by Lori Berson | Apr 16, 2024 | AI, artificial intelligence, Data, Marketing Strategy
Marketing’s measure of success is often boiled down to a single metric: Return on Investment (ROI). However, recent research commissioned by Iterable and conducted by Wakefield Research, and published by Ad Age, suggests a shift in how marketers perceive ROI from investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Efficiency and Customer Relations: The New ROI Drivers
Unlike traditional views that align ROI directly with financial gain, today’s marketers are increasingly valuing efficiency and improved customer relations as primary indicators of ROI in AI initiatives. The study reveals that 51% of marketers define ROI through the lens of efficiency gains, underscoring AI’s role in streamlining operations and enhancing productivity. Furthermore, 50% of marketers connect ROI with the improvement of customer relationships, highlighting the potential of AI to personalize customer interactions and allow for deeper connections.
Data Analysis and Forecasting: Enhancing Decision Making
While financial gains are still significant, with 46% of marketers linking ROI to improved financial outcomes, there’s a noticeable shift towards valuing the strategic advantages of AI beyond direct monetary returns. Additionally, 42% of marketers see the value of AI in providing accurate forecasting, which can be pivotal in strategic decision-making.
Marketers’ Adoption and Attitudes Towards AI
With 91% of surveyed marketers already using AI technologies, the perception of AI as a transformative force rather than just a tool is gaining traction, yet only 37% see it as an essential skill they must master, despite widespread concern about keeping up with technological advancements.
The Future of AI in Marketing: Opportunities and Challenges
This shift in perspective is not just theoretical. Marketers report that AI contributes to better job performance and operational efficiency. Most believe AI opens doors to new positions rather than replacing jobs, with 69% viewing AI as a creator of opportunities.
The shift in ROI measurement underscores a broader transition in marketing—from a purely financial focus to a multi-dimensional strategy that includes efficiency, customer relationships, and data-driven decision-making. As AI technologies continue to advance, their role in reshaping marketing strategies and defining new success metrics will undoubtedly expand, offering both challenges and opportunities for marketers aiming to stay ahead in their fields.
About the Data: The results are based on a September 2023 survey of 1,200 marketers.
For help infusing AI into your workflows, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. AI use cases and client list.
by Lori Berson | Apr 3, 2024 | Email Marketing, Marketing
Email marketing remains a vital tool for businesses aiming to connect with their audience. However, the effectiveness of this tool is significantly influenced by how businesses choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization tactics. A recent Litmus report in partnership with Oracle provides an overview of the current landscape and the opportunities available with email marketing, revealing some insightful trends.
AI in Email Marketing: Underused Yet Potentially Transformative
AI-generated content and copy in email marketing, despite being a common use case, surprisingly ranks low in contributing to campaign performance improvements. This apparent underutilization is not a reflection of AI’s potential but rather indicates a nascent stage of adoption. With only one-third of marketers reporting a boost in email performance due to AI-generated content, it’s clear that those who have used generative AI are reaping significant benefits. This scenario presents a compelling opportunity for businesses to explore AI’s capabilities further and integrate them into their email marketing strategies.
The Unrivaled Impact of Personalization and Segmentation
The report highlights two critical tactics that overwhelmingly improve email marketing performance: subject line personalization and the use of emojis. An impressive 77% of email marketers have found that personalizing subject lines enhances campaign effectiveness, while 73% credit emojis with boosting performance. This data underscores the importance of crafting engaging and tailored content that resonates with the recipient, making the email more than just another message in their inbox but a personalized communication that captures their attention.
Beyond subject lines, personalization extends into the content of the emails themselves. Dynamic content, tailored to the recipient’s preferences and behaviors, has significantly increased click-through rates. This level of customization demonstrates a deep understanding of the target audience, making for a stronger connection between the brand and its customers.
Furthermore, an overwhelming 90% of surveyed email marketers acknowledged that segmentation plays a pivotal role in enhancing campaign performance. By dividing their audience into distinct groups based on specific criteria, marketers can deliver more relevant and impactful messages, thereby increasing engagement and conversion rates.
A Call to Action
The insights from the Litmus and Oracle report serve as a compelling call to action for email marketers. In an age where consumers are bombarded with digital communications, the ability to stand out through personalized, engaging, and AI-enhanced content is more crucial than ever. As email marketing continues to evolve, businesses must stay updated on these trends and leverage them to create meaningful connections with their audience. By prioritizing personalization, segmentation, and the strategic use of AI, marketers can transform their email campaigns into powerful tools for building lasting relationships and driving business success.
