Don’t explore without a map
Connect with your email platform account manager to understand the AI tools your vendor is planning for the product. If possible, get access to a beta version, and read all the documentation and assets they produced on it.
Furthermore, keep abreast of developments on competing email platforms as well. Never tie yourself to one platform or vendor, as that may change either in your current job or a future one.
Depending on the planned functionality, ensure that you and your team are trained up and understand the impact those platform changes may have on your role, process, and future hiring needs. If your vendor is not going in the direction you’d like, it may be time to look around at those platforms that are more cutting-edge.
Become the expert in your organization on AI in your platform and educate your colleagues on how it can help you take things to the next level.
3. Hit the books (just a bit)
Broaden your understanding of the AI universe with newsletters like the RunDown AI or TLDR AI for general AI news and MediaPost Email Marketing Daily for news on email marketing topics, including AI. Publications like MIT Technology Review publish in-depth articles on AI, including ethics and the future outlook.
Recent articles that have been helpful for both me and some colleagues run the gamut, but include understanding the GenAI stack, GenAI trends, new GenAI capabilities from Salesforce, and how consumers view GenAI.
Spending 15 minutes a week on this will make you one of the best-educated staffers at your organization.
4. Roll up your sleeves
While reading, talking, and learning are great, there’s no substitute for spending some quality time with the tool. Head to ChatGPT or Bard and ask it for help at least once per day.
Doing this in combination with the advice above will make you a better user of the tools, help you further understand how to engage with them, and discover what they can bring to your organization. Organizations need people who understand AI intimately — not just theoretically — in order to give guidance on how best to leverage it. You need to be that person.
The future is bright
Generative AI is one of the fastest-growing technologies we’ve ever seen, but don’t fret. Stay the course by learning and keeping a focus on AI more broadly and you’ll be a valuable resource for your organization. True, your role may look different in two years — or even six months — but by forcing yourself to the forefront of this technology, you’ll be well positioned to grow into those new role requirements.
Generative AI is a powerful functionality that’s going to be embedded in all email marketing platforms. As an email marketer, this will give you additional tools and insights to enhance your job and give you more time to devote to tasks that may have fallen by the wayside.
Don’t wait until the functionality is part of your email platform or related tools. You can start today by improving your email subject lines and content by using tools such as ChatGPT or Bard. Remember — you know your clients and brand the best, so ensure appropriate edits and updates are made to the generated content.
Wishing you much success on your AI journey!
Slalom is a global consulting firm that helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Learn more and reach out today.
