What are some common AI marketing mistakes?
AI tools have changed the game for digital marketing. A small team or just a single person can write, design, build, and track virtually any type of marketing project using AI.
Does this sound too good to be true? In some ways, it is.
AI can do a lot, but there are many pitfalls to avoid, and relying on AI entirely is a losing strategy. Let’s talk about some common AI marketing mistakes.
Blowing the Budget on Unnecessary Software
Paying for AI subscriptions can be expensive. Most AI software has an available free version that can be used for basic AI prompting, but some companies are paying hundreds of dollars per month for employee accounts. If your team won’t be using this fancy, expensive software to its full potential, don’t make the mistake of paying for it. Just because it costs money and has a lot of capabilities doesn’t mean it will be a valuable tool for your team.
Poor AI Image Generation That’s Disfigured
AI image generation has come a long way since its early days, but if used incorrectly, it can really detract from your marketing. AI-generated photos have improved in their attention to detail but when sloppily generated, key details can be wrong such as missing fingers on images of people or disfigured objects. AI-generated imagery can be a great option for low-budget projects but avoid using it irresponsibly. Bad AI photos make a site or advertisement look lazy, cheap, and untrustworthy. Don’t risk damaging the credibility of your brand.
Copying and Pasting AI-Generated Writing
AI can write, but there are a few things to consider before you replace the human writers on your team. AI can be a great tool for brainstorming, idea generation, proofreading, and information consolidation. But copying and pasting from AI for all your digital marketing copy is a huge mistake.
When used as a tool, AI writing can help you see content creation from a new perspective or help your writers create better content in a faster manner, but only a person with institutional knowledge can truly know your company's voice. AI must be trained by a human on your company’s tone, its personality, and content needs to stand a chance. AI copy is only as good as the writer prompting it and refining it.
Not Fact-Checking AI’s “Research”
AI is the world’s fastest-growing search engine. It can come up with an answer to virtually anything. While this is a powerful tool at your disposal, it must be used very carefully. AI search can only pull from what it finds in pre-written internet content or uploaded content from the user. Because of this, and because of the nature of internet content, AI will undoubtedly get the facts wrong or hallucinate. Always find a source to back up an AI answer before taking it at face value.
Relying On Bad AI Coding
AI is a powerful tool for the development side of digital marketing, and these days you can use it to build just about anything. But one mistake to avoid is copying and pasting AI-generated code without reviewing it. AI is only as good as the marketer or developer who’s using it. If you ask AI to build something and its result contains bugs, you’ll reap the consequences. It’s important to double and triple check anything that is AI-generated, including code, for errors that could tank your website’s functionality or presentation.
Bad AI Analysis for Measuring Digital Ad Impact
As a recurring theme, AI can only work within its limited scope. This is especially true in the realm of statistics and data analysis. Measuring return on ad spend, tracking conversions, and analyzing leads over a period of time can be easy using AI. AI tools can quickly pull information, generate comparisons, and reveal trends with quick calculations. But the data must be correct. Inputting bad data or being ignorant of the institutional knowledge of a business can hurt your results and affect your reporting accuracy.
Using AI ADA Tools That Mask Core Issues
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) aims to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in areas of public life, and this legislation has moved into the digital world too. Making sure your website is ADA compliant is a big part of proper digital marketing.
With new AI-powered assistive technologies on the market, there have been great strides made for those who need extra help digesting information online. From screen readers to vision enhancement to speech-recognition software, ADA tools help Americans with disabilities access web content. But slapping AI ADA tools onto websites to mask core issues is often a Band-Aid instead of a proper solution. These tools are supposed to change the site in real time, and prevent a website redesign or redevelopment, but they can be ineffective, cheap quick fixes.
Complicating Workflows
Adding AI software into your marketing workflows can be great for efficiency and streamlining, but not in all circumstances. Depending on your team’s familiarity with these software tools and AI’s compatibility with your current processes, you may be overcomplicating things. Take some time to really consider how much time you’re saving or the degree of quality you’re getting out of your work before you throw an AI wrench into the mix. Your employees and customers will benefit from your discernment.
Losing Your Personal Touch
Using AI to write, design, build, organize, plan, communicate and more can boost your creative juices, but there’s always a downside to handing over the reins. Letting AI build your marketing strategy from scratch is a bad idea. As we’ve discussed, AI is only as good as you prompt it to be and AI content can often be seen as lazy if done improperly.
AI-generated information and analytics must always be double-checked. Letting AI take over instead of using it as a tool to enhance your work will likely end in disaster. Don’t sterilize the look and feel of your marketing materials by letting the robots have all the fun. Use your team’s talents and years of expertise, complemented by AI tools, to speak clearly to your audience.
Next Steps?
To discern which AI marketing tools are right for you, think about your employees, your clients, and your business goals. Make sure your AI investments align with your desired marketing outcomes.
If you’re looking for more guidance, give one of our client leaders a call to see if the marketing agency route is right for you.