Marketing
Micro And Small Enterprises
May 25, 2023
The use of artificial intelligence in marketing strategies for small businesses
DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-20230052
E&S 2023,4: e20230052
Silmara Regina de Souza
In Brazil, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) were responsible for 72% of the jobs created in the country in the first half of 2022, representing 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 99% of national businesses, according to research released in October 2022 by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE)[1]. The numbers are significant and reinforce the relevance of small businesses in the Brazilian scenario.
Although they stand out in the economy, SMEs are companies with some peculiarities, such as the simplicity often attributed to management, whether due to lack of time, lack of information, or lack of labor. When it comes to marketing management, it is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to have several difficulties in implementing strategies. In addition to low investments, informality and casualness are strong characteristics[2]. There is also the influence of the entrepreneur himself, responsible for all decisions regarding marketing[3].
In the scenario of technological evolution and digital consolidation, SMEs found themselves obliged to adapt quickly. Flexibility and learning became an imperative to ensure market permanence. The customer now decides which purchasing and communication channels the company should adopt to serve them. The variety of digital platforms and the use of digital tools have become a reality. And all of this has a direct impact on marketing strategies.
All these changes made it possible to turn attention to issues that are not new, but which have gained strength in recent years, such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business. Although many do not realize it, this intelligence is already present in people’s daily lives, through route applications, smart cameras, facial recognition, use of virtual assistants, paid media actions, among many others.
When it comes to marketing, likewise, the use of AI is not something recent, however, it has gained more attention, mainly, with the use of data and specialized algorithms for dialogues, music, images, and even the creation of logos. AI has been used in various marketing strategies and gives companies greater ease in making information-based decisions, in addition to personalizing actions that meet customer needs. It also provides information to improve customer experience and interaction, streamlining processes.
Regarding marketing applications, AI can be employed for various purposes, including in SMEs, such as analyzing customer data and purchasing behavior, which enables the company to develop targeted actions and more personalized campaigns. Personalization can also be used to generate marketing content based on customers’ interests and purchase history, identifying consumer preference levels, in order to deliver exclusive content, prices, products, and experiences[4].
The interaction can be improved through the use of chatbots, a resource capable of simulating a natural conversation with the client as if it were a human being. In customer service, chatbots bring greater agility and help in problem-solving. Along these lines, Madeira et al.[5] reinforce that the applications of AI in marketing serve to know the customer more acutely, generate and analyze a larger volume of more precise data about customer habits and attitudes, interacting more deeply with them. Marcondes[4] points out that the development of new biometric solutions, by touch or facial recognition, among other technologies, will bring greater accuracy to marketing in identifying the profiles of consumers who interact with the business.
AI can also be applied to create personalized advertisements, segmenting ads based on demographic information and also on the customer’s history. Trevisani[6] points out that this becomes beneficial in optimizing a campaign, because it optimizes resources and allows the ad to be shown to those who have exhibited certain behavior, thus, the business can dedicate itself to more homogeneous groups, so that this communication makes more sense and is more coherent.
The algorithms that simulate dialogues and deliver content are also applications of AI in marketing and can collaborate to streamline strategies such as content planning for digital media, aligning content strategy with AI and making it something totally innovative[5].
Chat GPT, for example, is a technology that dialogues with the user, answering questions and imitating human language. Ocoya suggests images, text, and even hashtags for social media content. Cleanvoice makes automatic audio edits for podcasts. Supernormal uses AI to reproduce written versions of meetings held by videoconferences. Looka is an algorithm that creates logos for companies through a pre-selection made by the tool.
It is not the objective of this article to discuss this, however it is fundamental to remember that these tools do not replace human professionals. They facilitate decisions regarding marketing strategies and can collaborate to simplify previously complicated processes.
It is also important to consider that there are some challenges for small businesses regarding the adoption of AI in marketing. Costs may not be as accessible, as small companies have restricted budgets. Lack of knowledge is also a challenge, as it prevents these entrepreneurs from adopting AI tools. Execution without planning can become another obstacle, since it is not enough to have the resource itself; it is necessary to understand its uses in the business, the pros and cons, to instill these technologies in marketing objectives, and, especially, not to outsource the marketing strategy to AI, which is a means and not an end in itself.
The way SMEs use AI needs to be consistent with their business and goals. Establishing priorities, knowing which processes need to be facilitated, which tools can be implemented, and how AI can improve the customer experience are important steps for entrepreneurs. Furthermore, looking at what digital represents in your strategy will be paramount.
For Segura[7], the introduction of AI technology depends on the role that marketing plays in the digital context of the business and, in fact, depends on the company’s maturity. The author also emphasizes that, in this sense, AI can be thought of merely as an improved customer service experience or as, truly, a business transformation element. According to the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI)[8], 66% of SMEs are still in the initial stages of digital maturity, which means they view digital and technological issues as costly and difficult to implement.
From now on, it is essential for small businesses to envision a different market, with other gears, a digital customer exposed to a gigantic amount of information. Marketing management has become more complex due to the speed of changes, which have become part of people’s daily lives. For SMEs, understanding how to practice the new rules of this game will be fundamental for their survival. AI is part of this new game and needs to be seen as an ally and as a present reality, which already impacts the way companies do business and the way customers are consuming.
References
[1] Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (SEBRAE). Dia da Micro e Pequena Empresa evidencia a importância dos empreendedores para o Brasil. 2022. Disponível em: <https://agenciasebrae.com.br/brasil-empreendedor/dia-da-micro-e-pequena-empresa-evidencia-a-importancia-dos-empreendedores-para-o-brasil/>.
[2] Coelho R.L.F.; Miranda J.R.; Camargo Filho A.; Freitas M.S.B.; Almeida M.I.S. Gestão do marketing em micro e pequenas empresas. Iberoamerican Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business. 2015; 4(2): 219-250.
[3] Jones R.; Rowley J. Entrepreneurial marketing in small businesses: a conceptual exploration. International Small Business Journal. 2011; 29(1): 25-36.
[4] Marcondes P. Martech World. In: Gabriel M.; Kiso R.; Kalil L. Trends: Marketing na Era Digital – o futuro do marketing. Barueri (SP): Atlas. 2022.
[5] Madeira A.C.M.; Neves B.C.; Jesus B.C.D. O Uso da Inteligência Artificial Aplicada ao Marketing Digital: Exploração das vulnerabilidades do usuário-consumidor. Journal of Digital Media & Interaction. 2020; 3(8): 95-111.
[6] Trevisani M. Smart World: Inteligência Artificial. In: Gabriel M.; Kiso R.; Kalil L. Trends: Marketing na Era Digital – o futuro do marketing. Barueri (SP): Atlas. 2022.
[7] Segura M. Inteligência artificial aplicada a negócios. Revista Inteligência Competitiva. 2018; 8(3): 101-110.
[8] Agência Brasileira de Desenvolvimento Industrial (ABDI). Maturidade Digital das MPEs Brasileiras. 2022. Disponível em: <https://api.abdi.com.br/file-manager/upload/files/Mapa_da_Digitaliza%C3%A7%C3%A3o_das_MPEs_Brasileiras__1___1_.pdf>.
Como citar
Souza S.R. O uso da Inteligência Artificial nas estratégias de marketing para pequenos negócios. Revista E&S. 2023; 4: e20230052.
Sobre os autores
Silmara Regina de Souza, Mestre em Administração e Consultora de Marketing, Piracicaba, SP, Brasil.
Link para download: https://cms.revistaes.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/23052.pdf