by Fronetics | Sep 19, 2019 | Blog, Data/Analytics, Marketing, Marketing Automation, Supply Chain
In a highly competitive B2B landscape, AI can be the strategic advantage your brand needs. Here’s everything you need to know about AI for marketing.
Highlights:
- AI enables predictive analysis – the ability to look at a large set of data and predict what steps to take to reach a desired outcome.
- Social listening powered by AI gives marketers key insights into brand perception and audience reaction.
- When considering purchasing an AI technology for marketing, consider if it includes its own Big Data source.
When we think about artificial intelligence (AI), it’s often with a twinge of unease. Whether it’s pop culture telling us that robots will take over at their earliest opportunity, or fears of human labor being replaced with machines, AI is a complex, controversial, and even mysterious topic. But when it comes to the applications of AI for marketing, there’s actually a lot to celebrate.
It’s important for marketers not only to have a thorough understanding of the uses of AI for marketing, but to be aware of industry trends, and how to determine investment to maximize ROI.
What is AI for marketing?
While it’s not necessary for marketers to be artificial intelligence and robotics experts, it’s beneficial to have a functional understanding of the technology that enables AI for marketing. In a general sense, the term “AI” refers to the area of computer science that enables the creation of software and machines that possess what we think of as intelligence. That is, they are able to work, react, and learn without being specifically programmed for each task.
AI is enabled by data science, “the practice of organizing and analyzing massive amounts of data.” When it comes to marketing, AI can be thought of as an extension and development of marketing automation. Essentially, AI for marketing is software that collects, analyzes, and reacts to large amounts of data, with increasing levels of sophistication.
According to content intelligence expert Bart Frischknecht, of Vennli, AI for marketing can be categorized in one of two ways.
- Recommending: This type of marketing software “predicts which action will have the most positive outcome in order to recommend a next step in a series of events.” Frischknecht describes these recommendations as “stepping stones on the way to fully automating a given task.”
- Automating: Software that automates is a furtherance of software that recommends. For a task to be automated, it needs to be “routine and repeatable, the goal needs to be specific, and the steps to achieve that goal must follow an exact set of rules.”
Think of data as the fuel that powers AI for marketing. As we gather more and more data, and devise increasingly sophisticated analytical methods, the possibilities for intelligent automation in marketing will continue to expand.
5 examples of AI for marketing
1) Data filtering and analysis
At Fronetics, we’ve advocated for a data-driven approach to marketing since our founding. For marketers, data is the most powerful strategic weapon in your arsenal, and AI is sharpening it even further. AI software can consolidate large amounts of data, and analyze it to determine patterns and trends.
2) Social listening
Social listening, also known as social monitoring, is the process of observing and examining social media, to identify and access what is being said about your brand. Social listening gives marketers valuable market intelligence, prospect insight, tone awareness, and competitive advantage.
Current AI software lets marketers not only engage in sophisticated social monitoring, but it also enables “sentiment analysis,” automatically generating a report of the overall attitude of your audience and perception of your brand.
3) Predictive analysis
Beyond simply filtering and analyzing data, AI for marketing goes a crucial step further: predictive analysis, the practice of applying the information extracted from data sets to predict a future outcome or trend.
This revolutionary capability of AI can be used to analyze buyer purchase behavior, for example, and determine when and how to distribute certain types of content. Social media scheduling tools, for instance, use predictive analysis to suggest the optimal times to share content.
4) Audience targeting and segmentation
As B2B buyers increasingly come to expect personalization at all stages of the buyer’s journey, it can be a challenge for marketers to deliver. However, AI makes personalization possible at a large scale, drawing on data to segment and categorize audiences.
The limits of the specificity of this segmentation are determined only by the amount of data available. In other words, the more data, the more the AI software can instantly segment a contact list and deliver personalized correspondence.
5) Chatbots
One of the most ubiquitous examples of AI for marketing, chatbots are computer programs that simulate human conversation using auditory or textual methods. Chatbots communicate with buyers within a messaging app, like Facebook messenger.
