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247: AI in Marketing Automation: Enhancing Customer Journeys with Host Kendra Corman · Imperfect Marketing

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Hey there and welcome back to another episode of Imperfect Marketing.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: It's Kendra, your host here, and I have a treat for you today.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Imagine if you could see the customer journey like Neo sees the matrix, every interaction, every touchpoint all laid out in front of you.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Well, with AI powered marketing automation, we're getting pretty close to that reality.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: So welcome to your introduction to AI-powered marketing automation in today's episode of Imperfect Marketing.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: So let's start with the basics.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: I want you to think of the customer journey like Frodo's quest to Mount Doom.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Right, it starts when they first hear about your brand that was leaving the Shire, continues through their research phase, battling orcs and making allies, their purchase, which is destroying the ring, and hopefully ends with them becoming a loyal raving fan, sailing off into the undying lands.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: And, just like Frodo had his fellowship, you've got AI to help you along the way, which is amazing.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: And for many of us, it sounds like it's a simple thing that we should do right, creating a customer journey map, and it's something that we feel like we inherently know and understand.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: But it's like a business plan you don't know what you don't know and until you map it out, you're missing out on a ton of value.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: If you've been listening for a while, you know that I care about the customer experience.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Now why should you care about the customer experience?
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Because understanding this journey is like having a GPS for your marketing efforts.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: It's going to help you know where to place those billboards, what to put on your website, how to turn that one-time buyer into a lifelong customer, and guess what?
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Ai is about to supercharge this whole process.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and walk through a customer journey for an online course creator who offers a podcast course for coaches and consultants.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: We'll call our course creator Alex just for fun, and her ideal customer is Emily Thompson.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: Let's start with the awareness stage.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Emily sees a targeted Facebook ad for Alex's podcast course while scrolling through her feed.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Maybe she hears Alex mentioned as a guest expert on one of her favorite marketing podcasts.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Emily noticed some of her peers in some coaching Facebook groups talking about Alex's course or Alex answering some questions about visibility.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Then Emily is moving into the interest state.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: She starts to visit the podcast course website, maybe reads a blog or a podcast about five reasons coaches need a podcast to grow their business.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: She signs up for a free webinar on how to start a podcast that attracts paying clients.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Then Emily receives a series of nurturing email with podcasting tips and success stories from other coaches who have taken the course.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: She follows Alex on LinkedIn and starts engaging with her content there.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Then Emily moves to the consideration stage.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: She downloads a free guide on podcasting equipment for coaches on a budget.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: She joins Alex's Facebook group for aspiring podcasters and starts engaging with the community.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Emily uses the chatbot on Alex's website to ask questions about the course curriculum and pricing.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: She watches the video testimonials from coaches who have completed the course and launched successful podcasts.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Then Emily moves to the intent stage.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: She books a free 15-minute consultation with Alex through an AI-powered scheduling tool.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: After the call, she receives a personalized video message from Alex addressing her specific concerns about starting her podcast.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: While managing her coaching business, emily starts to seriously consider the investment, calculating the potential ROI for her business.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: Then she moves to the evaluation stage.
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: Emily reviews detailed the course syllabus and compares it with other podcasting courses available.
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: She might reach out to a few coaches in Alex's Facebook group to ask about their experiences.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: Maybe she even goes so far to create a pro and con list, considering factors like time commitment, potential business growth and the course's alignment with her goals.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: She might discuss this investment with her spouse, weighing it against other business expenses.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: Then she moves to the purchase stage.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: She's convinced of the value and so she enrolls.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: She opts for the payment plan, making the investment a little bit more manageable.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: Immediately after purchase, she receives a personalized welcome video from Alex and access to the course platform.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: She receives daily encouragement messages and progress updates via a mobile app.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: She joins a small accountability group with other coaches taking the course and then she attends a live kickoff call with Alex and other new students.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Then it's the engagement stage.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: As Emily progresses through the course, she receives personalized content recommendations based on her learning style and interest.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: She actively participates in weekly Q&A sessions with Alex, getting her specific questions answered.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: She starts implementing what she's learning, setting up her podcast equipment and outlining her first few episodes.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: She shares her progress in the Facebook group, receiving encouragement and tips from her peers and Alex.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: Then the retention stage.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Emily successfully launches her podcast using the strategies learned in the course.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: She continues to engage with the community and is now offering advice to newer members.