About the Data: The results are based on an October and November 2023 survey of more than 480 email marketers worldwide.
For help with your email marketing, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Feb 13, 2024 | AI, artificial intelligence, Marketing, Marketing Strategy
In the rapidly evolving world of marketing, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool, offering unprecedented capabilities to businesses aiming to enhance their content creation and overall marketing strategies. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that AI, despite its advanced capabilities, is not a cure-all or magic bullet. It’s a tool that needs a well-thought-out marketing strategy to create transformative content.
AI offers the potential to generate content at scale, analyze data, automate tasks, and personalize marketing efforts in ways previously unimaginable, but AI-generated content requires human direction, input, expertise, and editing. In and of itself, AI content is not always correct, often over-written and not written in context. To be successful with AI, you need someone driving the process.
At BersonDeanStevens (BDS), we understand the delicate balance between leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies and maintaining the human touch that is fundamental to creating marketing content that resonates with your audience. With over 25 years of experience in developing results-driven content, campaigns, and programs, BDS brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to incorporate AI to boost results.
Whether you are looking for an ally to handle strategic content creation, help train your team on the proper use of AI, or need consulting from time to time, BDS is your go-to resource.
For help with AI and how to successfully integrate it into your business, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Jan 11, 2024 | AI, artificial intelligence, Marketing, Marketing Strategy
Staying ahead of the marketing curve is not just an advantage, but a necessity – especially with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Below are just a few examples (and tools) of how AI can elevate every aspect of a marketing campaign, from targeted planning to insightful post-campaign analysis.
The integration of AI in marketing goes beyond automation. It’s a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize and execute marketing strategies. AI offers unparalleled efficiency, personalization, and scalability in campaigns, setting a new benchmark in marketing excellence.
Tailoring Campaigns with Precision: The Pre-Campaign Stage
AI-Driven Audience Targeting
AI’s capability to analyze and interpret complex data sets enables marketers to identify and target the most receptive audiences. This allows for highly targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of your audience.
Content Creation
Imagine a creative assistant that helps generate ideas, themes, and content. AI aids in creating diverse and appealing marketing materials, ensuring your message is both engaging and relevant.
Campaign Planning
AI tools can assist in campaign planning by predicting market trends and customer behavior, allowing marketers to stay ahead of the curve.
Engaging Customers: The Active Campaign Stage
Enhancing Customer Interaction
AI can personalize customer interactions by analyzing past behavior and preferences. This results in more engaging and relevant communications.
Real-time Campaign Optimization
AI’s ability to process data in real-time allows marketers to make on-the-fly adjustments to campaigns, ensuring maximum impact and efficiency.
Predictive Analysis for Better Results
AI’s predictive capabilities enable marketers to anticipate customer needs and respond proactively, creating a more dynamic and responsive marketing strategy.
Measuring Success and Learning: Post-Campaign
Insightful Analytics and Reporting
AI’s ability to process and analyze post-campaign data is invaluable. It provides detailed insights into what worked and what didn’t, paving the way for informed decision-making in future campaigns.
Content Lifecycle Management
AI isn’t just about creating content; it’s also about managing it effectively. From identifying the best-performing content to suggesting repurposing strategies, AI ensures your content continues to deliver value over time.
AI Tools
- Demandbase and 6Sense – Leverage AI and intent data to help identify high-value accounts and audiences to target to help with account-based marketing planning.
- Drift – An AI chatbot that can have conversational interactions with website visitors to engage prospects. Chatbot data helps inform campaign messaging and offers.
- Madkudu – Uses AI and machine learning to analyze customer data and make personalized recommendations for marketing campaigns – helping with segmentation and targeting.
- Adobe Sensei – AI inside Adobe marketing products like Adobe Campaign can assist with campaign planning and optimization by predicting performance and identifying high-value customers.
- Salesforce Einstein – AI that’s built into Salesforce to optimize the sending of email campaigns, provide predictive lead scoring, and automated personalization.
- ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, and Microsoft Copilot are general AI platforms that help you brainstorm ideas, and create outlines, articles, blog posts, social media, e-books, emails, ad copy, and more!
- Persado – Uses AI to generate emotionally intelligent marketing copy and subject lines that drive engagement for email campaigns and other messages.
