The Next Wave2024 AI Trends for Marketers:HOw AI IsDriving PersonalProductivity andBusiness GrowthAI Trends ReportTable of ContentsFOREWORDAn AI-Powered Future for Marketing3INTRODUCTIONAI Is Here to Stay-And That's a Good Thing5CHAPTER ONEMarketers Are Addressing AI Hesitation8CHAPTER TWOAI Is Driving Career Momentum for Marketers13CHAPTER THREEMarketers Are Navigating Content Creation with AI20CHAPTER FOURWhat Marketing Leaders Are Saying about AI26CHAPTER FIVEInvesting in AI for a Powerful Future30CONCLUSIONSmarter Marketing for Better CRM35The Next Wave2AI Trends ReportFOREWORDAn AI-PoweredFuture for MarketingKipp BodnarCMO,HubSpotThere's no denying it-last year posed a lot ofWhen we step outside our day-to-day routines andhurdles for marketers.Financial instability andexamine marketing from a new angle,it's easyrestructuring seemed to be common themes forto see how AI seamlessly fits into the equation.businesses everywhere,regardless of industry.There's no shortage of tools,after all,that use AIBut marketers didn't shy away from the challengesto streamline routine processes like emails,givefacing their teams.In fact,they were more resilientsocial media captions a personal touch,and eventhan ever.breathe new life into legacy tools.Business leadersare catching onto the trend,as well.AccordingAs marketers,we're tasked with a heavyto our research,we're seeing directors,VPs,andresponsibility.We start,nurture,and rebuildexecutives start to prioritize AI integrations withcustomer relationships in ways that empowertheir marketing teams,and realize what thatour colleagues in sales and customer experienceefficiency boost can do for bottom lines.(CX)to succeed.To tick those boxes,we have tothink creatively.And in 2023,that's exactly whatmarketers did-it's part of why we saw a sharpIncrease in marketing AI tool usageincrease in artificial intelligence(AI)usage.74%21%20222023The Next Wave3AI Trends ReportSo,how do marketers actually feel about AI?Are we actually using this tech in practice?The short answer is yes.The long answer is thatmarketers don't just use AI-they're using it to givethemselves a leg up in their careers.AI is accelerating,and marketing is movingforward with it.But just because marketers areusing AI doesn't mean that the tech is going todisplace employees or lead to downsizing.Those68%concerns are still real,but disruptor technology likeAI is always going to cause some discomfort whenof marketers say AI has helpedgrow their careersit's moved from theory into practice.In our research,we've seen time and time againthat AI is a tool to improve workflows.It's notself-sufficient,and it's dependent on humanknowledge to generate something that's worthyour customers'time.If your primary concern about AI is that it'll replaceYou're a marketer.And youryour role at your organization,remember this:future is yours to decide.At HubSpot,we believe in growing better.Andthat's exactly what AI can help marketers do.Itcan help us learn new skills,get more free time forthe work we enjoy,create cool content,and crushKPIs for our organizations.If you're ready to startgrowing better,we're ready to meet you halfwaywith research,tools,and industry insights that'll tellyou everything you need to know about AI.So,let's hear from the marketing professionals wesurveyed with The Next Wave-and see how theyused AI to drive results for their businesses.Andfor themselves.The Next Wave4IntroductionStay-AndThat's a goodThingAI Trends ReportDo More of What You Love with AIThere's a reason why nearly 75%of marketers believe AI will become a workplace staple within thecoming years.When it comes to automation,customer engagement,and data analysis,AI-powered toolsact like an ace up a marketer's sleeve.According to the marketers we surveyed,the days of manuallypersonalizing every email and poring over massive spreadsheets are numbered.AI has the potential toMore than 74%of marketerssupport a number of tasks in abelieve that most people will use AI inmarketing department.In ourthe workplace by 2030conversations,we learned thatmarketers were commonly usingthe technology to:But AI isn't just a blanket term that can addressevery marketing challenge at once.Since the viralOptimize emails for betterlaunch of DALL.E,new AI tools have flooded thecustomer experiencesmarket,each accomplishing a unique objective.Iterate taglines and slogans forGenerative image tools speed up content creation,their businessestext generators make email and caption writingmore efficient,and machine learning tools takeStrengthen top-of-funnel outreachthe lift out of data analysis.Today,marketers usethrough data analysisa combination of AI-powered tools to improveAccelerate content creation atcustomer relationships at scale.a rapid rateLooking for an AI marketing solution?Visit Future Tools to find AI-powered softwarethat works for you.Most popular marketing tools in our surveyChatbots35%AI CRM software25%AI productivity tools23%Visual AI tools23%Text generation tools22%The Next Wave6AI Trends ReportBut marketers aren't exclusively onboarding newAI tools.Tech providers are supplementing existingproductivity technology that marketers alreadyknow and love with AI capabilities