With the goal of countering the myths and pointing out aspects that you might not have considered with respect to using AI images in your marketing mix.
Recently, I’ve been posting various AI-generated images in Mike Fernino’s DJ Idea Sharing Group on Facebook in an attempt to showcase some of the benefits of using such imagery on a DJ-centric website.
There are actually quite a few reasons to at least consider AI images, and yet most DJ companies still don’t seem to approach this topic with enthusiasm. I am, of course, listening to the naysayers on the comments, such as “the quality isn’t good enough” or “clients want realism,” etc.
So, let’s go over the matter in this article, with the goal of countering the myths and pointing out aspects that you might not have considered with respect to using AI images in your marketing mix.
Let’s go over the following;
- Image quality
- Creativity
- Personalization
- Legal permissions
- Time and cost
Image Quality
No argument here, there is still much work to be done before every AI image is perfect. Images can be skewed badly by problems such as misplaced teeth, ghoulish faces (my fave glitch, lol), eyes going in different directions, badly sized and misplaced limbs, etc. However, there are many image scenarios that end up being absolutely perfect. It is still hit-and-miss, but the hits come more often than the misses. You owe it to yourself to use whatever AI images that come out just right.
Creativity
When it comes to differentiating yourself from the competition, the imagery that you use on your website makes a big difference with respect to the storytelling aspect for your brand. Most of you have the usual photo styles covered from the various photos that you have taken at your gigs, of course. But, what about when an image requires a scene that doesn’t present itself quite often? Or, when a real-life photo requires touchups to look as good as it can be? AI images solve these creative problems and more.
Personalization
The best marketers I’ve seen out there take the extra time and effort to personalize their sales materials to the client in question. This personalization engenders a higher degree of trust, making the client feel as if you are paying special attention to their needs directly. To execute on this, however, is quite time-consuming under normal circumstances, especially with photos and, most of all, video. AI solved those challenges, though, allowing you to invoke such personalization at scale, so that personalized photos and videos are prepared in a fraction of the time.
Authors Note: Check out the AI video-scaling tool called BHuman. I’ve used it before.
Legal Permissions
Although a lot of you simply go ahead and use photos from your gigs without obtaining legal permissions, you’re actually supposed to obtain a release form for each photo used, and from every person shown in the photo in question. Furthermore, when it comes to anyone under 18, that obligation shifts to requiring a photo release form signed by the parents of each child. This is, of course, quite a burden, and so it’s not a surprise to learn that over 70-percent of the DJ-centric websites out there are in some form of legal jeopardy. To remove this liability, use AI photos.
Authors Note: Our own site, prommarketing.com, uses AI photos extensively due to the teenage aspect of what that brand is all about. AI photos have saved us tens of thousands of dollars in not requiring photoshoots on all the images we have on that site.
Time & Cost
Suppose you have a situation that calls for a unique style of scene, one which is unusual for a wedding photo. You have a choice – either spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a professional photoshoot or get creative with AI in order to get that photo taken. Last time I checked, DJ company budgets for professional photoshoots aren’t very large. Consider using AI images to save on photoshoot costs, at least until you can find a real-life photo that can be swapped into that space.
I hope I’ve given you enough reasons to start using AI images in your marketing workflow. The debate continues, of course, but the technology is improving every week. Within a year, the negative comments on using AI imagery that exist today will be moot, and those of you who are late to the game will need to play catchup in a hurry. Don’t get left behind!
See my various seminars at DJX 2024 in Atlantic City, N.J., for more on these AI issues and more.
Jordan St. Jacques is the President/Lead Digital Marketer at Digitera.Interactive in Ottawa, Ont., Canada. He’s also part of the Author Collective from National Disc Jockeys.
