The 2024 Marketing AI Trend... So Far

The latest AI Trends for Marketers Report from Velocity highlights the transformative role that artificial intelligence (AI) is playing in the marketing industry. With the increasing adoption of AI technologies, marketers are leveraging these tools to drive growth and efficiency, even with limited resources.

Covered in this article

The Rise of AI in Marketing
Marketers' Optimism Towards AI
The Importance of Integrating AI with Existing Tools
AI and Content Generation: A Perfect Partnership
AI: A Productivity Multiplier
Conclusion
FAQs

The Rise of AI in Marketing

Only two years ago, AI was a relatively novel concept for most marketers. Today, however, 74% of marketing professionals are utilising at least one AI tool in their work, a significant increase from 35% last year. This rapid adoption reflects the growing recognition of AI’s potential to enhance various aspects of marketing operations.

In a recent survey conducted by Velocity, over 1,000 global marketing and advertising professionals were asked about their attitudes towards AI and its impact on their work. The findings reveal a strong sense of optimism about AI's role in the industry.

Marketers' Optimism Towards AI

The survey results show that a majority of marketers view AI as a positive force. Specifically, 68% of respondents believe that AI has improved their company’s trajectory, 69% report that AI has enhanced the personalisation of customer experiences, and 70% note better cross-team collaboration thanks to AI tools.

AI's impact on daily tasks is also significant. Over 70% of marketers report spending less time on manual tasks, allowing them to focus more on the strategic aspects of their roles. Furthermore, 68% of these professionals believe that AI has positively influenced their personal career growth.

Marketing leaders are similarly optimistic, with nearly 70% reporting a positive return on investment (ROI) from their AI initiatives. These leaders highlight that AI delivers value by augmenting, rather than replacing, their teams. Key benefits include:

• Increased employee productivity (45%)
• Enhanced data-driven decision-making (39%)
• Improved data sharing among teams (39%)
• Greater overall job effectiveness (34%)

The Importance of Integrating AI with Existing Tools

As AI adoption grows, marketers are recognising the importance of integrating AI capabilities with their existing tools. Nearly three out of four marketers are already using some form of AI in their work, with the most successful implementations focusing on unifying AI with tools like customer relationship management (CRM) systems and productivity platforms.

The five most popular AI tools among marketers in the past year include:

1. Chatbots for quick, personalised responses (35%)
2. AI-enhanced CRM and marketing tools, such as HubSpot (25%)
3. AI-enhanced productivity tools to streamline daily tasks (23%)
4. Visual AI tools for generating images and other assets (23%)
5. Text generation tools for creating high-performing content more efficiently (22%)

AI and Content Generation: A Perfect Partnership

Content creation continues to be a primary focus for AI applications in marketing. For the second consecutive year, using AI to generate content remains the top use case, with 43% of marketers prioritising this function. Despite this reliance on AI, 86% of marketers who use AI for content generation still make manual edits before publication, indicating a preference for human oversight in final outputs.

The most common content creation tasks powered by AI include:

• Image generation (47%)
• Writing copy (45%)
• Content quality assurance (QA) (44%)

These tasks primarily support the creation of emails and newsletters (47%), social media posts (46%), and blog posts (38%).

AI: A Productivity Multiplier

Nicholas Holland, VP of Product and GM at HubSpot's Marketing Hub, aptly summarises the current landscape: "AI is becoming a productivity multiplier for marketers. They’re using it to create more content, navigate more channels, and generate more leads–all while increasing quality and personalisation. Marketers who lean in and collaborate with AI to make their own work better are the ones who will win."

Conclusion

AI is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool in the marketer's toolkit. From enhancing productivity to optimising content creation, AI is reshaping the marketing landscape in profound ways. As adoption continues to grow, the key to success will be the seamless integration of AI with existing tools and processes.

To explore the full findings from HubSpot's 2024 AI Trends for Marketers Report, visit our website.

FAQs About AI Marketing Trends

1. Who conducted the AI Trends for Marketers Report?

The AI Trends for Marketers Report was conducted by HubSpot, a leading CRM platform that provides software and support to help businesses grow better.

2. What is the main focus of the AI Trends for Marketers Report?

The report focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) is being adopted by marketers and its impact on the marketing industry. It explores the ways in which AI tools are being utilised to enhance productivity, personalise customer experiences, and improve cross-team collaboration.

3. How many marketers participated in the survey?

The report is based on a survey of over 1,000 global marketing and advertising professionals.

4. What percentage of marketers are currently using AI tools?

According to the report, 74% of marketers are currently using at least one AI tool in their work, up from 35% in the previous year.

5. What are the most popular AI tools among marketers?

The five most popular AI tools used by marketers, as highlighted in the report, include:

• Chatbots for quick, personalised responses (35%)
• AI-enhanced CRM and marketing tools like HubSpot (25%)
• AI-enhanced productivity tools (23%)
• Visual AI tools for generating images and assets (23%)
• Text generation tools for faster content creation (22%)

6. How has AI impacted the daily work of marketers?

AI has allowed over 70% of marketers to spend less time on manual tasks and focus more on strategic activities. Additionally, 68% of marketers report that AI has positively influenced their career growth.

7. What do marketing leaders think about AI’s return on investment (ROI)?

Nearly 70% of marketing leaders who have invested in AI report a positive ROI, particularly in terms of increased employee productivity and effectiveness.

8. What is the significance of integrating AI with existing tools?

The report emphasises that integrating AI capabilities with existing tools, such as CRM and productivity platforms, is crucial for driving AI adoption. This integration makes it easier for marketers to incorporate AI into their workflows, enhancing overall efficiency.

9. How is AI being used in content generation?

Content generation remains the top use case for AI in marketing. Marketers are using AI to create written content, generate images, and perform content quality assurance. However, 86% of marketers still prefer to make manual edits before publishing AI-generated content.

10. How does AI contribute to content personalisation?

AI helps marketers personalise content by analysing data and generating tailored messages for different audience segments. This capability has led to improved customer experiences and more effective marketing campaigns.

11. Where can I find the full AI Trends for Marketers Report?

The full report, along with detailed findings and insights, is available on HubSpot’s website. You can visit their site to explore the complete analysis of the latest AI trends in marketing.