Using AI-assisted content in marketing has become increasingly popular over the years, as it can help businesses create and distribute content more efficiently and effectively. Here are some of the benefits, pros, cons, hopes, fears, and best practices associated with using AI-assisted content in marketing:

Benefits:

1. Time and cost savings: AI can automate many aspects of content creation, such as research, writing, and editing, which can save businesses a lot of time and money.
2. Increased personalization: AI can analyze data on customer behavior and preferences to create more personalized content that is more likely to resonate with your target audience.
3. Improved accuracy: AI can help identify errors in your content, such as spelling and grammar mistakes, and suggest corrections to ensure that your content is error-free.
4. Better SEO: AI can help you optimize your content for search engines, by analyzing keywords and providing insights into how to improve your content’s visibility.

Pros:

1. Efficiency: AI can help businesses create and distribute content much more quickly and efficiently than humans can.
2. Consistency: AI can ensure that your content is consistent in tone, style, and formatting, which can help reinforce your brand identity.
3. Flexibility: AI can generate content in a variety of formats, including text, images, and video, which can help you create content for different channels and platforms.

Cons:

1. Lack of creativity: AI-generated content can sometimes lack the creativity and originality that human-generated content can offer.
2. Limited nuance: AI may not be able to capture the subtle nuances of language and culture that can make a piece of content truly compelling.
3. Dependence on technology: Businesses that rely too heavily on AI-generated content may find themselves vulnerable to technological glitches or failures.

Hopes:

1. Increased engagement: AI-generated content has the potential to increase engagement by creating content that is more relevant and personalized to the audience.
2. Better ROI: By increasing efficiency and reducing costs, AI-generated content can help businesses improve their return on investment.
3. New insights: AI can help businesses uncover new insights into their target audience’s behavior and preferences, which can inform future content creation efforts.

Fears:

1. Job loss: There is concern that widespread adoption of AI in content creation could lead to job losses for writers, editors, and other content creators.
2. Ethical concerns: There are ethical concerns around the use of AI in content creation, particularly around issues of bias and manipulation.
3. Lack of authenticity: There is concern that AI-generated content may lack the authenticity and humanity that can make content truly compelling.

Best Practices:

1. Use AI as a tool, not a replacement: While AI can automate many aspects of content creation, it should be used as a tool to support and enhance human creativity, not replace it.
2. Test and refine: Businesses should continually test and refine their AI-generated content to ensure that it is resonating with their target audience.
3. Monitor for bias: Businesses should monitor their AI-generated content for bias and take steps to address any issues that arise.
4. Focus on quality: While AI can help create content more efficiently, businesses should not sacrifice quality for quantity. High-quality content is still essential for engaging and retaining audiences.

AI-assisted content has become a popular tool in marketing, providing numerous benefits such as time and cost savings, increased personalization, improved accuracy, and better SEO. 

While there are pros and cons associated with AI-generated content, businesses should use it as a tool to enhance human creativity and continually test and refine their content to ensure it resonates with their audience. Ethical concerns around the use of AI-generated content should also be monitored, and businesses should focus on creating high-quality content that is authentic and resonates with their audience. 

As AI technology continues to advance, businesses that can effectively integrate it into their marketing strategies will have a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Overview

Apple has officially launched their new map interface called Apple Business Connect or ABC. Direct from Apple – “Apple Business Connect makes it easy for customers to find your business using Apple Maps. Take control of how your business is seen. Create a place card that is accessible to everyone around the world who uses Apple devices and built-in apps — with directions, contact information, and actions built right in.”  Source: Apple

While this looks like a rebrand to most users, we’re here to tell you what you need to know about this update, and how your team at YPC Media is here to help you.

Apple has always had map features and the ability to claim your listings. But now, there are more customizations available to help you reach your customers. Here are some of the new tools you can expect:

New Features

Customizable Place Cards

• Photos, Headers, Logos & Hours

Showcases

• Think Google Posts

Customer CTA (Call-to-Action) buttons

• Appointment booking
• Call or chat with the business
• Ordering food or groceries through Instacart
• Making a reservation through OpenTable
• Booking a hotel through Booking.com 
• Buying tickets, and more!

Insights

You’ll be able to see what people searched for before tapping your location and well as insights on your Place Cards.

What do you need to do?

YPC Media customers can check with their dedicated account manager and review their listing. They can assist you in customizing it and enhancing your profile for the best Local Search results and review insights.

