The Power of Using AI in Digital Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) has shaken up a wide range of industries, creating immense potential for expansion and change. For digital marketers, AI has transformational power, but using it correctly is key to maximizing marketing success. Consider how to use AI as a digital marketing tool to enhance efficiency, improve the ability to reach your target audience and make decisions more effectively.

Just how is AI changing digital marketing? Modern marketing relies heavily on AI to perform a variety of tasks that can improve overall marketing efforts. Not only is AI able to process large quantities of data, enabling more informed decision-making, it can also help personalize customer communications and automate many repetitive tasks marketers do every day. As marketing shifts more toward data-driven strategies, AI has become an important tool for marketers across a wide range of industries.

The benefits of AI in digital marketing are immense. With so many tools available, marketers must select the ones that best fit their needs. The following examples of AI in digital marketing provide insights on how AI is currently being used to achieve marketing goals.

Predictive analytics is one of the most valuable uses of AI in digital marketing. By examining customer data, including trends and interactions with the company, as well as data collected from outside sources or input by marketing professionals, AI is able to predict future trends, customer needs and even what products are most likely to be effective. Using AI and machine learning in digital marketing allows marketers to develop more comprehensive strategies to better reach both current and future customers.

Ninety-two percent of marketers say customers expect a high level of personalization when interacting with brands.¹ Customers are also more likely to purchase from brands that deliver content and discounts tailored to their needs. Modern personalization isn't just about using a customer's name in an email or sending them content suited for their geographic region. It also includes the following:

• Content tailored to past purchases 
• Information presented based on browsing history
• Offers focused on customers’ unique needs and/or interests
• Details based on where customers are in the sales funnel

Thanks to AI, marketers can apply personalization to more than just emails. Landing pages, website content and even video content can all be tailored to different segments of a target audience.

AI tools are ideal for streamlining marketing workflows. They can perform many tasks that once required time-consuming, repetitive effort from marketing team members. AI tools can aid in the following:

• Basic customer service interactions 
• Email campaigns and scheduling
• Social media interactions
• Repurposing content across channels
• Distributing content
• Nurturing leads
• Automated campaign management and reporting

AI tools help prevent potential leads from falling through the cracks, and marketers can more easily keep track of their leads at each stage of the sales cycle.

Chatbots and virtual assistants can provide a powerful impact to a business's marketing strategy. Many businesses are using chatbots to handle basic customer service interactions. Chatbots are always available, meaning customers can connect with them 24/7 without having to wait for a human representative. Furthermore, they can engage in conversational marketing with customers, providing them with the same information and support they would get when connecting with a sales representative. As a result, human representatives can spend more of their time on more complicated tasks that require a creative or personal touch.

Virtual assistants, on the other hand, are responsible for scheduling and communicating with the business's internal team. They help with task assignments, suggest steps that marketers might want to take to increase customer engagement and more.

While there are many benefits of AI in digital marketing, marketers need to consider the ethical considerations and data security of using it. Many questions arise when considering the use of AI, including how companies can ethically use consumer data. Here are some important factors companies should follow to ensure the ethical use of customer data when using AI:

• Limit data collection to only what is essential for the stated purpose
• Be transparent about how the data is being used, and do not use the data for purposes beyond what was originally communicated and agreed upon
• Avoid bias and discrimination, including bias that can be created or confirmed by the AI models.

In addition, marketers must take privacy laws and regulations into account, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) requirements, when storing or transmitting customer data.

As AI use increases, tracking its impact on ROI is critical. First and foremost, marketers should identify what metrics they intend to measure and track them as new technology is added. Common key performance indicators (KPIs) include the following:

• Overall revenue growth
• Cost savings
• Customer acquisition cost
• Conversion rates
• Lead quality

Carefully tracking these KPIs and avoiding focusing too much on vanity metrics like engagement on social posts is key to determining how AI is impacting ROI and what businesses may need to change to maximize success.

As AI becomes increasingly popular, several elements are gaining more attention. Marketers must keep an eye on how AI is changing digital marketing and what it can accomplish for their brands, both now and in the future.

• Increased personalization: Customers will expect a personalized experience that focuses on their needs, purchases, and preferences
• Data-driven insights: As more data becomes available, businesses will use that information to maximize decision-making efficiency
• Rising automation: Where possible, businesses will rely on that automation to improve response times and provide better customer support while simultaneously reducing costs

By paying close attention to these trends, marketing professionals will remain at the top of their game, allowing their businesses to thrive thanks to the presence of AI in their marketing strategies.

Modern marketing increasingly relies on the power of AI. From personalized customer experiences to predictive analytics, AI is transforming how brands connect with audiences across every platform. To stay ahead, marketers must not only understand these tools but also master them. At Northwestern University, our Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Professional program is designed to provide you with a strong foundation in strategic communication, branding, and data analysis. Through the program, you'll gain hands-on experience with the latest marketing technologies. Taught by industry experts and rooted in real-world applications, our online curriculum will prepare you for success in a digital-first marketplace. Apply today or contact us to speak with an admissions outreach advisor to learn more about the program.