that can notonly make their days easier-it can make themmore efficient.AI upgrades to existing toolsGemini.This chatbot powered by74%Google AI rivals other popular textof marketing professionals say AIgenerators like ChatGPT.It's availableusage increases through existingfor free as a Google Workspace app.tool integrationsGrammarly.Marketers arelikely familiar with Grammarly'sspelling,grammar,and readabilitysuggestions-but the tool has gottenan AI upgrade to make writing moreWhile the rise of AI still leaves some marketersseamless.uncomfortable,we're dedicated to helpingHubSpot.We use AI technology tomarketers understand the technology better.support sales,CX,and marketingThat's why we sat down with marketers fromteams with tools they need to fosterleading businesses.In our survey,we discovered:better customer relationships.How marketers feel about AI today●Where marketers are using AI to growtheir careersWith AI upgrades to existing tools-and newsoftware entering the market daily-marketers●What AI means for content creationhave more time to focus on the aspects of their●How marketing leaders see AI in theirjob that they love.Whether that's creating a newbusinesses'futurescampaign strategy,interacting with customersone on one,or brainstorming ways to grow their●What tools,tips,and tricks,marketerscareers,AI gives marketers more agency over theircan leverage todayroles.And marketing leaders are resonating withthe boost in productivity.So,let's dive into the state of AI,and see how marketers like you areusing the technology to grow theircareers,support their teams,and driveengagement for their businesses.The Next WaveChapter 1Marketers AreAddressing AlHesitationAI Trends ReportReplacing Fear withConfidence:Marketers AIBefore we explore sentiments from marketers whoUndermining competencyare already on board with AI,it's important toacknowledge that there are still many professionalsMarketers wear a lot of hats.They're oftenwho are skeptical about the technology's impact.responsible for social media metrics,customerFrom fears of being displaced by the technologyservice,and web performance,among otherto ethical concerns around copyright infringement,KPIs.So,when it comes to AI,marketers who aremarketers who approach AI with a grain of salt areoverextended may feel frustrated about addingpractical-and in the past,they've been right to beyet another tool to their kit-but feel pressured toconcerned.move forward anyway.In fact,more than half ofthe marketers we surveyed said they feel at riskHowever,advancements in policy,best practices,of becoming irrelevant if they don't learn how toand workplace implementation may help someuse AI in their workflows.This pressure translatesmarketers feel more comfortable-and confident-to sentiments that AI undermines a marketer'sas AI enters the workplace.competency at work,making them appear behindLet's take a closer look at some of the mostthe curve compared to other professionals incommon concerns that marketers have about AI,the field.and what they're doing to address them.Common concernsabout AIUndermining competencyNegatively impacting relevancy57%Reducing job securityof marketers feel pressureto learn AI,or risk becomingirrelevantThe Next Wave9AI Trends ReportIndustry trends often multiply this pressure and make it feel more immediate.Heavier workloads,fasterturnarounds,and understaffing all lead to marketers feeling like they're at the end of their rope.While it's undeniable that AI is becoming commonplace in marketing,that doesn't mean marketers can'tstay competitive in the changing landscape.By learning more about AI's functionality,how it works,andwhat it can do to help,marketers can feel more comfortable as the technology integrates with familiartools.And they can calm their fears around relevancy.Ready for an AI crash course?Learn more aboutHubSpot Academy's free training,AI for Marketing.Negatively impactingThere are a few reasons why marketersrelevancyfeel this way,including:Early adopters of AI feel optimistic about itsLack of understanding about AIpotential to drive their careers forward.But,forMisuse of the technologymarketers who are more skeptical,the technologyLong adoption times for newcan feel like a significant blocker in their pathAI-powered workflowstowards upward mobility.Where 68%of marketersfelt AI offered a boost to their career,the rest wereless enthusiastic.As a result,marketers who haveWhen marketers struggle to understand AI'sconcerns about AI feel that the technologyimpact-or how to implement the tools at all-theymakes their roles less relevant to theirmay see momentary dips in their productivity.organization's success.Marketers who fear becoming irrelevant in therise of AI technology might consider taking a stepback,gaining a foundational understanding of thetechnology,and reaching out to colleaguesfor support.The Next Wave10AI Trends ReportReducing job securityOne of the most commonly voiced concernsaround AI is its potential to replace humanlosing their jobs to AI can take a fewworkers.According to our survey,this sentimentsteps to feel more confident-besideswas still prominent in the marketing industry.Nearly half of marketers stated that