There can be no denying that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is already making waves across various industries.
Some say it will also radically change how marketing and sales are conducted, including a shake-up in the need for digital marketers.
To be honest, there isn’t yet a lot of solid information on exactly how AI will affect digital marketing roles over the coming years.
What we know is that current practices accompanied by the need to devise better and better marketing strategies continue to require the involvement of creative people.
At the same time, however, the use of artificial intelligence in marketing is slowly increasing.
Why is this happening?
The amounts of available data grow daily, and finding ways to mine that data, analyze it, and apply it to advertising and marketing is making AI more and more attractive every year.
And as more organizations accumulate human resources specializing in data science and market analysis, the appeal of AI and marketing automation will become even stronger.
So, will AI replace digital marketers? Keep reading to discover the answer.
First of All, What Is Marketing Automation?
One of the pros of artificial intelligence is its ability to automate certain tasks or sets of related tasks.
There are obvious benefits to such automation, including streamlining processes and efficiently measuring outcomes with less time and effort.
When it comes to marketing automation, these benefits can quickly become obvious and enhance your work going forward.
Marketing automation employs the capabilities of various systems, software, and platforms to build abilities that rise above the capability that each of these could do individually.
One of the most beneficial results of this type of automation is the ability to streamline data collection and analysis.
With AI involved, patterns can be identified more quickly, leading to more accurate predictions that can help with your marketing planning.
Overall, marketing automation can help you better execute your marketing strategy, utilize staff in the most productive ways, and save you time and resources in the process.
Interactive Ebook: The impact of Artificial Intelligence on Content Marketing
Ok. But Will AI Replace Digital Marketers?
If you are a digital marketer, you may be concerned that AI might soon replace you, pushing you out of your employment altogether.
The short answer to your concern is no, not just yet, and maybe never.
While AI is useful, those of you in the digital marketing industry understand that this field still relies on the elements of creativity, inventiveness, and originality when finding ways to connect better with customers.
In other words, digital marketing still needs that human touch.
It needs storytelling and emotion, two things AI is unable to master in the ways needed for effective marketing today.
Yet, while human abilities will always be needed, you’ll benefit from realizing and accepting that your role in digital marketing will have to change over time.
The goal in most companies and marketing departments today is not to replace human resources altogether but to determine how to benefit from AI when it comes to their digital marketing strategy.
So, instead of eliminating all digital marketing jobs, AI will force these jobs to evolve, utilizing the value AI can provide to develop better digital experiences.
What Can AI Do Already?
Overall, AI can enhance and simplify various aspects of your marketing campaigns. It can also lessen the number of mistakes and help you become more productive.
A few specific valuable tasks AI can already do includes the following:
Automate routine and repetitive tasks and processes
AI aims at partially replacing humans in everyday endeavors, starting with the automation of repetitive tasks and processes.
It is accomplishing this more and more, even in marketing needs, such as with content curation, pay-per-click ad management, and replying to specific emails.
Take over the compilation and analysis of large data sets
AI, with its programming and learned experience, can tackle large data sets, which can become cumbersome and time-consuming for humans.
As a result, it can:
- Recognize patterns more quickly across data sets.
- Provide predictions based on the patterns and other outputs.
- Supply you with valuable insights concerning your customer base, allowing you to tailor your audience’s entire digital experience based on identified preferences and needs.
- Forecast future customer behavior using the current data.
Create digital assistants
Digital assistants, such as chatbots, can provide customers with 24/7 access.
Today, most digital assistants come with limited capabilities, engaging your customers with scripts and packaged workflows, the majority of which schedule something or route requests.
Still, they can be considered assets requiring marketers to rethink how digital customer engagement strategies are designed.
Save time and increase productivity
Implementation of AI is saving marketing departments valuable time, which can then lead to higher productivity.
With AI automation and data analysis, digital marketers’ time and efforts are being redirected to the more difficult tasks as well as the more creative ones.
