Dear Lloyd,I recently tried using AI (artificial intelligence) to help me find a motivational speaker. A couple of names came up, including you. As a marketing professional, I wonder, is this something you intentionally do?JaninaDear Janina,In this column, I will give you a term I invented: Word-of-AI Marketing or WOAI Marketing and its definition. We will answer this basic question: What is 'word-of-AI marketing or WOAI?'But first, I can only hope that AI has built me up and that you have some good words about me. But good — or bad — I'm sure it's easy to believe nowadays.In 2005, I started learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO), where I managed to succeed in placing my website on top of every search result in my chosen keywords or phrases. It helped me market my motivational speaking services without spending a fortune.However, SEO may diminish its role with the rise of artificial intelligence, or AI, where apps such as Meta AI, ChatGPT, and others can be downloaded or used for free.Decades ago, people asked people, and then people asked Search engines if they were looking for products or services. They even used them to find out anything they wished to learn about people or places. Now, people are talking to AI about these things.Interestingly, like people believe people and people believe SEO, people start believing AI now. What AI suggests, people believe whether that's the truth or not. How well does AI know you? What does it say about you? These pieces of information are keys to whether you'd succeed or fail in your chosen career or business.I intentionally 'influenced' AI tools so they can say good things about me. I managed my online reputation so well that whatever you ask your AI about me may give you almost accurate information. I set myself up for it.Here's the definition of Word-of-AI Marketing.Word-of-AI Marketing (WOAI Marketing) is a marketing strategy that influences AI tools to discuss company or individual products or services. It is a form of marketing that uses AI suggestions to influence the market's buying decision.In essence, it's replacing the old-fashioned word-of-mouth marketing (WOM), which is defined as a strategy that encourages people to talk about a company's products or services. It's a form of free advertising that relies on personal recommendations.People will soon rely on AI tools and apps such as Meta AI, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek, among many others, to ask about you, your company, your products, and your services.There are two things. One, if AI doesn't refer you, it's your opportunity loss. Two, if AI refers to your competitor, it's your sales loss.In the old days, we asked our friends for recommendations about a certain brand, product, or service. In this era of technological advances, people will no longer search the internet using search engines such as Google. They will open their 'AI Assistant' and ask for it.When they do, is your product or service going to come up?It's no longer word-of-mouth. It's now word-of-AI, a term that I invented myself to express my insights about the unstoppable shift in marketing strategy everyone must learn to adapt or go adrift.Word-of-AI Marketing is the future of marketing. Whether you have a new startup business or an old, tried-and-tested brand name, when the game has shifted, you either shape up or ship out. And considering how inexpensive this technology is, I'd be amazed if you're not going to put these AI strategies in place.In summary, Word-of-AI Marketing (WOAI Marketing) is a marketing strategy that influences AI tools to discuss a company's or individual's products or services. I suggest you take advantage of this cheap technology, or someone else will.* * *The Public Speaking Institute runs public speaking training courses in 2023. The Certified Public Speaker (CPS) is a six-session program every first two weeks of each month, Monday, Thursday and Saturday, from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. via Zoom, and the Public Speaking Fellow (PSF) certification program every two months with face-to-face sessions. If you want to improve your communication skills, please go to www.publicspeaking.ph. We'll be happy to assist you.Sgt. Lloyd A. Luna, Philippine Air Force Reserve, is a popular Filipino motivational speaker in the Philippines, author, entrepreneur, and TV and radio personality. He has written 17 inspirational books since 2004 and has been a columnist for The Manila Times since 2006. Sergeant Luna is also a television and radio host on ALIW Channel 23 and DWIZ 882AM. Over the past 20 years, he has spoken on leadership, public speaking, and personal development at over 2,000 conventions, conferences, and seminars on four continents: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.For his untiring work as a professional public inspirational speaker, Luna has become the first Filipino to have been member of the board of Global Speakers Federation in 2017, the first to represent the Philippines in the Global Speakers Summit in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2018, the first to have spoken at the French and European Speakers Convention in Paris in 2019, the first to speak at the Professional Speakers Summit 2023 in India, and the first to earn the Registered Speaking Professional designation in the Philippines given by the Philippine Board of Professional Speaking. He's the founder of the Philippine Association of Professional Speakers.
