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6 Digital Marketing Mistakes To Avoid In 2020

It can often be tough to determine what direction the digital marketing world is going, considering how it is evolving in a time where technology is continually changing and evolving. However, many analysts and experts that can agree that there are methods that simply arent effective or might not be the smart strategy currently.

There is nothing wrong with digital marketing that eschews a traditional approach. Many companies have succeeded because of innovative digital marketing campaigns that have changed the way that we think about advertising in general. However, here are some digital marketing mistakes that you should work to avoid at all costs.

Not Testing Enough

One of the greatest aspects of technology is that it allows companies to understand what kind of content strategy works, whether it involves copywriting, promotions, or design/layout. Your business should continuously be understanding which e-mail promotion works the best through A/B testing.

A/B testing can help you do more than figuring out what marketing method works - they can provide insight with respect to demographics and price points, as well. Companies should also be testing as your marketing strategy evolves, to figure out what works and what doesnt. Of course, you should also listen to consumer/customer feedback in general, in addition to A/B testing.

Never Rewarding The Loyal Consumer/Customer

There is no question that every business needs to continually profit in order to survive. However, are you continually taking from the consumer rather than offering meaningful to them? You should understand that loyal consumers often receive all sorts of offers - whether its a discount code or a free shipping offer in their inbox.

Every company should work to reward loyal consumers - and this certainly isnt a strategy that is limited to digital marketing. Starbucks, one of the worlds largest coffee chains, has been particularly successful in creating revenue through loyalty programs. You may find that rewarding a consumer - whether its because they made a large purchase or signed up for your newsletter - is usually a smart decision.

Downplaying Social Media

There are many different social media platforms out there, but the truth is that Facebook alone boasts over two billion monthly users. This is a significant portion of the Earths population, and it would be ridiculous for a company of any kind to disregard the impact of a powerful social media strategy. There are also over 200 billion tweets per year, for an idea of how useful Twitter can be when it comes to marketing/advertising.

There are many businesses that have been able to find a particular voice on a social media platform that has translated to real profits. You also might find that social media can help amplify your other marketing campaigns, as commercials often go viral and can lead to meme creation. Regardless, every business should understand that a social media presence can help with customer loyalty and overall revenue. Companies have succeeded on social media through a minimal investment for some social media promotion, as well.

Its also important to remember WHY you are on social media, to help with brand messaging. You shouldnt create a Twitter account just for the sake of it - you should have concrete goals associated with your social media strategy.

Tracking Why You Succeed

There might be moments where you understand exactly why a marketing campaign worked and why. However, the truth is that you should always be using analytics to figure out more about why some methods are working. If you arent tracking the success of your marketing methods, then how will you improve?

You may find that some of your marketing strategies take more time/money than you thought, but that were well-worth it in the long-term. An organization might also find that a minimal investment in a particular marketing tactic brought more revenue than expected, and executives may decide that more attention should be considered to this strategy. At the end of the day, you cant improve what you arent actively tracking.

Content With No Value

You might think that producing content is of the utmost importance, but that the kind of content doesnt really matter. There are plenty of businesses with websites that offer hundreds of blog articles, for example. There is nothing wrong with blog articles, but often times, organizations stuff keywords in these articles hoping to rank higher on search engines.

The concept of search-engine optimization (SEO) is something that every organization should consider. However, if you are intent on continually producing content without caring about the quality of the content - you might find that you may eventually be giving up market share to a competitor that is offering real value, whether its in the form of actionable advice or a well-designed and informative landing page.

Lack Of Engagement

One of the reasons that businesses are successful with digital marketing is because they go out of their way to interact with the customer and make sure that they are satisfied. If you create social media platforms but arent too concerned with actually responding to anyone, it can appear like your company isnt really authentic in their social media presence.

You dont have to respond to every tweet, or post - but you should make it clear that you are there to not only promote your business but also to address any questions or concerns about your business. Some of the largest corporations in the world go out of their way to respond to their customers - and its because there is real value in engagement.

