AI can help us be more efficient and do better marketing. But how? Let’s find out the benefits of AI in marketing from Cathy McPhillips, chief growth officer at the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. Furthermore, Cathy is joining Host Jenn Mancusi on this episode of “Marketing, Demystified.”
We previously shared 27 AI tools that can help marketers, and in this podcast episode, we discuss more AI benefits in marketing, including:
- AI’s role in marketing today. What are some of the typical applications?
- How AI can automate marketing tasks that used to require extensive human effort.
- AI can generate or optimize marketing effectiveness in several ways. What are those ways?
- What limitations or risks exist in relying too heavily on AI for marketing? How can these be mitigated?
- How will advancements in AI continue to shape the future of marketing? What emerging applications look most promising?
The benefits of AI in marketing are undeniable. AI can help companies automate tasks, optimize workflows, and ramp up your revenue. But, companies have to use it correctly and ethically.
A report from the Content Marketing Institute said that many content marketers already use AI in their processes and attending market research conferences, you can also see the increase in AI technologies.
The advance of AI
After all, artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, opening up new possibilities for marketers to streamline processes, gain insights, and optimize their efforts. AI can boost marketing effectiveness.
Cathy shared how businesses of all sizes can leverage AI to work smarter. She explained, “If it’s data-driven, if it’s trying to make a prediction, or if it’s repetitive, there’s probably an AI use case there for you.”
Key applications she highlighted include:
- Testing email subject lines using AI generators
- Optimizing ad creative based on campaign goals
- Personalizing messaging and content for individuals
- Automating repetitive tasks like video editing
- Extracting insights from data
Cathy emphasized the importance of keeping humans in the loop: “If you’re using it and not looking at the output, and just publishing a blog post, or doing something with data without having that human in the loop, you’re doing it wrong.”
While AI holds great promise, she warned against overreliance. Limitations include imperfect quality control, potential compliance issues, and ethical concerns around data usage.
She advised carefully reviewing tool terms and conditions to mitigate risks, building internal guidelines, and maintaining human oversight. Wise use of AI augments human capabilities rather than replacing them.
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Current Applications in Marketing
According to Cathy, typical applications span data analysis, content production, and process automation. For instance, AI can:
- Optimize and iterate an ad creative to improve campaign metrics
- Generate draft content that human creators then refine
- Personalize messaging based on customer data and behaviors
- Edit and repurpose video content at scale
- Analyze data to surface insights and predict trends
She shared an example of using AI to improve and expand on an article draft quickly. The input helped catch missing pieces and rewrite certain sections.
Cathy uses tools like Descript to edit podcasts and repurpose audio content without intensive production work. The key is focusing AI on rote tasks to save time and energy for higher-level strategy.
Risks of Overreliance on AI
Cathy cautioned against overreliance. Key risks include:
- Low-quality output if you fully automate without human review
- Failure to read the fine print and ensure data protections
- Ethics concerns around data usage and security
- Missed opportunities by refusing to adopt AI
She stressed the importance of maintaining human oversight and judgment. Wise adoption means balancing automated workflows with manual quality control and refinement.
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The Future of AI in Marketing
When asked about the most promising areas for AI innovation, Cathy pointed to privacy-preserving trends. As concerns grow around how public models train on data, more companies will look to develop in-house solutions.
Rather than relying solely on external clouds, brands may create private models tailored to their data and use cases. This allows them to implement AI while controlling their data and systems.
Of course, this will require internal expertise in data science and machine learning. Cathy predicted hiring AI talent and upskilling existing teams will become a key focus.
Overall, she emphasized that AI will become integral to marketing technology stacks. Given rapid evolution, even current solutions will look very different in 1-2 years.
The key is to embrace experimentation, learn by doing, and build up your organization’s AI knowledge. With the proper human oversight, AI can significantly boost marketing results.
Key Takeaways
Here are some top insights from my discussion with Cathy on deploying AI for marketing success:
- Look for repetitive tasks and data analysis that AI can optimize
- Maintain human oversight – don’t fully automate without checks
- Carefully evaluate provider terms, data practices, and compliance
- Focus AI on augmenting human marketers rather than replacing
- Develop guidelines to ensure ethical, secure usage across teams
- Expect rapid evolution – build foundations now to stay ahead
- Leverage AI to gain efficiency, insights, and creative stimulus
The possibilities of artificial intelligence will only continue to grow. As Cathy emphasized, forward-looking organizations need to build their AI readiness to compete in the future. With responsible use, AI can take marketing effectiveness to new heights.