How B2B marketers can build AI literacy

Last month, we talked about the risks and limitations of AI platforms in B2B marketing. As generative AI, large language models, and other forms evolve — and as legal battles and ethical debates around them unfold — it’s important not to over-rely on any one tool or service.

If all this has you worried, take a breath. Now is not the time to panic about roles being replaced, lay off entire customer support teams, or dump your human girlfriend for an AI bot.

Now is the time to learn.

None of us can predict the future, but B2B marketing teams that take the time to understand and build confidence with AI will be best equipped for what comes next.

So, we came up with a few examples of how different departments can build literacy with AI tools to save time, spark ideas, and augment their work.

General dos and don’ts

If there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s that you should never create something using AI without any human intervention. Technically, AI can write an article, create an image, code a website, or craft an SEO strategy, but if you’re using it for marketing, you still need to be able to stand behind the quality, relevance, and value of your work. AI can’t guarantee those things.

Wait, what do we mean by AI?

You may notice that we’re not only talking about ChatGPT and its counterparts. That’s because AI comes in many forms. Some of these tools have been around for a long time, while others are just coming out of the woodwork. Many require a subscription, though some have free versions or limited trials.

To keep things focused, this article won’t suggest specific programs for you to use, because there are thousands out there. Check out Future Tools for a searchable database.

If you’re implementing any of these tools in your work, be sure to read their documentation for any policies or legalities you may need to understand first.

AI for writing copy

Trained B2B writers aren’t afraid of a little ol’ blank page, but if you struggle to compose an email or organize your thoughts, there’s no shame in that! AI is there to give you a leg up.

Try making a transcript. If you need to conduct interviews or create captions for a video or podcast, AI transcription services provide a quick turnaround. Just make sure someone familiar with the subject matter proofreads the results to correct any errors or misspelled names.

Try an AI brainstorm session. Need ideas for your next campaign? You could spitball with an AI chatbot by entering some goals and parameters (without revealing any sensitive or company-specific info, of course). The answer it generates won’t be used as-is, but it might spark a great idea.

Try drafting an outline. To keep thoughts organized, writers often outline the structure of a piece before actually writing it. If you don’t know where to start, chatbots can help with this too. Again, you’ll need to tweak and tailor the results, but it should give you a quick framework to build on.

AI for building websites

Plenty of AI tools exist to help developers make more functional, beautiful, and accessible websites. Your web team (or your marketing agency’s web team) is best equipped to handle these, because without a mastery of skills like code and design, the results are likely to be less than professional grade.

Try an accessibility sweep. Accessibility tools can audit your existing website and highlight opportunities to improve compliance with legislations like ADA and WCAG. A web developer can interpret the results and suggest the most efficient ways to implement more inclusive designs.

Try debugging code. Web programmers are beginning to use AI tools to speed up the DevOps (development and operations) process and improve accuracy. They can have an AI platform analyze their near-finished code to catch any errors and suggest improvements.

Try…generating a web app? This is definitely something to keep in the experimentation stage for now, but programmers can generate entire web pages or apps using AI chatbots. They still need to use their specialized coding knowledge to craft careful prompts – and occasionally correct or steer the chatbot in the right direction — but the use of AI has the potential to dramatically cut down programming time.

AI for SEO and analytics

Other AI tools are specific to SEO and analytics, offering the potential to help your website rank higher in search engines and ultimately attract more users.

Try optimizing keywords. Certain AI tools can help you research or evaluate keywords specific to your industry or your audience’s application, which can produce keywords you may not have thought of yourself. It can also spark new ideas for SEO-boosted content initiatives.

Try filtering data. If you work with data analytics platforms like Looker Studio, AI can help create complex RegEx filters. In layman’s terms, that means an analytics specialist could use an AI tool to help refine or extract specific types of data without altering the underlying data source.

Try a chatbot. Though it’s not a replacement for personalized customer support, an AI chatbot (not like ChatGPT, but a little helper that pops up on your website) can help users find what they’re looking for. This can increase session duration, which in turn helps your site rank higher in search engines.

AI for imagery

When it comes to visuals, AI is best used to edit or tweak something rather than creating a whole image and using it as-is. New editing tools are looking pretty slick compared to the image generators.

Try changing a background. AI image editing tools can add or replace a background or foreground in an existing image, making it easier to customize and spice up your visuals.

Try adjusting lighting. Other image editors use AI to help you adjust light and colour. These tools can add polish and refinement without investing a ton of time editing images manually.

Try generating an image! OK, we told you not to do this, but in the spirit of experimenting: try generating entire images to build familiarity with prompts. If you want to use the image for marketing, you’ll need enough design skills to modify it substantially (though we still preach caution).

What else can AI do?

If you can think of it, it probably exists. Here are some more general ways that anyone can use AI to experiment and build their familiarity with how it works.

Try rehearsing a conversation. Need to make a presentation or have a serious talk? You could try simulating it with an AI chatbot to practice or anticipate any questions you might get (though some are better at this than others).

Try refining your grammar. AI-powered writing tools have been around for a while, and they can help you improve things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. If it ever makes a suggestion you’re not sure about, you can always double-check online.

Try chatting about your day. If you’re just plain bored, you can try having a regular conversation with an AI and talk about your day. It may be useful to note how different chatbots respond in terms of offering sympathy, advice, or information.

I just want good marketing!

Hey, so do we. Don’t worry — we’re all going through this AI learning phase to different degrees, and we’re all in this together.

Whether you’re looking for help with content, social media, websites and apps, analytics and SEO, or branding and design, just ask our team of real people with real B2B marketing chops.