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Artificial intelligence is now allowing many marketers to take a backseat on tasks they used to dislike. AI tools like ours are managing ad campaigns, automatically completing A/B testing, and optimizing targeting and bidding. For those who have struggled in the past and have not had the time to delve into metrics and make constant changes to ad campaigns, now is the time to take advantage of this new technology.
Despite the AI revolution, some businesses are still struggling with advertising creatives. The good news is, AI can now help with this task too. On both Facebook and Google, there are AI systems we can use either on the platforms or through third-party websites to let technology generate our creatives.
With regards to advertising, there are many problems with humans writing creatives and generating fresh ads. Humans tend to struggle to make good ads. Here are just some of the common issues:
In most cases, humans actually get in the way of a good ad. While some people have one of the faults above, others have multiple faults which can lead to an ad that doesn’t resonate with our target audience.
We know that experienced advertisers will challenge this statement. This just reinforces that humans don’t like to take criticism. Not only do machines not care about criticism, but they also continue learning and only have one aim. Their aim is to generate creatives that bring results. They don’t have an ego, they don’t hear what people are saying, they aren’t influenced in any way, and they don’t miss details. We set the parameters, and the machines will always learn while remaining inside our guidelines.
Before we look at the ways we can use AI on Facebook and Google, here are three of the biggest advantages of investing in this area.
What is considered a ‘great’ ad? Some people will like an ad you create while others won’t like it so much. Humans might disagree, but machine learning models only care about hitting the ROAS and CPA targets. If a campaign reaches these targets, it’s considered a great ad.
It’s also important to consider how ads and campaigns interact with one another too. Machine learning and AI allows for variation and creates a selection of approaches. Over time, machine learning learns what works and what doesn’t. This process is much easier and more accurate when done using AI.
Speed is the one thing that generates a competitive advantage.The quicker we act and react, the better position we have to utilize industry trends. Thankfully, AI and machine learning optimize campaigns in real-time (saving us significant portions of time). We would need to assess the analytics, generate insights from the statistics, and then act. In a fraction of the time, new tools achieve the same thing (and the insights are likely to be more accurate too!).
With dynamic ads on Facebook, we supply the different aspects of an ad and technology decides on the best combination in every situation. We no longer have to perform extensive testing and go through months of optimization in this area. Instead, artificial intelligence decides on the creative.
Marketers are looking for low cost as well as quality and speed. Businesses can save money in several ways after implementing AI and machine learning. For example, the first saving comes with the reduced need for a designer. With AI, we pay less for creative production and don’t need as many reviews and manager briefs. In addition, data analysis is also automated, which will save plenty of hours in the office and now means staff members can spend their time elsewhere.
What features have Google and Facebook introduced to supply advertisers with AI and machine learning?
We mentioned dynamic ads on Facebook, and Google which now has introduced something similar in responsive search ads. After uploading variations of your ad, the platform will test them automatically and choose the best creative for each search query. According to some statistics, businesses can experience 15% more clicks using this technology.
To start, all you need to provide is business locations, ad budget, and an ad creative. From here, Google will deliver your advertisements across not only Search but also YouTube and Google Maps. For those with physical stores, this is a great way to pull the locals in. A prospective consumer can open Google Maps, search for a local service, and find your business. The number of people performing ‘near me’ searches is always increasing, so it makes sense to reach out to these people (especially on mobile devices).
Those advertising on YouTube recently received a helping hand with Maximize Lift. Using machine learning, the idea is to boost awareness, ad recall, and favorability when advertising on the platform. How does it do this? By automatically adjusting ad bids. Some people are interested in more KPIs than just views and impressions, and this machine learning tool caters to this audience.
The AI and machine learning tools provided by Facebook and Google are useful, but you can complement these tools with some technology of your own. As far as creatives are concerned, it’s time to take the pressure off our shoulders and lean into this modern technology. Here’s our advice:
In the past, we would set up review committees and have all sorts of employee collaboration with the ad creation process. Instead, now is the time to minimize the number of people involved in this process. Focus on quality team members and set them up with an automated AI optimization tool. The AI tool is controlled by just a couple of people and there’s no conflict over the ‘best’ settings to implement. Decision-making is also made by one or two people who truly understand what you’re trying to achieve.
While small businesses will use one person, a larger company might create a small department with an analyst, marketer, and designer. The more people you introduce, the messier the system becomes.
Google and Facebook both have great AI features, but some third-party services will make your life much easier. You'll have everything you need at the touch of a button. Machine learning and artificial intelligence models continually improve targeting, bidding, and A/B testing for creatives.
We’ve spoken to many marketers who want to develop the ‘perfect’ ad. However, this doesn’t exist. Isn’t it better to have a portfolio of ads you can test and flick between as the market evolves? As long as you understand the buyer persona, you then need to consider how it changes over time and how this should reflect on your creatives.
It’s the end of an era, there are now machines that help to create, test, and implement our ad creatives. Be open to new technologies and consider external AI tools to help all aspects of your ad campaigns. When you do this, you save the business a lot of time, create ads that resonate, and strengthen yourself against the competition. Facebook and Google use AI and machine learning tools, but there’s no reason why you can’t implement your own solutions simultaneously.
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