What We've Learned From the HubSpot State of AI Report

If you're a digital marketer, artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of your day-to-day. Many of the tools we use (CRMs, social media platforms, search engines) collect and process data; AI helps us to automate actions based on this data and supercharge our efforts.
To understand the impact of AI, however, let's put things into perspective. Home computers only truly became a thing in the 1980s. While they were an immediate game-changer, relatively speaking, it's been a slow burn to get to where we are today in terms of our reliance on these devices. AI, however, is moving at lightning speed. In a few short years, the advances in machine learning and natural language processing have been unprecedented. AI development is doubling every few years. 

Naturally, in this fast-paced environment, you can't afford to hit the snooze button on your own upskilling or stall on vital business integrations. Opportunities are abundant, and this is why the HubSpot State of AI report is a key piece of content to review. If you don't have time to download and read the full report, we've done the info-sifting for you. 

In this blog, we explore three of the most important findings from the HubSpot State of AI report and highlight integration opportunities, such as ChatSpot, to implement AI within HubSpot effectively.

The Rising Role of AI in Transforming Marketing 

62% of business leaders state that their company is spending on AI and automation, and 71% of those are seeing an exciting return on investment. 

Now, if you're plagued by visions of a robot taking your job, relax. Listen to this great podcast with Data Scientist, Chris Penn for some fantastic insights and helpful tips on what the future will look like for marketers. In summary, AI isn't here to steal your position. It will, however, challenge folks in your organisation who aren't putting in the effort to learn and grow. This is because AI is able to standardise a basic level of output that will immediately weed out mediocrity. AI is all about helping us become more productive and more impactful with our strategies and decisions.  

Take a look at these exciting HubSpot insights on productivity that can be attributed to AI:

Hours spent writing sales emails and doing repetitive tasks can now be eliminated, leaving you to focus on more cerebral aspects of your profession where you solve your client's complex challenges and perhaps spend more time on face-to-face interactions. 

The type of data you can now access and the way you can consolidate and centralise it means you're closer to a single source of truth than ever before. This, in turn, takes personalisation to the next level. By analysing reliable, real-time data, we feel a greater sense of confidence in our decision-making. We're not only focusing on short-term revenue goals but are now also able to rapidly scale our efforts and build long-term customer relationships with larger segments of our market share. 

HubSpot's State of AI report points to one big thing: there's no going back. If your business wants to thrive, compete and grow, incorporating AI and integrating your systems will be essential in the months and years to come. With that in mind, let's discuss the three key takeaways we drew from the latest report.

Key Takeaway 1: AI-Powered Personalisation for Enhanced Customer Experiences

As marketers, we know that our customers want and expect an experience that's tailored just for them. The HubSpot State of AI report highlights that mastering AI-driven solutions will be what brings us closer to this goal. 

AI enables us to effectively segment and target customers so that we can mould our efforts to the individual preferences and needs of each potential or existing buyer. The ChatSpot integration within HubSpot is one example of how you can enhance customer engagement and support with personalised interactions, answer queries and assist in delivering a seamless customer experience. From an SEO perspective, generative AI is also a great tool to help you align your website’s content with search intent. 

One of the reasons that business struggle with personalisation is due to the effort required. But by leveraging AI for this job, your team can work faster and reach more clients in a direct and personal manner to boost retention and gain more profit. 

Key Takeaway 2: AI Automation for Efficient Marketing Operations

The HubSpot State of AI report focuses on the transformative power of AI automation in marketing operations. This will matter to you if you recognise that repetitive tasks are holding your team back from strategic initiatives. 

From lead generation to content creation and analytics, AI-powered tools and features can automate certain tasks to save time and streamline your processes. The entire qualification process can be automated, ensuring that personalised content is delivered to leads at exactly the right time. 

If you haven't played around with the ChatSpot application in your HubSpot portal yet, we recommend that you quickly jump on the bandwagon. ChatSpot uses chat-based commands to help you get things done faster in HubSpot, like creating contacts, sending follow-up emails and creating new segments. 

With AI and the right integrations, you and your team can be more productive in HubSpot by enhancing your workflows for better results. If you're keen to learn more about integrating your tech stack with HubSpot, check out our free guide here. 

Key Takeaway 3: Ethical Considerations and Responsible AI Usage

Of course, the HubSpot State of AI reports address the ethical considerations and why practising responsible AI usage is important. For example, data privacy is a critical concern that your business will need to address to ensure that customers continue to trust you. 

Before you get too carried away with the possibilities of AI, consult with experts to ensure that you have the correct consent mechanisms in place and that your customers' data is protected at all times, especially when leveraging this data for AI-driven personalisation. 

The good news is that if you rely on HubSpot for most of the sales and marketing automation features you use, the platform's developers do a good job of providing standardised features that ensure your business is in line with privacy regulations depending on your region.  

The report suggests implementing strategies for responsible AI practices in marketing. This involves establishing transparent communication with customers about data usage, providing clear opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, and being accountable for the ethical implications of AI algorithms and decision-making processes. 

Your Business and AI: How can BEE help?

The HubSpot State of AI report shines a light on the rising role of AI, the benefits of AI automation, and the importance of ethical considerations. Various integrations, including ChatSpot, can offer exciting opportunities to enhance customer experiences and streamline marketing operations. By embracing AI, implementing responsible AI practices, and exploring AI integrations, businesses can thrive, compete, and achieve long-term success. 

At BEE, we hold a wealth of expertise when it comes to AI implementation for sales and marketing. We can assist with the necessary integrations and strategies that ensure the systems you use are talking to each other effectively and helping your business get a firm grip on new and existing opportunities. For tailored solutions that help you get integrations right the first time and gear your business for growth with AI, we'd love to have a chat with you today.