What AI Means for the Future of Marketing Agencies

Digital marketing has always been fast-paced, but the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has recently accelerated the sphere to unprecedented levels. Uptake is meteoric, too, with AI in digital marketing expected to be worth more than $107.5 billion by 2028.

Rather than being a momentary phenomenon, AI represents a seismic shift that’s reshaping the industry as we know it. So, what does it mean for the future of the sector? Some marketers view AI with trepidation, while others see it as opening the floodgates to a plethora of new opportunities. Why the disparity? 

Some are uncertain about the subject for a number of reasons, from fears over job displacement to a loss of that ‘human touch’. However, what is certain is the profound impact AI will have on digital marketing in the short and long term. Here, we examine how it’s transforming the landscape for agencies around the world.

The Current Landscape of AI in Marketing

AI can already be used for many things, taking much of the legwork out of what were once labor-intensive tasks. For instance, AI tools such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager leverage machine learning to optimize ad placements and bidding strategies in order to maximize return on investment (ROI). 

AI can evaluate data in real time and adjust campaigns dynamically, negating the need for time-consuming manual processes like analyzing large data sets. Other ways in which it can be used for the benefit of marketers and their clients include:

• Social Media Management—Platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social now leverage the power of AI to automatically schedule posts, analyze engagement and provide insights that digital marketers can use to hone their strategies. 

AI now has the ability to identify the best times of the day to post and the most effective kinds of content to appeal to specific audiences. 

• Website Optimization—Optimizing website content for improved rankings in the SERPs is another big part of digital marketing that AI-driven tools like SEMrush and Moz can help with through keyword, competitor, and backlink analysis. 

It’s also now possible to automate keyword research, content optimization, and performance tracking for an even more efficient process. 

• Email Marketing—The rich returns on offer from a well-crafted email marketing campaign are that much easier to obtain, thanks to AI. Platforms like Marketo and Klaviyo use AI to personalize email content, segment lists and optimize them for improved click-through rates. 
• Customer Insights & Analytics—No digital marketing campaign can achieve optimal results without lots of accurate data, and AI can provide it in swathes, highlighting any given audience’s trends, behaviors, and preferences. 

Notable AI tools include IBW Watson and Google Analytics, which can even help forecast future trends based on historical data. 

Essentially, AI can make all the bread-and-butter work of digital marketers easier and more streamlined. That said, the day-to-day operations of agencies are far from the only area that benefits. Let’s take a look at what it means for customer experiences. 

How AI Enhances the Customer Journey

Another area where AI significantly impacts marketers is in enhancing customer experiences, with platforms like Rolemantic AI roleplay offering immersive and personalized interactions. As a huge part of the digital marketing process, the customer journey is pivotal to shaping perceptions and encouraging repeat business and long-term customer retention.

Laser-targeted Personalization

Machine learning is transforming the level of personalization that can be offered, making every interaction a potentially meaningful one. The key lies in the sheer amount of data that can be analyzed in terms of customer patterns and preferences, with algorithms able to take social media activity, purchase behavior, and more into account. 

The insight uncovered is then used to deliver exceptionally personalized content and recommendations. You only have to take a look at commercial giants like Netflix and Amazon to see this aspect of AI in action. Every single interaction you have on these platforms is analyzed to the nth degree to create an experience that’s unique to the viewer.

Predictive Analytics 

No one can predict the future, right? AI can – at least with regard to customer trends and behaviors. Through the analysis of historical data, AI-driven predictive analytics can forecast what people are likely to buy next or even when they might next need a particular service. 

Ever wonder why that sunscreen ad popped up just when you needed it? That’s predictive analytics at work, and it creates a streamlined buyer journey. 

Enhanced Customer Support

When current and potential customers reach for help, it needs to be freely available, regardless of the time of day. Meeting this need prior to the arrival of AI meant having staff available around the clock – a costly pursuit, indeed. 

AI-powered chatbots, however, represent a constant sentinel that’s available 24/7, and the queries they can handle are becoming ever more sophisticated. From simple product questions to complex order order issues, problems can be resolved without the need for human intervention. 

