8 ways to use AI in digital marketing [+ examples]

ChatGPT and Google Bard are in the spotlight. If we haven’t joined the talk about using artificial intelligence (AI) in digital marketing, we might be missing something big.

Maybe we’re exploring AI on our own, or maybe our manager wants us to find out how it can help our work. No matter the reason, we’re here to make things simple.

Let’s break down what AI in digital marketing means, how we can use it, the pros and cons, and strategies that work well with it.

What is AI in digital marketing?

AI in digital marketing means using artificial intelligence to plan, improve, or carry out marketing tasks. The goal is to make marketing work better, save time, and cut costs.

AI uses machine learning and large-language models (LLMs) to study large amounts of data. It then turns that data into useful actions, smart content, or automatic steps.

AI can also respond to customer actions like clicking a button or liking a post.

What does this mean for us?

With AI, we can study customer actions, guess what might happen next, automate work, and make marketing content that feels more personal.

New AI tools are coming out all the time. They say they can help us work faster, smarter, and more easily. But not every tool is perfect, and picking the right one can be hard.

We asked over 1,000 marketers how they use AI and where it helps most.

Pro tip: If we use HubSpot, we can try out new AI tools like the content assistant, blog topic generator, and ChatSpot. These tools help with SEO, call reviews, social media, and data.

How do digital marketers use AI?

In a recent survey, 66% of marketers worldwide said they use AI tools in their work. In the US, it’s even higher at 74%. People use AI in many ways, and more tools now have built-in AI.

So, how are people using it?

Our 2025 research shows that most people use AI to write text, like blogs, emails, and social posts (55%). Many also use it to do research (47%) or to talk directly with customers through messages (41%).

Let’s look at some ways AI can help in digital marketing.

Ways to Use AI in Digital Marketing

1. Data Analytics

Is it hard to understand big sets of data? Most digital tools show analytics, but we often need to combine data from many places to see the full picture.

AI can gather and study large amounts of data from many platforms and give us a simple summary. In fact, 36% of marketers who use AI say they use it mainly for analyzing data and making reports. This helps improve how we plan our marketing.

It also saves time when we’re building campaigns.

2. Content Creation

Marketers can ask AI to write things like captions, posts, emails, and even blogs. AI can also help create images, audio, and video.

Writing content is where AI shines. About 55% of marketers use AI to write text. Also, 38% use it to create videos, pictures, or sounds.

But most AI content needs editing. Many use it to get started — like for ideas or outlines.

Only 4% of marketers say they use AI to write full articles, and just 7% publish it without editing. Most people make small (38%) or big changes (56%) before they share it.

3. Reducing Admin Work

Like other jobs, digital marketers also spend a lot of time in meetings and doing simple tasks. In fact, 26% of marketers who use AI let it take notes and summarize their meetings. AI tools can handle small jobs like setting up meetings, summarizing articles, or writing down notes. These tasks may not sound exciting, but they save time and let us focus on bigger and more creative work.

Take Superhuman, for example — it’s a fast email tool. Its AI features can quickly show the main points of an email thread, write draft replies in your style, and help you search emails faster than Gmail or Outlook.

4. Content Personalization

AI studies how people behave online and helps show them content that fits their interests. This includes web pages, social posts, and emails. Our research says 60% of marketers think AI helps them give users a more personal experience. This means AI can change what users see based on their past actions or if they’ve filled out a form.

For example, content can show a user’s name, job title, or past visits. 6Sense is a good tool for this — it uses AI to find out which users are thinking of buying. This way, we can give those people the right messages and offers.

5. Media Buying

Another helpful use of AI is buying ads. In the past, people had to pick where to show ads, like websites or billboards. Now, AI tools choose where and how to show ads to get better results. If you use Google Ads, you’ve already used some of these AI features. Tools like Pattern89 also give tips on how to use your ad money wisely and reach the best audience.