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: She receives ongoing support through monthly group coaching calls with Alex.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: She gets invited to exclusive advanced workshops on topics like monetizing her podcast and using it to attract coaching clients.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Then she moves to the advocacy stage.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: She's thrilled with her results.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Emily shares her success story in a case study for Alex's website.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: She becomes an affiliate for the course, recommending it to her network of fellow coaches.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Emily invites Alex to be a guest on her new podcast, further cementementing the Relationship.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: She leaves a glowing review for the course and continues to actively engage in Alex's community.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: This is an ideal journey for Alex's clients.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: It's pretty cool, right.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: You really can see and feel how she moves through this process.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: And this might not be this might be more detailed than you need.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: It might be less detailed than you need, but it's pretty cool, right.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: You can do this for any product or service you sell.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about some of the cool AI tools that are reshaping customer journeys.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: These AI tools are like having your own personal tricorder from Star Trek.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: They can scan your customer's behavior, predict their needs and help you boldly go where no marketer has gone before.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: So let's start off and kick it off with chatbots and virtual assistants.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: Tools like MobileMonkey and ManyChat are changing the game in customer service.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: They are always on, always helpful and getting smarter by the day.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: It's like having a customer service army that never sleeps.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: I use ManyChat.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: It really helps me create automations in Facebook and Instagram with autoresponders on that platform when I'm not quite as present there, right?
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: And everybody wants an immediate response nowadays.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Now I know what you're thinking, kendra.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: This all sounds great, but does it actually work?
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: And this sounds like a lot of money, right?
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: So let me share a couple of success stories on AI automation.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: I know that there are a little bit bigger companies, but again, this stuff is available to us.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: So take Sephora, for example.
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: They used an AI powered chat bot to help customers find the perfect shade of foundation.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: Their result, based on my research an 11% increase in booking rates for makeover appointments.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: That's what I call putting your best face forward.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: Look at Netflix.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: They use AI to personalize everything from show recommendations to the artwork you see for each title.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: That's 75% of viewer activities driven by their recommendation system.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Talk about knowing what your customers want.
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: The best part is, while these are big brands, tools that were once cost prohibitive for smaller companies like ours are much more available to us.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: So be sure to take a look and make sure you're leveraging the tools that will make a difference for you and your teams.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: Now, it's not all sunshine and roses.
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: There's some potential pitfalls to watch out for.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: First, do not forget the human touch.
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: Ai is amazing, but it cannot replace genuine human connection.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: I want you to use it not to replace, but to enhance your personal interactions.
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: Second, be careful with data privacy.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: With great power comes great responsibility, so I want you to make sure you're being transparent about how you're using customer data.
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: And finally, don't get caught up in all the hype.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: Not every shiny new AI tool is right for your business.
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: I want you to always tie it back to your goal and remember your customers' needs.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: If you remember the movie Jurassic Park, when Dr Malcolm says your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should, powerful right.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: Well, the same applies to AI and marketing.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Just because we can automate everything doesn't mean we should.
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: So don't let your marketing become a T-Rex that's all power and no heart, because that will cost you business.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: Now, how do you get started with AI-powered marketing automation?
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Well, think about implementing AI in your marketing like assembling your own Avengers team.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: I want you to start with your goals, your Nick Fury.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: Audit your current journey.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: Find your superheroes right.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Start small.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Maybe you just recruit Iron man for now.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Choose your tools wisely.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: You want Thor, not Loki.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Keep testing and keep learning.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Low-key, keep testing and keep learning.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: Even the Avengers had to practice working together.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: So, taking out the analogy to the Avengers, start with your goals.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: What are you trying to achieve?
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: More sales, better customer retention.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: Let that guide your strategy, whether or not it'll include AI.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: If your brand voice is about personal connections, maybe AI doesn't belong in a lot of your customer service places, and that's okay.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: I want you to audit your current customer journey.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: Where are their pain points?
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: Where could things run smoother?
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: These are potential prime spots for AI intervention.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: I want you to smart small.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: You don't need to overhaul everything at once.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Pick one area like email personalization or Instagram autoresponders with many chat, and start there.
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: But I want you to choose your tools wisely.
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: Look for AI tools that integrate with your existing systems and align with your goals.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Test and learn.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: Okay, ai gets smarter over time, so be patient and keep refining your approach.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: There you have it.
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: Ai and marketing automation isn't just the future, it's the now.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: It's turning the customer journey from a bumpy road into a smooth superhighway.
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: The goal isn't to remove the human element from marketing and customer service and the customer journey.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: It's to use AI to make our human interactions more meaningful, more timely and more effective.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: So here's your homework.
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: I want you to take one aspect of your customer journey Maybe it's your welcome email series, your product recommendations.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: Brainstorm how AI can make that better.
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: Then share your ideas on social media with the hashtag AI customer journey and be sure to tag me at Kendra Corman or at Kendra Corman coach.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: Let's just see how creative we can get.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: If you learned something today, please rate and subscribe wherever you're listening or watching.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Until next time, have a great rest of your day.