Automation and AI tools are something we have become all too familiar with over the years. From self-driving cars to Siri on our phones, automated technology has impacted the way we function on a daily basis. These tools have made their way into the marketing world and provided agencies with a new way to increase efficiency, reduce overall costs and get found in an infinite sea of media. While research has shown that AI and automation can be powerful weapons in marketing and content creation, it is important for agencies to understand when to use them and when not to.
Automation, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence technologies work best for tasks that are repetitive and driven by data. Whether it’s tracking information on competitors (yes, tracking is allowed) or generating SEO recommendations (AI and SEO are a match made in digital heaven), these tools can quickly gather and analyze data to provide companies with immediate results they can use to increase their revenue.
Tracking your company’s performance is another area where this technology can help. Instead of spending hours collecting and analyzing data, AI can report back with insight as to what content is yielding the most interest. It goes a step further by providing suggestions for what content to create and when to publish it to get the most hits. Automation can even create short-form content such as posts for social media or long-form content like annual reports.
As AI and automation continue to evolve, their place in the marketing world will expand as well. More and more agencies are utilizing this up-and-coming technology to enhance their company’s functionality and are seeing positive results. According to a recent survey from MemSQL and O’Reilly Media, “74 percent of all respondents consider ML and AI to be a game-changer, indicating it had the potential to transform their job and industry.”
Areas where AI and automation fall short
While it is evident that automation and AI technologies have the potential to revamp your business, robots won’t be replacing people any time soon. (For us content folks, that’s a big, loud “phew”!)
There are still certain areas within digital marketing that require thoughtful human execution to be successful. For example, while automation and AI machines can generate language, they often struggle with conveying emotions and feelings through their words. Sarcasm and humor can be amiss in content generated by AI (just ask Siri to tell you a joke and you’ll see what I mean). This robotic voice and tone can also make it difficult to build trust among your consumers, which is essential for establishing your brand.
We know AI and automated technology thrive off of data. But, if you have too small an amount of data or evidence to work with, this can prove to be difficult for AI to utilize and may not give you the results you need.
And thankfully — especially for our band of copywriters and strategists — projects that require more attention and a creative lens can be better tackled by a member of your team rather than left up to computers.
Automation and AI: a double-edged sword
Automation and AI have clearly made an impact in marketing and will continue to do so as technology advances. While automated technology has established itself as a powerful device for data analysis, content creation and performance tracking, it still has a long way to go. As for now, artificial intelligence is far from replacing humans altogether.
These tools can be an influential accessory in marketing agencies — the magic lies in knowing when to use AI or automation — and when to avoid it.
No robots here! Work with us and see what we can do to help your business grow to its full potential! Let’s talk more about your company and your goals!