That question is more complex than it seems. When looking at generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) – the type of AI that creates new content by learning patterns from existing data (think ChatGPT) – it’s a powerful tool, and it can support many activities for a business, including marketing. 

For fun, I asked ChatGPT “Can AI do my marketing?” The response was that it can do some things, stating its ideal use is a marketing assistant or team member. This is a valid response, and it is how marketers and small businesses should approach it. 

Let’s break down what you should explore with generative AI for marketing, and what you should be cautious about. It can support generating ideas, analyze data, it can mock up ads for you, and it can make search engine optimization (SEO) recommendations. But it should not be used for the final deliverable, as a person needs to take the information or graphics it provides and, further workshop it, ensuring it works with your brand strategy, positioning, tone and voice. AI is not your brand, and it won’t speak like it.  

For generative AI platforms, it is also important to understand the outcomes are only as good as their prompts (the information you input to the platform). Learning how to properly prompt for results that work for your business is important. For example, let’s imagine you have a small business that knows you should have a blog as part of your community and promotional strategies, you could ask an AI platform “give me 10 blog topics for a business that does…X” it will give you topics, but it won’t feel aligned to your brand. Remember your brand is unique, it has nuances that AI cannot fully understand. Instead, try “Act as a marketing strategist for my business that does… X (describe the business)… my target markets are… can you provide 10 blog topics that would resonate with my target market and their needs?” This will provide a much better list that is more tailored to your business. A human now needs to take over, and write those blogs. Yes, you could ask AI to do it, but it will not be written in a way that connects your audience to your brand.  

AI’s future in marketing is complex, and there is more than one type of AI; generative is the most accessible to small businesses. More powerful tools, such as predictive AI, can analyze large amounts of data and create more personalization in your marketing, but can be out of reach due to the financial investment for small businesses. Soon, though, those financial barriers will decrease.  

So yes, generative AI can do your marketing, but it won’t be great marketing; it won’t connect with your customers, and it won’t build a trustworthy brand. It can however be your assistant, and it can create great efficiencies in your marketing activities and maybe even make running a small business a little less difficult.  

If you have questions about branding or marketing, the Business and Commercialization Innovation Centre is here to work with you to enhance your business presence. Contact David DiPietro, Manager, Business Development, at [email protected] today.