6. Chatbots

We’ve seen AI chatbots in marketing for a long time. These bots, made with natural language tools, can answer simple questions, collect leads, or book demo calls. They also guide people who are reading marketing content and help them find answers. Our data shows that 31% of marketers use AI chatbots on their websites or social media.

Drift is one company that uses a smart chatbot that can answer questions even if the answer isn’t saved before. This means people always get help, even when asking something new.

7. Automated Email Marketing Campaigns

Email automation has been around for a while. Now, AI makes email writing easier and more effective. It learns what your email list likes and writes better messages.

The goal is to help marketers spend less time planning and more time sending successful emails. Today, 51% of marketers use AI for email marketing and newsletters. As AI improves, email tools become more important for marketing success.

8. Predicting Customer Behavior

Another great thing about AI is that it can guess what people will do next. AI looks at past data like how often someone opens an email, clicks on a link, or buys something. This helps us understand if a campaign will work or not.

With this knowledge, we can plan better and build campaigns that bring in more sales.

9. Improving Customer Experience

Marketing is all about giving people a good experience. AI helps us do that by showing helpful content and keeping people interested. It also helps us keep customers happy and loyal. Our research shows that 66% of marketers say AI gives them more time to focus on creative work. This helps us make the customer journey smoother and more enjoyable.

What AI tools are marketers using?

The world of AI tools for marketing is big and growing fast. To explore more tools, you can check out our full guide to AI marketing tools.
Here are some common AI tools that marketers are using right now:

• Most people use chatbots. ChatGPT is the top one, used by 88% of marketers who use chatbots.
• Next is Google Gemini, used by 52%, and Microsoft Copilot, used by 44%.
• For making content, 40% of marketers use image tools like DALL·E and Midjourney.
• Video editing tools with auto features are used by 36%.
• Voice tools like Speechify and Murf are used by 33%.
• Some marketers also use special tools like HubSpot Content Assistant to write blogs and emails.
• Others like Jasper and Copy.ai are used to write posts and content.
• The data shows that 71% of marketers use more than one chatbot.
• On average, each marketer uses about 2 to 3 different chatbots.

This means that one tool is not enough for all needs, and smart marketers mix different tools for better results.

AI Marketing Pros and Cons

AI gives us many benefits, but it also has a few downsides.

Let’s look at the good and bad sides of using AI in digital marketing.

Pros of AI in Digital Marketing

1. Increased ROI

Companies are seeing good results from using AI. Our data says 75% of businesses get a positive return from using AI and automation. In fact, 34% say the return is very good. Also, 67% of companies plan to spend more on AI in 2025. Instead of running ads that don’t work, we can use AI to study data and make better choices quickly. This saves us time and money, so we can work better and earn more. When we cut down the time and cost of creating content, our profits go up too.

2. Speed and Efficiency

Many marketers say AI helps them work faster and better. About 64% say it makes them more productive, and 55% say it helps them save time. In fact, 78% of marketers agree that AI helps cut down boring tasks. This gives us more time to focus on important work. It also helps us act quickly when new trends or ideas come up. In marketing, being first is a big win. AI lets us launch a campaign in just a few hours or days, which gives us a big edge.

3. Better Customer Experience

AI also helps us connect better with customers. Our research says 74% of marketers say AI lets them focus more on the key parts of their job. Also, 66% agree that it helps them spend more time doing creative work. When we show customers content that fits their needs, they’re more likely to come back. AI also helps us find customers who may stop buying. It can send them messages to bring them back to our business.

4. Data-Based Marketing Decisions

AI makes it easier to grow a business using smart data. It looks at numbers, finds patterns, and helps us create content that sells. 66% of marketers say AI helps them find insights they couldn’t find on their own.

