The white-collar professionals are confronting what blue-collar professionals have been dealing with for half a decade: What do you do when technology threatens to displace your job?
In digital marketing, AI is pushing into everything from media optimization(not actually a new thing), to content writing and even image generation.
Having been in marketing for over 35 years, I am seeing things come full circle. Before digital, the greatest asset a marketing professional could bring was strategic direction. As digital unfolded and more knowledge was required to manage the actual campaigns, a greater reliance was placed on people who knew how to execute the programs. How do you set up, manage and optimize a Google Search or Bing Search campaign or Facebook campaign?
In fact, with Google dominating paid search, and the ROAS on it being so good, companies could expend entire budgets on Google, and measure the direct returns. But Google is removing tools and visibility, pushing advertisers into more opaque campaigns.
For some advertisers where something like e-commerce revenue is the sole goal, Google’s AI is great. But, business tends to be messy, with micro-conversions, changes in direction, or post-click actions as important as online metrics that are not easily incorporated into the value equation. We have to make judgment calls that the AI can’t see or quantify.
As the “doing” with managing becomes less and less, digital marketers need to broaden their scope of channels and platforms to become more strategic in recommendations.
As AI becomes more prevalent, marketers also need to understand AI. So, I decided to ask chatGPT what marketers need to do to keep up with AI. Here is the response…
To evolve with AI in digital advertising, digital marketers can take the following steps:
- Educate Yourself: Start by gaining a solid understanding of AI and its applications in digital advertising. Familiarize yourself with concepts like machine learning, natural language processing, and data analysis. Stay updated with industry trends and advancements in AI technologies.
- Leverage Data: AI thrives on data, so focus on collecting and organizing relevant data sets. Ensure you have access to clean, accurate, and comprehensive data that can be used for AI-driven analyses and decision-making.
- Embrace Automation: AI can automate repetitive tasks, allowing marketers to focus on higher-value activities. Identify areas in your digital advertising workflow that can be automated using AI tools and platforms. This may include tasks like data analysis, campaign optimization, ad targeting, and content personalization.
- Utilize Predictive Analytics: AI-powered predictive analytics can help you anticipate customer behavior and trends. By analyzing historical data, AI algorithms can make accurate predictions about consumer preferences, purchase patterns, and engagement levels. Use these insights to refine your digital advertising strategies and tailor your campaigns for better results.
- Implement AI-driven Ad Targeting: AI can enhance targeting precision by analyzing user data and behavior patterns. Leverage AI-based tools and platforms that can segment your audience effectively and deliver personalized ad experiences. This will lead to higher engagement rates and improved ROI.
- Optimize Content with AI: AI can assist in creating and optimizing content. Use AI tools to generate engaging headlines, create personalized product recommendations, and test different variations of ad copy. AI-powered content optimization can help improve click-through rates and conversion rates.
- Monitor and Optimize Campaigns: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, enabling marketers to make data-driven decisions quickly. Leverage AI-powered analytics platforms to monitor your campaigns, identify patterns, and optimize performance in real-time. This will help you allocate your budget effectively and make timely adjustments for better campaign results.
- Stay Ethical and Transparent: As you incorporate AI into your digital advertising strategies, prioritize ethical considerations. Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and communicate transparently with your audience about how their data is being used. Build trust and maintain transparency to foster long-term customer relationships.
- Continuous Learning: AI technology is evolving rapidly, so it’s essential to keep learning and experimenting with new AI tools and techniques. Stay updated with the latest developments in AI and explore how they can be applied to enhance your digital advertising efforts.
By embracing AI in digital advertising, marketers can unlock new opportunities for improved targeting, personalization, and efficiency, ultimately driving better results and ROI.
That’s how AI says to keep up with AI. Most sounds about right to me. Even if you don’t have access to all of the tools listed, jumping in where we can as soon as we can is important to the future of careers in digital marketing.