AI is becoming integrated into many businesses, as a new Forrester report shows. The report indicates that 88 percent of marketers have used AI. However, less than half that number say technology is helping them meet their objectives, and only 15 percent of enterprises are effectively using AI to enhance the customer experience.
To be more successful, businesses need to realize that the market requires hyper-personalization, which means customers expecting meaningful experiences on every channel. For this, high quality data and AI is the key.
As an example, Folloze has recently launched an AI-powered Personalization Engine in partnership with Demandbase. David Brutman, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Folloze explains what is needed to put AI into action.
Digital Journal: How is artificial intelligence being applied by business?
David Brutman: Automation tools for businesses have been around for a while, however now we are seeing a growing demand for AI to enhance these efforts in enterprise companies for current and prospective customers. It is being applied to businesses to improve customer service and offer real-time support, predict online consumer behavior, analyze and manage data, and improve marketing and advertising efforts.
DJ: How are marketing departments using AI?
Brutman: As the need for personalization in marketing becomes more important, they are turning to AI tools to assist them in their strategy at scale. Through AI, marketers are using chatbots, programmatic ad buying, and website customization to connect with their audience more quickly through multiple touchpoints. Additionally, companies are using AI for predictive lead scoring to better target new customers and to enhance social listening for mentions and customer feedback in real-time.
DJ: Is this use effective?
Brutman: The way it is currently being used only scratches the surface and is not a true realization of how AI can be an enabler for marketing teams to deliver real-time personalized engagement experiences. Companies use different tools for AI and generally the data is not centralized which can sometimes fall short when trying to demonstrate a clear picture of the account, buyer, and audience. We need to improve on this practice in order to use AI to its full potential.
DJ: What are the reasons why AI is not being used to its full potential?
Brutman: Companies are just now realizing that AI could be an ‘enabler’ for helping marketers be more efficient in their current projects and campaigns and how they can make it better. Lack of understanding, resources, or realizing the overall potential of the technology have played a role in later adoption of AI in the industry.
DJ: How important will AI be for driving customer engagement?
Brutman: If business are to ensure they are effectively winning and retaining accounts, AI should be a major part of their strategy. According to a recent Gartner report, organizations that have fully invested in all types of online personalization will outsell companies by more than 30 percent compared to those that have not. Personalized AI and automation marketing is a real advantage for enterprises that are enabling and incorporating it into their current processes correctly.
DJ: What types of things are customers expecting when interacting within an online business site?
Brutman: Consumers are bombarded with blanketed marketing messaging on a daily basis, so when they interact with a brand online they expect to feel connected, recognized, relevant, and welcomed. There is an expectation that content will be relevant to each site visitor and presented in a way that’s easy on the eyes and digestible. However it’s also important to take into account the user experience, including layout, flow, ease of navigation, and content organization. Companies need to also be mindful of providing a seamless experience whether on the web or mobile.
