AI is in danger of making marketers like me forget the basic principles. Obsessing about the tool. Letting hype beat common sense.
With all the noise, it’s easy to forget that AI is not a magic wand; it’s a tool. A powerful tool admittedly. And like any tool, it needs a skilled operator to get the best results.
It’s effectiveness hinges on the skill and understanding of the operator. To harness AI’s full potential in crafting marketing strategies and tactics, we must first have a deep comprehension of how these strategies work. And we must treat it like a talented partner, not a replacement.
Customer focus is still crucial
Successful marketing campaign starts an almost obsessive understanding of customers. No matter how many tools excite us, whether it’s the next NFT or Metaverse, no matter how advanced AI becomes, this basic principle remains unchanged.
Marketing isn’t just about promotion; it’s about identifying a customer need, creating a solution in the form of a product or service, pricing it properly, and then promoting it to customers to create a desire to buy. AI can assist in this process, but the insights it provides are only as valuable as the data and direction we give it.
Stop tallking about PROMPTS and start talking about BRIEFS
One common misconception is that AI can produce high-quality content with minimal input. It can churn out content, sure, but it often ends up being…crap.
Why? Because AI learns from existing data, and that data isn’t always good. To do something different, remarkable or stand out, it needs a detailed and thoughtful brief.
Everyone uses the term “prompt” when interacting with AI, implying the process is much simpler than it is.
In reality, we need to use the same rigor as briefing a top-tier agency. By providing unique and specific inputs, we can ensure that the content created by AI stands out and avoids the trap of crap. We have to put something different in in order to get something different out.
And it isn’t about cost cutting either
Moreover, as we integrate AI into our marketing efforts, our primary goal should always be to enhance the customer experience. If we prioritize cutting costs or boosting profits at the expense of customer satisfaction, we risk repeating past mistakes. Consider the offshoring of call centers in the 1990s and 2000s. While cost-cutting was achieved, customer service and experience suffered significantly. We must not let history repeat itself with AI.
In conclusion, AI holds tremendous promise for the future of marketing, but its success depends on our approach. By combining a deep understanding of our customers with thoughtful and detailed AI briefs, and by prioritizing customer experience, we can leverage AI to create innovative and effective marketing strategies.
Let’s use AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for delivering exceptional value to our customers.