3 questions to ask when considering an investment in AI for marketing
While the possibilities of AI for marketing are virtually endless, the reality for most companies is that marketing budgets are not. When considering an investment in any technology, including AI, maximizing ROI should be top of mind. Frischknecht suggests that marketers ask the following three questions when considering an investment in AI for marketing:
- Which marketing task will this technology automate, and will doing so alleviate a significant burden for marketing staff?
- Does purchase of the tech include its own Big Data source, or do I need to provide all the data? If the latter, do I have adequate data, and can I connect my data source to the tech?
- What evidence exists of the tech making good recommendations or automating one of my tasks.
AI is revolutionizing marketing. Investing intelligently in these technologies can provide critical market insights, data processing capabilities, and predictive analysis.
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by Fronetics | Jul 25, 2019 | Blog, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Marketing Automation, Robotics & Automation, Supply Chain
Implementing robotics and automation for manufacturing can be costly and a challenge for public perception – but, ultimately, these technologies are crucial assets for the industry.
Highlights:
- Hurdles companies face concerning automation include public perception, potential safety hazards, and cost.
- However, robots actually make factories safer and protect human workers from having to perform dangerous tasks.
- Advantages of automation include decreased long-term costs, reduced error rate, improved productivity, and enhanced data collection.
As machine learning, or Artificial Intelligence (AI), gains sophistication and technologies continue to improve, supply chain companies are increasingly needing to evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of robotics and automation for manufacturing.
While current evidence suggests that experts are correct in predicting that automation will prove a significant competitive advantage, manufacturing companies are often faced with equally significant hurdles when it comes to implementing these technologies.
So, on balance, are robotics and automation for manufacturing assets, or do they present insurmountable hurdles? Let’s look at the case for each.
3 challenges of robotics and automation for manufacturing
1) Perception
When companies begin considering or implementing robotics and automation for manufacturing, they do so in the context of a public steeped in the kind of sci-fi lore that breeds hysteria on this issue. While public fears of Cylons and the like taking manufacturing jobs may seem like frivolous concerns, the battle that companies face when it comes to public perception is quite significant and should not be overlooked.
In addition to the more hysterical fears of robot uprising, manufacturing companies are faced with the need to combat negative public perception and employee fears when it comes to replacing traditional manual labor with capitalized assets. In short, the fear that “robots are taking our jobs” should not be underestimated as a challenge faced by companies considering manufacturing automation.
2) Dangers
In addition to cultural perceptions of robots as potentially threatening, there are real safety concerns when it comes to robotics and automation for manufacturing. A notorious accident in a Volkswagen factory in Germany, in which a worker was killed by a malfunctioning robot, has been widely reported in the media and serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers posed by automation.
Manufacturers seeking to implement automation are faced with the task of ensuring that factories remain safe for humans and robots to work collaboratively. This requires investment in safety features, as well as training and oversight.
3) Implementation costs
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to companies’ acquisition of robotics and automation for manufacturing is the cost. While these technologies are becoming more affordable, the high initial capital outlay presents a serious barrier, particularly for smaller and midsized manufacturers.
In addition to the costs of equipment, there are expenses associated with maintenance, compliance, software, and human worker training. Companies may be aware of the long-term benefits of automation but unable mount the initial costs or stomach ongoing expenses.
Robotics and automation for manufacturing: the case for overcoming the hurdles
Now it’s time to look at how these technologies are assets and whether it’s worth facing the challenges associated with implementing them.
Robots aren’t here to replace humans.
When it comes to combatting the public perception that robots will render humans obsolete, there’s one simple truth that sums it up best: robots will not replace humans. In fact, automation works best alongside human workers and maximizes the strengths of each, leading to enhanced employee value. Automation frees up human workers to work in their core competencies, focusing on strategic work, oversight, and administration.
Automation helps make factories safer.
While the dramatic examples of robots causing injury and death are harrowing, and deserve attention, it’s important not to sweep under the rug the fact that automation actually makes factories much safer for human workers. By performing tasks that put humans at risk, robots can remove workers from traditionally hazardous situations or exposure to harmful materials.
As these technologies develop, they are becoming increasingly safe and include provisions that facilitate working collaboratively with humans. Robotics can increase access to difficult or dangerous locations. Improvements in sensors, dexterity, artificial intelligence, and trainability are helping to ensure that robotics and automation for manufacturing are safe.
