Pavel Beinia on Future-proofing Your Career.
Pavel Beinia is a CEO & Founder of creative influencer marketing agency Famesters, and influencer discovery & marketing intelligence platform BuzzGuru. He is a thought leader on the topic of career progression and adaptability. They took some time out to speak with The Industry Leaders about this vital subject.
What's your career journey been like and how has that led you to be an authority on this topic?
I made a bet on AI quite a long time ago. In 2017 I founded an influencer marketing platform that already caters to the industry’s growing demand for AI assistants and tools – BuzzGuru https://buzzguru.com. It is an influencer marketing SaaS platform designed for brands and agencies to strategize, manage, analyze, and optimize advertising campaigns with content creators on YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. Since our platform's launch, we've successfully served the needs of startups aiming to enhance their brand communication through influencer marketing, as well as large enterprises running campaigns internally. Shortly after the launch, in just a few months, we gained the trust of over 500 companies. Now, six years later, our platform boasts more than 5,000 users. Furthermore, I founded an influencer marketing agency Famesters https://famesters.com/ that leverages our own-developed AI tool, BuzzGuru, to craft successful strategies for our clients. The integration of AI streamlines various business processes, encompassing influencer discovery, statistical analysis, revealing our clients’ competitors' influencer marketing tactics and budgets, conducting market research, and more. This enables us to develop effective strategies that surpass client expectations and yield exceptional outcomes. I have a multi-faced experience: on one hand, I delve into creating and providing AI services in influencer marketing for different businesses, and on the other hand, I know exactly how the use of AI enhances business processes, eliminates substantial amounts of manual work, improves an overall business performance and fosters company growth.
Are there specific jobs in your industry at higher risk of AI disruption?
As for the influencer marketing industry, AI automates every single task on the influencer marketing journey that has to be automated. And it does not take jobs from people. Rather, it leads to a shift in job responsibilities: when there is no need to spend time on routine tasks, new opportunities open. And the AI becomes just a full-stack assistant, helping do the work more efficiently.
Jobs that involve creativity, strategy, relationship-building, and understanding complex human emotions are less likely to be fully replaced by A. Instead, AI can augment these roles by providing data-driven insights and automating routine tasks, allowing professionals to focus on higher-value activities.
At BuzzGuru and Famesters, we believe that an influencer marketing manager is no simple calculator or data checker. Every our expert has an opportunity to focus on what can’t be automated: human communications and creativity. The rest is on the AI.
What skills do you think young professionals should learn to stay employable in a world with AI?
In an AI-driven world, young professionals must develop a balanced skill set. They need technical proficiency in data analysis, programming, and familiarity with machine learning. Soft skills like critical thinking, effective communication, teamwork, and high adaptability are crucial. They should commit to continuous learning, handle setbacks, and embrace technology for work efficiency. In addition, leadership skills for managing AI-driven teams become pivotal.
How can AI help business owners and executives make better decisions?
AI is what helps reduce risks and save time and resources. More and more businesses are getting to it, so they start searching for high-tech solutions for their purposes. It especially concerns marketing teams that have multiple campaigns running. They need to work more efficiently, do more in less time. AI is a strategic ally for business leaders. For example, BuzzGuru AI helps perform market research and competitor analysis. You can easily see how active a brand is on popular social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch), what influencers it prefers to collaborate with, how much it pays, what types of content the influencers create for the brand, and how the content performs. This helps build strategies that maximize the influencer marketing ROI. Besides, AI analyzes data for trends and forecasts, keeps tabs on the competition, and crafts personalized customer experiences. It's a risk manager, handles routine tasks, it also safeguards data, aids in strategic planning, optimizes resource allocation, and enhances decision-making and business performance.
What ethical issues should businesses consider when using AI?
Looking for and finding the right balance is essential as the use of AI tools raises questions. For example, one key issue is determining who owns content and code generated by AI. Is it the creator, the AI provider, or someone else?
Privacy is a growing concern as well. Sharing data with AI tools, while essential for their function, raises questions about the implications and potential misuse of the shared information.
Accountability also becomes problematic as AI tools are not infallible. Who takes responsibility for AI-generated errors?
As for BuzzGuru and Famesters, we really care about keeping our clients’ data private. We make sure to be open and follow all the rules about keeping data safe. We also do caste about transparency: our privacy policy is easy to understand. We explain how we use data, who can see it, and how we keep it safe. We use special codes and other security methods to make sure your information is protected.
How will AI impact leadership and management?
AI is expected to have a significant impact on leadership and management across various industries. AI can handle repetitive and routine tasks, freeing up leaders and managers to focus on higher-value activities. This, in turn, increases productivity and provides more time for strategic thinking. AI-powered tools also facilitate remote work by providing virtual meeting solutions, project management platforms, and communication tools that enhance productivity. For example, BuzzGuru solves this task by providing a virtual office – a space for launching, managing, and evaluating influencer marketing campaigns. The campaign management tool helps assign roles to the contributors, monitor the activity of the engaged influencers, adjust your strategy, test new ideas, and also the AI creates precise reports within seconds. Furthermore, AI can analyze large volumes of data quickly and extract valuable insights. Leaders and managers can use this information to make more informed and strategic decisions, minimizing guesswork and relying on evidence-based reasoning. As for data analysis in influencer marketing, our platform automates the process of influencers search and discovery. It’s only necessary to set the parameters for the influencers you need to find, and the AI will show you a selection of the most relevant ones. Additionally, the AI calculates and analyzes all the vital metrics. This way, managers adopt a data-driven approach to influencer marketing.
What specific skills or roles do you think AI can't replace in your industry?
While AI can enhance efficiency, data analysis, and certain aspects of influencer marketing, human-centric skills cannot be placed by AI.
Creativity: AI may assist in generating content ideas, but it often lacks the genuine human touch that comes from personal experiences and emotions.
Relationship Building: Establishing and nurturing relationships requires emotional intelligence, empathy, and an understanding of human nature that AI cannot replicate.
Besides, AI may find it challenging to manage complex communication, as successful influencer partnerships often require flexibility, negotiation skills, and the ability to align influencer goals with brand objectives.
Adaptability: The influencer industry can present unexpected situations that require quick thinking, adaptability, and creative problem-solving. No doubts, humans excel at handling these unpredictable scenarios.
Finally, what does the future of work look like with automation and AI, and how can ambitious professionals thrive in this changing landscape?
The integration of AI-technology into various industries will lead to increased work efficiency by handling more and more tasks, freeing people to use their creativity, critical and strategic thinking. The use of AI will become essential, so developing tech skills and human qualities will help individuals succeed in the changing work landscape.
Ambitious professionals can thrive in this changing landscape by focusing on continuous learning, adapting to new technologies, and developing skills that cannot be replaced by AI, such as creativity, empathy, and complex problem-solving. Networking, staying updated with industry trends, and seeking out opportunities to collaborate with AI systems can also help them stay ahead and succeed in their careers.
