Revolutionizing PR and Marketing: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Game

The marketing AI revolution is in the early stages. In order to avoid getting left behind, communications professionals need to be aware of the artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that are available to them, determine which ones can have the greatest impact on their business and start putting them to use.

What is marketing artificial intelligence?

In simple terms, marketing AI refers to the use of advanced technologies, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, to automate and improve various marketing tasks and processes. These technologies can be used for a wide range of applications, including customer segmentation, personalized messaging, content creation, campaign management and lead generation. The purpose of marketing AI is to help companies better understand and engage with their customers, ultimately driving more revenue and growth.

How can communicators start to apply AI and what tools to consider?

There are several areas where communicators can leverage artificial intelligence to improve their work:

• Content creation: AI-powered tools can help generate written, spoken and visual content, such as news articles, social media posts, and even video scripts, freeing up time for communicators to focus on strategy and editing. The most prominent of these tools is ChatGPT. Its parent organization, OpenAI, has received billions in investment from Microsoft, which recently announced that it will use ChatGPT in its Bing search engine and Edge web browser.
• Media monitoring and analysis: AI-powered tools can help automatically track and analyze mentions of a company or brand across various media channels, including social media, news, and blogs. One company, BrightEdge, has developed an AI tool called Insights that serves as a virtual data analyst. It scours millions of web pages to provide marketers with recommended actions for SEO and content creation.
• Campaign management: AI can be used to optimize the targeting, personalization, and scheduling of marketing campaigns for better results. Seventh Sense leverages artificial intelligence to optimize and personalize email delivery times, resulting in more engagement and better email marketing results.
• Sentiment analysis: AI-powered tools can be used to analyze social media posts, news articles, and other customer-generated content to gauge public opinion and sentiment about a company, brand or product. For example, Meltwater’s Linkfluence offering is using AI, in combination with data science and human expertise, to uncover insights from large volumes of social data that standard social listening tools cannot.
• Lead generation: AI-powered tools can help identify and prioritize sales leads, allowing communicators to focus on the most promising opportunities. One such tool is AiAdvertising, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to maximize advertising spending by identifying new customers and predicting which creative will be most effective.

Overall, the use of AI in these areas can help communicators save time, make data-driven decisions, and improve the effectiveness of their campaigns. However,

it’s important to keep in mind that AI is best used to augment human decision-making, rather than replace it.

How can communicators get started with marketing artificial intelligence?

Here are some steps marketing and PR professionals can take to start using marketing AI:

• Get educated about the basics of AI, including key concepts such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. There are many resources available online, such as tutorials, courses, and articles that can help. A great resource is the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. 
• Identify specific areas where AI could be used to improve efficiency or effectiveness. Examples include content creation, media monitoring and analysis, and campaign management.
• Look into the available marketing AI tools and vendors. There are a wide range of options, with different capabilities, pricing, and skill requirements. Communicators need to determine which tools are right for their respective organizations.
• Begin experimenting with AI-powered tools and testing their capabilities. Start small and set realistic goals.
• Keep an eye on the ethical implications of using AI. Evaluate the data used to train the AI models to make sure there’s no bias or discriminatory outcomes.
• Continuously evaluate the performance of the AI tools and iterate as necessary. Keep in mind that AI constantly learns, adapts and improves over time.
• Build a team with the necessary skills to effectively implement and use AI, which may involve hiring or training existing employees in data science and AI.
• Communicate and collaborate with other departments to make sure that AI is aligned with the overall business strategy, especially if the usage will be cross-departmental.

By taking these steps, professional communicators can start to gain experience and knowledge in the use of marketing AI and position themselves as valuable assets in their organizations.

Want to learn more about marketing AI? Listen to the engaging conversation on the PRGN Presents podcast, which dives deeper into the topic and AI’s impact on public relations professionals.

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