Developing marketing strategies via machine learning

By Marty Muse

We have seen significant advancements in artificial intelligence from 20 years ago when IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

In 2017, Google’s AlphaZero taught itself to play chess within four hours through the use of artificial intelligence.

However, the business of artificial intelligence used in marketing is still a new concept.

Companies that use artificial intelligence, machine learning and Big Data are already seeing the pace at which these technologies can accelerate marketing to the future.

Machine learning at work

According to TechEmergence, “Machine learning is the science of getting computers to learn and act like humans do, and improve their learning over time in autonomous fashion, by feeding them data and information in the form of observations and real-world interactions.”

We may not realize it, but many of our day-to-day activities involve automation.

For example, the newly updated version of Google Mail provides suggestions on how to respond to an email: “Yes, we are still interested.” “No longer interested.” Or, you have probably seen it while sending a text message. Multiple responses appear based on one to two letters you typed.

The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and Big Data helps marketers elevate their content by gathering information about the attitudes, preferences and behavior of its audience.

Rather than guessing about strategy, machine learning and artificial intelligence can help give you the tools to address the who, what, when, where and why to every aspect of your campaign.

By using tools that combine the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence into one, marketers can go deeper into pulling customer insights to create personalized experiences.

Let us take a deeper dive into machine-learning algorithms. Through these algorithms, marketers can pull insights based on your prospects’ online interactions, anticipate your audience next steps, suggest the type of messaging that will resonate more and intuitively make other recommendations on how to connect with your targets.

Benefits of intelligence tools in marketing

Finding tools that integrate machine learning and artificial intelligence help marketers increase their effectiveness across all aspects of marketing strategies, from creating marketing personas to assessing the ROI on campaigns.

Below are several highlights on how implementing artificial intelligence, machine learning and Big Data can support your marketing goals.

• Develop meaningful, personalized experiences: With more content available to consumers, they are no longer interested in generic, one-size-fits-all content.

Instead, consumers are more likely to engage when content is relevant to them at any given time.

Integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence helps marketers create more personalized campaigns that make the most of the email, social media and other communications you develop for your audiences.

Additionally, machine learning gives marketers the ability to predict outcomes. This gives marketers a significant opportunity to elevate their brand by being able to anticipate a users’ needs.

No longer do marketers need to guess at if a strategy will work or not. They will be able to know through more profound insights and analytics.

• Boost promotion and delivery: You have seen the numbers: 80 million WordPress posts each month, 500 million tweets per day and 50,000 Instagram posts every minute. Content is being produced every second of the day.

Based on these numbers, getting your content noticed might be one of the most difficult challenges you face on a day-to-day basis.

Tools such as content intelligence platforms that combine artificial intelligence and machine learning are fueled by real-time data on your prospects’ behavior that can then give you actionable insights on how to deliver the right messages to each customer at the right time.

Not only can you provide customers with the right content at the right time in their customer journey, but you will also be able to understand how often to send content and whether or not to invest in paid advertising.

Based on previous activity on various devices, you can know how frequently to send content. This insight shows customers that you are a resource, rather than a hassle of piled-up emails.

• Customer loyalty: Creating customized experiences will show customers that you care and give you a better chance of retaining the customers you already have.
• Decrease customer attrition: Often marketers will not know when a customer is discontinuing their service or relationship with a brand.

However, machine learning and artificial intelligence can provide you with the insights you need to identify behavior patterns that lead to your customers canceling. These insights can then help you develop a strategy that minimizes these risks.

MARKETING TOOLS that combine the use of machine learning, Big Data and artificial intelligence can truly revolutionize the way marketers connect with their audiences.

To not get left behind, marketers need to develop customized strategies that meet the needs of their customers as an individual rather than a group.

Marty Muse is CEO of Vennli, South Bend, IN. Reach him at martymuse.blast@gmail.com.