Automation as a value driver
While costs associated with implementation and maintenance may be significant, arguably, with the competitive advantages presented by robotics and automation for manufacturing, companies can’t afford not to automate.
Robots improve the speed and accuracy of routine operations, reducing costly error rates and increasing productivity. They decrease long-term costs, provide labor utilization and stability (particularly when labor is in short supply), and optimize picking, sorting, and storing times. The vastly improved data collection provided by automated manufacturing means reducing the frequency of costly inventory checks while increasing accuracy.
The bottom line: the hurdles presented by robotics and automation for manufacturing are well worth navigating.
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by Jennifer Hart Yim | Jun 12, 2019 | Blog, Marketing, Marketing Automation, Social Media
Automation can make your social media marketing more efficient and effective, allowing you more time to develop and execute other marketing campaigns. Here are 11 social media marketing mistakes to avoid.
Social media automation is quite a controversial marketing topic. The critics cry, “Social media is supposed to be social!” The supporters retort, “It’s all about efficiency!” Surely, there’s a middle ground, right? Just look at those adorable little robot eyes. Automation can’t be all bad, right?
We certainly agree. Social media automation can be done right. Just avoid the following 11 awful social media automation mistakes, and you’ll be good to go.
11 Awful Social Media Automation Mistakes Marketers Should Stop Making
1. You’re Scared of It.
Are you one of those social media automation critics we mentioned in the intro? Stop being such a fraidy cat … you’re missing out! When done right, automation can make your social media marketing more efficient and effective, allowing you more time to develop and execute other marketing campaigns and promotions. We’ve even developed a simple, customizable social media scheduling template and blog post guide to help you organize and plan your social media updates for the most popular social networks. Just avoid the rest of the mistakes on this list, and you’re golden. Guilty social automation conscience begone!
2. You’re Using Way Too Much of It.
Remember: too much of anything is usually bad, and the overuse of social media automation is usually what makes the automation critics cringe the most. First, you need to find the right balance of updates for each of the social networks you’re participating in. This involves testing and optimization to determine your ideal publishing frequency, and it usually involves pushing the limit a little bit. Try increasing the number of updates you currently publish and gauge your fans’/followers’ reactions. You might be surprised that you can update more than you thought and that you get a nice little lead bumps as a bonus!
Remember, the half-life ( the time it takes a link to receive half the clicks it will ever receive after it’s reached its peak) of a link shared on Twitter is only 2.8 hours, which means it’s acceptable to publish fairly frequently. On Facebook, updates last a little bit longer, so you don’t need to publish quite as much. Our social media publishing template recommends starting with 8 tweets a day, 4 Facebook updates, and 3 LinkedIn updates. Which leads us to our next mistake …
3. You Leave No Room for Ad Hoc Updates.
Don’t automate so much content in social media that you’re really pushing it if something last minute pops up that you really want to post an update about on your social networks. Things come up. You’re behind on your leads goal and you just created an awesome new ebook that you want to promote via social? You shouldn’t feel guilty about popping in a tweet or two about it in addition to your scheduled, automated updates. Or maybe you did some awesome newsjacking and you want your fans and followers to know about it right away. Don’t overdo it with the scheduled updates that you have to sacrifice those last-minute opportunities that arise.
4. You’re Setting it and Forgetting It.
Schedule and automate your social media updates and there’s no reason to check your social media accounts until the next batch of updates needs to be uploaded to HootSuite, right? WRONG. Do this, and you should be subjected to the wrath of social media automation critics. Just because you’re automating some updates, doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for monitoring the conversation — and participating in it. You still need to monitor the discussion happening around your content, answering your fans’ and followers’ questions, and, that’s right … engaging. In real time, or close to it. And with all the social media monitoring tools available to make it easier to do, there’s no excuse not to.
5. You’re Hiring an Agency to Manage It and Not Properly Setting Expectations.
Let’s relive the story of a former HubSpot employee who fell victim to some very unfortunate, poorly executed social media automation. What happened was, AT&T hired a marketing agency to execute its Ticket Chasers Twitter campaign for March Madness. The intent of the campaign was to target people who would be interested in the content of the program with personalized tweets: bloggers (who would get the word out about Ticket Chasers), people who live in the cities in which the Ticket Chasers promotion is occurring, and people who mention basketball or March Madness. Except what ended up happening was the agency targeting people that fit these criteria even if they weren’t followers of AT&T — and a very spammy Twitter presence.