Conclusion

There are plenty of digital marketing strategies that have come in and out of style, and there will undoubtedly be more social media platforms that rise to prominence. Companies are now figuring out how to target the teenager demographic of Tiktok, for example.

However, there are clear situations where organizations should understand that they might be doing more harm than good. These digital marketing tactics should be avoided as much as possible, especially given the fact that we are entering a new decade.

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How AR Will Change Digital Marketing

Businesses all over the world are trying to figure out how to make the most of their digital marketing campaigns. The rise of influencer marketing is quite significant, and many celebrities that charge hundreds of thousands of dollars per Instagram post. However, many companies are already interested in figuring out how to use augmented reality (AR) for their future marketing and advertising campaigns. While augmented reality might not be as prevalent as some have predicted, there are still powerful corporations interested in utilizing it to their advantage.

Of course, this doesnt mean that consumers will start purchasing products and/or services simply because they enjoyed an augmented reality commercial or advertisement of some kind. Augmented reality offers some incredible use cases in the digital marketing space, regardless of whether its trendy or not. Here are some ways that augmented reality will revolutionize the digital marketing space shortly.

An Interactive Customer Experience

One of the most incredible aspects of augmented reality is that it lets customers try out the product without actually purchasing it. One of the most well-known examples of using AR as a marketing tool is the fact that Ikea allows customers to actually see what products would look like in their home. Ikea - for those who dont know - is a European multinational group that sells billions of dollars worth of furniture annually.

In fact, Ikea rolled out an app in 2017 that allows users to see what different furniture would look like in their home, thanks to augmented reality. The app was built thanks to Apples ARKit, a toolkit designed specifically to help develop apps with AR technology in mind. Its easy to see how this was incredible for potential customers - as they could find out whether certain products matched the aesthetic of their home, or fit in a specific space or corner. In fact, the company claims that the app is 98% accurate, with respect to scale, lighting, texture, fabric, and many other metrics.

Fashion companies have been interested in AR technology for some time now. After all, if customers could actually try on clothes without trying them on; it could save larger fashion companies a significant amount of time and money. It shouldnt come as much of a surprise that two of the most well-respected fashion brands in the world, Dior and Gucci, are looking to AR to increase the consumers sense of connection and ownership with respect to clothes. Gucci also utilized AR extensively in their 2018 Hallucinations campaign, as well.

Improving Sales Material/Presentations

Augmented reality has a tremendous amount of potential, but the truth is that it isnt as well-known as other emerging technological trends. Specifically, 70-75% of individuals aged 16-44 are actually aware of AR as a concept. There is still work to do when it comes to awareness, but this also means that there are some concrete growth opportunities when it comes to impressing consumers and creating a buzz around brands, companies, and organizations. Regardless of who is aware or not - there is a good chance that youve already seen an AR ad before. There are already billions being spent on AR ads for two of the most popular social media companies in the world, Facebook and Snapchat.

We are all aware of how many pitches start with a Powerpoint presentation, and this has been the case for some time now. While there is nothing wrong with a Powerpoint presentation - what if you could actually see the product in front of you, in 360 degrees, thanks to AR technology? Its easy to see how this might be a more effective way to sell to businesses, and could potentially revamp the way that B2B marketers operate and engage with their prospective clients.

Offering More Information To The Consumer

Technology has allowed more information to be available around the world, and more information is demanded by the consumer in modern times. There are customers that want to know what exactly is in the products that they purchase, whether we are talking about a cardigan at a retail store or a salad in the local supermarket. Augmented reality can offer an information overlay that can allow consumers to learn more information about what they are purchasing, and in a more innovative manner.

In fact, AR is already being implemented in a space that you might not expect - museums. In fact, the Museum of Modern Art in New York already utilized the technology in 2018 for a Jackson Pollock gallery exhibit. In fact, AR technology was used to remix some of Pollocks most famous works, for a completely new experience for the museum-goer that would not have previously been possible. This was all accomplished through an app called MomAR Gallery, and museums around the world have reportedly been interested in the technology since.

