Why Do You Need to Leverage AI in Content Marketing in 2023?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves across various industries, and content marketing is no exception. The integration of AI in content marketing is not merely a trend but a substantial shift in how content is created, distributed, and optimized.

Here’s the insight: AI is not just a buzzword; it’s a powerful tool that is reshaping the content marketing landscape. According to statistics, 63% of marketers are expected to increase their AI budgets in 2023. Furthermore, the market for AI in marketing is projected to reach $107.5 billion by 2028, up from $15.84 billion in 2021, as reported by Statista.

Role of AI in Content Marketing

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty, let's take a moment to understand what AI means in content marketing. At its core, it's the application of machine learning and data analytics to automate and enhance various aspects of content marketing.

From creating content to distributing it, here are three ways AI can speed up the process for your content marketing operations:

Audience Targeting and Personalization

AI can analyze past audience interactions and performance data to predict who is more likely to engage with your content or make a purchase. This allows for more precise audience targeting, ensuring your content reaches the right people at the right time.

Furthermore, AI and Machine Learning (ML) can be used to deliver personalized experiences to each visitor. AI can help tailor content and offers to individual users by analyzing user behaviour and preferences, significantly improving engagement and conversion rates.

Behavioural Analysis and Predictive Marketing

AI and ML can analyze customer purchasing habits and behaviour patterns, allowing for more effective segmentation and individualized interactions. This goes beyond simple personalization;

AI can predict customer behaviour and preferences, enabling businesses to offer exclusive, tailored products or services.

Predictive marketing, powered by AI, can analyze vast amounts of data to predict customer behaviour and preferences, enabling businesses to offer the right product through the right channel at the right time.

Content Generation and SEO

While AI-generated content is still in its early stages, AI can assist in content strategy and initial content research. Tools like GPT-4, Bard, and MarketMuse can generate content drafts that human writers can refine.

Additionally, AI can be used to optimize SEO strategies. It can help identify relevant keywords, monitor brand mentions, and analyze competitor SEO efforts. This allows businesses to improve their page rankings and create more effective SEO strategies.

Benefits of AI in Content Marketing

Picture this: you're constantly brainstorming innovative ideas, crafting compelling messages, and strategizing how to reach your audience effectively. But let's be real, the clock is always ticking, deadlines are ever-looming, and there's a constant juggle of responsibilities.

Tools like ChatGPT and Bard or even extensions like ChatGPT for Google Search with improved efficiency, enhanced personalization, and advanced data analysis capabilities can do your job like a cakewalk (sort of).

According to business leaders, brands that use AI in content marketing can produce more personalized content in less time and at a lower cost.

• 67% of Marketers agree that AI increases efficiency

  
  

AI automates content creation, distribution, and SEO, saving time for strategic tasks. Levi Olmstead, Director of Content at Whatfix, says, "AI enables my team to produce better, high-quality content faster - from ideation to completion." HubSpot reports that 67% of marketers affirm AI’s efficiency in speeding up content creation.

• 48% of Marketers use AI to analyze data at scale

AI analyzes extensive data for insights into customer behaviour and trends, aiding data-driven decisions and strategy optimization. In the same survey, HubSpot reveals that 48% of marketers value AI for data-driven insights. However, Neil Patel Digital’s survey shows that 50.8% of US digital marketers feel they need more knowledge about AI technology.

• 46% of Marketers feel they get more bang for a buck

While everybody is still not on board with the idea of using AI in Content Marketing, further data from Neil Patel Digital's survey indicates that 36% of marketers are optimistic about using AI in digital marketing.

Challenges and Solutions in Implementing AI in Content Marketing

As Christopher P. Willis, Chief Marketing & Pipeline Officer at Acrolinx, puts it, "We're not trying to replace writers. We're trying to make writers better. And we're trying to make their content more effective."

