We just wrapped up an incredible time at The Higher Ed Marketer's first-ever AI Summit, where we dug deep into the new, exciting ways tech and AI are changing how we approach higher education.

Our very own Founder and CEO, Ardis Kadiu, gave a talk titled Power Emails with AI: Crafting Campaigns with AI. The session explored ways in which the latest AI innovations, such as ChatGPT, are helping marketers craft more compelling and personal email campaigns at scale.

If you attended, thanks for joining in. If you missed it, no worries! Check out the recap and get more AI resources below!

Powering Emails with AI

We all know emails are a huge part of higher education marketing. Whether we're communicating to prospects, current students, parents, alumni, or other constituents, emails have traditionally been the way to go. But how do you cut through the noise, personalize every message, grab the reader's attention, and drive to action when you have hundreds of recipients, 10 different audiences, and 100 other tasks to tackle that day? The answer is AI.

Throughout the talk, Ardis spoke about AI's practical applications in higher education email marketing, from prompt engineering to style bots. Keep reading to see how AI can make you a more effective email marketer.

Personalization and Prompt Engineering

Personalization is a crucial aspect of effective email marketing.

Ardis emphasizes the importance of prompt engineering, which involves providing clear intent, context, and direction for AI in generating tailored content. By understanding the quality of intent and direction, marketers can achieve greater precision in their email campaigns.

Deep Learning and Generative AI

Deep learning, through neural networks and computer models, mimics how the human brain learns from data patterns. Generative AI is a subfield of deep learning that focuses on creating new content based on learned patterns.

Large language models, like Google Bard and OpenAI's GPT 4, utilize generative AI to learn language patterns and generate words.

Impact of AI on Higher Education

AI is expected to significantly impact higher education in three main areas: student experience, productivity, and teaching and learning.

In terms of student experience, AI can enhance interactions, answer queries, streamline admissions processes, and improve engagement through websites.

Productivity can be boosted by automating tasks, with email being a prime example. Furthermore, AI has the potential to optimize teaching and learning methods in the classroom.

ChatGPT and Custom Instructions

Ardis highlighted ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI based on large language models like GPT 3.5 or GPT 4.

ChatGPT employs prompt engineering to generate content repeatedly. Custom instructions play a crucial role in guiding ChatGPT's responses, similar to how Drew Barrymore's character used tapes in the movie "51st Dates" to provide context to her short-term memory loss.

Custom instructions are valuable for ensuring personalized and accurate responses from AI systems.

Style Bot and Content Generation

By copying a sample email and running it through the style bot, marketers can achieve an informal, conversational, friendly, reassuring, and encouraging tone.

Attention is given to elements like short paragraphs, direct addressing, casual greetings, and personal sign-offs. The style bot can also analyze and mimic the writing styles of various texts, such as blogs or personal emails.

Copilot and AI-powered Marketing Campaigns

Last but definitely not least, Ardis gave an insightful demo of Copilot, Element451's AI-powered content marketing campaign that aids in generating content, editing drafts, building full campaigns, and creating landing pages.

Copilot can create campaigns that drive prospective students to apply or encourage admitted students to make deposits. Integration with existing workflows and tools is crucial for seamless AI utilization. Ardis envisions a future where ChatGPT is directly integrated into platforms like Salesforce or Element451.

Start Revolutionizing Higher Ed Today

From mastering ChatGPT prompt engineering to overcoming recruiting and engagement challenges with AI technology, attendees gained valuable insights to drive success in the ever-evolving higher ed landscape. 

As AI continues to evolve, its integration with existing tools will revolutionize the way we approach email marketing and customer engagement.

Couldn’t make it to the AI Summit? No worries. Connect with us, and we'll show you how AI-powered strategies can boost your effectiveness and maximize your strategy and initiatives.