Conclusion

Ultimately, technology is not just about a new experience that makes a consumer feel better, even if that might be part of its intention. Technological trends often serve to offer the consumer more personalization than ever, which makes a lot of sense in an age where we filter our own pictures before we post them on Instagram, and customize our smartphones to look and sound a way that brings a bit more pleasure to our lives.

Augmented reality will be a huge force in digital marketing, even if it might not have the kind of buzzword recognition of IoT or blockchain. While there are some that might be drawn to AR because it feels as though its futuristic; the truth is that AR can be used for training and educational purposes, as well. An AR startup by the name of Red 6 is already figuring out ways that AR can be used to make the military more effective, for example. Augmented reality might not be limited to the world of digital marketing - but it certainly feels like it will revolutionize it. It will be interesting to see how corporations and small businesses utilize it from there.

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Data Privacy Is Confusing, And It Will Stay That Way For A While

In the modern world, it’s easy to understand that data is absolutely essential to many corporations and organizations. There is an ever-growing need to understand the needs and desires of your customer base, so that you may tailor your products/services/platform as much as possible to meet these particular needs. However, we also are coming to a point where human beings are beginning to realize that the way that their data is being used can be quite harmful. One of the most obvious examples is the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from Facebook’s user base was used to influence a United States political election.

It’s easy to understand the idea that “we are the customer†these days. There are literally billions of individuals that are active on social media platforms, whether they are using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We know that we sign up for these services for free, and in return, companies might use or even sell our information to the highest bidder. It’s also understood that there are many different countries that have different laws when it comes to the Internet, and censorship, as well.

This makes for an interesting tug-of-war between tech companies and governments who want access to more information than ever. It isn’t a new problem by any means. India notably banned Blackberry in 2010, only to reach an agreement with the company regarding the interception of messages in 2013. The tech companies might not be excited to give information to these governments, but they also seem to understand that entering new markets has its price. The truth is that sometimes that price is your own internet privacy.

We now have to discuss what exactly is private, and what isn’t. There are all sorts of different reasons for human beings to use social media. We might take to Twitter to voice political opinions that aren’t necessarily popular, and hide our identity in hopes that it doesn’t have any actual personal repercussions. Employers, in some cases, can actually fire employees for what they say on Facebook. After all, companies have their own policies that have to be followed. Many of us understand that we have the right to speak, but that others have the right to challenge or dissect that opinion, as well.

One of the biggest issues regarding data privacy and cybersecurity is the fact that it affects almost everyone. For example, 3 billion Yahoo accounts were reportedly compromised in 2013, and the company was able to suppress just how extensive the hack was. There are other constant examples of data breaches surrounding some of the most powerful and influential corporations in the world. The Equifax hack compromised sensitive information for over 100 million people, and a government report suggests that it was an attack that lasted for over two months. Criminals and corporations are involved in a never-ending race regarding technology, privacy, and what truly is “our dataâ€.

More Implications And Consequences Than Ever

The battle, however, is getting more pronounced than ever. Technology is changing, which allows for information to be stored on the cloud, or blockchain, which might make it more secure, but also has its own drawbacks. One clear situation where human beings are forced to understand the concept of privacy involves smart home devices. We now can speak to devices to access certain information, content, or data, whether it involves asking our Amazon Echo to play a playlist or a Google Home smart device to turn our lights off.

When we speak to these devices, are our conversations private, and do they fall under that category? After all, we are in our own actual homes (many times) during these conversations. While law enforcement normally requires a warrant to enter a home, what if these smart home devices are recording conversations during a specific crime? Last year, a judge ordered Amazon to turn over recordings regarding a double murder case. This ushers in a new era where we now have to consider whether we have privacy from our own devices, which might be surreptitiously recording our conversations.

Where’s The Line?

It also might be easier to consider privacy in an extreme situation when someone is murdered. How about when the incident is a bit more innocuous? If you consider that an Amazon Alexa recorded a private conversation between a married couple and sent the conversation to an individual on their contact list; it is easy to see how data privacy is clearly in jeopardy in a new and frightening way. What was said during that conversation? If smart devices record conversations between two business partners, and send it to a business associate, is it responsible for whatever the consequences are?

