AI In Digital Marketing: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Artificial Intelligence is undeniably a hot topic, and its application in digital marketing brings about a spectrum of outcomes — there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's important to know how to leverage AI for optimal outcomes.
AI is a powerful tool that is getting better with each new iteration of the technology. There are many benefits to using it in digital marketing, but there also are some disadvantages that you’ll need to overcome. We’ll get to the pros and cons in a minute, but first, let’s look at some of the ways AI is being used when it comes to digital marketing.
Top 5 Types of AI in Digital Marketing
There are unlimited numbers of creative ways to use AI in digital marketing. And most fall under these top 5 types, or categories, of AI:
- AI to Predict Customer Behavior: Predictive AI. This includes apps and platforms like HubSpot, Xineoh, Black Swan Data, Dynamic Yield, and others that use historical customer data and current trends to predict future behavior and improve the customer experience.
- AI to Generate Content: Generative AI. This includes apps like ChatGPT, Hubspot AI, Bard, Otter, Jasper, Grammarly, Pixel Go, DALL-E, etc. that are used to create written text, images, video
- AI for Data Analysis. AI is extremely efficient at analyzing data to find insights, track metrics, and forecast potential scenarios … all things you can use to direct your digital marketing strategies. Some AI tools for data analysis include MonkeyLearn, Polymer, and Microsoft Power BI.
- AI for Personalization. Many CRMs, including HubSpot CRM, have AI built in to help you personalize your digital marketing. There also are standalone apps and software like Insider, Braze, CleverTap, and more.
- AI to Talk with People: Conversational AI. This includes chatbots, 24/7 automated customer service assistants, and interactive/automated questions to qualify and/or segment prospects in the lead generation process.
Now that you know the different AI tools available to use in your digital marketing, let’s look at the pros and cons.
The Good About AI in Digital Marketing
Some of the advantages you can expect to receive from using AI in your digital marketing include improvements in:
- Efficiency
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Data processing and analysis
- Segmentation
- Personalization
- Targeting
And when it comes to generative AI and content creation, tools like ChatGPT are helpful for things like:
- Fleshing out content ideas
- Creating content outlines
- Finding new ways to say the same thing over and over
The Bad About AI in Digital Marketing
As good as AI has become, there are some disadvantages to be aware of as well. For example:
- Improper configuration or instructions can lead to unwanted or erroneous results.
- Collection of customer and lead data can raise concerns about data privacy and security.
- AI can produce biased predictions or poorly targeted ads if it’s using poor data to begin with.
- Generative AI can be wrong and can make up inaccurate content.
- AI still can’t replace human empathy and emotion needed to create connections with your audience.
- There can be a lack of creativity and/or distinction in AI-generated content, which means that instead of standing out as unique among your competition, there is a tendency to blend in.
It’s the concern for individualism and accuracy that drives our suggestion that you NOT use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to do the following:
- Replace your expertise
- Trust its output without fact-checking
- Validate data
- Blindly create content
The Ugly About AI in Digital Marketing
Using AI without an informed and strategic plan in place can lead to potentially ugly consequences and unacceptable results. Content that lacks human connection can become white noise and affect your brand's reputation.
AI may be smart, but it still lacks human experience. So, AI tools still need a qualified human directing them, especially when it comes to digital marketing.
That’s why we encourage you to talk to experienced digital marketers — like us here at WorldLight Media — about the right way to use AI in your digital marketing. So that you can reap all the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls of AI.
Click here to contact us and get the conversation started.
