Now more than ever, companies are faced with the challenge of adapting their content strategies to the dynamic needs of their target groups, who are confronted with a great deal of content on a daily basis. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes into play. In an interview with e-commerce expert Josefine Burkhardt, we find out how AI is redefining content creation and optimization in e-commerce and what advantages await companies that embrace this transformation early on. But what hurdles need to be overcome?

Editorial Team: Artificial intelligence is currently transforming many areas, including content management. How do you see the role of AI in the development and implementation of content strategies in e-commerce?

Josefine Burkhardt: Artificial intelligence is not only changing content management – it is disruptively revolutionising the industry. Data-driven insights make it possible to tailor digital content even more specifically to the needs of consumers. In e-commerce, AI can help to identify trends and behavioural patterns in order to create personalised content that appeals to customers along the entire customer journey. This allows content to be created, optimized, and analyzed more efficiently, continually improving the effectiveness of content strategies. Costs can be reduced, and revenues increased, as content is generated faster and target audiences are reached with the right topics at the right time. Employee satisfaction also rises, as fewer monotonous tasks are required, leaving more room for creative and organizational activities.

The AI hype is omnipresent, but the actual adoption rate I observe in the field of content management within the DACH market is still relatively low. Only a handful of selected pioneers are already pursuing an AI-based content strategy. Many organisations are sceptical, unimpressed or reluctant to invest in the necessary capacities and expertise. Frequent reasons for hesitation are doubts, fears and uncertainties that the hype brings with it. Questions such as: ‘Are there any legal objections?’ ‘Who owns the copyright?’ ‘What does this mean for our infrastructure and employees?’ are key concerns.

We need more of the “We need more of the ‘let’s try it and see what happens – mentality” that is celebrated and practised in international markets such as the US or China. In the long term, companies that understand that they need to enter the tech business alongside their core business in order to remain competitive will prevail.

Nobody knows exactly how AI will change the industry in the long term, but one thing is certain: the change is unstoppable. The key question is therefore: as an innovator, do I want to actively shape the future, or do I accept the risk of being left behind by the competition as a late adopter?

Editorial Team: Generative AI and machine learning are fundamentally changing the content creation process. How do you use these technologies to optimise content for e-commerce platforms? Can you give specific examples?

Josefine Burkhardt: A classic example of the successful use of AI in the content sector is the fully or partially automated creation of translations. It is also possible to make quick changes to content in all languages. There is no need to work with external agencies and costs can be significantly reduced as a result. The quality of the content created depends heavily on the quality of the source text and the maturity of the AI used. In my opinion, the controlled creation of product descriptions for online retail is also ideally suited to the use of AI.

It is important to understand that AI does not completely replace creative and strategic thinking. Editors, copywriters, prompters, data and SEO managers are more important than ever, as they correct and train AI and tell it what to deliver, when, in what tone of voice, for which target group or for what purpose. Familiar job profiles are evolving fundamentally as a result, but they are by no means becoming irrelevant. On the contrary, monotonous tasks in everyday content work that used to take up a lot of time in the past are no longer necessary. This allows the team to concentrate on the important things that create real added value for the customer. This includes, for example, ensuring a complete, correct, relevant and tidy data basis in the content management system (CMS) – the working environment of content managers. This is the prerequisite for putting an end to data chaos in organisations.

This includes not only internal product data or outdated content, but also in-depth knowledge of the customer segments being addressed, their socio-demographic preferences and which content is really interesting for them.True to the motto: Less is more – if it’s done right.This job will never be finished, but requires constant attention from employees who maintain and monitor rules and guidelines and keep them up-to-date at all times. Less is more – when it’s done right. Dieser Job wird nie abgeschlossen sein, sondern erfordert konstante Aufmerksamkeit durch Mitarbeiter, die Regeln und Richtlinien pflegen, kontrollieren und durchgehend up-to-date halten.

Editorial Team: How can AI help to improve the approach and engagement of different target groups?Do you see specific benefits in using AI to better tailor content to the needs and preferences of customers?

Josefine Burkhardt: AI gives content teams a new tool for idea generation and planning that not only stimulates their creative process, but also continuously improves it. AI can help to analyse customer behaviour, preferences and demographic data and make recommendations for content creation. It can predict what type of content is most appealing to which target group, when and where, which can increase relevance and engagement. This can strengthen customer loyalty and retention in the long term.

After that: try it out! Important: Don’t forget to measure success. The process does not end with the go-live of the content. The KPIs of performance tracking and the lessons that can be learnt from them are fundamental to a convincing strategic approach. In addition to the classic KPIs (page views, click rate, conversion rate, etc.), you can also look at return rates and the reasons for returns given by customers or other direct customer feedback such as ‘Was this content helpful?’ in order to optimise content in a targeted manner.

Editorial Team: How do you see the future of AI in e-commerce, particularly with regard to content operations and strategy? What developments do you expect in the next five years?

Josefine Burkhardt: In the next five years, AI will continue to gain in importance, particularly due to increasing automation in the area of content operations, from content planning to performance analyses. We can also expect developments in the field of voice AI, such as chatbots and voice commerce, which create an immersive and personalised shopping experience. The ongoing integration of AI into content management systems will increasingly blur the boundaries between marketing, sales and customer service by linking data from different areas and making customer interactions more efficient.

Editorial Team: What advice would you give to companies that are just starting to integrate AI into their content strategy? What are the first steps they should take?

Josefine Burkhardt: My tip is to approach the technology with small use cases and proceed step by step. You shouldn’t expect miracles to happen overnight if you haven’t done your homework and don’t have a clear strategy. Companies should ensure that high-quality and relevant data on their products and customers is available that can be used by AI models to create content. It is also particularly important to train employees in the use of AI tools. The US company Walmart, for example, is surveying employees from different departments to find out where integrated AI solutions can help with monotonous tasks in their day-to-day work. All suggestions are evaluated, prioritised according to cost and expected benefit and then gradually introduced.

There are areas in which all the signs are already green for the use of AI. In my opinion, one of these is quite clear: the controlled creation of translations and product descriptions in online retail, where employees take over the final approval and correction processes. What do you need for this? Structured product data that AI can utilise. I would be happy to help you overcome this challenge. As an AI enthusiast, I am convinced that while there are certain risks involved in researching and utilising AI, the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all.

© Coverimage: Josefine Burkhardt