What if recorded conversations lead to divorces, or the termination of business agreements? Amazon might be a powerful and influential corporation, but surely they don’t have the right to interfere with our personal and professional affairs like that. In this case, the individual who overheard the conversation contacted the couple and warned them to unplug their Amazon devices. What about situations where they actually WANT to overhear the conversation? If you consider that 10% of Americans already own a smart home device of some kind; it is easy to see how this is an issue that already affects millions of people.

We seem to understand that there are repercussions for illegal actions. For example, if someone was to post the physical address of another Internet user, this would be called doxxing, which is illegal in the United States. The concept of “doxxing†refers to publishing otherwise private information of an individual. However, there are many different states that are still arguing about whether doxing is truly a crime. For example, Kentucky recently passed a bill declaring that doxing is illegal specifically for minors. The bill was passed after a particular incident regarding a student went viral. Todd McMurtry, an attorney for the student, pointed out how social media platforms often speed towards the exposal of a certain identity without thinking about the consequences. He stated: "There are no brakes on Twitter," said Todd McMurtry, an attorney for 16-year-old Nick Sandmann, whose interaction with Native American protester Nathan Phillips went viral in January. "Twitter itself barely has the capacity to monitor its own activity. To put some weight back on the citizens so that they can help fight back when they are doxed would be great to make up for the fact that Twitter barely does anything."

One of the main issues regarding data privacy is how much tech companies control information versus whether the government should step in to protect the right to privacy. However, it’s hard to deny the influence of Silicon Valley over the United States government. While it is true that Facebook was grilled by Congress over the Cambridge Analytica incident, does that mean that any meaningful action was taken or parameters established? There are many that suggest that the CEOs of these companies don’t actually care much about data privacy, and understand that it is leverage for massive profit.

We might think of doxxing someone as a harmless act, but the truth is that it has very real consequences for many people. There are even situations where gamers “swat†each other, which has led to actual deaths. In one such incident, a California man found out the address of a certain individual thanks to a video game dispute, and made a fake 911 phone call claiming that someone at that address had “hostages and a gunâ€. This resulted in the death of an innocent man, and the California man was sentenced to 20 years in prison. While there are some that might defend prankster behavior, the truth is that a “prank†resulted in an actual murder. As a result, the data privacy must be examined within the context of the fact that an innocent man lost his life because his information was exposed.

There are also others that understand that data privacy often means privacy of our most intimate moments. If an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend threatens to post a sex tape on a social media platform; this is a very real threat that might affect our personal and professional relationships tremendously. How do revenge porn laws fit into our data privacy regulations? The UK might have taken steps to pass data privacy regulations last year, but what about the rest of the world? How do we determine whether it’s time for people to be sent to prison for violating data privacy, while still recognizing that authoritarian governments can use this logic to censor and filter out dissent?

Data privacy will only be discussed more and more as we move towards the future. We now have to worry about deepfake technology, which means that we have to not only worry about our own privacy, but our own image being misrepresented to the point where pornographic videos can be created. San Francisco seems to understand that data privacy includes not allowing the government to recognize our face, but will other cities, states, and countries agree with this kind of logic? It will take a tremendous amount of time and effort to sort through the technological implications of data privacy, and understand what exactly should be in the public sphere and what shouldn’t.

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Why Analytics Are More Important Than Ever

At the dawn of the computer age, there were many individuals that truly believed that while the Internet might be valuable, that it would not have a lasting impact on human civilization. Paul Krugman famously wrote in 1998 that the effect of the Internet on the world economy would be “no greater than the fax machine’sâ€. When one considers that Krugman is a Nobel Prize-winning economist, you start to realize that not everyone truly understood the digital transformation that was actually about to take place. Of course, now we completely understand that every business that takes itself seriously has to have some sort of an online presence, and that the Internet has forever transformed the way that human beings connect, consume, and interact.

