What does the Future of Marketing Automation look like?

According to one marketing automation expert David Raab, nearly 70 percent of marketers are not happy with their marketing automation software. Clearly, there is much room for improvement in this industry, despite the enormous potential benefits that can be achieved.

One area of particular promise is "predictive intelligence". Marketing automation software that embraces this type of model will provide better results for customers and those results will improve over time due to the machine learning aspect of this type of software model.

True AI or artificial intelligence really exists only in the world of science fiction, but we can already see how technology like Google's "rank brain" are being implemented at a very high level into their search algorithms.

This post is not intended as a treatise on the subject, but only to highlight the development that will inevitably take place in marketing automation to a more predictive and machine learning type model that incorporates elements of artificial intelligence.

So, what would this type of marketing automation software look like, how would it work, and what could it do for clients using the software?

As an example, it is a common marketing strategy to ask the client to start with an avatar of what their ideal customer looks like. A software with AI elements would be able to examine a company's current database of customers, and analyze all demographic data as well as social media profiles of all current customers. It would then perform a detailed and sophisticated search across various websites and social media, and recommend an exhaustive list of potential prospects.

This analysis would be based on similarities with current customers, and would also recommend the best way to connect with them which would most likely yield the best results.

This is a highly sophisticated method of marketing automation that does not currently exist. The ability of this type of software to target potential prospects with laser-like accuracy will likely turn the marketing automation market on its head.

The company that comes out with this kind of predictive analysis model may dominate the industry for years to come, and prove to be a highly sought after commodity, even at a fairly high price. It is also equally likely that the downward price pressure of open sourcing may prove to significantly lower costs for the consumer.

It is clear that forward thinking companies such as Google are investing in the future by relying heavily on automation in a wide variety of markets. Look at the investment Google has made in self-driving cars, for example. Uber drivers may become a thing of the past in the not too distant future.

Consider what Perry Marshall a well-known marketing expert had to say about automation in a recent email.

"2003-2009 was the age of PPC.

2010-2016 has been the age of Social Media.

2017 and beyond will be the age of Artificial Intelligence

Now mind you, this “Artificial Intelligence” is not self-aware. It’s not HAL 9000 reading your lips as you talk outside the spaceship like in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Not yet anyway.

But don’t underestimate this AI.

I have clients who are taking AI to deep levels, re-inventing the future as we speak. You won’t fully see the results of what they’re doing for another year or two.

But let’s just say that talking to machines like Alexa and Siri is only the tip of the iceberg.

The key to success in 2017-2020…especially in AdWords…is OWNING some of that Automation.

Automation is a rack-the-shotgun, 95/5, winners and losers phenomenon. "

Prophetic words of wisdom, no doubt, from the marketing and AdWords expert.

Watch for those technologies that claim this type of predictive AI model to emerge and lead the industry by wide margins in the years to come.

Take a look at these three leading-edge marketing automation technologies you can use today.

Markethive – (free) — dramatically increases your reach on the Internet by using cooperative blog syndication technology, and much more

Social Lead Generator – auto-join and auto-post to open and closed Facebook groups, dramatically expand your Twitter followers, and more.

Linked Group Messenger — Increase your LinkedIn invitation rate and grow a very large group of 1st level connections on LinkedIn. Especially helpful to avoid the LinkedIn "idk" limit.

Of course, I will keep you informed of these trends, and help you to stay on top of these significant technologies.

John Lombaerde — Goldfinch Digital Publishing LLC