Using AI for marketing and e-commerce - Generative AI pt. 2
In my last post, I wrote about 5 ways that you could use generative chat AI to solve everyday problems. This time I am looking at how artificial intelligence can be used from the standpoint of marketing and e-commerce. Note that, especially when using AI in a professional setting, you need to be careful with the data you provide to the AI. Earlier this year, Samsung’s engineers were ridiculed for having fed confidential code into ChatGPT, thus contributing the code to the AIs data pool. When using AI, you need to understand what you are doing and what the deficiencies of AI are.
In this blog post, I mainly focus on generative text AI like ChatGPT and generative image AI like Midjourney, while my next blog will follow on some creative ways people have used these tools.
Get customer reviews to understand selling points.
I would advise against AI writing your content. Due to the limited data pools and the errors that generative AI still makes with its content, I suggest using AI-generated content as a reference instead. Let’s say you are launching a new product and are drafting slogans, marketing texts, and other short paragraphs that you would use in your packaging, marketing copy, and more. Although you and your team may have decades of experience in copywriting, it is better to use the same language as the customers to describe your product's benefits. This can also give you valuable insights into areas where your product can be better than your competitor’s.
You can ask for details, clarification, or more examples if the default ones are insufficient.
NOTE: ChatGPT only has data before September 2021, so you cannot use it to get ideas about recent products. In these cases, you can ask ChatGPT for suggestions on slogans or product highlights. But please, don’t send proprietary data or specs to ChatGPT :D.
PROMPT:
Based on customer reviews, what do people like and dislike about Nixplay digital photo frames?
AI-OUTPUT:
Here are some common likes and dislikes about Nixplay photo frames:
Likes:
Easy to use: Many customers appreciate how easy it is to set up and use Nixplay photo frames, which can be connected to Wi-Fi and controlled remotely using a smartphone app or web interface.
Good display quality: Several reviewers have noted that Nixplay photo frames have high-quality displays that show photos in clear, vibrant colors.
Large storage capacity: Nixplay photo frames often come with large storage capacity, allowing customers to store hundreds or thousands of photos.
Dislikes:
Expensive: One of the most common complaints about Nixplay photo frames is that they can be quite expensive compared to other brands, which can be a barrier to purchasing for some customers.
Limited photo format support: Some customers have reported issues with Nixplay photo frames not supporting certain photo formats or file sizes, which can be frustrating for those who want to display their entire photo collection.
Connectivity issues: A few customers have reported experiencing connectivity issues with their Nixplay photo frames, such as losing Wi-Fi connection or difficulty syncing with their photo library.
Create Ad copies and slogans using ChatGPT
This is an obvious one, especially if you are not an avid writer or if you are not a native speaker. AI can help you create marketing texts that are grammatically correct and compelling in content.
A warning here: AI does not have the same knowledge of your product or business as you do. It also may cut corners and is limited by the data it has and the prompt it is given. If you are not cautious with what you ask, you may end up with a bad or even factually incorrect copy.
The output is only as good as the data available and your input.
I recently launched new keyword ads where I set myself against Chat GPT. I gave the AI a description of the services and business and asked for 10 titles and descriptions for Google ads. The ads have been running for about a week, and I currently lead the AI having 152% better CTR on the manually created ads (12.93% vs. 5.13%). However, this is not really because of AI. I created my ads so that the texts complement each other and utilize keywords that I think are relevant, while the AI just created its titles and ad copies based on the description I provided. While the titles and descriptions it created were decent, they still had room for optimization. The output is only as good as the data available and your input.
PROMPT:
Can you create 3 title suggestions (30 characters maximum) and 3 descriptions (90 characters maximum length) for promoting Tesla Model 3 electric car on Google Ads?
AI-OUTPUT:
Title Suggestions:
Electric Luxury: Tesla Model 3
Go Green with Model 3
Revolutionize Your Drive
Description Suggestions:
Zero emissions, ultimate performance.
Luxury meets sustainability.
Sleek design. Fast charge.
MODIFIED PROMPT:
The descriptions work better if they use more of the selling points of the car and the available length. Can you revise so they are close to the maximum length of 90 characters?
AI-OUTPUT:
Sure! Here are some revised descriptions that incorporate more selling points:
Unleash the power of zero emissions with Tesla Model 3. (62 characters)
Drive in style and with a clear conscience with Model 3's luxury and sustainability. (87 characters)
Experience the future of driving with Model 3's sleek design and rapid charging. (80 characters)
Creating promo images using artificial intelligence.
Generative image AI tools like Midjourney are developing at an impressive pace. Midjourney’s latest version, 5 released in March of this year and improved the accuracy and details. You can create impressive, realistic settings, for example, for product placement, if you cannot organize a proper photo shoot. I have included below a few examples of different scenarios for marketing.
Ad image to be used for promoting custom-printed paintings:
Youtube thumbnail for a streamer for a video game let’s play
Kitchen product placement for a wine fridge maker
Especially for smaller brands and product makers, AI can be a game changer in how they can create content. A new Kickstarter-funded project can have beautiful product images without spending $3,000 on a photoshoot.
Use AI for marketing suggestions.
There have been many online examples of using ChatGPT to create a marketing strategy, but I would advise against it. While ChatGPT may provide very useful insights for marketing, your product and market may be unique, and the generic suggestions made by ChatGPT may not suit your business. In a worst-case scenario, your product launch or business idea goes belly up due to following the strategy built by AI.
However, ChatGPT is good at giving ideas and providing content so I would recommend using it for just that:
PROMPT:
I want to sell 2nd hand furniture online through an online store. Can you come up with 3 low to no cost promotion methods for my store?
