Digital Disruption: AI, Social Media, and You

Digital Marketing - Study Notes:

Digital Disruption: Ai, Social Media, and You

Digital disruption can be, well, disruptive. Some businesses might be nervous about the constantly evolving nature of the digital marketplace. And people may find it hard to keep up with the latest digital technologies. 
To understand the impact of digital disruption, we need to consider three key terms:

• Digital
• Digital awareness, and…
• Digital disruption

Digital refers to the use of electronic technologies to communicate or do business. These technologies include the internet, social media, email, mobile devices, apps, and online platforms. Today, marketers often refer to these technologies collectively as “digital channels”. Next… 

Digital awareness is the recognition of the opportunities that digital technologies offer. For example, a digitally aware business might start using online channels to communicate with their customers and advertise their products. This has led to the rise of ‘digital marketing’. And then… 

Digital disruption refers to the impact that these digital technologies are having on our lives. Digital technologies are changing how people interact with each other and how different industries do business. This has also led to the emergence of new business models driven by new or emerging digital technologies, which in turn can lead to new consumer journeys and revised customer expectations. 

In recent times, the two digital technologies that have arguably had the most impact on how organizations operate, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, are social media and artificial intelligence (or AI).

 ‘Social media’ is a catch-all term used to describe the tools and technologies that enable people to connect and interact over the internet. This can involve sharing posts, images, videos, or links to websites. People can also communicate directly with each other or with organizations on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Businesses, both large and small, not-for-profits, sports clubs, and charities for example, typically have a social media presence now.

Commercial organizations, whether their business model is business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), or direct-to-consumer (D2C), are now using social media platforms to build relationships with consumers, interact with their customers, advertise their products and services, and conduct business in general. This is known as ‘social media marketing’.
AI refers to the theory and development of computer systems that are able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. These tasks can include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation, among many other things.

A more recent development has been the emergence of ‘generative AI’. This refers to AI technologies that can create new content based on prompts in natural language, not code, that people enter into AI tools. ChatGPT is perhaps the best-known example of a generative AI tool. It draws on its massive data bank to generate answers to people’s questions.
Business are finding more opportunities to use AI technologies, such as automating tasks, drafting and summarizing content, and even communicating with customers. 
All this digital disruption has also had a considerable impact on consumers, giving them more power in the marketplace. 

Consumers now have access to vast amounts of online information and reviews. They can research thoroughly online and via social media before committing to a purchase. And they now have many ways of interacting directly with businesses. 

Also, because digital technologies enable businesses to gather huge amounts of data about their customers, consumers now expect a more personalize shopping experience. For example, they want to see ads and content that are relevant to them. And they expect fast responses to their queries or complaints. Cultivating this personal relationship with customers is a great opportunity for businesses to build a loyal customer base. 

AI is now making it even easier for consumers to search online. AI-driven personal assistants such as Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant have led to the emergence of ‘voice searches’ online. Consumers can now have an online shopping experience activated by voice commands, for example. And these can be integrated with their ‘smart home’ devices such as Google Home or Amazon Echo. This means that audio content has become increasingly important in digital marketing campaigns. 
Digital technologies bring several advantages to consumers, organizations, and businesses:

• They’re generally available any time. People don’t have to wait for a shop to open. 
• They’re usually available anywhere. Consumers don’t have to leave their home to shop. They can browse, research, and purchase while lying in bed!
• They enable faster interactions and faster transactions. Consumers can communicate directly with organizations and businesses. 
• They’re cheaper for both businesses and consumers. Business don’t have to invest in ‘bricks and mortar’ stores, and consumers don’t have to travel to shops or stores. Digital also enables businesses to become more efficient and cut costs. 
• With digital technologies, there’s a record trail. People can keep track of their purchases. And businesses can analyze customer behavior to help drive future marketing campaigns. 

There are a lot of changes in the digital environment, and it can be difficult for business to keep up. However, with digital disruption comes opportunities for both consumers and businesses. 

• Consumers can become more informed and empowered. And they can have more personalized shopping experiences. 
• Businesses can use data from consumers’ online and social media behavior to learn more about their customers. This enables them to make data-driven decisions, tailor their communications, and analyze their performance.