The lesson is this: If you’re going to outsource any type of automation, make sure you set some very clear and specific expectations with your agency up front — both for what constitutes proper targeting and automation, and how frequently the campaign should be monitored so there could be a quick response if something goes awry.
6. Your Scheduled Updates Even SOUND Robotic.
Just because you’re scheduling automated updates doesn’t mean it has to sound like a robot wrote the copy. Spend some time carefully crafting your social media updates, and for goodness’ sake, infuse some personality into them! It should sound like a human took the time to craft the update because a human did take the time to create them, right?
7. Your Content Is Stale or Unremarkable.
Nothing indicates a low-quality social media presence like unremarkable content. Whether you’re manually updating your social networks or using automation to make your social media marketing more efficient, it’s all about the content of your updates. Share awesome content that your audience cares about, and they won’t mind that you may have scheduled it in advance. If you’re using HubSpot’s free social media scheduling template, keep your content repository tab stocked with a mix of awesome evergreen content that never gets stale and can be re-promoted over time, as well as new content and offers you create over time.
8. Your Timing Is Way Off.
Just scheduling updates all willy nilly without strategizing about timing? Think about it. Should that online coupon you’re sharing really get tweeted on the 12th when it expires on the 11th? Probably not. Be careful — nothing smells like stinky automation more than careless planning and timing. Should that offer, which just so happens to be targeted at your international prospects in Mumbai, be posted to your Facebook business page at 5 PM ET? Remember, it’s 2:30 AM in Mumbai. Be sure you’re scheduling your updates for times that make sense for your audience, and don’t be afraid to do some testing and experimentation to determine exactly what that optimal timing is.
9. You Treat Scheduled Updates the Same Way on All Social Networks.
Not all social networks are the same, so don’t treat your updates like they’re one-size-fits-all. Each has its own guidelines, tone, and different types of users, so make sure you tailor your updates to appeal to each social network’s nuances. For example, your Twitter updates need to fit within 280 characters, but snippets that accompany links you share on LinkedIn and Facebook can be much longer. And LinkedIn caters to a much more professional audience than, say, Facebook. And remember, you can reuse a lot of the same content across social networks; it’s how you frame and position that content that should be tweaked.
10. You’re Not Measuring Results and Adjusting Accordingly.
Trying to pick your best content for your automated updates? Attempting to determine the optimal timing and frequency of your updates for each social network? You’re probably going to need to rely on your analytics for all those things, don’t you think? Make use of your marketing analytics to identify the content and offers that tend to perform well in social media so you can promote more of the types of content that work, and nix the types that don’t. Track your leads and referral traffic from social media, coupled with qualitative data on how your fans/followers react to timing and frequency, so you can optimize those techniques as well.
11. You’re Not Adding Sharing Links to Your Content.
That’s right — think of it as social media automation enablement. Adding social media sharing links/buttons to all your content, whether it’s a web/landing page, blog post, within an ebook, in an email, makes it easy for your audience to spread your content for you, and expand your reach. It’s sort of like automating evangelism! It might sound sneaky, but your audience will probably appreciate that you’ve done some of the work involved in sharing content for them. People are always looking for social sharing fodder, and if your content is awesome, it’ll make them look like a valuable social media connection who shares great stuff!
Are you making effective use of social media automation? What else would you add to this list of social automation mistakes?
This article was written by Pamela Vaughan. Pamela is a Principal Marketing Manager, Website CRO & Copywriting at HubSpot. She is best known for introducing the concept of historical optimization, which increased organic search traffic and leads for HubSpot’s blog by more than 200%.
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by Fronetics | Apr 24, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Automation
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we live and do business. But can robots replace humans when it comes to content creation?
Highlights
- Artificial intelligence is already creating content.
- Some analysts predict that human writers will become obsolete in time.
- At least for now, there are aspects of human-generated content that robots can’t replicate.
