The Future Is Now: AI Is a Crucial Ally for Optimizing Your B2B Firm’s Marketing

For years, integrating AI and machine learning into your marketing efforts sounded like the stuff of science fiction. However, thanks to continued advances, AI stands as a powerful and increasingly accessible option for B2B firms needing a boost in their marketing performance.

Once primarily adopted as a cutting-edge solution for deep-pocketed multinational firms, AI can be as approachable as adding a line of code to your site or integrating a plug-in. In terms of harnessing the power of big data to boost your marketing performance, science fiction has become reality.
Often used interchangeably, AI and machine learning refer to analyzing data to identify patterns and trigger actions in a way that mimics human reasoning. The technology is still evolving and improving. But it has already reached a level where it can help your firm in four critical areas:

1. Optimize Website User Experience Through Personalization

As prospects browse your site, their habits create patterns that illustrate their interests. Imagine a user clicks on a blog article outlining your approach to cloud management or searches your site for a security solution. Website analytics transform these actions into data points that can be applied to create customized experiences for each user.

Personalization then uses AI to analyze user behavior and bring related content closer to the surface. As a user navigates further into your site, an application rearranges how your content appears in response to what information will most likely interest them. Or, your site can send automated notifications or emails to users based on their browsing habits. By offering a targeted look at your content that’s consistent with user interests, you offer more ways to continue the customer journey.

• Uberflip is a content experience platform that integrates with your CMS and enables your firm to deliver custom website experiences according to a user’s interests, region, or role. The tool can be applied to support sales, deliver more leads, or improve customer support by offering recommended content related to their product.
• Personyze uses a tracking code that allows your site to create recommended content for users according to a set of predefined rules. The tool also provides a way for your marketing team to build a profile of site visitors based on demographics, location, and other details, which can be used to create an experience consistent with their needs.

2. Generate More Targeted Content

No matter how well your firm satisfies an algorithm, your marketing must connect with the person reading your content — not the brand logos they represent.

AI hasn’t advanced to the point where you can press a button and generate a persuasive and richly detailed white paper — yet. But regardless of technology reaching that stage, your site still needs to form an emotional connection with users by presenting a compelling case for your firm and its ability to solve your customer’s problems. You need a human touch to tell that kind of story effectively.

However, AI can provide guidance toward creating content that more effectively aligns with your customers’ interests. Plus, it allows you to analyze existing content so digital marketing becomes less of a gut feeling and more of a science.

• AI supplies crucial advantages in optimizing your keyword usage, content prioritization, and topic timeliness. By using the AI applications in a program like MarketMuse, your firm will develop a clearer picture of its content priorities. You could spend hours researching articles by your competitors that cover a similar topic to yours and investigate why they rank higher than yours. Or, MarketMuse will analyze the keywords used in both articles and make recommendations for better search performance.
• Frase uses AI to accelerate your content marketing by generating article outlines and introductions as well as SEO-optimized copy. Technology has closed the gap in creating useful content that hits all the right search terms. But your ability to tell your brand’s story and connect with customers on an emotional level remains in your hands.

3. Deliver Conversational Engagement to Current and Future Customers

For any B2B firm, business depends as much on customer retention as lead generation. AI tools enable you to tackle the first steps in engaging with both audiences on your website through conversational engagement.

Like AI-generated content, chatbots can’t yet entirely replicate the experience of speaking with a sales representative or a member of your customer service team. However, they can kick start the conversation and build initial rapport with a valuable audience. When implemented, AI provides a way to reduce customer wait times and offer a more efficient experience.

• Aivo is a conversational AI platform that allows your firm to generate automated responses to customer queries with real-time solutions. By integrating with WhatsApp, your firm can also engage prospective customers with offers and notifications through the chat application.
• Meya also offers the ability to create chatbots to serve your firm’s sales and customer support goals. The platform streamlines lead qualification by integrating with Salesforce, which allows you to register new contacts in real time.

4. Test and Refine Digital Marketing Performance

To stay competitive, you need to conduct a regular audit of how your brand is presented in the marketplace. You should apply that same drive for improvement to your marketing.

AI enables you to test how well your site’s most important landing pages are ranking in search. Then, once you make refinements, you can compare how those changes impact their search performance. After all, your competitors, their offerings, and search algorithms are in constant motion. Applying AI to test your site performance ensures your firm remains visible to the audience you need most.

• MarketBrew allows you to build statistical models for your content and compare the results against any existing search engine. Through machine learning, you can replicate Google or Bing and test how changes to your site will impact its rankings. In the process, your team will gain a clearer understanding of the most important search algorithms in your industry.
• VWO is a testing tool focused on comparing digital experiences. The platform allows your firm to A/B test engagement rates for different landing page variations and make adjustments to create a more streamlined customer journey.

AI Is More Accessible Than Ever for B2B Marketers

Fundamentally, AI offers a means to incorporate increased intelligence in your marketing. Instead of relying on guesswork to inform your next initiative or page layout, you can leverage trends and insights drawn from real data. Plus, from an implementation standpoint, the barriers to entry are lower than you may expect.

From anticipating what your customer needs to taking your SEO efforts to another level, AI can be a powerful ally for your business. Person-to-person connections will always be most important for B2B firms looking to stay competitive. But by taking advantage of rapidly growing technology, you can form those connections that much faster.