This underscores the fact that AI is not here to replace human marketers but to enhance their capabilities and make their work more efficient and effective. However, the journey toward AI implementation in content marketing is not always smooth sailing.

• Data privacy concerns: AI tools often require access to large amounts of data, which can raise privacy concerns. To address this, ensure your AI tools comply with data privacy regulations and implement robust data security measures.

  
  

• Lack of understanding about AI: Many marketers lack a deep understanding of AI, hindering its implementation. To overcome this, invest in training and education to help your team understand how AI works and how it can benefit your content marketing efforts.

• Integration challenges: Integrating AI tools with existing systems can be challenging. To overcome this, choose AI tools that support integration with your current systems. Also, consider hiring an IT consultant to assist with the integration process.

• High Costs: AI tools can be expensive. To address this, consider the ROI of the AI tool. It may be worth the investment if the tool can improve efficiency, enhance personalization, and provide valuable insights.

• Resistance to Change: Implementing AI in content marketing often requires significant changes in processes and workflows, which can lead to resistance from the team. To manage this, communicate the benefits of AI, involve the team in the implementation process, and provide support and resources to help them adapt to the new processes.

By addressing the challenges and preparing your business effectively, you can harness the power of AI to transform your content marketing efforts, as Accenture did.

How Accenture Optimised Marketing

Let's take a step away from the theory and dive into some real-world examples that showcase the transformative potential of AI in content marketing.

A leading American retailer, generating $14-15 billion in marketing-driven sales annually, grappled with the complex task of allocating marketing dollars across numerous channels. The data informing these decisions often became outdated quickly, and the constant emergence of new channels added to the complexity.

Faced with these challenges and the high stakes involved, the retailer sought to enhance the speed and agility of their decision-making process. The goal was clear: to gain more specific, actionable insights, faster.

The Solution: Harnessing the Power of AI

In response to this challenge, Accenture was brought on board to design an AI-powered solution. This solution aimed to enable faster and more accurate data collection and modelling, thereby optimising media spending.

The first step was to accelerate the existing data flow process. By customizing AIP+, Accenture’s suite of pre-integrated AI services and capabilities, the team was able to automate the data aggregation process, reducing the time taken by an impressive 80%.

The Transformation: A New Approach to Data Modeling

With the data flow process streamlined, the team revamped the underlying model generating the measurements. They introduced machine learning, enabling proactive identification of interdependencies between channels that could drive sales.

The team also transitioned to a monthly cadence for refreshing the models, allowing for continuous iteration and improvement. This new approach, coupled with deep-dive training sessions for employees, builds transparency and trust in the solution.

The number of marketing channels included in the modelling increased by nearly 40%, enabling a more granular analysis of data.

The Results: Significant Results, Wins, and Conclusion

The impact of the AI solution was substantial. The lag time between the measurement period and performance insights was reduced from five months to just five weeks, providing a much longer planning runway for the following year.

The shift from an annual to a monthly measurement also allowed for more nuanced insights, revealing how the performance of individual channels could vary throughout the year. Most notably, the team unlocked $300 million in media buying opportunities and value creation.

This case study serves as a testament to the transformative potential of AI in optimizing marketing spend, demonstrating how strategic decisions powered by AI can significantly impact a company's bottom line —  from increased engagement and conversions to cost savings and improved efficiency.

Adopt AI because your competitors are

It’s clear that AI isn't just a fad in content marketing —  from automating repetitive tasks and personalizing content to analyzing data at scale to cost savings, it’s the tool you need for your content marketing strategy.

That said, let's not forget, AI is just there to write our story, it’s not the hero. As Brendan, Founder, and Editor-in-Chief at brendanaw.com points out, "Use it but don't abuse it. Understand the technology, its capabilities, and its limitations. Embrace it because, rest assured, your competitors are."

If you want to have more insightful content marketing discussions, feel free to connect with Uddalak Das on LinkedIn. Follow me there, and together we’ll keep AI from taking over the world... or at least, the content marketing world.