Of course, for those ultra-nuanced interactions, your human customer support staff is available. Largely unencumbered by the weight being handled by AI, they’re freer to offer the kind of rapid solutions that keep customers coming back for more. 

Customer Journey Optimization 

When it comes to mapping the customer journey itself, AI pulls everything together to offer a seamless experience for potential customers. From that initial touchpoint via a chatbot to post-purchase engagement, artificial intelligence makes it easier to offer an uber-personalized experience based on an individual’s actions. 

A typical interaction might go something like this:

• A person arrives on an eCommerce website and starts browsing. AI starts by detecting a new visitor and offers a personalized greeting and possibly offers a special discount for new customers.  
• Visitor behavior is tracked from the first moment, with scrolls, clicks and time spent on different pages analyzed.
• Based on these initial interactions, the home page is customized to highlight the most relevant products. 
• A recommendation engine then suggests products via a combination of real-time behaviors, similar user preferences and trending items.
• Dynamic filters analyze the user’s search queries and behavior to help narrow down choices even further. 
• Upselling & cross-selling kicks in with complementary and higher ticket alternatives shown based on the selected item. 
• Forms are auto-filled with saved user data, and payment/shipping preferences are recommended based on AI predictions. 
• AI detects that the customer aims to leave the site without buying and triggers a pop-up with a special discount or reminder to complete the purchase. 

From start to finish, the customer has the impression that the retailer they’re browsing understands them and can give them what they need. Add in post-purchase engagement (order confirmation, returns support etc.), and you see that AI helps at every step.

What Does AI Mean the Future of Digital Marketing Agencies?

All of this is possible right now, and artificial intelligence is evolving fast, so what does it mean for the future of digital marketing agencies like ours at Digirise? Even in the near future, we’re seeing that AI is going to drive hyper-personalization and increasingly accurate predictive analytics in line with what customers want.

Visual and voice searching are also set to become popular search methods, with AI-generated content and augmented reality/virtual reality being used to create hugely immersive and interactive marketing campaigns. AI looks likely to be at the forefront of them all. Other AI innovations that we could see in the future include:

• Emotion Recognition – the analysis of customer emotions through facial expressions, voice tones, and text sentiment.
• Autonomous Content Creation – creative content (visuals, videos, ad copy) delivered automatically in a brand’s voice. 
• Predictive Customer Service—AI could soon anticipate customer issues before they arise and solve them before they affect satisfaction. 

These concepts might seem like the stuff of science fiction today, but they could be reality in the near future, such is the speed at which these things move. As such, it’s vital for digital marketers to keep a close eye on their evolution. 

Adopting AI Innovations is Essential 

Adopting these AI innovations is essential for any digital marketing agency to deliver for its clients now and in the coming years. Customer expectations are soaring to unprecedented levels, and an uber-personalized, super-seamless experience is a non-negotiable. It would seem that achieving this without the support of AI is becoming almost impossible. 

Whether talking about predictive analytics, chatbots, advanced segmentation or real-time data analysis, these tools allow the Digirise team to anticipate customer needs in a way never seen before. As such, to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market, integrating AI into digital marketing strategies appears to be a must.

An Exciting Time Ahead For the Digital Marketing Sphere

What can’t be denied is that AI is here to stay, so the digital marketing agency you choose needs to embrace it for the good of your customers, as they’re the ultimate beneficiaries of these innovations. AI’s use results in a journey that makes it far easier for visitors to find what they are looking for or even find things they didn’t even realize they needed! 

Available to serve your customers when you can’t, AI also serves as a constant customer support quality controller, ensuring that site visitors are never neglected. Moreover, it’s going to be an increasingly crucial tool for engaging with and retaining customers moving forward. 

AI’s arrival has certainly made it an exciting time to work in digital marketing. Who knows what the landscape will look like in a few years? It’s going to be interesting to find out. To learn more about this and other cutting-edge marketing technologies that can help your business get ahead of the crowd, reach out to a Digirise expert today.

Author Daria Epifanova,

DigiRise, Founder