The Green Sheet Online Edition
April 28, 2025 • 25:04:02
Expedite your marketing efforts through AI
As an ISO owner, merchant level salesperson or other reseller in the payments biz, you understand the importance of content marketing to drive business and engage with existing and potential merchant clients. However, as you juggle your various responsibilities in managing your business operations, marketing may not make the top 10 on your to-do list. And if your organization is short on time or personnel, managing and implementing a successful marketing strategy can feel overwhelming.
Marketers are conditioned to create original marketing content, but given today's accelerated pace of innovation, you may not always have the time to develop original content.
That's where leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for marketing can help. Using AI for effective marketing involves automating repetitive tasks, analyzing data to enhance customer experience and grow business, and refining content creation for communications, social media, etc. – all while supporting brand consistency.
But if you're already swamped with running your business, how can you take on another responsibility? According to a study from ZDNet, "professionals using AI for marketing tasks reported freeing up over 5 hours per week, which is equivalent to over a month per year."
This has allowed them to use their time more strategically, focusing on big-picture projects to move business forward. So, let's look at how AI can save you time and money while improving your marketing prowess.
Content creation and optimization
Need to generate content for blog posts, newsletters or articles? AI tools like ChatGPT or Copy.ai can create high-quality content quickly, reducing production time from seven hours to under one. Simply input the subject matter, and the program will generate content in seconds.
Remember, AI isn't a replacement for innovative ideas and skilled writing; it's a launch pad where you can fine-tune content for accuracy and brand voice.
For SEO, AI tools like SurferSEO help refine content for search rankings and improve SEO and engagement.
We all know hiring a graphic designer can be costly. Luckily, great design tools are available to those who have little to no design experience and don't want to invest in expensive graphics software. Canva AI, for example, can help you create engaging and professional-looking graphics, collateral, presentations and audio visuals, as well as branding elements for individual or team users.
Email marketing automation
Email marketing remains a highly effective and necessary marketing tool; it consistently delivers a high ROI, with studies suggesting a return of $42 for every $1 spent. If you're using a content management system like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or the marketing tools within Shopify or HubSpot, you have AI functionality baked in. All platforms offer email personalization and automation.
These functions are based on predictability models, segmentation capabilities and scheduling models designed to increase interaction, re-engagement, as well as drive higher open and click-through rates – leading to more sales. And most platforms have built-in AI that auto-generates headers, sub headers and content to help you craft email campaigns at lightning speed.
Most platforms also offer drip campaign functionality, depending on your subscription. Drip campaigns are automated email campaigns that send a series of pre-written emails to subscribers over time, triggered by specific actions or events. They help to nurture leads, engage customers and drive conversions.
This sounds daunting, but once you set up the parameters, the system will do all the work and provide you with the analysis you need to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns (as well as justify the costs of using the platform).
Social media management
Social media marketing can feel like a massive, time-eating task. Yet it's unavoidable for many. However, it's also a terrific way to increase customer engagement. From creating a social media calendar to writing social posts and measuring results, it can feel like a never-ending battle to manage.
If you manage a professional account for Facebook and Instagram, free AI tools embedded in the Meta Business Suite can help with a range of social media marketing activities, including creating personalized content, analyzing social media engagement, scheduling tools and suggesting the best time and day to engage with your followers.
Other pay platforms like Hootsuite and HubSpot provide the same functionality but allow you to manage all your social media accounts in one automated platform. You can also generate hashtags and captions based on trends happening locally, globally and within your specific industry.
I enjoy using the AI tools in Hootsuite that create social media posts based on the calendar (holidays, historic events) which I can edit and customize to my liking before scheduling them. These tools are easy to use, help me generate content quickly, and free up my time for other strategic priorities.
Market research and analytics
With the vast amount of customer data you have in your systems, it can feel impossible for most people to extrapolate the data that's needed to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. It can also be difficult to find trends and insights when it comes to your customers and all the data you have on them.
AI-driven technologies like Google Analytics and HubSpot can help you improve your customer relationship management (CRM) programs by automating routine tasks like the preparation of customer data.
For example, you can use the AI tools in your CRM to analyze customer data and segment your customers based on specific behaviors, preferences, demographics, purchases, etc.
You can also use analytical tools to track campaign performance and help refine your message and strategy over time.
How to get started
Although the task might seem daunting, you can take small steps to get started with integrating AI tools into your marketing strategy. Begin by identifying your biggest marketing challenge – is it content creation, customer engagement or marketing analysis? Explore AI tools, especially those that provide limited trials or free versions of their platforms.
Free versions might not be as robust as their full-functionality versions, but they can help you determine if it's the right tool for your organization. Automate small tasks first, such as testing AI for email personalization, social media content or campaign analysis.
By automating repetitive tasks, analyzing vast amounts of data and delivering personalized experiences, AI can effectively reach and engage your target audience, saving you time and resources with greater potential of higher conversion rates and ROI. And if exploring AI tools still seems beyond your current capacities, an experienced marketing professional is always in the wings, ready to help you make sense of everything. 
As a seasoned marketing professional, Jaki Kackert has contributed to the success of organizations within the payments space and financial services sector and has helped brands, both big and small, create awareness and drive results through effective marketing strategies. Contact her at jbkackert@gmail.com.
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