AI-OUTPUT:
Absolutely, here are three low-to-no cost promotion methods for your second-hand furniture online store:
Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer great opportunities to promote your online store at a low cost. You can create accounts for your business on these platforms, and share pictures of your second-hand furniture items with your followers. You can also use relevant hashtags, join local buy and sell groups, and collaborate with influencers to increase your reach. Additionally, you can create social media ads that target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and location, which can be a cost-effective way to promote your online store.
Email Marketing: Email marketing can be a cost-effective way to promote your online store and stay in touch with your customers. You can collect email addresses from your website visitors, social media followers, and in-store customers. Then, you can send newsletters, product updates, and promotions to keep them engaged with your business. You can also use email automation tools to send personalized messages based on their shopping behavior, which can increase your sales and customer loyalty.
SEO Optimization: Search engine optimization (SEO) can help your online store rank higher in search engine results, which can drive more traffic to your website. You can optimize your website for SEO by using relevant keywords in your product descriptions, metadata, and URLs. You can also create a blog on your website and write articles on topics related to second-hand furniture, which can attract visitors to your site. Additionally, you can build backlinks to your website by collaborating with other bloggers, local media, and online directories, which can improve your website's authority and visibility in search engines.
CONTINUED PROMPT:
Could you help me craft a 2 paragraph welcome email with a 10% discount for new customers for the 2nd hand furniture store?
AI-OUTPUT:
Absolutely, here's a possible email that you can use as a template:
Subject: Welcome to our Second-Hand Furniture Store - Claim your 10% Discount!
Dear [First Name],
Thank you for choosing our second-hand furniture store! We're excited to have you as a new customer, and we can't wait to help you find the perfect piece for your home. At our store, we offer a wide range of unique and affordable furniture items that are both sustainable and stylish. We believe that furniture should be loved and used for years, and we're passionate about making that possible for our customers.
To show our appreciation for choosing us, we would like to offer you a 10% discount on your first purchase. Simply use the code NEW10 at checkout to claim your discount. This offer is valid for one week from the date of this email, so be sure to take advantage of it soon. We also encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our latest arrivals, promotions, and events.
Thank you again for choosing our second-hand furniture store, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Best regards,
[Your Name] [Your Second-Hand Furniture Store Name]
Get customer feedback with AI.
For online businesses, at least most of them, returning customers are the lifeline that keeps the business running. However, too few stores ask for feedback from customers and miss valuable feedback on areas of improvement or strengths they should mention in their marketing.
You can use ChatGPT to come up with survey questions or even audit existing surveys for issues:
PROMPT:
Help to come up with a customer survey for our product. The survey should be no more than 8 questions and include at least NPS as one of the questions. The questions should be such that they give measurable results and can lead to actions.
AI OUTPUT:
Sure, here's a sample survey that includes NPS and focuses on actionable feedback:
How did you hear about our product?
How frequently do you use our product?
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague? (NPS question)
What do you like most about our product?
What do you think could be improved about our product?
Have you had any issues with our product? If yes, please describe.
How satisfied are you with our customer support?
Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about your experience with our product?
These questions cover key areas such as customer satisfaction, product features, potential issues, and customer support. The NPS question (#3) helps to measure overall customer loyalty and willingness to refer others to the product. By asking open-ended questions (#4-8), you can get specific feedback that can inform future product updates and improvements.
CONTINUED PROMPT:
What are possible issues we may encounter with the answers to this survey?
AI OUTPUT:
There are a few possible issues that you may encounter with the answers to this survey. Some of these issues include:
Bias: There is a risk of bias in the survey responses if the sample of respondents is not representative of your entire customer base. This could lead to inaccurate results and potentially skewed data.
Low response rates: If the survey response rate is low, the data may not be statistically significant enough to make informed decisions. This could limit the usefulness of the survey results.
Ambiguity: The survey questions may be interpreted differently by different respondents, leading to inconsistent or unclear responses.
Limited scope: The survey questions may not cover all aspects of your product or customer experience, leading to incomplete or inaccurate feedback.
Response bias: Some respondents may be more likely to provide positive or negative feedback, leading to an unbalanced or skewed set of responses.
CONTINUED PROMPT:
Can you redphrase the questions based on the 5 points you raised? Also, can you make the quantifiable questions have a scale?
AI OUTPUT:
Sure, here are some revised survey questions that attempt to address the potential issues I mentioned earlier:
Can you please indicate how you first learned about our product? (To mitigate bias by collecting information about how customers find out about the product.)
How often do you use our product? (To avoid ambiguity, this question is kept simple and straightforward.)
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague? (NPS question) (To mitigate response bias, this question should be phrased in a neutral way to avoid leading the respondent.)
How would you rate the ease of use of our product on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very difficult" and 5 being "very easy"? (To provide a clear scale for respondents to rate the ease of use of the product.)
How would you rate the value for money of our product on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very poor value" and 5 being "excellent value"? (To provide a clear scale for respondents to rate the value for money of the product.)
Have you experienced any technical issues with our product? If yes, how would you rate our response to the issue on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied"? (To provide a clear scale for respondents to rate the company's response to technical issues.)
How would you rate your overall satisfaction with our customer support on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied"? (To provide a clear scale for respondents to rate their satisfaction with the customer support.)
Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your experience with our product or customer service? (An open-ended question that encourages customers to provide more detailed feedback and can help capture additional feedback that may not have been covered by the survey.)
It is good to remember that the strengths of generative AI tools like ChatGPT lie in the vast pools of data it has and the way it creates content. It is excellent for creating ideas, giving suggestions, or writing short texts. However, be vigilant and understand the weaknesses of ChatGPT before using it to create content or help you with your marketing.
In the next blog, I will look at creative ways people have used AI to solve problems. Also, read my previous blog about 5 ways to use AI in your everyday life.