AI is a hot topic with the potential to revolutionize the way marketers work. That said, many digital marketing professionals are a little hesitant to jump right in. After all, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you have a gut feeling that modern artificial intelligence capabilities might have downsides, there’s probably a reason. Before relying on AI to power your legal marketing efforts, make sure you understand the potential downsides.
How is AI used in marketing?
How are companies actually using AI in their marketing efforts? Of course, it varies by company, marketing channel, resource, etc. But generally speaking, AI can help:
- Collect customer data and personalize content for email marketing
- Optimize digital ad placement for agencies
- Collection and curation of materials for content strategy
- Brainstorm ideas for blog posts and other campaigns
- A chatbot that can answer online questions
- Compose simple emails and other content based on prompts
- Keyword research to add to your SEO strategy
Downsides of using AI in marketing
If you read the previous section and thought, “Wow, AI does a lot of the work for me!”, you’re not alone. However, AI has some important caveats. Make sure you understand the following points.
- legal and ethical concerns – As with social media, it will take many years for current laws to catch up with technology. The future of AI is still largely unknown, and there are currently few regulations. In a survey conducted by digital expert Neil Patel, about 15% of about 1,000 marketers surveyed said legal and ethical concerns were the biggest hurdles to using AI.
- AI content is not optimized for search – This is a big concern for digital marketers, and rightly so. Search engine optimization is a top priority for most marketers, and AI content comes with risks. Implementing SEO correctly takes a lot of time and effort, but it’s not the same as just generating content with AI tools. Proper SEO implementation requires serious expertise, and AI is not yet here. Want to learn more about SEO? Check out our free webinar, SEO Basics in 1 Hour.
- Risk of inaccurate information – You cannot take everything ChatGPT or other AI tools say as fact. When it comes to legitimate marketing, it is important that the advice we provide is accurate and up-to-date. After all, your expertise is the product you sell. AI can only provide information equivalent to the information you enter. For example, ChatGPT only extracts data collected up to 2021, so there are gaps in the information provided. Such information may exclude important legal precedents and regulations that have changed in the last two years.
- Content that feels inorganic or robotic – AI “speech patterns” have improved significantly over the last few years. You might even be surprised at how natural some text sounds when properly prompted. That said, reading AI-generated content can still feel unnatural. Sometimes something feels “strange” but you can’t figure out why. Always check AI content with caution and make adjustments as needed.
- Risk of overdependence – AI can save a lot of time and money, so it will be very attractive to a wide audience. What happens when people start using AI on a regular basis and become dependent on it? Increased use of AI can lead to less collaboration and creativity among marketers. The more we rely on AI, the less powerful AI becomes. AI can be a useful tool when used to complement, rather than replace, regular marketing efforts.
- Similar content – When you start experimenting with AI for the first time, you may be surprised by the variety and depth of responses you get. However, over time, you’ll notice that some of the content sounds the same and even feels insipid or redundant after a while. That’s because AI tends to repeat the same content in different ways. Ultimately, much AI-generated content will lack originality and resemble all other content on the topic.
- Lack of personalization – 49% of people say a personalized online experience increases loyalty. Personalization technology is becoming more and more important in digital marketing, but AI makes it even more difficult. That said, many platforms such as email providers and paid ad formats already use forms of AI to customize content. Other tools may catch up, but right now we can’t rely on AI to personalize the experience to the degree our clients expect.
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The main thing to know about AI is that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. AI presents a powerful opportunity to make digital marketing faster and easier, but human involvement remains critical. Be aware of AI’s limitations and try to use it to complement your efforts rather than completely replace them. If you’re looking to develop content with AI, try outsourcing instead.
