To say AI is transforming digital marketing is an understatement. From AI content creation to customer insights, its versatility is reshaping the day-to-day experience for everyone in the industry. In fact, let’s see if ChatGPT can come up with its own intro for this piece.
“AI is really shaking things up in marketing, making it easier and smarter to connect with people in ways we couldn’t before. Imagine being able to craft personalized messages that actually feel like they’re speaking directly to each customer—that’s what AI allows us to do by analyzing all kinds of data about their preferences and behaviors. We’re not just reacting to what customers want right now; we’re anticipating what they’ll want next.
But it’s not just about efficiency. AI helps us dig deeper to understand what motivates our customers and what messages resonate with them. For anyone new to marketing, learning to leverage AI is a powerful way to stay ahead in the game and connect with customers on a whole new level.” – ChatGPT
Ok, it’s not the worst intro, right? It would still need some human attention, but the fact marketers can now use an AI tool to put together an entire blog in minutes is something that many of us didn’t see coming just a few years ago. So, how is AI reshaping digital marketing? In this blog, we’ll break down how it could make your life easier.
The AI Tools Transforming the Marketing Industry
Before we go too in-depth on AI marketing trends, let’s first establish which tools are having the biggest impact. We know about ChatGPT from the intro.
Jasper AI is another option for copywriting. According to its creators, Jasper has “read” over 10% of the internet, allowing it to craft copy in a wide range of styles.
For designers, digital AI marketing tools such as Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, and DALL-E can help generate images to enhance deliverables such as landing pages, social media posts, paid advertisements, and more.
These are just a handful, though. There are other AI digital marketing tools such as Notion AI, which can help with organization and productivity; Surfer SEO, which can help craft SEO-friendly content; and even Undetectable AI, which can take AI-crafted content and rewrite it to avoid AI detectors.
How AI Is Enhancing Efficiency
According to SurveyMonkey, 48% of marketing teams looked to increase their adoption of AI in 2024. Leaders who don’t learn how to properly leverage AI tools for marketers are at risk of falling behind. Here is why:
Personalization
The great thing about many of these digital marketing AI tools is that they can be “trained” to create specific forms of content. Take ChatGPT, for example. While you can simply open the app and give it a prompt, there are ways to take the content it gives you to the next level. You could create conversation threads to feed it information and teach it about your voice and tone. While the final product will likely still need human edits, it can help you create content that doesn’t sound as generic as the words you might get from a simple prompt.
Beyond content creation, though, AI can also be a great tool for tailoring campaigns to certain audiences. AI-driven algorithms, for example, could analyze customer data to recommend the best type of advertisement when targeting specific audiences. AI tools can also help you create a more customized, engaging experience for your target audience to drive sales and ROI.
Automation
If you could use an AI tool for marketers that would save you valuable time, would you leverage that power? One of AI’s biggest impacts on digital marketing is its ability to automate smaller, more routine tasks. Think social media captions, email headlines, data analysis, customer segmentation, and so much more. Saving time on these tasks can give your team more time to focus on the creative or strategic aspects of campaigns.
Audience Targeting
When it comes to targeting specific audiences, AI goes beyond guesswork and instead dives into precise, data-driven insights. Imagine an AI tool analyzing your customer data—demographics, purchase history, browsing behavior—and then suggesting exactly where and when to run ads for optimal impact. These tools can segment audiences down to incredibly specific groups, making it possible to create hyper-personalized campaigns that speak directly to your target’s preferences and pain points.
This can help brands maximize their ROI, boosting not only engagement but also conversion rates. Think about it this way: AI isn’t about casting a wider net, it’s about casting a smarter, data-driven one.
Enhanced Data Analysis
Crunching numbers can be mentally exhausting. Digital marketing AI tools can make it easier. Artificial intelligence can help you dig deeper into customer psychographics, such as interests, motivations, and even likely next actions. As a result, AI can help you create more efficient campaigns that connect with target audiences on a deeper level.
These enhanced analytics tools allow for more impactful and targeted strategies, giving us extra insights into customer behavior and trends. Your team could potentially gain better forecasting, seeing customer trends to capitalize on before your competitors.
Content Creation
Although it’s likely not best to simply copy and paste the copy you generate via a digital marketing AI tool, the content that is being produced is only getting better. Through AI content creation, your team can also implement A/B testing, track engagement metrics, and optimize your content in significantly less time.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations of AI in Digital Marketing
Of course, it’s important to note that there are some things to consider when looking at the benefits of AI in digital marketing. To start, the potential loss of the human touch that makes or breaks so much of digital marketing is a worrying thought.
Dependence on AI
Which option would you prefer? AI-controlled content creation? Or robots helping to optimize our work? Unfortunately, option one is not impossible. As more writers, designers, strategists, and other marketers begin to embrace AI on a larger scale, there is the chance that we become too dependent on it to complete our tasks. That’s why balance is key. Striking a balance between AI-driven efficiency and a human touch can help us all ensure that marketing deliverables remain genuine, fostering stronger connections with audiences.
Biases or Discrimination
AI algorithms can sometimes inherit biases from the data they’re trained on, leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes. For example, if the historical data that your AI tool has consumed includes demographic or socioeconomic biases, it may perpetuate them. To avoid this, make sure your team continues to audit your AI digital marketing systems, especially if you begin using a new tool.
Privacy and Data Security
According to reports, 76% of those who shop online are worried about the security of their data. AI can add to these fears, as some tools may not be as direct about how data is being used. This can negatively impact any brand. As a result, transparency in how data is collected, stored, and used is critical to maintaining consumer trust.
Will AI for Digital Marketing Steal Our Jobs?
Before we conclude this piece, we wanted to address this very valid concern. Almost 60% of marketing employees now consider AI a threat to their jobs, compared to just 36% in 2023. While the thought of a rise in AI tools for marketers can be worrying, it’s important to remember that humans will still be behind the prompts and optimizations. ChatGPT won’t be able to craft blogs unless directed by a marketing professional. Midjourney won’t be able to generate eye-grabbing paid media ads without the watchful eyes of a designer. The next viral social media campaign will still need to be produced and posted by social media teams. And the majority of AI experts believe these tools will transform marketing roles rather than replacing them. All of this is to say: demand for creatives likely won’t drop simply because digital marketing AI tools become more advanced.
At Marketwake, because data is a big part of every strategy we produce, we’re always searching for new ways to leverage AI tools. If you’d like to see what we can do for your brand, be sure to check out our work page.
FAQs
How is AI transforming marketing strategies?
Digital marketing AI tools help marketers predict trends, enhance customer engagement, and deliver tailored content.
Will AI replace marketers?
While there are fears AI tools for marketers will eliminate jobs, it is important to remember that humans will still be behind every AI prompt.
How can AI help with content marketing?
AI tools such as ChatGPT and Jasper can help marketers with tasks such as brainstorming, research, and first drafts of pieces.
What are some common AI tools marketers are using?
Marketers use many AI tools to enhance their efficiency like: ChatGPT, Jasper AI, Midjourney, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, and Surfer SEO.
What are the ethical considerations of AI in marketing?
Key ethical considerations for marketers using AI are privacy and data security, algorithmic bias and fairness, consent, transparency, and authenticity.
