14 Ways To Better Leverage AI To Connect With Consumers

The use cases for artificial intelligence have expanded far beyond the tech sector in recent years. Today, AI not only automates processes to save time across multiple industries, but can also provide valuable consumer insights.

However, marketers who are interested in using AI to better connect with their target audiences may not be sure of the best ways to do so. To help, 14 members of Forbes Agency Council described specific ways that marketers can better leverage AI to build and strengthen connections with their customer base.

1. Get Recommendations That Will Yield The Most ROI

In a sea of content, using AI is nonnegotiable for brands. By leveraging structured and unstructured data, AI easily sifts through the vast landscape of creators and content and accurately provides recommendations within the influencer ecosystem that will yield the most ROI. This data equips brands with the necessary knowledge to execute impactful, authentic campaigns that better resonate with audiences. – Ricky Ray Butler, BEN

2. Identify Individuals Most Likely To Convert

AI and, more specifically, deep learning, enables marketers to use their first-party data to identify which individuals are most likely to convert (and are therefore worth spending money on), as well as those on whom advertising would be wasted. In this case, AI can help marketers build stronger connections with prospective customers by providing a better, more relevant advertising experience. – Jeremy Fain, Cognitiv

3. Provide Offers Based On User Behavior

AI technology can be a very powerful tool. We’ve recently had success with our restaurant clients leveraging AI in online ordering. We track user behavior and ordering patterns that allow us to market specific offers or deals to customers based on previous spending habits. In simple terms, if we know they like X, we can sell them on Y when it becomes available. – Blake George, BMG Media Co.

4. Automate Real-Time Insights

“AI” is one of those buzzwords that really means “insights.” Automating insights in close to real time will continue as a means of driving more ad relevance, consumer engagement and response. – Carl Fremont, Quigley-Simpson

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5. Scour Search Intent Data

We leverage AI to scour people’s search intent data, and then we serve those people and companies relevant content. If you know that people at a certain company are searching for products and services that you offer, serving them helpful and informative content becomes much less intrusive, and the engagement rates climb significantly. – Rich Cannava, The CSI Group

6. Engage With More Meaningful Content

Through AI, companies can connect with consumers in a deeper way by leveraging data available to them now about the consumers and their interests. This allows brands to engage their prospects and customers with more meaningful and targeted content through email, on their website, on social media channels and more. – Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions

7. Optimize Email Marketing

While there are many useful applications for AI, using it in email marketing has proven to be very effective. Getting into prospects’ inboxes is tough enough, let alone getting them to read your emails. Using AI software to optimize emails so that they are tailored specifically to where individuals are in the purchase cycle and their unique interactions with your site is very powerful. – Danny Shepherd, Titan Growth

8. Combine Keyword Research With User Intent

Understanding Google’s machine learning BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) algorithm can allow you to better comprehend user intent when creating content. This can help you accurately align your site with more qualified users and create the right content by combining keyword research methodologies with user intent and experience in mind, rather than mainly (and traditionally) focusing on the keyword data. – Larry Gurreri, Sosemo LLC

9. Access Big Tech Brands’ AI Marketing Sites

There are so many amazing AI tools and libraries available via API (application programming interfaces). Any curious marketer should read up on Amazon’s or Google’s cloud-based AI services—not the technical docs, just their marketing sites. You’ll be amazed at the things you have access to. A developer needs to implement it, but only someone on the business side can set the right strategy. Educate yourself. It’s not as scary as you think! – Paul Canetti, Bounce House

10. Use Image Recognition To Personalize Browsing

More marketers are utilizing image recognition software to identify common objects and faces in a user’s browsing habits. For example, if a consumer clicks on a pair of white sneakers, the image recognition software will identify and suggest other pairs of white sneakers. Knowing how a user shops enables you to generate more targeted content, which creates a more personalized browsing experience. – Adam Binder, Creative Click Media

11. Invest In Lookalike Prospecting

Using AI in programmatic targeting helps with things such as lookalike prospecting to identify those consumers most likely to engage with your messages. You, as the marketer, identify your target audience (existing customers, VIPs or website visitors), and the AI finds more potential users who look and act like them online. Then, your ads are served to those new, lookalike audiences. – Jason Wulfsohn, AUDIENCEX

12. Gain Better Understanding Of Clientele

AI can help build and strengthen connections with consumers by giving you a better understanding of your clientele. You can see your clients’ age demographics, income and more. AI can combine all of that for you. The more informed you are about your consumers, the more and better opportunities you’ll have to connect with them that much stronger. – Danny Star, Website Depot

13. Implement Chatbot Technology

One of the most straightforward AI tools that most brands can use is chatbot technology. Chatbots are getting smarter and can be online 24/7 to help customers find answers, track down order statuses or even notify customers with updates. All in all, the customer will get a more personalized experience over time, and personalization is gold for building a better connection with customers. – Bernard May, National Positions

14. Automate Big Data Collection

AI can and should be used to reduce your time spent collecting and analyzing big data in order to create clusters of “suspected” needs and wants to potentially drill down on and use for personalization. Marketers can then spend more time analyzing “small data” and create compelling communications at the individual level. – Hamutal Schieber, Schieber Research

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Author: Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member