Over the course of this article, we’ll explore how AI will transform the marketing function in the years to come. But first, a disclaimer and explanation: this article was written in collaboration with ChatGPT as an experimental blog post. While some might hold the view that it’s improper to attribute an article to an author where AI has heavily supported, we at Xembly are firm believers in the ongoing collaborative interplay that human and technology enable.
Civilization has trended towards this thesis for millenia and will inevitably continue down this road. At one point, listeners asked whether EDM is really music or whether photography was really a form of art. These questions now seem antiquated alongside the renowned craftsmanship of the likes of Ansel Adams or Avicii. Similarly, we believe AI, and particularly writing platforms like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, will come to be seen as tools of the trade by which expert marketers leverage the expediency and deep knowledge base of AI tools to augment the creative campaigns and content of the future.
Without further ado, here are a few of the areas where AI is transforming the marketing landscape.
Customer Segmentation
AI-powered customer segmentation is one of the quickest yet most compelling wins any marketer can tap into. As our understanding of prospects and customers grows through data, AI allows savvy marketers to analyze customer data, identify patterns and trends, and ultimately create highly targeted campaigns that reach the right customers with the right message at the right time. This leads to higher engagement and conversion rates, and improved ROI.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics is another key area in which AI is changing the marketing landscape. Popular AI algorithms can analyze customer data to make predictions about customer behavior, allowing marketers to take a proactive approach to customer engagement. Predictive tools can and will allow marketers to work seamlessly with sales, customer success, and product leaders in building compelling user journey experiences across a customer’s lifecycle.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are already revolutionizing the way that marketers interact with customers. AI algorithms can automate customer interactions, freeing up marketers to focus on more strategic tasks. This leads to increased efficiency and improved customer experience, as customers receive faster and more accurate responses to their questions. Xembly is an emerging leader in this space as well with Xena, a Slack and email-based AI assistant who supports employees' everyday scheduling and task management needs with a conversational interface.
Ad Optimization
AI-powered ad solutions can also be used to optimize ad campaigns. For marketers who’ve used Google or Facebook ads for years, these changes are becoming increasingly obvious with more and more manual optimization of ads replaced by “black box” systems whereby algorithms take control of the spend within a set parameter of constraints dictated by the marketer. AI algorithms can analyze ad data to identify the most effective ads for a given prospect with a level of granular deep data reasoning that goes far beyond what an astute marketer could offer. This leads to higher engagement and conversion rates, and improved ROI.While there’s great fear over AI replacing work functions and causing significant job loss, we expect AI to continue to become a trusted partner in every marketer’s toolkit. More menial tasks will be outsourced giving every marketer the opportunity to function in a more strategic mindset dictating where and how to invest a company’s data and capabilities.
Takeaways
For readers of the classic science fiction novel Ender’s Game, the classic picture of Ender as the master of an ever-evolving chessboard of alien warfare is a fitting analogy for the future role of marketing managers and leaders. Ender aptly dictates the big picture strategy of the battle while allowing each cluster of battleships to fighters to function autonomously in their distinct theater of warfare.Similarly, the capacity for every marketer to do more with less will give talented practitioners the capacity to drive value across a wider range of channels and campaigns without the need to micromanage every component. As marketing teams make the transition to AI-assisted workstreams, they may also want to consider leveraging Xembly, an AI Chief of Staff built to support forward thinking teams with their internal scheduling, meeting notetaking, and task management needs.Already, companies like Convoy, Twilio, and Rover are seeing clear benefits through time savings, mental clarity, and team coordination. Get on the waitlist to try it for yourself at xembly.com.