The days of discovering the right keywords and optimizing them are not over by any means, but the truth is that we now have more data than ever to truly understand what consumers are looking for, and take advantage of it. While there are many businesses out there that certainly are luring in new customers thanks to SEO-focused content, blog posts, and linking out to authority sites - the truth is that digital marketing requires actual analytics more than ever. This is a bit of a “crisis†that the entire sector is facing, as digital marketers are increasingly struggling to improve ROI for businesses and brands, and corporations are shelling out more money than ever to try to figure out how to digitally market their products and services.

Digital marketers require a much more comprehensive view of what is happening with consumers than traffic and conversion. That’s why actual analytics are more essential to digital marketers than before, which is only natural considering that digital marketing has been utilizing some of the same tactics now for years. This is examining what device that your consumers are on, how much time they spend on which web pages, and interactions per visit. Is the consumer actually interested in your company’s services, or do they just find your blog posts valuable? You thought that your landing page was incredible, and laid out your price points quite eloquently - but why are consumers not spending more time on that page? What is your ratio of new traffic to returning traffic, and what are the reasons that it might be fluctuating? These are the kind of new questions that digital marketers have to constantly ask themselves in order to improve ROI for their clients.

The Past Is The Past

This also just simply isn’t about a website anymore. We all know that there are more ways than ever to communicate with the customer. It might be through Instagram lives, influencers, Facebook messages, apps that companies create, newsletters that corporations send, and more. There has to be much more to learn about than simply traffic, because there is more consumer data out there than ever, and more ways for consumers to engage with organizations of all sizes. This begs the question: what should digital marketers be thinking about? While it’s always great to know more about how much web traffic you are getting, what more can be done to make sure that more potential customers know about you, and are interested in what you have to offer?

In the past, digital marketers simply believed that the more content that was put out there, the more would be consumed. That’s why techniques such as “keyword stuffing†rose in popularity, because digital marketers knew that if they mentioned certain words, web rankings would improve, and that would mean profit for their clients. Of course, this simply isn’t nowhere near as effective as it used to be. These days, digital marketers are more interested in knowing WHAT KIND of marketing strategies work more than others.

Comparing Your Various Marketing Strategies

Let’s say that your company is a startup that is in an extremely competitive sector. As a digital marketer, both you and your client understand that gaining market share might take some time. You start strategizing about how to provide some value, and create a Youtube channel for potential clients to learn more about what you do. You might even hire an influencer to make sure that the videos reach a certain amount of people, as well. In addition, you also reach out to industry experts and ask if they might be interested in appearing on a podcast. Your organization has made it clear that they want as meaningful content as possible, and you are making sure that this is the case. Months might pass by, without any real metrics changing. After this time, all of a sudden, the startup is receiving more traffic than ever, and being discussed on social media.

You might check the Youtube videos only to find that no real progress has been made, despite the fact that the influencer is actively posting about your client. You switch over to find that the podcast has more listens than ever, because of a specific guest that is has been in the headlines because his company just got acquired by a major corporation. As a result, there are thousands of people listening in to the advice that he gave on the recent podcast. Now, your startup is receiving more traffic, and your client is actually gaining business.

A digital marketer has to be conscious of these immediate changes. While this story is obviously an anecdotal one, the truth is that digital marketers have to find out new ways to create content that fit with industry trends. It’s no secret that podcasting is a budding industry, as evidenced by the fact that one of the most powerful and influential tech companies in the world, Apple, is actively investing in the space. The Joe Rogan Podcast has grown tremendously over the past decade, and now regularly features presidential candidates attempting to spread their message. This is all just a testament to the way that content trends are changing. If digital marketers want to truly help their clients, they have to be aware of these trends and take advantage of them, because it could mean very real profit for them.

Focusing On The Consumer Journey

It’s no secret that companies and organizations have always wanted to know more about their customer, to figure out how to keep them happy. While customer retention has always been a focus, the truth is that digital marketers will have to zero in on the consumer journey more than ever. We all have taken a survey where a company asks us “How did you hear about us?â€, but that simply isn’t going to cut it in the future.

Digital marketers will have to know more and more about where these consumers are coming from. Are they visiting your client’s website because of a recent news article? Was it a positive news article, and why? Are potential customers visiting your website because of a press release that was recently circulated? Is it because it was discussed on social media by an influencer, or because your client’s app is rising up the stores? This kind of information will help to shape your content marketing strategy going forward.

