The concept of artificial intelligence may seem like old news, and we get it - ”AI is going to take over the world and steal all of our jobs!" (insert scared face emoji here). Movies have been made and theories have been shared. But whether we like it or not, AI is a fast-growing industry, rapidly becoming the Internet's most informative, creative, and efficient tool.
Average daily social media usage is on the rise, and with it comes an increasing need for AI solutions to knowledgeably discern audience preferences. There is still so much to be learned about this seemingly all-knowing intelligence, the industry isn't slowing down anytime soon, and content creators all over the globe are starting to get wise to its capabilities. But if you're still on the fence about jumping aboard the speeding train we call AI, allow us to share with you some of the best ways that you can harness its power to improve your performance as a creator, influencer, businessperson, and/or casual social media user.
1. ChatGPT
One of the more popular forms of AI you've probably heard about is ChatGPT. ChatGPT is self-defined as an AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI, capable of generating human-like text based on context and past conversations. Or we can define it the way the guy sitting next to us in the coffee shop just did: "It's like a pet. It just wants to make you happy."
ChatGPT's knowledge spans from the dawn of the internet all the way up until 2021. It can rewrite your emails, explain metaphysics to you like you're five years old, or simply act as another search engine.
How can I use it as a social media guru?
When it comes to social media, ChatGPT can quickly become your best friend. Do you have a client with a lot of the same talking points that quickly become monotonous in your copywriting? ChatGPT is great at taking any core concepts you give it and generating masterfully worded, exciting content that will capture your audience's attention. You can be as specific or as vague as you'd like, but just remember: ChatGPT is only as helpful as the prompts you give it and nothing it produces should be regarded as hard facts until verified.
2. Image Generation (DALL-E, Midjourney, etc.)
The concept of AI-generated images produces both fear and inspiration in the minds of social media creatives. On one hand, it can appear as a threat to individuality and artistic expression. On the other, it can also open up a whole new world of possibilities, especially when it comes to people who struggle to create a visual that matches their idealized concept.
According to Forbes, Text-to-image AI models like DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have been revolutionizing the way visual content is created. These systems use machine learning algorithms to create images from a text description or even to generate new variations of existing images.
How can I use it as a social media guru?
For social media creators, AI image-generators can be great for creating assets that your brand lacks or has yet to acquire. If you just can't nail down a photo from your client's image library that fits your vision, try AI image generation instead.
For example, if you want photos of specific people doing a specific task on a specific holiday, you can generate them. If you want to know what your corporate office building would look like in the year 3084, you can generate that. If you want to know what a Barbie dreamhouse in every U.S. state would look like (which you do), you can literally do that and share it with your audience. The possibilities are endless and tons of very successful brands are already implementing this method into their creative strategy. (One thing to note: Some AI-generated images come out a little bit strange ” especially if the image is of a human ” so be sure to check for extra teeth, fingers, etc. before posting your creation!)
3. Influencer Marketing
By now, most of us are aware of the term influencer, but for those uninitiated, an influencer is someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. Businesses have been leveraging the market influence of powerful people for decades and now, in the era of the online influencer, brands are finding immense success in paying notable individuals to promote their product/service on social media.
That said, some rather notable challenges have presented themselves in the age of social media. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, Around 67% of brands are concerned with influencer fraud [when influencers use dishonest methods, like buying followers, to inflate their influence], and almost 30% of marketers have difficulties measuring the ROI of their campaigns. Other common issues include finding the right influencers and knowing the appropriate compensation.
With such a highly saturated market, how can brands be sure they are making prudent decisions that will benefit their business?
The answer: artificial intelligence.
How can I use it as a social media guru?
Artificial intelligence has the power to recognize even the smallest signs of fraud in a person's account. From poor account ratios to abnormal spikes in followers, AI can easily spot suspicious behavior in a potential influencer's account and help you steer clear of any fraudulent activity.
AI can also help you feel confident that your money is being spent well in the right places. It will help you identify the best influencers, best platforms and best audiences for your product/service, thus helping you create a pathway for optimal return on investment.
If you want to make sure you are getting the biggest bang for your buck from influencer marketing partnerships, check out platforms like Grin, Influencity, Find Your Influence, Influsoft, CreatorIQ (influencermarketinghub.com).
4. Audience Management and Support
AI is changing the way we do social media through audience management and support. It's doing what humans can't, which is constantly being there for everybody all at once. Because social media has made businesses and other users more accessible, it can be a challenge to keep up with and personalize responses to customer inquiries and comments. One of the most popular methods of utilizing AI for audience management and support is by way of social media chatbots. These are primarily used to provide immediate assistance to customers 24/7.
How can I use it as a social media guru?
If you recognize a common question or concern that exists in your audience's minds, you might consider setting up a chatbot. This handy tool can help you mitigate overbearing customers with complaints and a thousand questions by weeding through comments, direct messages, and chat rooms. Thankfully, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp all have chatbot functionality built into their system to make answering direct messages easier.
If you're using a platform without capabilities, however, there are some third-party platforms that are there to help. Among their top recommendations, Forbes suggests HubSpot Chatbot Builder, Intercom, and Drift.
5. Data Analysis
One of the more time consuming and daunting tasks that social media specialists are tasked with these days ” especially if you are working on a small team ” is processing and analyzing data. Luckily AI has entered the chat, and is now a powerful tool when it comes to generating insights, automating processes, delivering predictions, and driving actions that lead to high quality outcomes. Now we can not only understand what happened, but also why, what might be likely to happen next, and what could potentially happen if a specific action or course is taken. All thanks to AI.
How can I use it as a social media guru?
Content creation tools, apps, and platforms like Hootsuite, Flick, Brandwatch, and Socialbakers (plus a slew of others) are starting to implement AI tools into their platforms. These tools typically help social media managers with tasks like figuring out optimal posting times, smart scheduling options, and integrations with ChatGPT to produce natural language summations of data sets.
Our Greatest Tool
At the end of the day, artificial intelligence is more than just a concept that will take years for people to come around to. It's happening NOW, and is undoubtedly the future of content creation, research, social media monitoring, and so much more. What's even more fascinating is that the more people embrace AI and use it, the more it learns every day.
The question on everyone's minds right now is: will AI replace social media marketing and graphic design jobs?
Mike Maynard of Forbes doesn't think so. He says, Don't fear AI. Embrace it as a tool.
AI doesn't have to threaten anyone's livelihood or unique purpose in life. Some marketers might be hesitant to use AI for fear it will rip away all individuality and creativity, but that won't be the case if we can all collectively figure out a way to leverage it to make our jobs and lives easier, more efficient, and more productive.
The fact is that AI complements our creativity and skills, becoming a vital partner in our digital journeys. It empowers us to reach new heights, uncover hidden opportunities, and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of social media and digital marketing. As we continue to integrate AI into our workflows, we must remember that it's not here to replace us but to amplify our potential. By embracing AI as an ally and harnessing its capabilities, while preserving our unique human touch, we can look forward to a future where technology and creativity coexist harmoniously, ultimately delivering even more extraordinary experiences to our audiences.
Don't believe us? Just ask ChatGPT it wrote that last paragraph.
Are you feeling behind when it comes to AI? Don't worry! Here at Random, we're already becoming experts on how to integrate AI into our workflow to help our clients keep winning. Reach out below to find out how we can help you, too!
Check out more examples of brands using AI here:
BMW Projected AI-Generated Art Onto Its Cars for New Campaign
