How Brands and Consumers Are Transforming with AI-Driven Content

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, the way brands and consumers interact and make decisions is rapidly evolving.

Storyblok's recent survey, "The Impact of AI: The Content AI Brand & Consumer Report," sheds light on these changes, revealing critical insights into how AI tools are used across the content lifecycle and how they influence consumer behavior.

Our survey asked 200 consumers if they already use AI when researching brands or products or when browsing the internet. The responses indicate a growing reliance on AI tools to enhance decision-making processes.

We also asked 200 brands about their use of AI in their marketing strategies, revealing significant insights into how AI is transforming content creation, ideation, editing, and overall user experience.

Let’s take a closer look at what the data is telling us.

Multiple touchpoints before conversion

Before customers make a purchase, they often interact with a company through various channels and touchpoints. These interactions can significantly influence their decision to convert.

According to an article in HockeyStack, the industry is full of sales leaders and CEOs who expect immediate conversions if someone needs their product. However, data shows otherwise.

After analyzing more than 1.5 million contact journeys, it was found that an average B2B SaaS company requires 54 touchpoints to generate a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) after the first website visit. In the context of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) campaigns, seeing a visit from a target company should not lead to overexcitement, as multiple follow-up visits are typically necessary.

In our survey, brands reported varied touchpoints along the user journey before achieving a conversion. Most experienced between 3-6 touchpoints (40%), followed by 1-3 touchpoints (32%). Only a small percentage had more than 24 touchpoints (1%).

Channels influencing purchase decisions

When it comes to making buying choices, consumers have their go-to channels. Consumers rated their most-used channels for making purchase decisions from 1 (most used) to 5 (not used).

Google led the pack (2.19), followed by marketplaces, like Amazon (2.4), then a brand’s website (2.8). ChatGPT (3.74) and other AI search tools, like Perplexity.ai (3.88) rounded out the channels.

These numbers give us a clear picture of where consumers prefer to gather their information before making a purchase, highlighting the continued dominance of traditional search engines and the emerging role of AI tools.

It's no surprise that the user journey starts on Google. This underscores the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for brands, as being visible on Google can significantly influence a consumer’s purchase decision.

Following Google, marketplaces like Amazon are the next most-used channels (2.4). This indicates that consumers not only seek information but also prefer platforms where they can easily compare products, read reviews, and make purchases all in one place.

High trust in AI tools

The trust data mirrors the usage data closely, indicating high trust in AI tools and reinforcing the insights derived from the usage patterns. This is likely due to Google's long-standing reputation for providing accurate and comprehensive search results.The fact that consumers also trust marketplaces like Amazon reflects their reliance on these platforms for verified reviews and competitive pricing, further supporting their decision-making process.

The trust data for ChatGPT and other AI search tools shows that while consumers are beginning to trust AI tools, these platforms are still in the early stages of gaining widespread consumer confidence.

Consumers also evaluated the trustworthiness of these channels from 1 (most trusted) to 5 (not trusted). Survey results show there is a clear correlation between top rated channels used and the channels that are most trusted.

Real stories of AI applications in consumer journeys

Respondents shared various use cases for AI, such as:

• Checking product authenticity
• Seeking quick answers
• Obtaining specific information
• Fraud detection
• Receiving personalized recommendations.

For example, some people surveyed said,

• “I once bought a high pressure machine and the AI helped me to determine whether the brand is authentic or not by looking online for the reviews.”
• “I occasionally use the Bing chat pilot to get quick answers to specific questions, for example to get information about food nutrition values, vitamins/minerals intake, country information or even recipes and some programming code for fun.”
• “I use ChatGPT for specific questions the internet doesn’t have direct answers to or for suggestions based on what I already like.”
• “I use it to check fraud detection or for product recommendations.”

Challenges in user journeys

Brands encounter various obstacles as they guide potential customers through their user journeys. These hurdles can make or break the customer experience and, ultimately, the success of a business.

They tell us they’re hitting some roadblocks with the primary issues being tracking and visibility of touchpoints (44%), uncertainty about the impact of user experience (27%), and a decline in organic traffic due to generative AI (17%). Finally, third party cookie tracking falls at 12%.

Adapting content marketing strategies

Google's AI Overviews is a feature that uses generative AI to change the way we search online. It allows users to get quick, AI-crafted summaries at the top of their search results, making it easier and faster to find information.

With the introduction of Google's AI Overviews, brands are rethinking their content marketing, SEO strategies, and how it’ll impact their website work. 38% say it will likely impact them, 27% are unclear how it will impact them, and 25% believe it will impact them significantly. 5.5% don’t believe they’ll be impacted, and 4.5% don’t know.

The future of AI in SEO

The landscape of SEO is on the brink of a major transformation, thanks to the rise of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs).