- Midjourney, DALL-E, Canva, Kittl, and Adobe Firefly can rapidly create unique images to tell your story.
- Sprout Social and HootSuite – Use AI for image and text analysis to help make content recommendations and schedule social media campaigns.
The key is finding AI marketing tools that align with your goals, data sources, technical capabilities, and budget.
AI – Your Strategic Partner for Growth
AI is more than just a technological upgrade for your marketing; it’s a transformative power. It enables a level of precision, personalization, and efficiency previously unattainable. Whether it’s through smarter targeting, creative content generation, real-time personalization, or insightful post-campaign analysis, AI is an indispensable asset for modern marketers.
To achieve your marketing objectives more effectively and efficiently, we recommend you use AI not only in your marketing strategy but throughout your campaigns – in addition to using it for sales, project management, presentations, etc.
Stay tuned for more insights and tips on leveraging AI for unparalleled marketing success.
For help with your marketing and how to incorporate AI, schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Sep 26, 2023 | AI, artificial intelligence, Marketing
According to the 2023 McKinsey Global Survey and the Quantum Black study, generative AI is poised to become a mainstream technology used across organizations in 2023. Generative AI refers to AI systems that can generate new content, such as text, code, images, or video, based on an initial text or multimedia prompt.
The McKinsey survey of nearly 3,000 executives worldwide found that 52% of respondents already adopt some form of generative AI, with an additional 38% planning to adopt it within the next year. The Quantum Black study provided further insights into which roles are leading the adoption.
Marketing and Communications
Marketing and communications teams were early pioneers in testing applications of generative AI. Over two-thirds of survey respondents from marketing functions reported using generative AI, with applications ranging from written content creation to visual asset design. Key benefits include increased efficiency and productivity, as well as the ability to rapidly customize content.
Technical and Engineering Roles
Developers, engineers, and IT professionals also reported significant usage of generative AI, at 64% of survey respondents. Key applications include using natural language prompts to generate code, automating software documentation, and assisting with debugging. Generative AI delivers major time savings and frees up developers to focus on higher-value strategic tasks.
Customer Service and Sales
Generative AI is assisting 57% of customer service professionals as an AI-powered chatbot handling routine inquiries. It’s also supporting sales teams in 50% of organizations surveyed, by generating content and insights to assist with proposals and presentations. Key advantages include scalability, consistency, and rapid response times.
Finance and Accounting
In finance, generative AI helps analysts and accountants produce reports, projections, and financial models using simple prompts in natural language. In the survey, 47% of finance professionals reported using generative AI to improve efficiency and accuracy.
Legal
The legal profession is starting to adopt generative AI as well, with 45% of respondents reporting usage. Key applications are document and contract review and generation, legal research, and summarizing case files. Top benefits include speed, cost, and risk mitigation.
Human Resources
HR teams are using generative AI for 39% of survey respondents, especially for talent acquisition. Applications range from generating job descriptions to conducting initial resume screens. Generative AI delivers significant time and cost savings in high-volume HR tasks.
The McKinsey survey makes it clear that generative AI adoption is accelerating across the enterprise. As organizations incorporate this potentially transformative technology, they’ll need to manage risks around data privacy, security, bias, and misinformation (aka hallucinations). But when used responsibly, generative AI can automate repetitive tasks, drive efficiencies, and allow all of us to focus on more strategic and creative work.
About the Data: The results are based on an April survey of 1,684 respondents “representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialties, and tenures. Of those respondents, 913 said their organizations had adopted AI in at least one function.” Check out the full survey.
Need assistance using AI to enhance and expedite your marketing initiatives? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
by Lori Berson | Aug 30, 2023 | AI, artificial intelligence, Marketing
AI has limitations, but it can be a productivity booster when used strategically.
7 Ways AI Can Make Work Life Easier
- Automate repetitive tasks – AI can take over mundane, repetitive tasks like data entry freeing up employees’ time for more meaningful work.
- Improve workflows – AI tools can analyze workflows and processes to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization for increased efficiency.
- Personalize customer experiences – Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI can provide customized service to customers 24/7 to improve customer satisfaction.
- Generate insights from data – AI excels at finding patterns in large datasets. These insights can inform better decision-making and strategy.
- Create content – AI copywriting tools can generate blog posts, social media content, emails, etc. helping your team scale content creation.
