Although AI, or artificial intelligence, has become a buzzword recently, the truth is that it has been a part of the business for a long time now. Nevertheless, it is only between 2017 and 2019 that the technology has started to show real results that require immediate attention from smaller businesses as well. The larger corporations have their own systems, so they have that part covered.
Marketing Automation
Marketing automation has huge potential, and it is one of those fields where AI in business has started to shine through with precision. While the capabilities, functions, and advantages of marketing automation are wide, good software worth your attention usually has the following attributes:
- Ability to analyze your contacts, target customers, potential customers and the market in general
- Ability to send marketing emails, SMSs, instant messages, social media ads, and more on its own
- The timing and the content for the marketing material sent to each recipient will be based on the analysis
- The relevance of the sent content will not just be generic but specific and individualistic to each recipient
Check out this list from PieSync, which goes into intricate detail while explaining marketing automation and actually names some of the most important automation tools that small businesses have the most to benefit from.
Robotics
Robotic arms have been in use for a decade or more within factories, but that’s not what we are talking about. Previously, robotic arms were highly limited in their functionality and capability, meaning that they could not get out of the tiny parameters of their programming.
As the nature of AI-integration is such that it transcends those boundaries to further learn and improve with time, the combination of intelligent, self-developing software and superbly-engineered robotic devices is now boosting productivity, reducing expenses and making jobs safer for workers everywhere.
Search Engine Integration
Amazon, Google, and Alibaba have some of the most sophisticated AI algorithms seen yet, and we are not discussing the Google Assistant’s limited functionality here!
The search engines used by businesses are much more enhanced than what is available to the consumers. Suppose you have ever wondered how Amazon and Google know everything you need and don’t need, but want. In that case, that’s because everything you search on their respective search engines is being analyzed constantly to create a customer profile. If that sounds like an invasion of privacy, it can be considered so, but that’s a whole new debate altogether.
As time progresses, the various AI algorithms used to detect patterns, automate tasks and make accurate predictions will only become better. After all, that’s exactly what deep learning is all about; the AI will continue to learn and improve itself so that it can improve the processes and services which it handles. However, early adoption will give smaller businesses an edge. The earlier an intelligent program starts learning about the nature of the specific business and the company itself, the further ahead it will be a few years down the line.
