Alastair, Co-Founder of Digital Marketing Agency Optix Solutions in the U.K., believes that AI is here to stay and marketers need to learn how to make the most of it. While many are happy to use AI for content creation, there is a struggle to go beyond that. Alastair recently authored an e-book on generative AI for marketing, aimed at improving prompting skills for marketing professionals.
There are three main categories of AI: ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence), AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and ASI (Artificial Superintelligence). For marketers, ANI is a generative version that is rapidly becoming a part of daily life. It helps complete tasks quickly, provides access to vast amounts of data and research, and helps overcome creative blocks. Despite concerns about AI making people redundant, there is still a need for individuals to develop, train, and use AI effectively.
There are important considerations to keep in mind when using AI, such as privacy, fact verification, and bias. It is crucial to comply with secure AI tools, verify facts to avoid inaccuracies, and guard against bias absorbed from various sources. However, there are many benefits of using AI in daily working life, such as having it as another team member, coach, personal assistant, and even a friend. The future of generative AI for marketers may involve customization to create unique GPTs tailored to specific needs, such as branding support, onboarding assistance, budgeting strategy, and content creation.
Alastair emphasizes the importance of learning how to get the best out of AI and training the product to work for you. Using definitions in questions, iterating on AI responses, providing feedback on mistakes, and expressing gratitude are essential to maximizing the potential of AI. Marketers need to become “masters of the machine” in order to leverage AI effectively in their work. As AI continues to advance, marketers must adapt and evolve their skills to stay ahead in the digital marketing landscape.
Overall, AI is becoming an integral part of marketing operations and offers numerous benefits when used thoughtfully and strategically. It is essential for marketers to embrace AI as a valuable tool that can enhance efficiency, creativity, and overall performance. By understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI, marketers can harness its power to drive success in their campaigns and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital marketing environment.
