AI: The Game-Changer Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore
Artificial intelligence has become one of the most transformative forces in B2B Marketing. And most marketers have moved from asking, “Should we use AI?” to “How do we integrate AI into every facet of our strategy?” With advantages including improved customer satisfaction and greater operational efficiencies, companies with a marketing team actively adopting AI are seeing significant gains.
Why AI Adoption Matters
Companies that embrace AI technology are outperforming their competitors in several areas by up to 30% according to McKinsey’s 2023 Global Survey on AI.
Just a few of the benefits of AI for B2B marketers:
Analyze Data and Provide Actionable Insights: AI can process data fast, identify buying patterns and improve lead scoring.
Automate Personalization: Predict preferences and fine tune offers.
Optimize Campaigns in Real Time: AI can help maximize ROI by helping with ad placement, messaging and targeting.
Content Creation: AI can help draft emails, social posts and blog posts.
But just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it’s easy. Marketers face challenges with any new technology and with increased expectations. Here are just a few of those:
Integration with Existing Systems: Many organizations struggle to integrate AI tools with their current marketing stack.
Setting Realistic Expectations: AI requires training, practice and ongoing refining to implement well.
Team Adaption: Employees have to be willing to learn, and that starts with culture.
Maintaining Brand Consistency: Trusting brand integrity to AI alone can be asking for trouble, especially as businesses increase personalization.
Easy Ways to Begin
You may be using AI tools without even realizing it. Platforms like Google’s Gemini AI, HubSpot, Mailchimp and Grammarly have built-in AI capabilities that can enhance efficiency without requiring a major tech overhaul. Explore and experiment using AI within familiar tools. It’s a low-risk way to see the benefits in action.
AI can also streamline day-to-day tasks. Are you using AI automation in email marketing to optimize send times? Have you explored predictive analytics within your CRM to better anticipate customer needs? These small steps can have a big impact.
Next steps would include exploring standalone AI solutions for deeper content generation, advanced personalization and improving customer experience.
AI Automation for Personalization: Risk and Reward
Personalization is an enticing application. As we recently discussed on a team call, the concept isn’t new. Marketers have used demographic and psychographic data to predict customer preferences for decades. But today’s AI tools offer personalization that’s more intuitive, seamless and immediate.
But of course there’s a catch. If not done well, personalization can backfire. If you ask for a customer’s preferences but fail to honor them, or if your automation feels forced or inauthentic, you risk eroding trust.
According to a study by Accenture, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide personalized offers and relevant recommendations. But if the content or offering fails to follow those preferences, 74% report feeling frustrated.
Falling short of expectations at any point along the buyer’s journey impacts satisfaction and can damage brand perception.
How to Use AI Strategically
Start small, but start now. Experiment in areas like content creation, lead scoring, or email automation. Review and then use what you’ve learned to expand to new applications.
Empower and educate. And be prepared for some errors. You, your team, and people in other roles should know how you’re using it and what you’re doing to get up to speed.
Define success. Track which KPIs can be used to measure AI initiatives. (MQLs, faster response time, higher ROI, etc.)
What’s in it for customers? AI is a tool, not a strategy. Every implementation should teach you something and lead to improved experiences for customers.
Review and refine continuously. AI is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Regularly revisit and share plans, results, and adjustments.
Looking Ahead
AI isn’t a trend, it’s a fundamental shift in how marketing operates. We repeat, this is not a drill. Embracing AI now, leveraging the tool for efficiencies across the marketing spectrum, will help you manage resources and continue to deliver on your brand’s promise.