Brands anticipate that AI and LLMs will redefine SEO, with expectations of a significant influence on SEO strategies (47%), some impact (29%), and a complete redefinition (20%).

Consumer behavior and AI search engines

The rise of AI-based search engines is set to shake up how consumers find information online.

AI-based search engines are expected to alter consumer behavior significantly, leading to more personalized searches (40%), greater trust in search results (25%), and increased engagement with voice search (24%).

This shift promises a more personalized, reliable, and interactive search experience for everyone.

AI along the content lifecycle

The integration of AI tools across various content areas has become a game-changer for many businesses, driving efficiency and innovation like never before. From automating routine tasks to generating creative insights, AI is reshaping how brands approach content creation and marketing strategies.

The most popular is in content creation (78%), content ideation and research (70%), and content editing (67%).

Brands are also taking proactive steps to integrate AI and LLMs into their marketing strategies.

43% are monitoring trends, 38% are investing in technology, 30% are partnering with providers, and 29% are training staff on capabilities. Only 17% are not preparing to integrate AI and LLMs into their marketing strategies.

Measuring website and app success

Understanding what works and what doesn't is crucial for continued growth and improvement. Companies employ various metrics to measure the success of their websites and applications, focusing on several key areas to gauge their performance accurately.

To gauge success, brands focus on traffic metrics like unique visitors and sessions (57%), performance metrics (47%), and output metrics like content updates and marketing campaigns (45%).

Traffic and performance metrics offer immediate, actionable insights that contribute to long-term goals, including conversions and revenue.

Conversions (16%) and revenue generated (13%) are the least common ways companies measure success on their website and applications.

Using AI in CMS

Understanding how businesses measure success ties directly into the broader context of content management systems (CMS) and their evolving roles in digital marketing.[The State of CMS 2024 report by Storyblok provides valuable insights into this dynamic landscape. It features our largest sample to date made up of 1,700 CMS users, encompassing a range of industries, user profiles, and technological preferences.

Most respondents (47%) use 2-3 CMSs in their organization to achieve omnichannel capabilities. Essential features for users include collaboration, centralized content management, and future-proof technology.

68% of users have migrated to a new CMS in the past three years, often due to security issues and lack of features. 99% of those who switched to a headless CMS reported improvements, with increased ROI and productivity being the most common benefits.

AI-generated content is the most popular trend, followed by automation and personalization. 79% of respondents use AI-powered content tools, with a focus on content creation, editing, and ideation.

Key takeaways

Our survey of 200 brands and 200 consumers has highlighted a wide variety of trends in AI-Driven content to keep an eye on as the technology and its use continues to grow:

• AI tools are revolutionizing how brands create and manage content, enhancing user experiences, and driving marketing success. In addition, consumers are increasingly relying on AI for making informed purchase decisions, indicating a shift in consumer behavior towards more personalized and efficient interactions.
• Effective engagement across multiple touchpoints is crucial for guiding potential customers towards conversion. Brands need to maintain consistent and impactful interactions through various channels to influence purchasing decisions.
• While traditional search engines like Google remain dominant, AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai are gaining trust and usage among consumers. Trust in AI tools correlates with their increasing usage for specific tasks like product recommendations and fraud detection.
• Brands face challenges in tracking touchpoints, understanding user experience impacts, and adapting to generative AI. Addressing these obstacles is essential for improving the overall customer journey and achieving business success.
• AI and LLMs are set to redefine SEO strategies, with brands anticipating significant impacts. Staying ahead of these changes is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in digital marketing.
• Brands are leveraging AI across content creation, ideation, and editing to drive efficiency and innovation. Proactive steps such as monitoring trends, investing in technology, and training staff are essential for successful AI integration.
• Companies use a variety of metrics, including traffic, performance, and output, to gauge the success of their digital efforts. While conversions and revenue are critical, they are often more challenging to track directly and require a holistic approach.

Conclusion: How can you maximize success?

The effective use of CMS, along with the integration of AI tools in enhancing user experiences, improving content strategies, and driving marketing success, can significantly enhance how businesses measure and achieve success. Here are some steps to take to maximize success.

• Allocate resources to adopt AI tools that complement your CMS. This includes tools for content creation, analytics, personalization, and automation.
• Ensure your staff is well-versed in using AI and CMS technologies. Provide training sessions and resources to help them maximize the benefits of these tools.
• Stay updated on the latest trends in AI and CMS technologies. Regularly review industry reports, attend webinars, and participate in forums to stay ahead of the curve.
• Continuously monitor the performance of your CMS and AI tools. Use the insights gained to optimize your strategies, improve user experiences, and drive better results.
• As you integrate new technologies, prioritize security measures to protect your data and ensure compliance with regulations. This includes implementing robust security protocols and regular audits.

By taking these steps, brands can fully leverage the capabilities of AI and CMS technologies to enhance their digital strategies, achieve better outcomes, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving market.