What used to be a light-hearted, science-fiction version of the future — in which menial jobs would increasingly be performed by robots — has increasingly become a reality. We’ve seen how automation has shaped the supply chain and logistics industries in the past decade. But as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and reach new levels of sophistication, will something as complex as content creation no longer require human input?
AI is already creating content
In 2016, McKinsey Quarterly predicted that “while automation will eliminate very few occupations entirely in the next decade, it will affect portions of almost all jobs to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the type of work they entail.” Of course, there are jobs that require empathic functions or advanced social skills, which are less subject to replacement by machine learning. But content creation, though it does require original thought and synthesis of complex ideas, is in a greyer area.
The fact is, AI-generated content is already a reality. It shouldn’t come entirely as a surprise. After all, we’ve been writing about marketing automation for a while now, including, for example, chatbots or computer programs that simulate human conversation. According to Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, “In 10 years, the majority of content will be generated by software. In 20 years, humans will wonder why we wasted so much time on content creation.”
In a notable example of AI creating content, the Washington Post developed “Heliograf,” a bot capable of generating short reports for readers, to aid in the coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. When it was first developed, Heliograf could update readers on game outcomes, including when medals were awarded. Since then, it has written over 850 articles, including updates on high school football games and automated earnings coverage. Even now, the Washington Post uses Heliograf to supplement the work of its human writers — and has no intention of replacing them.
Natural language generation
Before we get further into the nitty-gritty of whether human content writers are doomed to obsolescence, let’s take a step back and take a look at the main function of AI when it comes to content creation. Natural language generation (NLG) is how we describe AI that can produce logical, coherent text.
“Natural language generation is a software process that automatically turns data into human-friendly prose,” writes Laura Pressman of Automated Insights. It’s important to recognize that while NLG can create content, it can’t do so without being fed data and a templated format. Essentially, when given data and a format, NLG can output content that reads as if it was written by a human.
Why we still need humans
It’s staggering what AI can produce when it comes to convincing, effective content. But even as technology becomes smarter and more sophisticated at creating content, humans haven’t been replaced just yet.
[bctt tweet=”While it’s true that content marketing should be data-driven, studies are also increasingly showing the value of intangible creativity — the kind that can’t be generated by an algorithm — in the marketing sector and beyond.” username=”Fronetics”]
Proponents of fully AI-driven marketing argue that the kind of creativity required to produce effective content marketing can all be boiled down to numbers. While it’s true that content marketing should be data-driven, studies are also increasingly showing the value of intangible creativity — the kind that can’t be generated by an algorithm — in the marketing sector and beyond.
The memories, emotions, preferences, and frailties of human writers allow for the possibility of creativity and connection that AI can’t replicate. Yes, content marketing is about data. But there’s no substitute for the way a human brain can create language and ideas that connect and resonate with another human brain.
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by Elizabeth Hines | Apr 17, 2019 | Blog, Marketing, Marketing Automation
Chatbots are a must-have lead generation and customer service tool for supply chain businesses in 2019.
The newest generation of B2B buyers is increasingly dominating the two-way conversation between marketers and buyers. They prefer to gather purchasing information on their own — overwhelmingly via online searches, vendor websites, and peers and colleagues — rather than talking to sales representatives. They are unsubscribing from marketing emails at alarming rates, citing over-communication as the number-one reason why. And they are using messaging platforms to speak directly with brands when they have questions or problems.
At the same time, buyers are demanding more personalized communications, faster response times, and an improved, cohesive user experience on all of a vendor’s digital channels.
All these factors are driving the growing popularity of chatbots as a lead generation and customer service tool. But, at Fronetics, we think it’s time to stop viewing them as a trendy communication mechanism and more as a necessary part of a supply chain operation’s marketing strategy.
Chatbot applications for the supply chain
I’ve written before about the impressive implications that automation has for supply chain marketing & sales efforts. (HubSpot reports that businesses using marketing automation receive a 451% increase in qualified leads.) At Fronetics, we’re seeing chatbots as one of the most successful and easy-to-implement marketing automation tools in the current marketplace.