Cons of AI in Digital Marketing

1. Content Quality and Accuracy

Even though AI has improved a lot, it still makes mistakes. Many marketers say that AI sometimes gives wrong information. In fact, 43% say this is their biggest problem. Also, 34% say AI creates content that may be biased, and 30% say the content is not useful or clear enough. If we use AI to write content without checking it, the quality may go down. AI works best when it uses good, clear, and up-to-date data. Without a human to check, AI may share wrong facts, show bias, or sound different from our brand. So, we need people to check and edit AI content to avoid these mistakes.

2. Privacy

As marketing becomes more personal, people care more about their privacy. AI often uses cookies and past online actions to guess what customers might buy next. Our study shows that 41% of marketers say privacy rules make it harder to use AI. If we use AI tools, we must make sure we follow rules like GDPR.

3. Copyright Concerns

AI is still new, and the law is still catching up. AI tools learn from many online sources. This means they might make content that looks too much like another company’s. Right now, copyright laws are made for people, not machines. So, it’s not always clear who owns content made by AI. Also, 19% of marketers worry that AI sometimes copies other content without knowing.

4. Integration and Training Challenges

There are other big problems too, like setting up AI and learning how to use it. 39% of marketers say it takes too much time to learn and train teams. 34% say it’s hard to make AI work with old tools they already use. Also, 34% say there are too many AI tools doing the same thing, and they don’t work well together. This can be confusing and not helpful. Sometimes it’s also hard to show the value of AI because not all results are easy to measure. Some results like better customer experience or stronger brand name are hard to track. That’s why it helps to use the right tracking tools, like HubSpot’s marketing analytics. With it, we can check results in one place — like website visits, leads from ads, and more.

Examples of AI in Digital Marketing

Now you may be thinking, “How does AI look in real life?”
Here are some real examples of how big companies use AI in marketing.

1. Netflix

In marketing, timing and the right message matter. Netflix uses AI to do this well.
In a blog post, Netflix explains how it shows movie covers based on what people have watched. Let’s say someone watches many movies by one actor. Netflix may show that actor on the cover of a new movie to catch their eye. If the person watches more comedy than romance, Netflix might show funny scenes instead of romantic ones.

For example, the way Netflix shows the movie Good Will Hunting may change depending on the viewer’s taste. Why do they do this? To help more people click and watch, and to give them a better viewing experience.

2. Spotify

Spotify uses AI like Netflix does. It learns what songs, podcasts, and artists we like. It even looks at things like where we live or what we have clicked on before. Then, it creates playlists just for us. This helps Spotify stay one of the top music apps. But that’s not all — Spotify also sends emails with song suggestions made just for each person. The goal is to make each message feel special, so more people listen and stay connected.

3. Amazon

AI is great for predicting sales and reading data. Amazon uses AI for both of these tasks.
When we visit Amazon, we see a section showing products we might like. This is done using AI that looks at our past actions and guesses what we may buy next. It helps Amazon show the right products to the right people. It also helps them guess how well a product will sell. This smart use of AI helps increase sales, makes customers happy, and helps measure if a marketing campaign is working well or not.

4. DreamHost

DreamHost has a tool that helps people find business names using AI. We just enter some words about our business. The tool then gives us different name ideas in real time. It even checks if a domain name is available so we can start our online journey easily.

5. StoryChief’s AI Marketing Agent: William

StoryChief has an AI helper called William. We just give it our website link, and it builds a content plan made just for us. William finds our brand tone, content themes, and who we want to reach. It also fills out our content calendar with ideas. But that’s not all — William also checks how well our content is doing. It shares traffic reports and gives us new ideas to stay ahead.

We still stay in control and decide what gets published and when.

How to Use AI in Digital Marketing

If we haven’t started using AI in our marketing, now is the time. But we need to do more than just pick new tools. We need a smart plan that looks at both the chances and the risks. To make big changes, we need a plan that fits the business and helps our team adjust.

1. Define your goals and success metrics

First, we need to know what we want from AI. Do we want better results from our ads? Save time or money? Improve how we talk to customers? Most marketers measure AI success by how much time they save (55%) and how productive they become (64%). We should also look at how AI helps make things more personal and how it helps us understand our data better.

