Alright, let’s stop pretending AI is some distant “futuristic” concept. It’s here, right now, and it’s changing up content marketing as we know it. But just how much of an impact is it really having?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 31% of marketers are using AI every single day, but only 12% are actually making the most of it. So, why aren’t more people fully on board? Are they still figuring it out, or are we just slowly getting started?

AI is already speeding up content creation and increasing efficiency, but that’s just the start. It’s reshaping strategies, enhancing personalisation, and changing the way brands connect with their audiences. In my view, the real challenge for marketers is how to leverage AI’s capabilities while maintaining the authentic, human touch in their content.

Let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t here to steal our jobs. It’s here to help us do them better. Lee Densmer, one of my favourite B2B content strategists, sums it up perfectly when she says:

“I use AI in the process of creating content, but I never wholly write content using AI. In many ways, it’s like a sparring partner for content, helping me improve. Or you could think of it like an intern, helping you get work done more quickly.”

So, think of AI as your trusty sidekick. It can help you brainstorm ideas, organise your posts, and speed up production, but the content magic? That’s all you, my friend.

We’ve all been there, staring at a blank screen, feeling like it’s mocking us. That’s where AI comes in. Tools like Jasper and ChatGPT can spark fresh ideas, organise your thoughts, or even draft (yes, draft) entire copy sections. Think of it as your super-efficient assistant, speeding things up and getting you started. But here’s the catch: the copy it generates usually feels flat and repetitive. While it may check all the “boxes,” it lacks the authentic human voice that makes copy truly resonate.

HubSpot’s Curtis del Principe recalls an agency that used AI to produce thousands of blog posts, only to watch them flop. Why? Because they just didn’t feel real. This highlights why AI is best for helping you get started, not for creating the finished product.

✅  How to use AI

• Use AI for brainstorming and ideation.
• Leverage AI to overcome writer’s block.
• Generate rough drafts to speed up workflow.
• Ask AI for headline variations or CTA options.
• Use AI to summarise existing content.

❌  How not to use AI

• Don’t expect AI to generate fully polished copy.
• Don’t skip human editing and creative input.
• Don’t let AI define your brand voice.
• Don’t rely on AI for emotional depth or cultural nuance.
• Don’t use AI without checking facts and compliance.

Content marketing thrives on storytelling. While AI can structure content and analyse trends, it struggles to create emotionally compelling narratives. The best brands understand that great storytelling isn’t about data, it’s about connection.

Take Cadbury’s “Made to Share” campaign. Instead of just promoting chocolate, it captured the awkward, funny, and deeply human moments of sharing treats. It wasn’t just an advert, it was a story people could relate to. And that relatability? It’s what builds brand loyalty.

This is where AI falls short. While it can crunch numbers and optimise headlines, it can’t tell the stories that spark emotion, build trust, and make people feel something. That’s still a job for human marketers (for now).

✅  How to use AI

• Use AI to dig into trends or help with structuring your story.
• Let AI suggest topics or help you gather supporting data to make your case stronger.
• Ask AI to help analyse your audience and tailor stories to their preferences.
• Use AI to assist in checking grammar, tone, and clarity for your storytelling.

❌  How not to use AI

• Don’t let AI write your story for you. Those human emotions and quirks are key.
• Don’t use AI to force your brand into a template. It’s all about authenticity.
  
• Don’t rely on AI to fully create emotionally-driven stories.

AI is really shaking things up in the personalisation department. By analysing data, it allows marketers to deliver more targeted content, whether that’s writing email subject lines or offering personalised product recommendations. But while AI is good at telling you what people might like, it doesn’t quite get why they like it. That’s where human insight comes in. AI may help segment your audience, but understanding what truly motivates them? That’s all you.

Take Monzo’s “Year in Monzo” campaign, for example. Similar to Spotify’s 2024 Wrapped, Monzo used data to create a personalised year-in-review. But Monzo went a step further by adding a human touch, making the campaign light-hearted, relatable, and conversational. The result? A truly personal experience that emotionally engaged users. In contrast, Spotify’s version, while data-driven, felt repetitive and impersonal, showing the stark difference a human perspective makes when transforming data into meaningful content.

