This month we wrapped another successful Co-Lab event in Seattle. Co-Hosted with our friends at Project Bionic, Co-Lab has been an answer to a call for connection and community in a post-COVID professional environment. In response to a call for connection and guidance from marketing thought leaders, our Co-Lab events aim to revitalize and empower an entire industry, sending them back to their desks and teams with new tools, and motivation, for the work.
Opinions on Artificial Intelligence
We heard from event attendees that people approached the conversation at Co-Lab about AI technology feeling one of two ways: 1) enthusiastic and motivated to adopt new technology into their workflow or 2) anxious or uncomfortable utilizing the new technology effectively. Both sides are valid in their perception and help us to understand how we may continue the conversation and move through these changes in our industry. We heard from many people after the event that inspiration from our speakers made them more confident in embracing AI tools.
Our speakers and panelists spent the day addressing marketers of either mind:
Amy Balliett, CEO and author of Killer Visual Strategies, spoke specifically about her favorite AI tools that have helped her to optimize her content development workflow, such as the beloved Canva, but also sophisticated tools like Jasper.ai.
At one point, Amy addressed the crowd directly and said that as marketers we all must accept that AI is here and already ingrained in our environment, both at work and in our everyday lives. For example, the Instagram algorithm has harnessed this technology in order to deliver a bespoke content feed to each and every user; like bridal content while you are planning a wedding and then family content once you are married. We have also seen this at the Amazon.com checkout when a specific sweater size is recommended to you based on your previous purchases and aggregated comments on how the garment fit them. The faster we get at recognizing it and the opportunity to implement AI tools, the more effective marketers we can be.
Lawrence Lerner, Founder and Managing Partner at LERNER Consulting, spoke to utilizing AI more effectively through querying and asking AI to think deeply. He says that one of the greatest learning curves with AI tools is understanding how to effectively ask the AI for what you want, what may be the most intuitive may not always be the most effective.
Build Strong Brand Foundations
During the conference, Ron and Brianna presented on crafting compelling content. Instead of focusing on social media posts or blogs (which is more of the result), they reminded the audience that finding your differentiators by doing research first, and developing strong brand messaging is the best way to easily create content that will compel your audience to move in your desired direction. It is nearly impossible to create strong content if you don’t know your differentiators or what your audience thinks about your company.
Hansen Belyea feels that the future of marketing is not just AI. Instead it needs YOU to understand and think about how to position your company, and learn how to embrace AI as a helpful tool. Just like with the advent of computers and social media, we will have the opportunity to get ahead by being early adopters of the technology and learn how to efficiently use the tools in ways that enhance our business and outcomes for our clients.
We would love to hear from you if you have questions about developing content that compels your audience.