Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have transformed how marketers work, prompting many in the international education industry to explore using AI for marketing planning and strategy. While these AI assistants offer exciting potential, there are some limitations to consider. Let’s look at the main advantages and disadvantages of generative AI tools in creating your institution’s marketing strategy.

Benefits of using AI for marketing strategies 

For international education marketers juggling multiple programmes, regions and segments, AI assistants could provide a major productivity boost in developing initial strategic thinking. Some key advantages include:

Time savings: AI can rapidly draft initial versions of your institution’s marketing plan structures, campaign strategies, and more. This saves valuable time.

Insight summarisation: These tools can digest and summarise large volumes of market research, customer data, competitive intelligence and more to inform your strategies.

Strategic suggestions: Generative AI tools are knowledgeable about various strategic frameworks and approaches, allowing them to suggest strategic directions you may not have considered.

Goal recommendations: These tools can recommend types of goals and KPIs to include based on marketing best practices.

Cons of fully relying on AI 

Evidently, generative AI tools offer numerous benefits, but there are also limitations to keep in mind when leveraging these emerging technologies for your marketing strategy, including:

Lack of context: AI tools don’t truly understand the nuances of your institution, brand voice, programmes, competitors, regulations and recruitment markets. 

Untailored insights: While summarising data, AI can’t perform the level of analysis and insights an experienced international education marketer can to identify key issues and opportunities.

Questionable goal-setting: Generative AI currently cannot set realistic, data-driven enrollment, engagement or revenue goals customised for your specific situation.

Strategy limitations: AI struggles to properly prioritise strategic initiatives, market segmentation, targeting and differentiated positioning strategies for international student/parent audiences.

Considering these pros and cons, generative AI’s best use may be to assist in creating your institution’s future digital marketing strategies, rather than fully replace experienced marketing professionals. Utilising both AI’s productivity and human judgement could strike the ideal balance when creating international student recruitment marketing strategies.

Written by Stephanie Clark