This redirection increases efficiency and productivity.
Allow for Pilot Programs and Experimentation
Companies continue to experiment with AI to see what it can do by setting up pilot programs and testing its capabilities.
Currently, these include experiments with the following:
- Writing advertisement copy.
- Conducting digital ad buying.
- Creating composite images of buyer personas.
- Developing banner ads and email subject lines.
- Compiling data-based news articles to increase the number of such articles posted per week.
There are even brands betting on AI-enabled virtual influencers.
There’s a lot of exciting potential for AI in the future as long as you decide to look at it as a beneficial tool instead of one that will make your job obsolete.
What AI Can’t Do Currently
There is still so much artificial intelligence can’t do, especially when it comes to marketing and human involvement.
Here are a few things AI can’t do currently:
Operate on its own
AI machines require programming for specific tasks by humans and also need continuous updating.
Occasionally AI systems will need replacing as the needs of the various industries change.
Be creative
No current technology, including AI, can replace human’s capability of creativity and creative problem-solving.
AI is limited to the data it is given and what conclusions it can decipher based on that data.
Don’t expect it to edit videos and photos, sketch landscapes, write new music, generate fresh ideas, or invent anything.
Transmit emotions
AI lacks the ability to perform or transmit emotions.
As a result, converting such emotions into meaningful content that customers can relate to along their buyer’s journey is not possible.
Make human connections
Because AI lacks emotions, it cannot form real human connections.
AI-based systems are limited to what they are programmed to do. They can not show empathy and are unable to understand and act on cultural and moral concerns.
Offer critical thinking
Artificial intelligence technology cannot make final decisions requiring critical thinking.
While AI can excel at assisting in the gathering of data and even analyzing it, plan development and strategy need that critical thinking element that humans possess.
Considering just these things AI can’t currently do hopefully provides you with insight into why digital marketers are still needed and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
How to Keep Growing in Your Career with AI
The good news is not all digital marketing jobs will fade away with the addition of artificial intelligence.
There are several prominent things you can do to keep growing in your marketing career with AI. You just have to be continually willing to do so.
Here is what you need to do to grow your career with AI:
1. Stay up-to-date on AI news and trends
Start by staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends concerning AI and how to use it in marketing.
This is one of those career areas where knowledge is power, and power is knowledge.
2. Recognize replaceable skill sets
Recognize the skill sets that will be replaced in the future, if not already, with AI solutions.
These include those routine and repetitive tasks that become time-consuming and overly boring.
3. Identify skills AI cannot replace
Go on to identify non-repetitive, creative, and other skills AI is not expected to take over now or in the future.
Do you have expertise in any of these already? If so, focus more and more on them.
4. Always be ready to adapt
The next step is to adapt, adapt, adapt.
You can’t stop the changes from coming, but you can determine how they will affect you and your job potential.
5. Become versatile
Keep your skill set updated, and above all, remain versatile.
Train on new technology as it becomes available and learn the newest strategies to help you get and stay ahead.
With today’s ongoing need for digital marketers to lead the charge online, you already know your job is essential to companies worldwide.
While you may see artificial intelligence as a threat to the job you love, you can grow in your career and accept what AI has to offer at the same time.
Wrap Up: Stay in Digital Marketing by Using AI to Your Advantage
Now you know the answer to the question “Will AI replace digital marketers?”
As the world of digital marketing continues to evolve at lightning speed, the use of cutting-edge AI technology is set to become increasingly prevalent.
However, it’s important to note that at the heart of every successful digital marketing campaign lies the invaluable input of skilled human marketers.
So while AI may assist and enhance our efforts, it is ultimately our human expertise and creativity that will ensure continued success in this dynamic and exciting field.
Thinking about that, Rock Content offers a 14-day trial on WriterAccess, our AI-powered platform that will connect you with experts that will make your content shine! Try WriterAccess now!
