Teams that will combine flesh-and-blood content marketers with advanced AI content technologies will stay on top of the game and take their entire marketing up a notch. Learn how it can be done
The debate regarding AI has infiltrated most areas of modern life, and content marketing gets its fair share of the discussion. While some see Artificial Intelligence as a threat to content marketers’ careers, others view AI as an advanced form of technology at the service of human writers. Regardless of where you stand on this debate, AI plays a role in content marketing. So much so, that 25% of retailers have already invested approximately $100 million in various content applications of AI.
Before we go wild with our imagination, conjuring images of relentless humanoid robots slaving over computer keyboards in massive industrial workshops without a single bathroom break, let’s look at what roles AI is already playing in content marketing, and where it could lead:
Content Personalization at Scale
The amounts invested in AI speak volumes, as AI can address one of modern marketing’s greatest challenges: scaling content generation and personalization. In an age in which every customer expects (and demands) experiences tailored to their traits, the need to create masses of high-quality content creates a bottleneck that can jam any brand’s communication flow and send any customer into the arms of e-commerce giants like Amazon. That’s exactly where AI can save the day and keep content relevant, interesting, and engaging.
While investing in personalization can be costly, failing to invest in it can cost even more. 74% of consumers feel frustrated when a brand offers them non-related content, and 63% of them think more positively of a brand if it provides content that was more valuable, interesting, or relevant.
AI can close the content personalization gap, and we already see this happen. Think about Google autocomplete search tips for example.
Content Generation Automation
Certain publications have already begun to utilize AI to generate content for their online content properties in a matter of seconds. AI-created content is a must for marketers — especially since content creation is a task 47% of marketers say they outsource.
The speed with which these bots create content, the accuracy of their sources, and their ability to spot new rising trends, are some of the reasons they’ll make a great impact on content marketing. Just as soon as there’s a spike in online buzz on a certain topic, the AI bots will identify the trend and generate fresh, relevant content right away. In time, these tools and bots will also allow handling more advanced types of content, that today still require a human touch, like headlines, subheads, pictures, and infographics. Some bots are already handling the delicate nuances of writing and posting on social media channels.
Proofreading and Editing
According to Microsoft, ‘backspace’ is the third-most used key on the keyboard. Imagine the number of errors you make when typing, and accumulated time spent using the backspace key.
AI tools help marketers edit content and improve proofreading. And every writer — regardless of how good or influential— needs an editor. Editing your content can be highly subjective; you may find it hard to spot your errors. You need a fresh set of eyes, who will be objective and knowledgeable enough to review your content effectively. In this case, the editor is a bot.
The Next Phase of Content Marketing
Some people will read this article and see the end of content marketing as we know it and the beginning of a massive job search and career pivot for many writers, editors, and marketers. I don’t think so. AI should, and will, only enhance the content marketers’ performance. The human element is, and will remain, crucial—using AI for content marketing without human oversight will lead to a reduced level of writing and editing, which will be easily spotted by readers.
Teams that will combine flesh-and-blood content marketers with advanced AI content technologies will stay on top of the game and take their entire marketing up a notch. AI will scale up high-level content generation and loosen the content bottleneck in the process of producing content for various organizations. Getting customized content, that speaks directly to one’s interests and needs, will have a vital influence on customer loyalty and will allow marketing teams to clear time (and money) to support the brand further and fuel their company’s growth.
*This article was written by a real human being.
This article was first published on business2community.com
Pini co-founded Optimove in 2012 and has led the company, as its CEO, since its inception. With two decades of experience in analytics-driven customer marketing, business consulting and sales, he is the driving force behind Optimove. His passion for innovative and empowering technologies is what keeps Optimove ahead of the curve. He holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Tel Aviv University.