Looking To The Future

The truth is that while digital marketers have been creating content in many different channels for some time now, their analytics will have to expand, as well. It’s no longer just about web traffic or customer retention. It’s about whether customers are visiting your website and mobile. Are they staying long enough? If so, what are they looking at? If they aren’t staying and your bounce rate is high, is it because of your load time? There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for a website to load, and if that’s the reason your customers are leaving - that’s important information, because it doesn’t really have to do with your product or customer service. If a digital marketer is truly on top of their client’s analytics, it can be an invaluable tool to creating new streams of revenue and saving massive amounts of money elsewhere, as well.

You can learn more about which social media platform ad campaigns are working, and why. Is it because of the copywriter that was hired? Is it because of the graphics or overall message that was conveyed? Why are many people adding products to a cart but the cart abandonment rate so high? Does this mean that your client is missing out on money by insisting on a price point? Would an effective sales promotion or newsletter change that situation and help your client make more profit than ever? Is one micro-influencer providing much more value for your client than the more expensive high-profile influencer that you previously hired, and why? In a world of ever-changing analytics, digital marketers have to understand that tracking all sorts of metrics might lead to insight that wasn’t previously available. While this doesn’t mean that ALL information is essential, it does require much more analysis on the part of digital marketers. As the saying goes, “knowledge is powerâ€, and certainly, when it comes to the digital marketing sector, “analytics are powerâ€, as well.

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The Role of AI In Digital Marketing

When it comes to digital marketing trends, there are so many areas to keep up with that it can often be overwhelming for an entrepreneur of any kind. It doesn’t matter what kind of industry you are in - the truth is that every business is focused on their online presence (or at least should be). In addition, many are quick to position themselves to take advantage of the latest digital marketing trends.

This can often be expensive and exhausting. It might involve spending a significant amount of money on new software, programs, products, and also hiring agencies to create content for you. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about video marketing, SEO writing, or automation, everyone is trying to find ways to make sure that they grab as much attention from the consumer as possible, in hopes of conversion. However, one trend isn’t going anywhere - and that is the fact that artificial intelligence is one of the most important technological trends in the world, and will continue to be. It will also change the face of digital marketing forever.

How AI Will Change “The Searchâ€

We all understand that artificial intelligence is considered to be revolutionary for the retail sector because it can tell us more information about the consumer than before. While there are some that might be concerned about overall privacy, the truth is that most of us understand that the modern world involves trading some privacy for convenience. That’s why social media networks such as Facebook, which have information on a significant segment of the world population, still boasts BILLIONS of monthly active users. This is even more interesting when one takes into account the fact that Facebook was globally criticized for its role in sharing data that affected the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

We all understand that algorithms are a huge part of search engines, but digital marketers have to understand that artificial intelligence will certainly change the way that we search. While we used to worry about keyword density and top rankings; artificial intelligence will evolve in a more complex manner, taking into account patterns that human beings might not be able to recognize, and user behavior that marketers might not be able to parse through.

The point is that artificial intelligence will constantly be “fluidâ€, while digital marketers who focus on static rankings and results might get left behind. This is especially true when one considers that more people are searching the web in a more conversational tone. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that individuals can now search the web using smart home products, including the Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

Google is also making significant progress when it comes to utilizing machine learning with its search queries. In fact, Google admitted years ago that a “large fraction†of queries were now handled by Rankbrain. It’s hard to downplay the incredible capability of Rankbrain and what it means for the future. Specifically, Greg Corrado, a Google senior research scientist, offered this statement in 2015 regarding how intuitive Rankbrain can be:

“RankBrain uses artificial intelligence to embed vast amounts of written language into mathematical entities — called vectors — that the computer can understand. If RankBrain sees a word or phrase it isn’t familiar with, the machine can make a guess as to what words or phrases might have a similar meaning and filter the result accordingly, making it more effective at handling never-before-seen search queries.â€

How AI Will Change Personalization And UX

We all know that there is more data than ever, which is to be expected when there are billions of individuals that have access to the Internet. Human beings are creating data at an alarming pace, and that also means that artificial intelligence will help to know and track more about us than ever. This will radically change the way that websites and companies personalize the experience to certain individuals.