- Enhance human capabilities – Rather than replacing humans, AI augments human skills and abilities. For example, AI can help salespeople identify the best prospects.
- Increase accessibility – AI powers assistive technologies that make work more accessible for employees with disabilities.
When thoughtfully implemented, AI technologies can take over repetitive, low-value tasks while empowering employees to focus on more meaningful, human-centric work creating efficiencies while still keeping the human touch.
ChatGPT Advantages and Prompts to Use
- Comparing concepts:
– Please compare and contrast the concepts of [concept 1] and [concept 2].
– What are the key similarities and differences between [concept 1] and [concept 2]?
– Can you explain how [concept 1] and [concept 2] are alike and how they differ in a paragraph?
– Help me understand the relationship between [concept 1] and [concept 2] by outlining their main commonalities and distinctions.
– What distinguishes [concept 1] from [concept 2]? Provide a brief comparison of their defining features.
– Identify 3-5 ways that [concept 1] and [concept 2] are similar and 3-5 ways they are different.
– Create a table comparing [concept 1] and [concept 2] across categories like [category 1], [category 2], [category 3].
– How does [concept 1] contrast with [concept 2] in terms of [specific attribute]?
- Researching topics:
– Please provide a high-level overview of current research on [topic] in a few paragraphs.
– Can you summarize the key findings and implications from recent studies on [topic]?
– What are the main themes and conclusions in academic literature about [topic] over the past 5 years?
– Give me a short summary of the state of research on [topic] focusing on the most influential studies and ideas.
– Provide a concise overview of important research on [topic], covering things like main hypotheses, methodologies, results, and limitations of the existing literature.
– In 2-3 paragraphs, synthesize the key insights and open questions from scholarship on [topic].
– What are the critical debates or unresolved questions around [topic] based on a review of current academic research on this subject?
– What are the 3-5 most important papers on [topic] and what are their main ideas and contributions to the field’s understanding of this subject?
- Generating ideas:
– Can you provide 5-10 creative and innovative ideas for my project about [topic]?
– What are some outside-the-box ideas I could explore for my [project type] on [topic]?
– Help spur my creativity by suggesting unconventional approaches I could take for [project name].
– Give me a list of thought-provoking and imaginative ideas that would make my [project name] unique and memorable.
– Please brainstorm original ideas for my [project name] that go beyond the obvious – feel free to think wildly!
– Suggest [number] fun, audacious concepts I could incorporate to make my [project name] truly groundbreaking.
– What are some experimental directions I could take my [project name] in to make it innovative and ahead of its time?
– Help get my creative juices flowing by recommending [number] novel ways to approach my [project name].
– Can you play devil’s advocate and suggest some radical ideas to make my [project name] stand out from the crowd?
- Drafting emails:
– Please draft a friendly email to [name] asking for advice about [topic].
– Can you write a casual email to [name] introducing myself and discussing [topic]?
– I’d like to email [name] on [topic]. Can you compose a warm, conversational email that briefly explains the situation and poses my question?
– Could you put together a short, upbeat email to [name] about [topic] and let them know I’d appreciate any guidance they can offer?
– Please compose a polite email to [name] on [topic]. Use a positive, collegial tone.
– I want to email [name] to learn more about [topic]. Can you draft a friendly email that briefly sums up my interest and asks them to share their knowledge on the subject?
– Can you write a cheerful and relaxed email to [name] touching on [topic]?
- Editing documents:
– Take out all Oxford commas in this document while maintaining the meaning.
– Can you revise this text by removing the Oxford commas throughout while keeping the text clear and readable?
– Please replace all instances of [word 1] in the following document with [word 2].
– Find and replace [word 1] with [word 2] throughout this text without changing the overall meaning.
– Edit the below passage by changing [word 1] to [word 2] wherever it appears. The overall style and voice should remain the same.
- Explaining complex topics:
– Please explain the concept of [complex topic] in simple language that a high school student could understand.
– Can you provide a basic overview of [complex topic] using simple words and examples rather than technical jargon?
– I’m having trouble understanding [complex topic]. Can you walk me through the key ideas in plain English for a beginner?
– Using simple analogies and layman’s terms, summarize what [complex topic] is all about.
– Pretend you are explaining [complex topic] to a 12-year-old. Use simple phrases and avoid advanced vocabulary.
– Break down the main elements of [complex topic] into bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest for someone without subject matter expertise.