✅  How to use AI

• Use AI to analyse customer data and segment your audience for targeted content.
• Leverage AI to recommend content based on individual preferences and behaviour.
• Use AI to suggest personalised email subject lines, copy, and offers. 
• Employ AI to optimise content delivery based on user activity.

❌  How not to use AI

• Avoid overdoing the automation; personalisation should feel thoughtful, not like a factory line.
• Don’t rely solely on AI for content recommendations — human oversight is crucial.
• Don’t forget to keep the content relevant and not overly intrusive.
• Don’t ignore potential biases in the data that could lead to irrelevant or harmful content.

AI is fantastic for taking care of the “boring stuff” like data collection, A/B testing, and performance tracking. But there’s one thing it can’t do: it can’t inject creativity, empathy, or that special spark that makes content really hit home. In a world that’s always buzzing with content noise, authenticity is everything. Consumers want to know that your content is real, that it aligns with their values, and that you’re transparent about how their data is used. If your brand isn’t being upfront about that, you could lose trust and that’s a deal-breaker.

So, yes, AI is awesome for automating the tasks that drain your time, but it’s the human touch that really makes your content shine.

✅  How to use AI

• Use AI for repetitive tasks like data analysis and content structuring, so you can focus on crafting authentic, meaningful stories.
• Be honest about using AI in your content creation process. Transparency builds trust and reinforces authenticity.
• Use AI to check for plagiarism and ensure originality in your content.
• Use AI tools to detect and eliminate any potential misinformation.

❌  How not to use AI

• Don’t use AI to “speak” for your brand. Your voice and values should always come through.
• Don’t rely solely on AI for fact-checking. Human review is still essential.
• Don’t use AI to manipulate or deceive your audience (e.g., fake reviews or misleading claims).
• Don’t ignore the potential for AI-generated content to unintentionally reflect bias.

AI is making content repurposing easier than ever. Tools like Spiral allow you to effortlessly transform a blog post into a social media update, email campaign, or video. Platforms like HubSpot’s Content Marketing Software streamline the process of adapting content for different platforms, saving you tons of time. HubSpot also reports that 43% of marketers are already using generative AI to create content, conduct research, and analyse data.

But here’s the catch, while AI can make repurposing quick and easy, it can’t always preserve the heart of your content. Repurposing is fantastic, but if you lose the essence of what makes your content unique, you risk losing your audience. The real magic happens when AI helps you scale content, while humans ensure it remains authentic and true to your brand.

✅ How to use AI

• Let AI repurpose content for different channels, but always have a human checker to ensure it stays on point.
• Use AI to brainstorm fresh ways to repurpose old content, giving it new life and reach.
• Use AI to transform long-form content into bite-sized pieces for social media.
• Use AI to summarise complex content for easier consumption (e.g., executive summaries).

❌  How not to use AI

• Don’t rely solely on AI for creative repurposing. A human input ensures authenticity and coherence.
• Don’t repurpose content without considering the specific needs and format of each platform.
• Don’t ignore the need to check for plagiarism or over-reliance on AI-generated content.
• Avoid using AI to repurpose content in ways that feel forced or out of place.

The future of AI in marketing isn’t just about automating tasks, it’s about transforming how we understand and connect with audiences. As AI improves, it’ll get even better at personalising content, analysing data, and predicting consumer behaviour. But the real magic will happen when AI can better predict emotional triggers before they even happen, using insights from user behaviour and sentiment. That’s the kind of power that could turn the marketing world upside down.

But here’s the challenge: as more brands jump on the AI bandwagon, we’re going to see a flood of generic AI-alike content. So how do brands stand out in this sea of AI-generated noise? The answer is simple. Use AI to help your content creativity, not replace it.

The future of marketing lies in blending AI’s precision with human creativity. AI can analyse data, predict emotions, and scale content, but it’s human creativity that brings those insights to life. It’s our ability to connect emotionally with audiences that makes content truly resonate. AI is a powerful tool, but it’s at its best when it enhances our ideas, not replaces them. Without that human touch, even the most advanced AI-driven content will fall flat.