3 out of 4 C-Suite executives believe that if they don’t scale artificial intelligence in the next five years, they risk going out of business entirely. Artificial intelligence is the future—for legitimate organizations and threat actors alike. In 2023, malicious actors are leveraging attack vehicles that are more sophisticated than ever. For instance, malicious exploitation of vulnerable systems (such as IoT devices, cloud servers, and mobile applications) can be automated via algorithms. For every tool that saves time, boosts revenue, and protects your organization, there is a feature that allows hackers to potentially access your systems.

In particular, digital marketing teams benefit from artificial intelligence. In fact, the “AI for digital marketers” industry is projected to increase to more than $107.5 billion in the next five years. However, without proper attention to cybersecurity practices, many digital marketing teams may engineer their own doom as they race to adopt these tools at an unsustainable pace.

Given the cybersecurity concerns at hand, is digital marketing poised to explode or implode based on the adoption of AI and machine learning?

AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing

AI and machine learning empowers digital marketing teams in a few ways. Often, teams leverage these tools to accomplish the following:

• Sales forecasting
• Digital ad placement
• Predict media trends
• Manage customer conversations
• Generate written, image, and video content
• Transcribe speech to text
• Conduct predictive lead generation and personalization

To conduct these tasks, however, AI and machine learning models must be trained. The accuracy of these tasks depends on how well this has been done, which requires massive datasets to do correctly. Once accomplished, these tools can drive programmatic buying, sales propensity models, e-commerce recommendation engines, and more.

Unfortunately, these massive datasets equal an unprecedented attack surface for hackers to use advanced tools to spot and penetrate weaknesses. If digital marketers are to succeed, AI and cybersecurity must combine to prevent hackers from accessing and manipulating this data.

AI for digital marketers is a long-term investment

76% of business executives are struggling to scale AI across their organizations. Complex data sets, technologies, and IAM strategies must be implemented properly for digital marketers to proceed. However, the sheer mass of these assets exposes vulnerabilities if AI and machine learning tools, digital marketing goals, and cybersecurity protocols are not equally weighted. Pairing these elements requires a balance of trust, data security, transparency, and control.

This incremental process is necessary when it comes to reaping the benefits of AI and machine learning for digital marketers, which include:

• End-to-end efficiency. AI automates repetitive tasks that require time, energy, and brainpower—but no emotional intelligence.
• Improved accuracy. Human error is responsible for 9 out of 10 data breaches. Automation is a fantastic safeguard for your organization’s cybersecurity.
• Improved decision-making. Poor decisions often result from poor data. With infinite data available through AI, decision-making becomes easier and more accurate.
• Intelligent offerings. What do your customers want? AI can predict the market, forecast sales trends, and produce detailed profiles of your target audience.
• Empowered employees. Employees need access to the right tools to do their jobs. By taking away repetitive tasks that suck up time and energy, they can pour that passion into their careers.
• Superior customer service. Top-notch customer service is a mix of data and interpersonal strengths. AI can manage the former, and human representatives can deal with the latter.

What steps can I implement toward a robust approach to AI/machine learning in digital marketing?

Start by leveraging AI to process copious amounts of data from various sources quickly. This produces more accurate insights into customer behavior. Now, your digital marketing team can precisely target potential customers and create tailor-made campaigns.

As technology changes and AI capability skyrockets, it is important to monitor changes and make regular tweaks. Make sure you track how search results rank and adjust strategies accordingly.

Remember to quantify your investments, too. Start by measuring ROI with metrics such as:

• Customer engagement rate
• Lead conversation rate
• Cost per acquisition

This highlights areas for improvement, ensures efficient resource utilization, and justifies any investments your department has made in AI.

Without cybersecurity practices to shield all these new developments, your efforts may be wasted. It is critical to invest in cybersecurity training and solutions to offset risks that are inherent to the adoption of new technology. This includes employee training, regular vulnerability scans, intrusion detection systems, and strong authentication protocols.

Prioritize scalable, long-term growth over unsustainable wins

Every one of your competitors is likely leveraging AI, machine learning, and data analytics in their marketing efforts and media platforms. Adapting your strategies to remain competitive is necessary to stay relevant in your industry—and invest in your own organization’s growth journey.

If you enjoyed this article, add a comment below or continue the conversation on LinkedIn. Learn more about what Tina is working on here.

