You may not realize it, but artificial intelligence has become a huge part of your daily life. Whether you’re scrolling through your Facebook news feed or searching for something on Google, AI drives much of these interactions.
AI’s existence dates back to the 1950s, but heavy growth and innovation is finally happening today. That’s because the hardware powering artificial intelligence has become faster while the cost to produce it has dropped. As a result, investment in AI is expected to rise over the next several years.
For businesses looking to utilize AI in their marketing strategy, there’s plenty to consider. Now that you have a basic primer on AI’s relevance in today’s world, here are some recommended best practices from eMarketer’s report titled “Artificial Intelligence for Marketers 2018: Finding Value Beyond the Hype”.
Know your goals then decide whether AI is right for you.
What does your campaign hope to accomplish? Answering this question will help determine if artificial intelligence is even needed. You may find out that it isn’t necessary at all and that you can achieve your goals by other means. Simply utilizing AI for the sake of being an AI adopter isn’t a wise decision.
Be cognizant of the hype.
There is plenty of buzz surrounding artificial intelligence right now. The technology is peaking the interest of many in the marketing world, but it’s important to not get swept up in the hype. Although artificial intelligence has been around for more than several decades, it’s only just beginning to scratch the surface of its potential. Remember that as you’re considering whether to use AI in your strategy.
Select your AI partners carefully.
There are many partners you can work with that utilize artificial intelligence as a means of accomplishing your goals. Awlogy is one of those companies. Do your research before settling on a partnership with many of the providers in the space. That includes looking into case studies of clients they’ve worked with previously and finding out what’s been said about their work from others.
Understand the data.
An active approach is necessary when using artificial intelligence. Going hands off and letting the machine do all the work wouldn’t be an appropriate course to take. eMarketer analyst Victoria Petrock noted the importance of tackling AI-powered marketing with both a data-driven and human perspective.
“A lot of people think ‘Oh this is AI. We’ll just put the data in, push a button and it’ll give us all the answers,’” Petrock said in a recent episode of the “Behind The Numbers” podcast. “You can’t underestimate the amount of human oversight and human insight these systems need.”
Be transparent and ethical.
Lastly, being open about your processes and executing strategy with ethics in mind are key. Artificial intelligence is opening up a pandora’s box of possibilities in marketing. But it’s essential to always ask if your strategic implementation of artificial intelligence ever crosses the line of what’s right and wrong.