There’s an iconic company that has recently made a move that truly shows how important artificial intelligence will be to the way that we consume information, products, and services. In fact, several months ago, McDonald’s, one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world, purchased Dynamic Yield. While there was no exact amount announced regarding the purchase; it is believed that McDonald’s paid in the “hundreds of millions†for the company. This is the biggest acquisition that McDonald’s has made in decades, and it has to do with artificial intelligence.

Specifically, McDonald’s is interested in using the technology from Dynamic Yield to suggest menu items to their global network of consumers, that might result in a tremendous amount of additional revenue. Dynamic Yield will be able to take into account the traffic and weather in certain locations and use machine-learning algorithms to boost revenue. The idea is that the technology will also be able to immediately suggest new menu items based on the ones that you have chosen, as well. Steven Easterbrook, the CEO of McDonald’s, is not shy about how he believes artificial intelligence will change personalized retail experiences. He states:

With this acquisition, we’re expanding both our ability to increase the role technology and data will play in our future and the speed with which we’ll be able to implement our vision of creating more personalised experiences for our customers.â€

When one considers that McDonald’s is one of the most recognized companies in the world, it’s only right to assume that many other companies will follow its lead.

Of course, personalization can apply to every possible sector, not just fast food. Artificial intelligence is already widely used by internet marketers to determine what to show to what kind of consumer. Machine learning helps companies understand their consumer in a new way, and create a “profile†for them and engage with them in the most meaningful way. This will not only lead to more profits for the company, but ideally - would lead to a more pleasant user experience (UX) for the consumer, as well.

Chatbots

In this modern day and age, we all want to be able to communicate with a company at any time. It doesn’t matter where the company is located, or what their “hours†are, there are countless companies that have understood that the more they are able to engage with the consumer, the better. Of course, human beings are not machines, and they require free time for the other areas of their life.

This is why AI chatbots have become such an integral part of customer service. After all, if you have a question or concern about a product or service, it can be extremely refreshing to know that a chatbot might have an answer for you, at 3 AM, when you are working hard to meet a deadline. While there are certainly some chatbots that might be lacking in terms of overall service, artificial intelligence will allow for chatbots to answer more complex and open questions, which can end up revolutionizing customer service as we know it.

We already see this with brands that no longer speak about “phone hoursâ€, but offer contact information through social messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Slack so that customers can contact them 24/7. This is a huge improvement from having to wait on the phone for hours to get a response, which can affect customer retention and brand reputation.

Chatbots can handle multiple requests at all times of the day, and they can also retain all the data involved. It doesn’t matter how patient a human being is - everyone has their limits. Chatbots are always patient and respectful, no matter what, which is extremely advantageous to an organization of any kind. The chatbot can also be tweaked to make product suggestions, or even provide advice about certain products and/or services, as well. In this way, a chatbot can simultaneously help to personalize the experience, while providing customer experience, and enhancing the overall user experience, all at the same time. It is natural to see how this can help an organization save costs on sales representatives while attending more to customer needs than ever.

Summary

We all know that artificial intelligence is coming, and we have all sorts of different ideas about what that will look like. There is no way to completely tell how artificial intelligence will evolve. Even some of the most well-respected figures on the subject, including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, have expressed concern about how artificial intelligence will affect human civilization.

However, one thing is for sure - it will certainly change digital marketing forever. This is not to say that it human beings will be replaced, but that organizations will be able to know more about the consumer, and how to take advantage of what they do know, thanks to artificial intelligence. There will be more specific suggestions made, more tailored searches that respond to your tone of voice, and more personalized experiences than ever. There will be some consumers that are uncomfortable with this shift, and others will embrace the newfound convenience. Either way, the digital marketer should understand that if their organization is to evolve with the future, it should work on evolving the same way that artificial intelligence does - constantly and completely.