New research shows that marketers aren’t using generative AI as much as they could be. Marketing applications rank surprisingly low on the list of popular uses of AI.
Marc Zao-Sanders’ Top-100 Gen AI Use Case report reveals that while people are increasingly using AI for personal assistance, marketing tasks such as creating ads and social media content are at the bottom of the list.
Personal uses dominate while marketing applications lag behind
THE research analyzed how people use Gen AI based on online discussions.
The results show a shift from technical to emotional applications over the past year.
The three main uses now are:
- Therapy and companionship
- Organization of life
- Find a purpose
Zao-Sanders observes:
“The results highlight a marked shift from primarily technical and productivity-focused use cases to applications focused on personal well-being, life organization and existential exploration. »
Meanwhile, marketing uses rank much lower:
- Advertising/Marketing Copy (#64)
- Writing Blog Posts (#97)
- Social Media Copy (#98)
- Social Media Systems (#99)
This gap shows that marketers have not fully harnessed the potential of Generation AI.
Why the adoption gap exists
Why aren’t marketers using Gen AI more? There are several reasons for this.
Many marketers may have misjudged how people are using AI, Zao-Sanders suggests in the report:
“Most experts expected AI to prove itself first in technical areas. While it does a lot in those areas, this research suggests that AI can help us as much or more in responding to our human whims and desires.”
Research also shows that users got better at writing prompts. They also better understand the limitations of AI.
Learn from top-ranked apps
Marketers can learn from what makes the top uses of AI so popular:
- Emotional connection: People like AI that feels personal and supportive. Marketing tools could be more conversational and empathetic.
- Organization of life: People use AI to structure tasks. Marketing tools could focus more on organizing workflows rather than just creating content.
- Improved learning: Users value AI as a learning tool. Marketing applications could highlight how they help develop skills.
One marketing-related use that ranked higher was “Generate Ideas” at #6. This suggests that brainstorming might be a better entry point than final content.
Here are some quotes from the report on how marketers are using gen AI tools:
“I use it to determine the problems in certain industries, then brief them on what I’m selling, then have them create lists, PowerPoint templates, and cold email/call scripts that specifically explain how my product solves them.”
“Case studies. Just grabbed some bullet points of what we did, some connections and metrics we want to focus on. Done. (Reports) used to take days to do. Now it’s 95% complete in 2 minutes.”
“I record a Zoom call where I discuss each of the points. We send the Zoom video to be transcribed into Word. Then I paste it into ChatGPT with a prompt like: ‘convert this conversation into an 800 word blog for marketing to (x target market)'”
Practical steps for marketers
Based on these findings, here’s what marketers can do:
- Focus on the personal benefits of AI tools, not just productivity.
- Study the right prompts. The report includes examples of effective prompts that you can adapt.
- Connect personal and professional uses. Tools useful in both contexts are more popular.
- Users are concerned about data privacy. Be transparent about how you protect their information.
Looking to the future
The report’s author, Marc Zao-Sanders, concludes:
“Last year I made the correct, but rather wishy-washy, prediction that AI would continue to grow, and so would our applications. I’m making the exact same prediction now.”
Now is the perfect time for marketers to discover and integrate these tools into their daily work.
Although marketing is one of the least commonly used areas for generative AI tools, this means you’re not left behind, as others might claim.
By studying what makes the best AI applications successful, you can develop better AI strategies for your marketing needs.
THE full report (PDF link) provides detailed information on real-world use of AI, offering tips to improve your approach.
See the screenshot below for a complete list of the top 100 generation AI use cases.
Featured Image: Krot_Studio/Shutterstock