What We Have Been Doing Since Social Media Marketing World February 2024
After visiting San Diego earlier this year for Social Media Marketing World 2024, the team at MJ2 hit the ground running with all the new insights and strategies we learned. Here is what we have been doing.
Partnering with AI
“AI will take tasks, not jobs.”
We have embraced the disruption and started to use AI as a tool to help improve productivity and achieve better results. Chris Penn highlighted that AI is enabling businesses to complete 12% more tasks, with tasks being finished 25% faster on average, and 40% of these tasks achieving higher-quality results. We had to ask ourselves, “What are our problems, and how can AI help us solve them?” not “We need to use AI.”
AI works on logic and doesn’t differentiate between good and bad input data. This means our people and how we are using AI tools are more important than ever. So how do we use AI? We have been developing AI personas and training ChatGPT using our clients’ brand, voice, and goals, layered with data and best practices. This “art of prompting” helps get the most out of the tool and provides the quality our team and clients expect from our work.
At MJ2 Marketing, we understand the importance of staying at the forefront of innovation in our industry and have incorporated AI into our suite of tools to help us classify, ideate, draft, optimize, research, simplify and so much more. While we believe AI has the potential to transform the digital marketing landscape, at the end of the day, it is our people who make the real difference.
Being Authentic + Consistent
“Your ‘from’ line matters more than your subject line.”
We learned that in this new era dominated by AI, we need to be even more human. Ann Handley emphasized the ROR= Return on Real and the value of authenticity.
With lower barriers to content creation with AI tools like ChatGPT, there’s a risk of overwhelming audiences with mediocre, indistinguishable material. If content lacks a genuine understanding of your brand and audience, it won’t effectively support your business goals. Rather, we prioritize authenticity in content and ad campaigns, training individuals to represent their brands truly and effectively. Real images and heartfelt posts will always resonate more than generic AI alternatives.
As we navigate new trends and platforms, maintaining the consistency of our clients’ brand voices and messaging is crucial. This consistency forms the foundation of trust and recognition, guaranteeing that our audience receives a consistent and clear message of our identity and values, no matter where they find us.
Doubling Down on Good Content (SEO)
“Maybe AI isn’t a tool. It’s our cognitive collaborator.”
Algorithms matter, but they ultimately prioritize quality content. Instead of fixating on the rules, concentrate on creating content that resonates with your audience, as this approach consistently delivers results.
Google doesn’t care if something is written by us or AI. It cares about the final product and its quality. We learned to focus on positive sentiments, minimize fluffy intros, be concise but descriptive, and minimize pronouns and analogies, as the bots don’t understand more complicated structures… yet.
Optimizing Audiences + Conversion Tracking
“We were the algorithm.”
AI has also taken over the paid media platforms we use daily. We began to put more trust in the algorithms to improve deliverability. The new Advantage+ targeting options in Meta focus less on targeting inputs and improve deliverability. The micro-targeting of the past has become less effective, and AI now uses data from past conversions, pixel data, previous interaction and remarketing to get better and better results.
Performance goals are the new targeting. Rather than focusing on traffic and engagement optimizations, we prioritize conversion-based goals to improve the quality of traffic (users likely to purchase, users likely to complete a specific action.) Thank you, Jon Loomer.
Testing, Testing, Testing
“Failure is essential in growth.”
We have always said that one of our favorite things about the digital world is the ability to test and pivot quickly. This is even more true today. Learning what doesn’t work is just as important as knowing what does. We don’t shy away from trying new strategies and believe that it is ok if it doesn’t work because that provides us with even more data and information about what will work.
Developing Policies
“If you don’t change, you become extinct.”
As we bring on new tools and processes, we are developing policies that ensure responsible use of AI aligning with ethical standards and legal requirements to protect our agency and clients. These policies help mitigate risks associated with data privacy and security, preventing misuse of sensitive information. Additionally, clear AI guidelines foster transparency and trust with our clients, demonstrating a commitment to integrity in digital practices. Implementing these policies also promotes consistency in AI applications, ensuring that all team members use these powerful tools effectively and appropriately. Ultimately, well-crafted AI policies not only safeguard the agency but also enhance its capability to deliver innovative and efficient solutions.
Getting More Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
“Disruptions = Opportunity”
Disruption can intimidate marketers, reshape consumer behavior, and jeopardize our work. However, Michael Stelzner emphasizes that “disruption” can also present opportunities. The transitions from television to streaming, radio to podcasts, and the rise of social media with its free content and delivery channels illustrate how disruptions in various industries have ultimately benefited us all. We need to “recode our thinking” and stop thinking “what works today will work tomorrow.”
This is only a piece of what we learned at #SMMW24. We are committed to innovation and will continue to find solutions that deliver results for our clients.
Looking forward to #SMMW25!