Marketing in the digital era is a far cry from the days of paper and radio advertisements. Today, the only way to reach customers is to meet them where they’re at: on the internet, on their phones, and engrossed in the latest tech trends.
In 2017, 62% of companies reported using marketing technology to get a better understanding of their customer base. And as technology in marketing continues to advance, that number will only get higher.
Want to make sure your business stays on the cutting edge? Read on for three areas where tech has taken the marketing world by storm.
Chatbots
Your customers have questions, and they expect instant answers. If you don’t want to have someone monitoring your site’s contact form 24/7, it’s time to invest in a chatbot.
Chatbots use artificial intelligence and a set of data you provide to answer your customers’ questions and direct them to helpful resources. Modern chatbots feel natural to interact with, and many people won’t notice that they aren’t speaking with a person. When a question becomes too complex, the chatbot can direct them to an actual human on your team.
Anyone familiar with customer service knows that people tend to ask the same questions over and over. A chatbot can improve your customer service by answering these FAQs, freeing up the people on your team to take care of major issues right away.
AI and Machine Learning
Aside from chatbots, there’s another great use for AI and machine learning: data analysis.
Personalization is the future of marketing, but it’s impossible for your team to sift through every customer’s activity and give them an individualized experience. Instead, you can set up a machine-learning algorithm to track how each visitor interacts with your site. Based on that information, it can automatically send out offers or email campaigns that match their place in the buyer’s journey.
All that gathered data has another use, too. When compiled, it can give you great insight into your customers’ preferences and shopping habits so you can optimize your offers.
Targeted Advertising
Personalized marketing doesn’t only have to do with what you say. It’s also important to consider where you say it and who you’re talking to.
Instead of taking the “shotgun approach” and mailing out flyers to an entire city, use targeted advertising to deliver your message straight to the people who are most likely to buy. The most common way to do this is through paid social media advertisements. You can specify a demographic and the algorithms will deliver your ad right to social media users who fit the criteria.
But traditional means of advertising have evolved to allow targeting, too. If you use OTT media advertising, you can deliver your ad to everyone streaming popular channels online within a certain geographic area. Now that people are ditching cable TV en masse, this is much more effective than buying a spot on a local channel.
Stay Up to Date on the Latest Technology in Marketing
With technology in marketing and other fields advancing at an unprecedented rate, you can’t afford to fall behind the times. It’s time to start taking advantage of targeted ads, AI, and advanced imaging to help your business stay at the forefront of your industry.
Want more information on the latest and greatest tech developments? Make sure to check out the other articles on our site.