How to Keep Your Marketing Strategy Focused During the AI Revolution
I recently joined the Fractional CMOs & The 90-Day Win podcast and was asked to discuss the tools, platforms, and marketing concepts that are overrated vs. underrated. Here’s a clip from the conversation:
The AI revolution has arrived. While the technology is valuable, complicating your marketing technology stack and customer journey with new tools and AI-driven processes—without first considering a holistic transformational approach—is not beneficial.
It’s hard not to get distracted. AI is everywhere! On my LinkedIn feed, I am bombarded by posts and advertisements touting AI tools and features. I see warnings that AI is rapidly changing processes and making human roles obsolete. I see folks advertise tools that can boost cold email deliverability and revolutionize websites. I see AI changing the search landscape.
I appreciate change and am always eager to explore new technologies and innovations. However, I can't help but question the potential downsides of rapidly integrating more technology into marketing processes. It's important to evaluate the effectiveness of the fundamental aspects of the marketing approach before making big changes that impact customer interactions with your brand.
In my corporate career, I worked in large, siloed organizations (e.g. Amazon and Disney) where tools and technology were not used consistently across the organization. While we’re all caught up in the AI revolution, the reality is that many companies are still working through the marketing technology and automation use cases of the last twenty years (e.g. building up a first-party dataset, optimizing CRM systems, and using email as an effective marketing tool). With new, AI-driven tools, there’s an opportunity to think holistically about the role of technology and automation across the full customer journey. It’s scary, but this may mean going back to the drawing board and approaching the customer funnel differently to prepare for the next generation of customer interactions.
To get started, check out my blog article on transforming the customer journey with simplicity in mind, and consider these additional points to help balance automated and innovative experiences with authentic, frustration-free interactions:
True innovation addresses customer pain points or improves their experience with your brand. If a feature is flashy but doesn’t meaningfully enhance the customer experience, it may be overcomplicating your customer journey. Tools and features should not add unnecessary layers of navigation, customization, or customer decision-making.
Regularly assess your customer feedback and engagement data to determine where technology and automation enhance the customer journey and where human interaction (or a pared-back approach) is necessary to boost customer satisfaction and trust.
Customer interactions led by AI (e.g. chatbots) should enhance control of your brand’s customer journey, not override human judgment or feel impersonal.
If you are looking for help auditing and optimizing your customer journey, check out our Marketing Program Audit service. It’s designed for business and marketing leaders who already have a journey architecture in place and are looking for quick-turn, targeted recommendations to increase effectiveness.
