AI in Marketing: 4 Crazy Myths You Need To Stop Believing Artificial intelligence will empower marketers, not replace them.
By Reshu Rathi Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Lately, AI-powered marketing has been a buzzword across the world. And while the whole marketing world is talking about it, a recent study finds that AI adoption in marketing is limited by marketers. Why? Because it is still quite new within the marketing landscapes and in all the buzzing excitement, many marketers are still suspicious of it.
Here we will break down the misconceptions many marketers have that keep them from adopting artificial intelligence to enhance every step of their customer journey.
Related: Ready or Not, It's Time to Embrace AI
1. It will kill marketer's job.
No, on the contrary, it will enhance it. What a customer expects from businesses these days is personalization. They want every interaction with brands to be more personalized. To get there, AI is a must. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, marketers can deliver fast, personalized service to their shoppers, taking their shopping experience to whole new level. But AI won't work on its own. Crafting marketing strategies and the right messages for every customer will still be the marketers' job. So, instead of killing jobs as some anticipate, what's more plausible is marketers working alongside AI, which will help them achieve unprecedented levels of personalization and deliver the most immersive and seamless experiences for the consumers. Just like AI won't kill tech jobs, it won't kill marketer jobs either -- machines will always need humans.
AI-powered tools are not the replacement for marketers but can help CMOs take their marketing to another level.
2. You must use AI everywhere.
Nope. This thinking that you have to apply AI-powered solutions in every marketing channel is a big reason why many businesses aren't leveraging AI. Not only is it expensive to implement artificial intelligence everywhere, but it needs a vast amount of data be effective.
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Adopting AI is difficult, but it doesn't have to be. The best way to get started is to find one or two areas where AI can make the most impact in your marketing and result in the highest ROI. Add them to your marketing plan and commit to them. Once you've been able to implement AI successfully in these channels, add to it. This way an even small-size business can take advantage of AI.
A lot of marketers make the mistake of thinking they have to use AI everywhere. The truth is, you don't.
3. It's for big businesses.
This is the biggest misconception among small businesses. They think artificial intelligence isn't for them. The truth is, it's not just corporate giants that can benefit by implementing AI -- it can help small businesses make their marketing more targeted and cut their costs in the long run too.
Though with small businesses, you must have a plan and stick to that plan as much as possible. Understand what's crucial for your business and prioritize specific applications for artificial intelligence technology.
If you want to get the most out of your marketing spend, put AI in the driver seat.
Related: 10 Trends That Will Reshape Digital Marketing in 2018 and Beyond
4. To use AI, CMOs need a technical background.
Anybody can use Siri, drive a Tesla and use Echo. Do they need a technical background to do so? Of course not. Similarly, every marketer can use artificial intelligence even if they don't have technical skills. The only thing CMOs need to make AI work for them is an AI-enabled marketing platform.
I am not saying technical skills doesn't matter at all. Minimal technical competency is required to get the most value from an AI engine. But in most cases, learning to use the technology is not that tough. Marketers who refrain from artificial intelligence because they don't have a technical background are missing out on opportunities that smart marketers are already mastering and driving ROI from.
Like marketing is critical for a business' success, AI-powered tools become indispensable for marketing success.