5.16 billion people use the Internet daily. These activities produce a trail of data that must be safely processed, handled, and stored. But after an onslaught of breaches, scandals, and lawsuits, Internet users no longer trust how organizations deal with their data.

To combat this, users do what they can to protect themselves. This includes browsing in private mode, deploying ad blockers, or avoiding web presences they are unsure of. This is bad news for digital marketers since audience identifiers are created when people interact with ads, use public browsers, and interact with new web presences. Without these identifiers, 80% of the addressable market will quickly become unknown audiences.

These new developments limit the information digital marketing teams have. As a result, their ability to launch high-performing paid ads, conduct accurate targeting, develop lucrative paid search strategies, or craft audience-specific content is curtailed.

Substantial fines are associated with privacy and compliance violations

Browser updates also represent a challenge for marketers gathering data. For instance, Apple and Mozilla implemented browser updates that enhance consumer privacy and limit third- and first-party cookies. (Google will likely follow suit in 2024.) These updates make it more challenging for digital marketers to access and gather the data they rely on. What is the reasonable solution? Start demonstrating privacy and compliance in a way that bolsters user trust.

Of course, the stakes of privacy and compliance have never been higher. It starts with users: if they don’t trust your organization, you can expect a loss in revenue, reputation, and more. But if users have a reason for these suspicions—in other words, if there’s lawsuit material at hand—the authorities step in. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (along with other legislative bodies) leverages substantial fines for privacy and compliance violations. Fines usually equal 20 million pounds or 4% of your firm’s worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year.

The shifting state of privacy and compliance is a major challenge

The implementation of regulations like the GDPR or CCPA protects consumers and keeps data safe. However, as different laws pass and new standards are set, organizations must navigate a maze of high-stakes, conflicting guidance. The shifting state of legislature surrounding privacy and compliance requires a nuanced, incremental approach.

Prioritize transparency, choice, and control

Privacy and compliance for digital marketers require a two-pronged approach: building user trust and taking practical steps to comply with legal standards. Start by disclosing and explaining how data will be used—and that information will be deleted, modified, or altered if requested. In today’s tech climate, user expectations are rising as they demand transparency, privacy, and control over how their information is used. Once users trust you, they are more likely to share data, interact with your ads, and so forth.

Build an incremental privacy and compliance strategy

For legal, ethical, and interpersonal reasons, it is crucial to implement a robust approach toward privacy and compliance in digital marketing. Here’s how to start.

Minimize the collection and use of personally identifiable information by distinguishing between zero-party data and first-party data. First-party data comes from user behavior in a browsing situation that provides clues about their intent and priorities. This approach generates insights—without capturing unnecessary personal data. Instead, it relies on making the most of the technical information at your disposal. When surveying data from a browsing session, this includes:

• Device, language, and operating system being used
• General location
• Time of customer interaction
• What they were looking at
• The path they took to arrive at a certain location or experience

On the other hand, zero-party data comes directly from your audience. Filling out a contact form, signing up for an e-newsletter, or taking a survey all generate zero-party data since it’s offered voluntarily. This data gives marketers the opportunity to provide highly tailored messaging.

When you do end up acquiring data, focus on transparency. Make sure consumers stay well-informed on how your organization collects, uses, and stores data. It’s also important to remember that this data is subject to deletion upon request, per regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA.

Ensure these data collection processes are compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Prioritize data being stored securely, handled responsibly, and used only within the scope of consent given. Once data is responsibly stored, your organization must keep it safe—which requires an investment in robust cybersecurity measures. Start by prioritizing:

• Intrusion detection systems
• Strong authentication protocols
• Regular vulnerability scans

Minimize the acquisition of personal data

Privacy and compliance for digital marketers in 2023 requires balance: getting what you need to inform a solid marketing strategy while minimizing your acquisition of personal data. Start by pursuing tactics that focus on patterns and trends. When you do acquire data, focus on collaborative strategies, such as data clean rooms.

Remember to plan for conflicting imperatives from different legislative bodies. For instance, many laws require that you delete data when users request it. However, other guidelines require that you retain certain data for certain time periods. In these tricky situations, it is important to pursue legal advice, maintain flexibility, and prioritize compliance.

From a cybersecurity perspective, it is critical to remain aware of current threats and regularly monitor your organization’s systems. Refusing to trust piecemeal protocols is necessary for your organization’s long-term investment in privacy and compliance for your digital marketing teams.

If you enjoyed this article, add a comment below or continue the conversation on LinkedIn.

Learn more about what Tina is working on here.