Chatbots are relatively inexpensive, inherently low-maintenance, and surprisingly user-friendly — to both the buyers interacting with them and the vendors setting them up. They help website visitors find the information they need quickly, while gathering user data that is useful in marketing and sales efforts, all without taxing human resources. In fact, Chatbots Life reports that businesses can save up to 30% of costs associated with servicing customer requests by using a chatbot.
Millennials, in particular, appreciate the quick, easy, and unobtrusive communication option that chatbots offer. And, as we all know, this generation comprises an increasing percentage of the B2B purchasing landscape. In a crowded marketplace, vendors that offer a pleasing user experience will have the competitive edge when it comes to winning business and growing a base of loyal customers.
A real-life example
We are recommending chatbots to clients because we have seen firsthand how effective they can be. I’ll give you an example from our own experience at Fronetics.
We recently implemented a chatbot on our website that we synced with my calendar, allowing users to schedule a time to speak with me about our services. I am not exaggerating when I say that within 24 hours, we had a lead come through the bot. I spoke with that lead at the time he scheduled, the next morning, and delivered a proposal to him the next day.
Chatbots are here — in a big way. If you’re not using one, your competitors certainly are (or will be soon). Having a chat mechanism on your website will soon be the difference between winning more business and missing out… if it’s not already.
This post originally appeared on EBN Online.
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by Fronetics | Mar 15, 2019 | Blog, Marketing, Marketing Automation, Packaging, Supply Chain
Packaging industry marketers: check out these marketing automation tools for email workflows, social media scheduling, and customer relationship management.
Highlights:
- Customers increasingly expect packaging to be personalized to suit their needs.
- Personalize leads’ interactions with your business through automated processes.
- Get help with email workflows, social advertising, and customer relationship management.
Lately it seems like everyone is talking about marketing automation. As B2B buyers increasingly demand personalized experiences through the buyer’s journey, marketers’ jobs are getting tougher, as they need to provide custom lead-nurturing content to all prospects in their databases. This is particularly true for the packaging industry, as B2B customers expect that packaging will be highly personalized to suit their needs.
And that’s where automating marketing tasks can help.
The term “marketing automation” refers to a variety of tools used to automate the process of personalizing leads’ interactions with your business. The sheer variety of these tools can sometimes be overwhelming — so we’ve pulled a few of our favorites in the categories of email workflows, paid advertising, and customer relationship management.
6 marketing automation tools packaging marketers
Email workflows
1. Customer.io
This tool lets you send targeted messages to your customers, crafting them based on how they interact with your business and making personalized messages simple. You can also keep track of conversions and create customer profiles. Our favorite part? It integrates with your mobile app or website, letting you see data in real time and trigger actions by adding in predefined rules.
2. Constant Contact
This powerful tool has some features that are unique — and can take your marketing capabilities beyond the basics. Beyond setting up and managing an automated database, Constant Contact offers Facebook fan promotion, coupons and deals, and event management.
Paid advertising tools
3. AdRoll
This is an extremely effective tool for retargeting customers through re-engagement on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere on the web. It offers cross-device and cross-platform retargeting capabilities, as well as flexible segmentation, letting you provide customized experiences that dramatically improve your marketing efficiency. It also offers customized budgeting and full control over ad spend.
Customer relationship management (CRM)
4. Pardot
Pardot is an all-inclusive marketing automation suite, but it’s particularly strong for amping up your engagement with CRM integration. It’s a great tool for helping your sales team shorten the sales cycle. And, in addition to CRM integration, it offers email marketing, lead nurturing, lead scoring, and ROI reporting.
5. Marketo
This cloud-based marketing software lets you drive revenue with lead management and mobile marketing. It not only helps build customer relationships, but it helps you sustain them as well. Best of all, you can try it out for free until you’re sure it’s right for your business.
Bonus all-in-one tool
6. HubSpot
HubSpot is an inbound marketing tool that lets you generate leads, close deals, and manage your sales pipeline from start to finish. It integrates beautifully with a content marketing strategy, with the goal of turning outbound leads into inbound ones. It includes revenue reporting, custom-event reporting, custom-event automation triggers, predictive-lead scoring, contacts and company reporting, and event-based segmentation.
What marketing automation tools are you using to create efficiencies in your packaging business?
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