It’s very important to set clear goals and know what success looks like before we begin. We should measure both numbers (like profit or saved hours) and feelings (like employee happiness or better content). To make AI work well, we need to match it with our business goals and know what it can and can’t do.

We should also check how things are working over time and adjust as needed. Some things, like being more creative or helping with branding, may be harder to measure. Also, some team members may worry about losing their jobs, so we should support them through this change.

2. Audit your infrastructure and data readiness

We need to check if our current systems and tools are ready for AI. Build a small team to look at how things work now and where AI can help. This check should also look at our data — because good data is key to good AI.

We should write a report on where AI can help, what we hope to gain, and what we need to get started. 34% of marketers say it’s hard to make AI work with old systems, so this step matters a lot. We also need to check if our data is good, if we have enough of it, and if it’s easy to use. It’s also important to find any problems early, not just the good parts. We shouldn’t try to change everything at once — start with two or three areas.

Strategic considerations:

• Make sure we follow privacy and data safety rules (important to 75% of marketers).
• Check if our tech setup can handle AI.
• Look out for data stuck in different places that AI can’t reach.
• Think about how easy it will be to grow and scale later.

Possible risks:

• Breaking data privacy rules if we’re not careful.
• AI not working well with our old systems.
• Bad data causing bad AI results.
• Making simple tasks too complicated with new tools.

We don’t have to start big. Even using AI for small things like note-taking or meeting summaries can make a big difference.

3. Audit staff capabilities and address change management

Another important thing is to check if our team is ready for AI. 39% of marketers say it’s hard to find time for training, so this is a common challenge. We may need to train our current team, bring in experts, or create a new role for this. Good news — 51% of employees are happy to try AI, though 17% are unsure.

We should explain how AI can help them grow, and give them time and tools to learn. Some good ways include videos (56% learn this way), company training (48%), and team leaders who support AI use. We should also talk openly about job worries to keep everyone calm and clear.

Training options companies are using:

• 37% give money to take AI courses.
• 42% give access to AI tools.
• 39% have in-house AI training.
• 34% give time each week to explore AI.

4. Select the right AI marketing tools strategically

Once we know our goals, we must choose the right AI tools. Many tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini are easy to use and already trusted. Free trials and peer reviews help us test before buying.

We should check data safety, legal rules, and tool fit. Some companies build custom tools using open-source AI for more control, but expert help is needed. Avoid using too many tools that don’t work well together.

5. Test, analyze, and iterate strategically

Once we choose our AI tools, we should test them smartly. Start with two or three key areas, set clear goals, and test for 30–90 days. Compare AI content with human content and track results like time saved, work quality, and cost. Write down all steps and outcomes. Always review AI content before sharing, fact-check, and get feedback. Use what works, drop what doesn’t, and improve as we go.

6. Build a sustainable culture of AI innovation

To use AI well in the long run, we need to keep learning and involve the team. Ask for their ideas and explain that AI helps them, not replaces them. Celebrate wins and learn from mistakes. Add AI roles, offer regular training, and follow fair rules. Be ready for privacy laws. Keep things simple to avoid tool confusion. Let AI support the work, but people should lead. Success takes time, not quick fixes — planning and teamwork matter most.

Harnessing the Power of AI

In our latest research, 67% of companies said they will spend more on AI in 2025. And 75% already said they are seeing good results from using AI and automation. But even as AI gets better, we must remember it has limits. There are still problems with AI making mistakes, showing bias, or not staying on topic. That’s why people are still needed to guide and improve AI work.

We can use AI in many campaigns — and we should — but not as a full replacement. The best results come when we use AI to help us think, create, and plan faster. But the human touch is still what makes marketing truly connect with people. The future is not about choosing between people and AI. It’s about using both together to create better and smarter marketing that people enjoy.