they felt theirstaying patient.jobs-and the entire job market-were at risk of1.Conduct research.being replaced.Sign up for free courses and see howAI's trajectory is changing in real time.Outlook from marketers on job security with AI2.See it in action.Get a free demo,partner with acolleague,or experiment with user-friendly AI tools.Facing the unknowncan make it feel less daunting.48%46%3.Opt for automation.Consider how AI can reduce liftfor time-intensive manual tasks.By freeing up working time,marketerscan focus on more creative tasks thatfeel more rewarding.Concerned that AI willConcerned that AI willreplace their jobsreplace all jobsAs time progresses,we believe this concern willessentially address itself.Marketing is a robustindustry with the need for human engagement atevery stage of the customer journey.While it's truethat AI can automate some routine tasks,such asbasic customer service,messaging customization,and some creative generation,it's also true that AIis a tool,not an alternative.The Next Wave11AI Trends ReportLearn more aboutHow AI tools workAI's role in marketingUnderstanding AI can help marketersthrough the HubSpotvisualize its potential-and its limitations.Blog and The Next Waveon YouTubeText generators.AI uses a manual prompt to createsuggestions for content.These outputsare often substantial,but lack a humanAI in Digital Marketingtouch that makes the writing feelThe Complete Guideauthentic.The Rise of Generative AIVideo ToolsImage and video generators.By using prompts,these generatorscompile existing datasets to createa net new output.This technology isThe Bottom Linegrowing,but blurry backgrounds,lackAI is here to stay,but more than half of marketersof detail,and onscreen text errors canare still hesitant about its growing role in theall show a lack of humanity.industry.Common concerns around competency,relevancy,and job security leave some marketersData analysis.feeling uncertain about an AI-powered future.Machine learning tools parse dataStaying informed,trialing low-lift free products,and provide informed suggestionsand using AI for task automation can helpabout engagement tactics,such asmarketers assuage fears around AI-and boostmeta descriptions,SEO keywords,their careers with a tool built for productivity.and taglines.Marketers should alwaysquality control these outputs,as thetechnology can make mistakes.The Next Wave12Chapter 2Al Is DrivingCareerfor MarketersAI Trends ReportSeven Leading Use Cases for AI in MarketingWith common concerns addressed,let's pivot and discuss how surveyedmarketers used AI to their advantage.At a glance,marketers used AI to empower moreAccording to our survey results,there were sevenefficient workflows and have more enjoyablepopular ways that marketers used AI to supportexperiences at work.While this might soundtheir day-to-day responsibilities:like a no-brainer,there's careful nuance to thesebenefits,each powered by a strategic move from aManual task automation●Task prioritization●EnjoyabilityAs we've already discussed,marketers used a●Productivitycombination of existing tools and new solutionsto leverage AI's potential in their workloads.CreativityData analysisWhile upgrades to existing tools were a keydriver of AI usage,optimistic marketers also sawutility in onboarding new tools-especially whenthey received support from leadership at theirorganization.As a result,marketers felt morefulfilled-and they felt more confident in theirpotential for future career growth.How marketers use AIReduce manual task time75%Focus more on important tasks73%Focus more on tasks they love73%Become more productive73%Become more creative70%Conduct better data analysis70%Understand customers better64%The Next Wave14AI Trends ReportManual task automationWhat tasks can you automate with AI?Last year,75%of marketers used AI to reduceCustomer support via chatbotsthe time they spent on manual tasks.That's●SEO keyword researcha significant portion of the industry,and itEmail personalizationdemonstrates AI's potential to streamline manualVoice and tone adjustmentsprocesses across the board.By handing off routine●Website meta descriptionstasks to an AI-powered tool,marketers not only●Market segmentationimprove their own workflows-they also support aSummarizationhealthier bottom line for their organization,as well.●Calls-to-action (CTAs)Tip:You can use an AI-powered text generator to create A/B testingoptions for taglines,captions,meta descriptions,and CTAs.Task prioritizationBy handing off routine tasks to an AI tool,Of course,AI can also help streamline thesemarketers gain more time in their workdays.intensive projects,as well.Some tools,They can use that extra time to focus on taskslike HubSpot AI,help analyze campaignthat require more strategic thinking-or have theperformance analytics and offer insights thatpotential to drive better results for their business.marketers may have overlooked on their own.Some of these intensive tasks might include:With 73%of marketers already using AI tohelp with task prioritization,there's a strong●Creative ideationcase for exploring this further.●Campaign management●SWOT analysis●Competitor researchInterdepartmental collaborationThe Next Wave15