Let’s Get Real About AI for Digital Marketing.
After eight years of running my own seven-figure digital marketing consultancy, I felt detached from the actual marketing technology I love working with. This blog is my way of reconnecting with the innovation that brought me to Silicon Valley in the first place.
What To Expect From This Space
1. AI. For Digital Marketing. That’s It.
Self-explanatory, I hope. No interest in discussing anything else in this space. You can find me on Twitter or LinkedIn for that.
2. Learn Out Loud, In Public.
That’s why I’m doing this. AI is evolving too fast to learn in private. Let’s all help each other figure out the glorious future together.
3. Tech Problems are People Problems.
My point of view is that technology should help human beings, not replace them. In this specific case, if the technology is not making the lives of the humans using it easier; it’s not of interest to me. Most business problems are people problems; so I don’t explore and write about tech that doesn’t help people first. (that’s why I have an owl in the image above. I am the child again, with AI as my tool.)
4. Focus on the practical.
I have more than 20 years of experience in marketing analytics(determining whether marketing actually delivers on ROI) and marketing tool/stack selection. I advise some of the world’s great tech companies in these areas. So I don’t like tools for the sake of tools. If the technology isn’t contributing to the bottom line of business, it shouldn’t be used. It can make things faster, cheaper, and easier; but it can also be a chaotic, money-losing distraction. I have a bias towards tools that deliver obvious returns on investment.
5. Ethics and Privacy Matter.
Since 2015 I have been trying to raise the alarm about the misuse of personally identifying information, unethical targeting techniques, and fraud in the digital marketing space. From the experience I have advising some of the world’s best marketers, I know it’s possible to do great digital marketing and still not invade people’s privacy or break the law. So of course I have a bias against shady tools. But I also think shady people are an indicator of a shady product. I won’t believe your tool is good if you aren’t treating people well.
6. These Are My Personal Opinions
I have a digital marketing consultancy, and I also co-chair the committee for privacy and ethics for the Digital Analytics Association. I do not speak on behalf of any other person involved with either of those two organizations.
7. Be Quick And Early To Reap Rewards
My goal is to write at a minimum every week on a new tool or idea. I know that your support and engagement will provide the best motivation possible to continue. So I want you to share in the rewards of being in early on this idea. The first 20 subscribers to this blog who comment and share any Down To Earth post on Twitter (and tag me) get a free one-hour marketing AI consult session for your company. The first 100 subscribers will get a prize too. More to come.
8.My Policy About The Use of AI (updated April 2023)
If I use AI to generate content on this blog, it will be disclosed fully, up front. Unless there’s a compelling reason not to, I will always share the prompts I used to generate the content. I am using AI to help me with social media post creation and scheduling, and I use AI regularly to edit sections of my posts as well as for brainstorming and outline refinement.
