Editorial
The Gist
- Enhance customer connections. AI tools allow marketers to forge stronger customer relationships by automating engagement processes and personalizing interactions.
- Stay on top of social trends. AI-powered social listening helps marketers respond to customer feedback in real-time, which improves customer engagement and loyalty.
- Uncover key customer insights. AI data analytics identify valuable insights from vast amounts of customer data, which allows marketers to tailor their strategies effectively.
When commercially viable AI products first appeared, marketers were among the first to dabble with them. Today, that dabbling has changed into widespread usage. According to one Influencer Marketing Hub report, around seven out of 10 marketers say they’ve embraced AI. One of the main reasons behind this adoption of AI is to forge stronger ties with customers.
Striving for closer bonds with buyers makes sense, especially in a hyper-competitive digital ecosystem. After all, when a customer feels connected with a brand, they’re more likely to stay loyal, buy repeatedly, leave glowing reviews and give grace after a negative interaction. However, it’s not easy to build relationships with buyers since they have so many choices. That’s where AI can help.
AI tools enable marketers to transform their marketing efforts and optimize their team’s operations and reach. That’s because they’re never “off the clock” — they’re like an administrative assistant who’s working all the time. This allows marketers to more effectively and strategically improve their performance results and customer engagement at each marketing funnel stage.
What are the top customer-centric marketing areas where AI particularly shines? While there are many, three are worth highlighting.
1. Gaining Faster Content Ideation and Deployment
It’s no secret that the unveiling of ChatGPT — followed by other similar generative AI products — was a major disruptive force within the content development world. Certainly, AI content needs to have some form of human insight before being published. Nevertheless, content that’s been touched by AI can still be incredibly valuable to marketers who want to connect with customers and improve customer engagement.
Perhaps the most appealing role of AI in content ideation and deployment is that it can be used in multiple processes. For instance, the legal marketing agency PMP (PracticeMadePerfect) advises marketers to incorporate AI into their content research, keyword discovery, outlining and drafting processes.
Frequently, those are the most time-consuming areas of content creation, as well as the areas that lend themselves to automation. AI can also help predict what content will resonate most with viewers, impact customer engagement and perform better in search engines. By streamlining those workflows, marketers can focus more intently on revising, reviewing and publishing truly high-quality content that drives customer engagement.
Again, it’s critical to keep human intervention in the mix. Generative AI can hallucinate, so it’s essential to put eyes on all content before it goes out to customers. That said, stay open to leveraging AI as part of your edited content deployment plan so your messages get seen in a timely, consistent fashion.
Related Article: Staying Human While Using Generative AI Tools for Content Marketing
2. Finding Real-Time Customer Engagement Insights
It’s very challenging to know what’s being said about your company on social media. Yet it’s vitally important you stay on top of trending conversations about your brand, products, services and industry. That’s where AI comes into the picture.
AI software can scan social media 24/7 and identify the trends and mentions most relevant to your business. This allows you to respond right away and make customers feel like they’re being heard.
AI social listening platform Sprinklr gives a great example of how hotels are using this practice to improve their customer experience. Rather than waiting for customers to talk about their hotel stays online, they’re actively encouraging guests to “speak up.” And when those guests do, AI tools capture and send all mentions back to marketers and customer service representatives.
Make no mistake: Your company is going to be talked about online. With AI, you’ll never be in the dark about whether the conversation is positive, neutral or negative. Plus, you’ll be able to connect one-on-one with customers in real time.
3. Uncovering Data Anomalies and Improving Customer Engagement
Like all marketers, you’re sitting on mounds of customer data. Yet you probably don’t have a lot of time to put into conducting deep data dives. Fortunately, AI tools can sift through massive amounts of data and then return insights. In fact, data collection and evaluation is one of the most exciting use cases for AI tools in any company. How else would you be able to spot opportunities or problem areas without overextending your team’s capacity?
To be sure, not all the insights that you receive will be immediately helpful (or show obvious ways to get closer to your customers). But over time, your data-based “reveals” will start to assist you in finding better avenues to engage with your customer.
For example, Spotify successfully experimented with AI data mining to revolutionize and revamp its bond with music lovers. Eight years later, Spotify relies on its AI insights to fuel creative and personalized campaigns — like its year-end Wrapped campaign that goes out to each listener.
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Your company doesn’t need to have a marketing budget like Spotify to uncover untapped markets or possibilities from your data. Plenty of AI data analytics tools are aimed squarely at small- and mid-sized companies. With just one at your fingertips, you’ll be able to see deeper into the behaviors, demographics and history of your customers. This means you’ll be able to nudge, reward and communicate the right way at the right time.
Related Article: 5 Ways Active Listening Can Improve CX
Harnessing AI for Deeper Customer Connections
Customers appreciate working with brands that they feel understand them and are looking out for their best interests. In the past, getting close and personal to buyers required a lot of time, investment and energy. Thanks to AI tools, you can improve the authenticity and quality of your customer interactions and improve customer engagement efficiently and affordably.
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