Any business owner can claim their profile by going here: businessconnect.apple.com. We recommend giving it the same care you do to your other listings! Including continuous updates, monitoring and reviewing your insights. 

Image Source: Apple

It has never been more important to leverage the power of video. Videos take up more than 82% of online content. Consumers are 90% more likely to watch a video on a product than read about it, and are  significantly more likely to convert because of a video on social media. And then there’s the SEO benefits of including video on your website as well.  

Simply put, no longer can we look at brands who use video enviously yet helplessly. We have to figure out a way to make video if we want to survive. Take a videography class – Hire a freelancer if that’s what it takes. Every brand needs video content.

But you’re no award-winning film producer. And honestly, you don’t care to be. All you want to do is generate more qualified leads for your business.

The good news is, you don’t need to turn your office into a Hollywood Studio to take advantage of video content that generates leads. These five simple tactics can increase your brand reach and awareness without taking too much time away from what you do best.

1. Introduce Your Team

It’s okay to be human. More than ever, our customers want to learn about who we are as people – even see what our daily lives look like. Authenticity is still a trend, so why not just be you? You know those team members you have who do a lot of work behind the scenes, but rarely get noticed? Feature them on your social media accounts – get them on camera talking about why they love their job, sure, but also their families, dogs, favorite hockey team, whatever – have fun with it!

Do you really think another call or email reminding them who you are will push them over the edge and into conversion? Maybe, or it might push them over the edge into the “I’ve had enough of you” stage.  Social media account takeovers are great ways to incorporate content featuring your employees. Remember, stories and reels are especially effective here. A good rule of thumb to remember is that if you’re enjoying creating it – your audience will most likely enjoy watching it.

You do need to be sure to not take this strategy too far, of course. Sound marketing practices remind us that talking about ourselves is not always content our audience will care about. After all, we need to provide value to consumers. However, touching a little on the human side with introduction and employee spotlight videos are a good supplement to your everyday content. They bring the human side out a little, and we all love to see that.

2. Personalized Lead Generation

You’re relentlessly chasing your hot leads – convert them with personalized videos! You know you’re close with a lead – they’re very interested…. but they’re dragging their feet. Sound familiar?

Personalized videos are a great way to convert a lead who is near the bottom of the sales funnel. It doesn’t have to take an overwhelming amount of time or effort, and we suggest you have a template of sorts already saved. Provide a value proposition, present your pitch in a condensed way that forms a brief video, and begin to show why what you’re providing will work.

Sending a video that your lead knows was created specifically for them will absolutely get their attention in the midst of the constant stream of marketing calls and emails their getting daily.

3. User Generated Content

It sounds too good to be true for marketers who don’t want to spend a lot of time creating video. Video that’s created for you – it’s as simple as that!

User Generated Content is extremely shareable on social media. It is also minimal time and effort on your end. Focusing your social media strategy on sharing content rather than creating it is one way to engage with other social media users as well as keep your feeds fresh and interesting.

There’s a fine line here. You don’t want to just share everything and not have any content unique to your brand. However, what you can do it put others to work FOR your brand.

One of the best ways to do this is to solicit testimonial videos. Much like you ask for Google Reviews, identify some of your most satisfied clients and ask them to record a quick (doesn’t have to be longer than 20-30 seconds) testimonial video on their phone. Take that video, place some branding over it such as your logo or other information, and there you go! An efficient way to leverage your clients to create content for you that is also original to you.

4. Record Video at Every Company Gathering

Similar to our first tactic, giving your brand a personality and identity also scores you points in the authenticity game. Another simple way to take advantage of this trend is to record video at every office event. Having a company party? Doing community service together? It all brands you as a fun loving, giving company. (Within reason of course – don’t share anything that won’t make you proud of who you are or is off brand)

The benefits here include not only company branding but also saving your time and effort. You’re having the party anyway, so there’s no set up. If you don’t have the equipment or don’t feel proficient recording video on your phone, take some pictures and make a slideshow at the very least.

Don’t let another company event go by without taking advantage of the postable moments.

5. Link Everything Together

Videos don’t ultimately put money in your pocket. (Unless that’s your business, of course) However, a video is an engine to the next step in the funnel. So, make it as easy for your viewer as possible.

One effective way to do this is by placing a clickable link in your lead generation or pitch video to your sales rep’s calendar. While you cannot embed clickable links in .MOV or .MP4 files, you can through YouTube or on your social media channels.

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