– Help me understand the fundamentals of [complex topic] by using straightforward language a child could comprehend.
- Taking meeting notes:
– Can you summarize the key points from my meeting with [name]?
– I recently had a meeting with [name] about [topic]. Can you briefly outline the key takeaways and next steps we agreed on?
– I met with [name] to talk about [topic]. In 3-4 bullet points, can you highlight the most important conclusions we came to and actions we decided on?
– Please review my notes from my meeting with [name] and provide a concise summary of the essential decisions made, open questions remaining, and next steps.
– I had a meeting with [name] and need help recapping our main agenda items, conclusions reached, and who is responsible for any follow-up tasks. Can you summarize this briefly for me?
– Here are some high level points from my discussion with [name] earlier. Can you distill this down into a short paragraph covering the main takeaways and what we are each going to work on going forward?
- Automating tasks:
– How can I automate [task] step-by-step?
– Please provide detailed instructions for setting up automation for [task].
– What is the process for automating [task], breaking down each step clearly from start to finish?
– I want to automate [task] in my workflow. Can you outline the specific steps I would need to take to set this up?
– Could you provide a simple tutorial explaining how to configure automation for [task], including any software or tools needed?
– To streamline [task], can you provide sequential, straightforward instructions on automating it that explain what needs to be done at a basic level?
– Please walk me through how to automate [task] as if you were explaining to someone without any technical knowledge or experience.
- Proofreading writing:
– Please proofread the following document for any spelling, grammar, or syntax errors.
– Can you review this report for typos, grammatical mistakes, and overall clarity? Let me know if you have any suggested improvements.
– I need this [document/email/report/etc] checked for spelling and grammar errors. Can you read through it carefully and correct any issues you find?
– Please thoroughly proofread the below text and fix any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors you come across to make it read clearly.
– Could you edit the following passage to ensure the spelling, grammar, and sentence structure is correct? Flag any problematic areas.
– I want this to be error-free. Can you proofread this [document/transcript/article] and make sure the spelling, grammar, and punctuation are right?
– Please polish up this [document] by correcting any typographical, spelling, grammar, or syntax errors to get it presentation-ready. Focus on precision.
- Summarizing documents:
– Please summarize the key takeaways from this long article in 2-3 sentences.
– Can you summarize this [document] in 3 short bullet points?
– Please provide a concise 150-word summary of the key points in this [document/article].
– I don’t have time to read this entire 10-page article. Can you provide a short summary highlighting the most important information and takeaways?
– What are the critical themes and implications in this dense, lengthy article? Please concisely summarize them for me.
– Please extract and summarize the core findings and arguments made in this very long journal article in no more than 150 words.
– I need help identifying the most significant points in this very detailed, extensive report. Can you summarize the main takeaways in a few bullet points?
– Could you read through this full research paper and highlight the fundamental concepts, conclusions, and insights in a short synopsis?
– Please distill this lengthy analysis into a concise summary covering the overall purpose, methods, key results, and implications in 2-3 paragraphs.
- Analyzing reviews:
– Please review these customer comments and identify the overall sentiment as positive, negative or neutral.
– Based on these user reviews of our [product/service], would you say the feedback is generally positive, negative, or mixed? Please explain your analysis.
– Can you read through these survey responses and summarize whether customers are satisfied or dissatisfied with their experience? Include relevant examples.
– What is the overall sentiment from customers in these social media posts about our brand? Are they praising, complaining or providing suggestions? Please categorize.
– I want to understand how customers feel about this new feature based on their feedback. Can you analyze these quotes and tell me if reactions are positive or negative overall?
– Please go through these app reviews and tell me if the common themes suggest users are happy or unhappy with our recent updates. Justify your conclusions with evidence.
– “Could you review our latest customer service transcripts and identify any common pain points or frustrations? I want to improve the areas generating the most negative sentiment.
For complex marketing tasks like strategic planning, creative campaigns, analytics, and SEO, AI has limits. Since everyone is using the same tools and getting similar suggestions, the results won’t help you stand out from your competition. For customized strategies that help you beat your competitors, it’s best to partner with an expert marketing agency. Their tailored approach focuses on your specific business goals.
AI is best used for routine drafting and editing tasks. But humans provide the high-value strategies, creative, and marketing insights that can boost your business.
Need assistance using AI to enhance your marketing initiatives? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.
BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.
