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We’re in the middle of an AI marketing revolution. From ChatGPT to Gemini and SaaS platforms integrating these tools into their products, every day sees a host of new AI applications hitting the market, promising marketers the ability to automate time-consuming tasks and achieve more results with less manual input.
But when customers crave personalized engagements, can marketers really rely on tech to deliver the authentic, human experiences that deepen customer connections?
Let’s explore five ways that AI marketing saves time, gets brands closer to their customers, and drives business outcomes:
- Data consolidation
- Customer segmentation
- Personalization
- Predictive analytics
- Improved customer service
1. AI marketing: Data consolidation for customer insight
Getting closer to customers starts by knowing who they are. This requires a much deeper understanding than traditional buyer personas allow.
Data is key here, but its sheer volume and disparity complicate matters. When that bulk of data is siloed across multiple channels and platforms, unifying it to create a comprehensive view of the customer is easier said than done. AI offers a solution.
Capable of analyzing vast swathes of data in seconds, AI removes the manual labor and human error from data aggregation. It transforms disparate, unstructured product, sales and customer data into powerful insights that marketers can use to drive authentic engagement.
AI also can automate the data consolidation process, dynamically updating a customer data platform as new data comes in, and activating that data in real-time.
And so, in an ironic twist of fate, AI is helping marketers better understand their customers and, in turn, uncover insights that allow marketers to engage with customers in a more human way.
2. Unlocking next-level customer segmentation
Customers are moving targets. One moment they’re browsing a website, with a high cart value, looking to subscribe to their favorite range of products. The next, they’re shopping more frugally, exploring more affordable product ranges – and having their loyalty tested on Facebook from competitors who are willing to fight on price.
This means brands can’t operate on the assumption that today’s customer is the same person they were yesterday. Motivations change, and marketing needs to adapt to this.
Tracking one customer journey alone could keep a marketer busy for hours on end. Tackling this task at scale would require a significant investment in time and resource that most frugally-minded marketing teams simply can’t afford.
So, it begs the question – how can you keep tabs on your customer’s journey through the lifecycle? AI-powered segmentation.
By leaning on AI, marketers can segment customers in real-time. So when they push a campaign live, they can be confident they’re acting on the most up-to-date information, targeting customers based on what they’re thinking and how they’re acting in that moment.
By engaging AI-powered segments with the right message at the right time, brands can clinch those all-important first purchases, nudge customers up the loyalty ladder, and bring them back from the edge of churning. AI marketing makes this possible, instantly, on a global scale.
3. Create personalized experiences at scale with AI marketing
Today’s customer is inundated with purchase options and brand engagements. Across every channel, they’re greeted with ads and organic content from brands vying for their attention. If you want to stand out from this noise, you need to grab their attention and demonstrate a deep understanding of their interests, wants and needs.
Personalization is the key to making this happen, but like customers, marketers are time-poor. Being present on every channel, ready to greet customers with personalized engagements, isn’t a viable manual activity for many businesses.
This is where AI-powered customer engagement platforms shine. By leveraging the data that’s consolidated and connecting to key marketing channels, these platforms can create personalized engagements tailored to each customer.
Based on key data points like past purchases, loyalty status and even predicted future actions like churn likelihood, AI marketing can help brands engage customers with the right content in the moments that matter most.
4. Stay one step ahead with AI-driven predictive analytics
Until recently, marketing analytics was about reporting the results of what had already happened – a glimpse back into the performance of past campaigns, from which marketers would gather insights, draw conclusions, and make plans to improve future performance.
AI has flipped the analytics script. Now, marketers can peer into the future, and accurately predict the results of their marketing efforts, on a global scale and all the way down to the individual customer level.
This puts significant power into the hands of marketers. By analyzing historical data and creating a 360-degree view of the customer, AI can accurately predict what customers will buy next, which channel they’ll buy through, when they’ll buy it, and even how much they spend.
With this knowledge in hand, brands are equipped to create truly personalized omnichannel experiences that build customer connections and foster unshakeable loyalty.
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5. Offer tailored support across the customer journey
When customers have questions, the service team is ready to help. But what happens when they don’t have the business intelligence and data insights they need to deliver upon those customer expectations?
The consequences of failing to provide personalized customer service are far-reaching and severe. Customers who experience generic, unhelpful, or slow support are not just inconvenienced—they’re likely to take their business elsewhere, but not before stopping by Trustpilot to share their less-than-stellar experience with the world.
Negative experiences spread through word-of-mouth and social media like wildfire, damaging a brand’s reputation and eroding trust. On the flip side, service reps are equally frustrated, bogged down by inefficient processes and lacking the tools to truly make a difference, leading to decreased morale and productivity.
From chatbots to automations, AI streamlines repetitive tasks and provides real-time assistance, cutting down wait times and freeing up service team to focus on what they do best: delivering exceptional, personalized customer service.
And with AI’s ability to maintain consistency across all communication channels, customers receive the same high-quality, personalized service whether they reach out via email, chat, or social media.
AI as a strategic customer engagement partner
Leveraging AI marketing isn’t just a leap into the future – it’s an essential step towards meeting the growing expectations of the modern customer.
By harnessing the power of AI for tasks like data consolidation, segmentation, and personalized engagement, marketers can not only streamline their operations, but also forge deeper, more meaningful connections with customers.
So, consider AI not just as a tool, but an essential, strategic partner in crafting the personalized, responsive, and efficient customer journey that modern consumers demand.
