Generating leads is frequently a major hurdle for those in marketing. However, the landscape is shifting with the arrival of AI technology in numerous marketing areas. A survey revealed that 80% believe AI will completely change marketing by 2024. The same study indicated that businesses using AI experience a 59% rise in closed sales, a 58% boost in revenue, a 54% jump in traffic and engagement, and a 52% improvement in conversion rates. This article will explore four ways AI, or artificial intelligence, will reshape and revolutionize how we generate leads.

It’s no surprise that AI is rapidly becoming a key part of both B2B and B2C marketing strategies to automate tasks like lead generation and client categorization. Salesforce suggests that automated lead generation can improve sales productivity by up to 14.5%.

How AI is changing digital marketing

AI is everywhere in lead generation. From chatbots to assistants like Siri and Alexa, AI is becoming increasingly common. Its applications are vast, especially in digital marketing.

Let’s look at four ways AI-based tools are changing key marketing functions, including finding and cultivating leads:

1. AI-powered chatbots for instant communication

Employing people to answer every email and question is expensive and time-consuming. Conversational chatbots provide a solution by addressing common questions 24/7, significantly reducing response times and the cost of engaging each lead. Explore the top ways AI will change and revolutionize lead generation.

Advantages of using chatbots

• Shorter wait times. Customers lose interest when they’re left waiting. Chatbots provide instant customer support around the clock. A large volume of inquiries can overwhelm your team and cause delays. However, chatbots can handle numerous customer conversations at the same time without getting tired or frustrated, leading to faster, improved service. Chatbots can manage up to 80% of customer inquiries, working alongside your sales and service teams to understand and respond to questions while continuously learning.
• Guiding customers through the sales process. Chatbots engage users by understanding their questions and providing suitable responses. They can also guide customers to the next step in the sales process by simulating human conversation, based on an IFTTT procedure, and quickly giving clients what they need. This is how AI will transform lead generation.
• Personalized content. Chatbots can tailor on-site content, boosting customer engagement and leading to higher conversion rates. Some virtual assistants utilize predictive modeling to determine a user’s interests, allowing them to anticipate needs and proactively offer relevant content, effectively moving them through the sales funnel.
• Integration with existing systems. Most chatbot platforms connect with your CRM, email provider, and other data sources to deliver highly personalized and automated customer service. You can also use a chatbot to pre-qualify leads with predetermined questions, improving client segmentation and saving everyone time.

2. Personalizing the customer journey with machine learning (ML)

ML allows machines to learn and adapt based on past data, enabling marketers to customize the customer experience. By using ML for tasks like lead generation and ad targeting, marketers can dedicate more time to creative aspects of the business. This is another way AI will transform lead generation.

Today’s users expect highly relevant information and experiences from the brands they engage with. Therefore, marketing campaigns need to be tailored to buyer personas built from data collected on each visitor. Discover the top ways AI will change and revolutionize lead generation.

AI analysis powered by machine learning algorithms excels at identifying behavioral patterns, making this process faster and more accurate than humanly possible. Soon, these systems will process massive datasets to create highly precise buyer personas and generate personalized content tailored to individual user preferences across various platforms.

3. Content creation with AI

Businesses are using a new AI program called Wordsmith to automatically generate content. In a recent news article, Wired.com mentions that media outlets like the Associated Press are using “software to produce news reports on corporate earnings.” Even Fox utilizes AI for automated sports recaps, and Yahoo employs similar technology for customized sports reporting.

This technology works by feeding an AI program data from a CSV file and using it to populate pre-designed templates with text based on the IFTTT (If This Then That) principle. This saves marketers significant time and resources when creating and distributing highly personalized content.

4. Using AI to generate leads

AI is already helping nurture and engage leads. Advanced AI-powered programs can also generate new leads for your business based on your preferences and historical data. For example, AI can rapidly analyze large volumes of transactional and user data from multiple sources to pinpoint your ideal customer and even potential employees. These tools can also automate email outreach and schedule meetings, optimizing everyone’s time.

The transformative power of AI in lead generation:

The smart and creative use of AI technology can completely change your lead generation process, leading to a significant impact on your bottom line. It reduces response times, offers customized content to visitors, and provides marketers with behavioral insights. Predictive analytics can be used to create effective digital marketing campaigns and support lead generation efforts.

What are your thoughts on the future of AI in digital marketing? We’d love to hear your perspective in the comments section below.

Author’s Bio:

Dhruv Mehta is a Digital Marketing Professional at Acquire, providing solutions for the digital age. He is passionate about writing on tech and marketing topics and frequently contributes to Tweak Your Biz. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.