It’s been more than a year since AI tools started to enter the market at a rapid pace. Back in March 2023, we released our first guide on the topic, and by now, you probably have tried an AI tool. Maybe you’ve talked with ChatGPT or Google Gemini (formerly Bard), or maybe you’ve used an AI assistant in Microsoft Word or Slack.

Now that we’ve had some time with AI, we wanted to check in and see how things are going.

Which tools have proven to be useful? What are the best ways to get value out of AI? And are we even referring to AI in the right ways?

What Is AI Anyway?

One thing that hasn’t changed in the last year of AI adoption is the confusion around some of its terminology. Let’s consider the differences and nuances of AI tools.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad term referring to any technology that enables computers to think like humans. AI powers computers to use visual perception, recognition, and decision-making to analyze, create, and learn. It is what allows computers to complete tasks that were once only able to be completed by humans, such as writing copy and driving cars.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that teaches computers to analyze large volumes of data and identify trends in the data. It enables computers to learn, iterate improvements, and make suggestions. In marketing, machine learning is used primarily in predictive analysis. Data is shared with AI to identify trends, create forecasts, and make personalized recommendations for customers. Examples of machine learning in marketing include Pecan AI and IBM Watson Studio.

Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that produces original output based on prompts entered by users. With this technology, a human submits a request, and the generative AI provides a deliverable such as text, graphics, illustrations, videos, and code. DALLE 2 and ChatGPT are generative AI tools.

Chatbots

Chatbots are a type of artificial intelligence that mimic the experience of talking with a human. A chatbot is trained to answer user questions. They are often used in instant messaging apps and can also be used as a form of generative AI. For example, ChatGPT is a chatbot that can also function as generative AI. Users can have a conversation with ChatGPT, asking it questions and talking back and forth. Or, users can give a prompt to ChatGPT, and it will generate content based on the request.

Automation

Automation is not a type of artificial intelligence, but it can sometimes be referenced in the same conversation. Automation trains a computer to conduct the same repetitive tasks, but it does not require teaching the computer to think and act on its own. AI could be trained to implement automated tasks, but the automation itself is not typically considered AI.

Suggestions

Suggestions can sometimes leverage artificial intelligence. In some cases, suggestions are powered by machine learning that pulls data to make recommendations like which audience to target or when to send an email.

How Are AI Tools Showing Up

AI tools have flooded the market, and they often show up in one of two ways.

1. Stand-Alone AI Tools: There are many tools built solely around AI. For example, ChatGPT Synthesia, and DALLE 2 were created as stand-alone AI tools. Their entire platform is centered around AI-related tasks.

2. AI Assistants within Existing Tools: Many tools and software now offer AI assistants that help you perform tasks within a program, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot used in Word and Outlook.

Now that we are more than a year into the AI revolution, basically everything we use as a marketing team daily has a form of artificial intelligence or assistance. Our team uses AI in:

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms
Gmail
Slack
ChatGPT
SEMRush
Quickbooks
Docubee
HubSpot
Basecamp
Read.Ai
Grammarly
Canva
Adobe
Ad buying platforms

How Our Team Is Using AI

Our team uses both stand-alone AI tools and AI assistants to make our work better, processes more efficient, and communication more clear. With experienced, creative human intervention, we’ve found ways to direct, leverage, and use AI to produce better outcomes for our team and our clients. Here are a few ways we’re using AI.

We see AI as a tool, not as an employee. The introduction of AI tools led many to believe they could simply outsource their work to computers. But, we’ve found that is not the best approach. We use AI as a support system, not as a replacement for people.

We use AI to analyze data and make predictions. We lean into AI’s ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make predictions. We use AI suggestions to identify opportunities and improvements. For example, we use AI to answer questions like:

When is a good time to send an email?
What customers are most likely to respond to a message or product?
What ad specs could improve ROI in search and display advertising?
Who are the competitors of a brand, and what makes them different?
Is this page fully optimized for SEO?

We use AI to generate ideas. AI is a powerful partner for brainstorming. We use AI to get inspired and generate fresh perspectives. AI helps us:

Get a list of topics and FAQs for content creation.
Generate ideas for social media posts.
Research subject matter.
Develop outlines for long-form content.
Create buyer personas and develop lists of customer needs, hesitations, and questions.

We use AI to improve what we’ve created. AI is a useful tool to come in at the end of a project. AI helps us improve what we’ve already worked on. For example, AI can:

Offer suggestions to improve the quality of our copy.
Change the tone of content or adjust it to speak to a different audience.
Create an illustration or graphic to match text-based messaging.

We use AI with caution.

One of the reasons why we pair AI-use with human intervention is because AI does not come without its shortcomings.

AI output can be inaccurate, biased, and unoriginal. We always verify AI-generated information and use human-led critical thinking, brand strategy, and creativity to improve AI output.
When AI-generated content is used on websites, it can come under extra scrutiny by search engines. Google search algorithm updates are continuing to target content that is “spammy” and low quality. Google may recognize content produced with AI alone and lower its visibility in search. We only publish original, valuable content that has been supported by AI, not written solely by AI tools.

We share what we learn about AI with each other. AI is still a very new part of marketing, and we fully expect its uses and application to change over the next few years (or even as quickly as the next few months). To make sure we keep up, we communicate with each other. We share what’s working, what’s not, and what tests we’re running to help our team get the most out of the power of artificial intelligence.

Use AI to Accelerate Your Marketing

If you are wondering how you can use AI to make your marketing more efficient and effective, let’s talk. Our team would love to share what we’ve learned and use our strategies to help you accelerate your marketing. Contact us to learn how to use AI to power your marketing initiatives and strategies.

How We’re Using AI Marketing Tools in 2024