Advances in artificial intelligence make social media a greater marketing tool
Last year, the number of people using social media reached 2.62 billion. That number is expected to climb to 3.02 billion by 2021, facilitated, in part, by innovative solutions that make the activity more user-friendly. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve at a rapid pace and is helping to turn social media into one of the greatest marketing channels available to any company.
Because of the extensive amount of traffic passing every minute on social media, it would be impossible for any company to keep up with the data. AI makes it possible, giving businesses the ability to target certain phrases and/or keywords that will funnel certain posts to them. This allows the business, among other things, to engage in sentiment analysis, which can then be used to create better social media marketing programs.
Incorporating AI into social media also helps to reduce costs. It allows the business to interact with consumers, in many cases, without the need of a full call center, which eliminates a substantial amount of overhead. Some studies have shown that consumers – 67%, by some estimates – prefer to use social media to lodge complaints, instead of a customer complaint hotline.
AI allows businesses to engage in real-time. Where phone calls and emails sometimes result in delays, AI in social media allows instant responses, which is more appealing to consumers.
There is also an advantage to the company’s bottom line directly. Studies indicate that sales increase by between 20-40% when consumers can interact with a company online. Additionally, 88% of consumers are almost 3 times more likely to recommend the company to their friends and family.
Leveraging AI with a well-presented social media plan can go a long way. It can increase customer satisfaction and decrease expenses, which will lead to much stronger profits.