Artificial Intelligence (AI) was all the talk at this year’s Brighton SEO conference.  Most of the chatter was around the increasing adoption of AI and its growing importance in the world of marketing.
Some sports organisations have already dabbled in incorporating AI into their marketing strategies. However, there are still some who have yet to take the plunge into AI, either because they are unaware of it or cannot see how this technology will benefit them.
In this blog, we’ll run through why sports organisations should be embracing AI, and how using it in your digital marketing plans can engage and grow your audience.

It brings all of your data together to produce something meaningful

You have data everywhere: in your CRM system, in Facebook Insights and in Google Analytics. And it can be a mess. How can you collate all your data and use it to produce meaningful messaging?
AI can play a part here. There are lots of AI programs out there that can collate all your data into one database and use it to identify segments that exist in your market, maybe some segments you never knew existed before.
You might have a fan base who watches every match live, but would you know that they are also massive fans of Rihanna? You might also have hardcore fans who like birdwatching and go on family holidays to Venezuela. Start applying this extra knowledge to your ad messaging. Create content around this extra insight, then promote it to your new segmented audiences.
This can drive more conversions: more site visits, more ticket sales or more livestream views.

It’s changing the world of search

AI is becoming a key player in the world of search. One of the big facts learned at Brighton SEO is that 20% of all Android searches in the USA were voice searches. It’s believable too, especially when you see how successful AI systems such Alexa and Siri have been in 2017.
The number of voice searches is due to keep going up. So what can you do to get ahead of the game?
The key to this is making your search terms more detailed and longer. When you do a voice search, you want the information immediately and you want it at your fingertips. You would ask Siri something like “I want to buy tickets to the next Chelsea game” or “who is the quarter back for the Steelers?” Before you know it, you will have your answer. You want your solution to be the first answer your AI program gives.
To be the first on that list of answers, make sure you start bidding on those longer keywords. Start using keywords like ‘want to buy Chelsea FC tickets’ or ‘who is Steelers quarter back’. It could expand your reach way more than you thought it would.

Give your audience what they want on the move

The customer experience is key for any business. You want to make it easy for your audience to get the answers they want quickly and hassle-free, but you want to deliver the brand message in a consistent way. This is where the latest craze in AI – chatbots – can come into play.
Sports teams have begun to build chatbots for a variety of purposes. Primarily, it’s to give the latest team information, such as news, scores, highlights and player biographies (see this example from Golden State Warriors); or even to buy tickets to the next game.
They can give your audience whatever they want, wherever they are. It can save the user having to download an app or search aimlessly around a website to get the desired information. It can also save the stress of a caller having to go through an automated phone call, where you are constantly put on hold, disrupting the buyer’s journey. Chatbots can deliver all of this whilst keeping the language natural and with your brand at the heart of your communications. Don’t put it off, start experimenting with AI today.