OK Fine, Let’s Talk About AI
Nothing defined 2023 more than conversations about AI. While machine learning has been around for awhile, this was the year that everyone from educators to journalists to artists started to debate the role of AI in their professions.
I admit I was a bit of a “Scrooge” about the trend when it first started, but as I’ve learned more about it, I’ve accepted AI as an important tool of my trade. If you, like me, feel like this craze came out of nowhere, you may be wondering how it affects your marketing plan. Let’s explore…
What is AI?
AI stands for artificial intelligence tools. In social media marketing, these tools are designed to help users save time, increase engagement, and stand out on social media platforms.
What Can AI Do?
To hear some tell it, the possibilities of AI are endless. But in the digital marketing world, the primary uses of AI are:
Writing posts
Creating images & videos
Optimizing posting schedules
Managing conversations with customers
Analyzing metrics
What are the advantages of AI?
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to incorporate AI into your marketing strategy. AI can:
Save time & money by taking over manual processes, allowing human employees to focus elsewhere
Spark creativity and break writer’s block
Sometimes recognize patterns that humans don’t right away, such as in analytics and customer data
Personalize content based on your audience
Help humans make more precise decisions based on data and insights. This means better targeting and higher ROI for your campaigns.
Sounds great! Are there any drawbacks?
Naturally, it’s not all good news. Here are some of the issues that have emerged since the AI takeover:
Misinformation: While AI tools can be incredibly accurate, they are also prone to making up facts, stats, and other pieces of information. I once asked about an sponsor of a client event and had Chat-GPT make up an entirely new company!
Compliance: AI grew very quickly and there aren’t a lot of regulations around it yet. It’s important to check with your legal and compliance departments before you start using AI-generated content or giving a bot permission to interact with customers online.
Privacy: AI algorithms are powered by data, which can pose a security risk if left unprotected, especially if your company deals with private information.
Bias: Generative AI tools are only as good as the inputs their receive, and there may be implicit biases in its coding or in the prompts you feed it.
What’s the bottom line?
AI is a tool, just like anything else. It can be great for generating new ideas, but shouldn’t be used in place of human creativity. I personally use it most often for coming up with unique ways to rephrase core messages or for brainstorming content topics. I personally wouldn’t allow it to write a blog post or email entirely, at least not without being super clear about its source. But when used properly, AI can be an asset to any marketing plan!
Have you used AI in your digital marketing plan yet? Let us know what you think!
