Tips on How to Use AI for Email Marketing Without Losing the Human Touch

We’re more than midway through 2024, and we have seen a lot of changes and newsworthy events that are changing how we live. One topic constantly on everyone’s radar is Artificial Intelligence and generative AI models, like ChatGPT and Elon Musk’s Grok. It seems that these technologies aren’t just a fad; they are disrupting markets and industries, redefining how people work and play.

Just take the case of OpenAI’s ChatGPT: it boasts over 180.5 million monthly users as of August 2024, and its Plus version pulls in 7.7 million monthly. ChatGPT’s appeal lies mainly in its reliable use cases—it’s used for content creation and curation, education and training, legal services, and healthcare, and we see its increasing use in marketing and advertising.  If you’re a business owner or a marketer, you’ll find AI and even generative AI to be the perfect technology of our times. 

How generative AI fits into marketing and advertising?

Generative AI is artificial intelligence that generates content based on user prompts. The content comes in different forms, such as text, video, images, audio, or software code. Generative AI works on machine learning models or deep learning models to simulate the learning and decision-making process of the human brain.

The model identifies and encodes patterns and relationships from a large data set and uses the information to fulfill user requests. Generative AI can now perform a variety of roles, including marketing and advertising. AI and generative AI can automate content creation and can be used to generate personalized marketing messages based on your customers' profiles and buying patterns. Also, you can rely on the technology for lead generation and nurturing customer relationships by providing solutions and answers to common questions.

So, it isn’t surprising that many business owners and marketers now integrate generative tools into their marketing toolboxes. But, as we dig deeper into popular generative AI tools like ChatGPT, it doesn’t take long to realize that this technology often delivers poor and inconsistent results, with some off-brand content that feels ‘amateurish’. Or worse, content made using generative AI usually appears inauthentic and forced, which you don’t want to happen when finding leads and nurturing relationships.

As a business owner, it’s crucial to recognize generative AI’s role in advertising and marketing—it’s a technology that saves time and improves your work, not completely replace it.

If you use generative AI for marketing, it’s important to retain that personal touch while enhancing the brand experience.

Using AI for email writing while retaining a human touch

AI fits perfectly into email marketing and advertising, and one way to do this is through writing email content. ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot are two AI tools you can use for this purpose, with the following potential features:

• Subject line generation
• Full email content for campaigns
• Use of default complaints
• Summarizing bulk messages
• Drafting outlines

In email marketing, content must reflect your brand’s identity and aspirations. There’s room for generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT in the overall process.

You can brainstorm your ideas first, then prepare the outline and draft. After completing the draft, you can refine and edit without using AI. At this point, you should personalize the content by integrating your values and brand voice.

Here’s an example of a ChatGPT response. Our prompt was to “Create a welcome email for a new customer who has signed up for the company's newsletter”.

The generated text is short and can work to welcome new community members. But you can still ‘humanize’ the content by tweaking and adding a few details to the content, such as:

• Include the customer’s name in the subject line.
• Add a short video or photo of some members of your growing community.
• The short video can be your welcome message to your new subscriber.
• Don’t forget to guide the customer on where to get more information about in your products and services.
• Use the business complete address.
• Finally, use a personalized email signature!

This example shows that generative AI tools like ChatGPT can help us write from scratch. But remember, don’t just use what the tool generates: it’s essential to edit the copy still and humanize it by adding a few personal touches!

Using AI analytics for your email marketing and advertising needs

Metrics are important in email marketing and advertising. Some of the crucial email metrics that marketers and business owners look for are open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and bounce rates. Marketers spend time and resources to achieve favorable numbers, which can make or break their marketing efforts. Fortunately, there are also generative AI tools that can help boost engagement metrics and grow conversion. By using these AI analytical tools often offered by a top email service provider, you can identify:

• The most engaged customers and the individuals that need re-engagement.
• Buying history and purchasing behavior of customers.
• Ideal times to connect with previous customers and potential leads.
• Specific segments of customers, based on their shared profile and demographics.

Analytics is crucial in email marketing, and AI simplifies the process. Using AI tools for analytics perfectly fits the strategy of a business owner facing a fast-paced environment and tight budget. Once specific data points have been identified, AI tools sort customer data and create email segments, allowing you to generate personalized content. For example, AI tools can identify new customers with the same passion and hobbies, allowing you to deliver targeted ads. And for customer service, customers get a personalized experience, boosting customer retention.

4 more tips on how to leverage AI in your email marketing

1. Use AI for inspiration, not to blindly automate your emails

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools make it easier for users to create content in seconds. For some owners who need instant results, it’s tempting to type a prompt and copy and paste the results into your newsletters or transactional emails. While convenient, it creates generic content that comes as cold and impersonal. Instead, you can use AI tools to generate ideas, rough drafts, and outlines. Make sure to edit the output of AI tools, customize it according to your branding and philosophy, and directly address your customers to ensure human connection.

2. Emails and messages should be relevant and personalized

AI-generated content can be cold and impersonal. If you’re using AI for email marketing, it’s okay to tweak the generated content and edit what AI gives you. In editing your content, you must remember your business branding and values and personalize them using the customer’s name and other data. 

3. Always fact-check your information

Remember, generative AI is just a tool, and you must remain on top of your marketing campaigns. Always find time to fact-check all generated information and ensure the content is accurate and updated before sending it in.

4. Generative AI tools are there to help improve existing strategies

Generative AI is your friend in improving and enhancing your marketing strategy, and many are recognizing its benefit. AI-generated content can improve but not replace your existing marketing strategies. Use AI tools to get inspiration. For example, instead of asking an AI tool to generate a ‘welcome email,’ ask for hooks or tips on how your email can appeal to your targeted customer.

Get results with AI for email marketing

Generative AI tools and technology are trending right now for the right reasons. They’re effective in making content generation more straightforward and convenient and simplifying analytics for business owners. However, it’s essential not to rely entirely on AI for content creation and marketing. Always make room for that ‘human touch’ and a personalized experience. Humans are after connection and relationships; spotting a half-hearted message or action is easy.