5 Ways Artificial Intelligence is Going to Impact Your Business
Will 2018 be the Year of the Robot Revolution?
As owner and CEO of Willow Marketing, I do my best to stay on top of the latest industry trends. In our increasingly fast-paced, tech-evolving-at-the-speed-of-light society, that’s not always an easy task. One thing is becoming increasingly clear: today’s evolving technology, especially advances in artificial intelligence, will have an impact on your business, so you can’t put off learning about it until tomorrow. When understood and put to good use, these now-trendy techs will soon become SOP… and it might just help your business run smoother and easier. So, just how and where will you be seeing AI and other technologies creeping into your day-to-day routines?
#1 Predictive Marketing
Business intelligence is a buzzword you might be hearing more and more, and within that realm, you’re likely to hear talk of marketing forecasting. Through data collection, AI is able to predict the potential success of your company’s marketing, whether it’s a single email or an entire advertising campaign. So, before you invest in a large project like video production, you may soon be consulting your own AI Magic 8 Ball to determine whether it will be a hit or a flop.
#2 Voice Recognition
Craving Chinese? Just ask Alexa to have some lo mein delivered from your favorite restaurant. But what about when your clients or customers are craving something you can deliver? Wouldn’t it be convenient if they could get information, place an order, or contact your offices just by asking their Google Home or Amazon Echo? The technology is already here, and it’s expanding with every passing day. As more brands race to compete in the “smart home” market, there will be more opportunities for businesses and organizations like yours to get on-board and simplify your user’s experience.
Another use of voice recognition technology that you’ll be seeing more of is utilizing artificial intelligence as an office assistant of sorts. Just as Apple created Siri, Voicera has created Eva, a virtual assistant that uses “Predictive Highlights” to take notes during business meetings – on the phone or in person. In fact, I just used Eva during our Willow Better U event!
#3 Programmatic Advertising
Next time you’re scrolling through your news feed on Facebook, take a second to pause at the sponsored content. While some of it may not appeal or apply to you, some of it is eerily relevant. No, Facebook isn’t spying on you (we don’t think), it’s just using programmatic advertising to target you in real-time with products and services on which you’re more likely to convert. Programmatic advertising will become standard for many companies throughout 2018, with live bids for online inventory across social platforms, websites, mobile, and more. Marketers will be able to collect data to create hyper-targeted campaigns, and then purchase media that will hit those targets at the best possible time.
#4 Content Generation
While most of your content will benefit from the personal touch of a skilled and knowledgeable writer, you may soon have the option of creating ads, articles and social posts through artificial intelligence. By feeding the AI a specific set of information, marketers can then ask it to generate certain types of content pieces, from product descriptions to Facebook posts.
#5 Customer Insights
The biggest thing to remember when it comes to AI is what’s on the other side of that technology: human beings. AI is now being used to customize experiences and deliver tailored products, services or information to a user’s needs and wants. Using machine learning, companies can set up what are called, “recommendation engines.” For instance, think about how Pandora always seems to know the exact Queen song you’ve been wanting to hear. Or the way Netflix analyzes the most intricate data (when you rewatch a scene, or when you skip to the end) to suggest new content you’re likely to consume.
It boils down to this: AI is here, and while the robots aren’t taking over (yet!), the technology can enhance the way you market your business, increase the actionable insights you take away from your research, streamline your advertising and increase ROI. If it all sounds more like sci-fi than real life, don’t panic. At Willow, we’re here to keep an eye on the trends and tech, and help you discover ways your business can step into the future… today.
Interested in learning more about how Willow could help implement some of these for your business? Reach out.
