Signpost Personifies AI, Takes Identity Targeting To Facebook
by Laurie Sullivan@lauriesullivan, January 27, 2017
Signpost has integrated its artificial intelligence technology with Facebook, allowing Mia to pick up where advertising leaves off.
After a brand serves an advertisement in Facebook, Mia sends a follow-up message that might contain a discount or special offer to the consumer with an option to claim it by providing their contact information. The offer is then sent to them via email. The software automates the process.
Andrea Kayal at Signpost says there are a few brands in beta, but she expects more to sign on soon.
Some think it makes sense to personify the AI technology, even if its tucked away unseen. Apple has Siri and Microsoft has Cortana. And then there’s Amazon’s Alexa.
It seemed to have all come together after Signpost figured out how to market the AI by personifying it, Kayal said. It’s easier to think about the task as a person, so “we personified it” shortly after the product launch in 2016, but recently stepped up efforts using the name when explaining the technology to clients.
The company claims that Mia can increase businesses reviews left on social sites and on retail Web sites by two stars on a five-star scale. Reviews have become critical to businesses because of the importance Google gives to comments when ranking the listing in search engine query results.
About 80% of consumers search online before making a purchase in a local business, Kayal said. While there is technology that can connect an online search with an in-store visit, “Mia can tell who transacted with the local business in the store,” she said. “After the sale she will send an email after the transaction asking the customer how likely are you to recommend the business.”
Kayal says Mia improves marketing performance and removes time and cost by making the tactical decisions for the business.
Mia, which has access to data from 10% of the U.S. population, pulls data from the business’s customer data, including email, point of sale transaction data, and phone calls. Signpost has access to 300 million data points belonging to 33 million customer contacts. The AI can track a call and follow-up with an email to provide a discount coupons on their next purchase.
MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily
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