Here we are go through another wave of change in the digital marketing sphere, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) is radically transforming Internet advertising and marketing. The public is still trying to get a handle on what AI is and if they need to use it. And most small business owners are beginning to realize they need to use it, but they don’t know how.
Artificial Intelligence can seem intimidating, like the PhD friend who is so bright you don’t discuss anything beyond sports and tacos in fear of looking stupid. How can someone manage such a powerful tool? What if you ‘push the wrong button’ and it completely goes off the rails, causing problems for your business? These can be common concerns, but the truth is, AI isn’t a SciFi beast come to take over your messaging. It’s just a high-performance car requiring you, as the driver, to take it where you want to go.
AI AND DIGITAL MARKETING
For example, digital marketing plans typically involve regularly producing videos on social media platforms. Let’s look at aiCarousels, which helps create regular reels for Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. It removes the time-consuming work by bringing data research and video production right to you. Look at it as a highly motivated assistant who is eager to take on any project you give it. But you are the boss, and it needs your approval to move forward. AI will suggest new strategies based on its enormous data access, but you set the parameters. And it will suggest new strategies to leverage brand appeal and sales, but you choose how to move forward. It’s not a takeover, it’s a conversation. This collaboration leaves room for more creativity, and what marketing professional doesn’t love that? Do you want talking cats to sell your product? What about centering your ads around a fun, splashy boutique with helpful staff? AI will write the carousel story, and you decide how to modify it.
As wondrous as it is, AI isn’t perfect (yet). The job of measuring KPI’s and improving digital reach is still in the human ballpark. These tasks are not replaced; they just take less time with AI and ChatGPT tools. The data is laid out, and it’s a human’s job to review and decide what improvements to make.
AUTHENTIC MARKETING MAY WIN OUT (OR MAY NOT)
Right now, social media is being flooded with AI content. It’s poor quality, and often very “bland.” It does not seem authentic (because it is not). You’ve probably seen plenty of videos with AI-generated people speaking in that echoing tone about some product they love. The videos themselves can be a bit ‘off’ with odd moving clothing or static backgrounds. And although we know all those things will improve over time, the emotional connection so important to authentic marketing won’t happen without a human to oversee it. Like superhero movies doused with special effects, if the story doesn’t emotionally connect to the viewer, the movie bombs at the box office. The use of AI and marketing is the same idea.
Marketing and branding are about creating a story that emotionally connects the consumer to the product. People are intuitive; they will have their radar up if they feel they are being manipulated. And if a business makes customers feel stupid, that’s going to show in sales. AI doesn’t mean marketing professionals don’t’ have to do their job, that’s lazy thinking. It’s the collaboration between a human and AI that brings the right mix of authenticity and savvy digital marketing to a brand.
My new 2026 book on AI and Marketing discusses how to educate yourself and avoid the pitfalls of inauthentic AI use. The book includes plenty of links to great tools to start playing with. As a digital marketing educator, my goal is to get business owners and digital marketing professionals in the driver’s seat. Then they can take the wheel and show AI which road to take!
